Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

Lore & Background

Samos, the Green Sage and master of Green Eco, has long attempted to uncover the mysteries of the Precursors. Jak and his friend Daxter embark on an adventure to Misty Island, where Daxter falls into Dark Eco and transforms into an ottsel. Samos reveals that only Gol Acheron, a Sage who has studied Dark Eco extensively, might reverse the transformation. While collecting Power Cells, Jak and Daxter prevent Lurkers from breaching a Dark Eco silo.

They eventually discover that Gol and his sister Maia have been corrupted by Dark Eco, kidnapped the other Sages, and plan to use a Precursor Robot to open Dark Eco reserves. Jak and Daxter storm their citadel, free the Sages, and use Light Eco to destroy the robot. Gol and Maia are destroyed when their cockpit falls into Dark Eco. Daxter remains an ottsel. If 100 Power Cells are collected, a massive Precursor Door opens, revealing a dazzling light.

Reader's Guide

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is an open world 3D platformer with elements of action-adventure. The player controls Jak, who must collect Power Cells to progress through the game's world and ultimately reach the sage Gol. Jak's basic actions include running, jumping, double-jumping, crouching, and ledge-grabbing. He can also perform a rolling jump.

Combat moves include a spin attack, a dash-punch, a dive attack, and an uppercut. Jak has unlimited lives and three hit points. Green Eco restores health; Blue Eco boosts speed, activates platforms, and attracts items; Red Eco increases attack power and range; and Yellow Eco enables fireball attacks. In some sections, Jak pilots an A-GraV Zoomer and rides a Flut Flut bird.

Power Cells are earned by completing tasks, defeating bosses, or finding them in the environment. Precursor Orbs are currency traded for Power Cells. Each area includes seven Scout Flies, and a Power Cell is rewarded when all are collected. Missions include platforming challenges, minigames, races, and fetch quests. The player's actions have persistent effects.

Did You Know?

• The game was conceived during development of Crash Team Racing (1999), Naughty Dog's final Crash Bandicoot game.
• The development team built a new engine using Game Oriented Assembly Lisp (GOAL), a custom language for real-time code changes.
• Naughty Dog recruited animators from Disney and Nickelodeon for the game.
• The game's title was revealed at E3 2001.