Capsule Review: Jak and Daxter Collection
A compilation of the first three Jak and Daxter games (Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, and Jak 3) remastered with a few visual and control improvements and the addition of trophy support. There are also some bugfixes, including for the save-file-ruining “Stadium bug” from Jak II.
The PlayStation 3 version runs at 720p 60fps and is arguably the definitive way to experience this fantastic trilogy. The Vita version unfortunately suffers a great deal from a reduced frame rate, awkwardly remapping the L2/R2 buttons to the rear touch panel, and input lag in the first installment. (Or so I’ve read; I only played the PS3 version.)
Notably, the PlayStation 4 ports of these games are not based on this remaster, but on the PS2 originals. This means that while they render in a higher resolution, they don’t have the improved textures or the control improvements. It’s sort of a tossup whether the PS3 or PS4 version looks better. It’s also not clear to me whether the PS4 version of Jak II includes the Stadium bug fix.
I Stopped Playing When: I’d already played all three games on the PS2, but I happy played them all again on the PS3.
Five Stars: Favorite. This is one of my all-time favorite games that made a significant impact on me or that I've returned to time and again.