The 6th, and latest offering in the Jak and Daxter series. Even though it’s the 6th game in the series, this game’s events carry-on the story from the ending of Jak 3. The world is running out of Eco, so Jak, Daxter, and Keira must go to the Brink to find some more. In their quest, they discover a mysterious orb that points to all Eco sources. This orb is then lost in a scuffle with Sky Pirates. Along the way they must first fend off, then later, team up with said Sky Pirates to recover the orb, and discover a new Eco source to save the now unstable planet. This installment allows for all the usual Eco powers, Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, and the unstable and mysterious Dark Eco. There is no Dark/Light Jak in this game, due to the unstable source of the Eco that is used.
The Lost Frontier is similar to other Jak and Daxter games in the series. Primarily, being a Platformer/Third Person Shooter, but also interspersed with several flying segments. The flying segments are great, with lots of action, enemies, and tons of upgrades possible for your aircraft. Destroying enemies nets you “scrap”, which you can trade for upgrades. I spent a solid 45 minutes on one of the flying segments, just motoring around, blowing people out of the sky, and collecting scrap. It’s great fun, and one of the highlights of the game. Also, the graphics are notably better than I expected, with great color and textures.
This game only takes a few minor hits from me. First, I’m new to the Jak and Daxter series, and this game did nothing to introduce me to the world, the characters, or the back-story. Right off the bat, I was thrust into a game I knew squat about. Considering it’s the 6th installment in the series, I found this to be a little disappointing. Second, the game camera can be awkward at times, clipping through objects and obstructing my view at a few critical moments. Third, and last, in the platforming segments, depth perception of distances you are jumping is a little skewed. I made a few jumps that looked like I would easily clear them, and immediately fell to my death. All-in-all, pretty minor stuff really.
Overall, I think this game is good. For mega-fans of the series, it’s a solid installment, and continues the story from Jak 3 very well, and I’d say buy it. The weapons, flight segments, aircraft upgrades, Eco powers, and good storyline make it a solid rental at least. For people considering their first Jak and Daxter adventure, you should start with the first 2 games, and work your way up to this one. Otherwise, the story seems paper-thin, and a little cliché without knowing any of the back-story.
[A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes.]
