Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about two of my favorite series, both of which are often compared to each other, the PlayStation exclusive series “Jak and Daxter” and “Ratchet and Clank”.  From what I can tell, these series always seem to be related to each other, likely because their developers, Naughty Dog and Insomniac respectively, have worked with each other throughout the years.  (Ever heard of the games combining “Crash Bandicoot” and “Spyro the Dragon”?)  I absolutely adore both of these series, as they are a lot of fun, while also combining great characters and interesting stories, along with absolutely fantastic voice acting, and I thought I’d discuss how these two series compare to each other in several different categories.  But first, a quick summary of each series.

The “Jak and Daxter” series started off as a fantasy platformer in “The Precursor Legacy”.  Here we meet our heroes, Jak and Daxter.  The game shows how Daxter, originally a bucktoothed human, fell into Dark Eco and got turned into an ottsel (half otter, half weasel).  Then, it follows their adventures to try to get Dax turned back to normal.  It was a great game, consisting of exploring interesting locations, meeting funny characters, and collecting a bunch of Precursor Orbs and Power Cells to progress through the huge, open world of the game.  The game emphasized the use of Eco, a substance Jak can channel, that could do different things depending on the color.  Then, the series drastically changed in “Jak II”, with our heroes going a couple hundred years into the future.  Ever since, the series has become more serious and dark, while still retaining a great sense of humor.  There is more emphasis on guns and less on Eco, though Light and Dark Eco now play greater roles in the story. Continue reading Comparing “Jak and Daxter” and “Ratchet and Clank”: Two Series Everyone Must Play →