Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier
Encyclopedia
Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier is a platform game
developed by High Impact Games
published by Sony Computer Entertainment
. It is a part of Naughty Dog
's Jak and Daxter
series, and was released on November 3, 2009 for the PlayStation Portable
and PlayStation 2
. The player assumes the role of Jak, the angst-ridden hero enhanced by his exposure to Light and Dark eco.The game was released to favourable reviews,with critics praising the graphics and gameplay, but criticized the bad camera angles and its bland and repetitive environments and ground fights,though they noted everything was colorful.
and Jak 3
, incorporating three of the original gun mods and limited eco use. Much of the game is played aerially. Like its predecessors, The Lost Frontier is fairly open-ended, allowing players to complete assigned missions or freely roam the map. The player also gets a chance to play as Daxter, but in the form of a mutant monster.
Then, Captain Phoenix attacks the building and steals both the Eco Seeker and Keira. Jak and Daxter then chase Phoenix but are led into a trap, resulting in them landing back on the Island again. On the Island the duo meet The Castaway, who knows that Jak has been touched by Dark Eco, but can't remember his own name, nor why he was on the island in the first place. He also mentions that he built the Robots. He also offers to fix Jak's Hellcat, but requires a Velonium Power Pod from the most dangerous robot The Castaway ever created, the Uber-bot 888. After Jak and Daxter get the Power Pod, The Castaway fixes his ship and later sneaks on board. When Jak and Daxter take off they destroy the Phantom Blade's engine and defenses, causing Phoenix to let them land. On board Jak and Phoenix get into an argument, but Keira intervenes and makes them shake hands.
The Eco Seeker tells them it needs more Light Eco to work and they travel to an old research rig used by the Aeropans. At the rig, Jak comes across a testing table (similar to the one he was experimented on in Jak II). He realizes that someone has been experimenting with Dark Eco and vows that whoever did it should be destroyed. After finding the Light Eco, Daxter is transformed again when Dark Eco is poured into a container he was placed in.
After the Light Eco is inserted into the Seeker, Jak finds out that it is missing three parts, and they travel to Fardrop to get the first piece from a pirate. Then they travel to the Old Aeropan Barracks, where they find one of the Coordinates, the Castaway reveals that he is (or once was) a Dark Eco Sage and that he built the facility for the Aeropans. Phoenix reveals that he was once the commander of the Aeropan Air Forces. He was put in charge of a secret weapons program to make a new class warrior (similar to the Dark Warrior Program). When he found out what they were doing, he refused and tried to stop the program, but Skyheed wouldn't hear of it. So, he took the only option left and kidnapped the program's chief scientist, The Castaway. In the scuffle, he took a blow to his head and suffered amnesia. He was marooned on Brink Island to hide his work from the Aeropans. Phoenix further explains that Skyheed spread the dark power to all the Aeropans, who declared him an outlaw and he vowed to destroy all dark warriors, including Jak. Keira protests, saying that Jak isn't a monster, though Phoenix had seen what Jak was, and she gives him an ultimatum that if Phoenix cared for her at all, he would spare Jak. The Castaway says that Jak can be used to undo the damage done, being "a warrior who proves Dark Eco can be controlled, or at least managed".
When the location of the third coordinate sphere is found, the duo fly the Phantom Blade to Sector Zero. Jak and Daxter get the third sphere, but the Behemoth attacks the Phantom Blade and Jak has to defend it. Back on board, Jak, Daxter, Keira, Phoenix and the crew fix the Eco Seeker, which points to the abandoned research rig. Phoenix recalls that the rig was built over strange formations, later revealed to be an ancient Precursor facility. When they reach the Eco Core, Keira tries to fix it. Shortly after, Klout arrives with Skyheed at the Eco Core, but was paid off by Skyheed in exchange for the location. Skyheed orders Klout to kill everyone except Jak, because he wants to study his control over Dark Eco. When Klout advances, Keira activates an energy field from the Eco Core. The Eco Radiation kills Klout while Jak, Daxter, Keira, and Phoenix escape, leaving Skyheed behind.
Back on board, they receive a message stating that the Aeropans have laid siege to Far Drop. Jak and Daxter are sent to defeat Aeropan Shock Troops at Far Drop, but the Behemoth appears to destroy it. Jak and Daxter successfully destroy the Behemoth's weapons, causing the Aeropans to retreat. On board the Phantom Blade, Phoenix wants revenge on Skyheed for the attack. Then another message is transmitted anonymously, telling them to use the old Barracks warp gate. Jak, Daxter (after another dark venture following being seized by an Aeropan soldier), and Keira get through the warp gate and Jak's Gunstaff weapons are disabled. Jak has to destroy the Weapons Control System to get them to work again, then head up to the palace to defeat Skyheed. But when Jak encounters Duke Skyheed, Skyheed begins drawing massive amounts of Dark Eco which transform him into a Dark Eco Monster. Jak tries to defeat him but Skyheed escapes on an Airship. Skyheed retreats to the Behemoth, intending on using the Eco Core to make the Aeropans the dominant species.
Jak then has to stop the ACS Behemoth from stealing the power. The Phantom Blade disables the shields surrounding the Behemoth. When Jak destroys the Eco Crystals on the Behemoth. Phoenix flies the Phantom Blade between the Eco Core and Behemoth to prevent them from taking eco. But unfortunately the Phantom Blade gets destroyed and as a result, Phoenix gets killed. However, the Behemoth is now vulnerable to attacks. A forlorn Keira then installs a Light Eco Beam in the Hellcat to finish the Behemoth off.
When Duke Skyheed and the Behemoth are finally destroyed, the Eco balance is restored. Keira then activates the Eco Core and the Core channels energy which travels to Eco Vents around the world ending the Eco shortage and reduces storm and quake activity in all directions.
on November 3, 2009,and has been received positively.
2. The Brink- 3:23
3. Galleon Conflict- 2:06
4. Laser Defense- 3:31
5. Sounds of Fardrop- 3:24
6. Dark Eco Warrior Training Camp- 3:18
7. Super-Dark-Daxter Rampage, Go!- 3:19
8. Behemoth Air Battle- 2:39
9. Parallel Universe- 4:18
10. Voices of Aeropa- 2:38
11. Ambushed- 2:40
12. A Captain's Sacrifice- 2:11
13. Daxterball- 3:40
14. Jak vs. the Arborcider- 1:33
gave the game 7.5/10.Joystiq
's assessment was negative; after playing a preview code of the game, they "were surprised that SCEA had done so little to promote the existence of the next true continuation of the [Jak] series," and went on to say that they "can see why Sony would stay so secretive: it's not very good." They criticized the game's awkward camera and lack of explanations for those new to the series, but they noted that "the Dark Daxter sequences promise adrenaline for a game that otherwise feels stagnant and boring." However, Greg Miller from IGN was more positive, stating that "the thing that struck me was how good the graphics looked." He gave it a 7.4 out of 10 rating, but commented on the poor camera views and how Jak no longer had a goatee (though it is accessible in a cheat.)
. JustPushStart reviewer Jon Christopher called it an "enjoyable and enthralling action platformer game." Although he criticized its "cliché storyline," he awarded the game a 4.5/5. AceGamez took a more critical view, calling the game "a severe disappointment from start to finish."
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
developed by High Impact Games
High Impact Games
High Impact Games is a video game developer based in Burbank, California, formed in 2003 by former members of Insomniac Games and Naughty Dog. In 2007, the company released Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters for the PlayStation Portable, with a PlayStation 2 port released the next year, and Secret Agent...
published by Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
. It is a part of Naughty Dog
Naughty Dog
Naughty Dog, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Santa Monica, California. Founded by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin in 1986 as an independent developer, the studio was acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2001...
's Jak and Daxter
Jak and Daxter
Jak and Daxter is a critically acclaimed video game franchise created by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 2.The series consists of four main games and two spin-offs,though they are also considered to be part of the main series...
series, and was released on November 3, 2009 for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
and PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. The player assumes the role of Jak, the angst-ridden hero enhanced by his exposure to Light and Dark eco.The game was released to favourable reviews,with critics praising the graphics and gameplay, but criticized the bad camera angles and its bland and repetitive environments and ground fights,though they noted everything was colorful.
Gameplay
Gameplay is similar to that of Jak IIJak II
Jak II, , is a platform game developed by Naughty Dog...
and Jak 3
Jak 3
Jak 3 is a platform game for Sony's PlayStation 2 console developed by Naughty Dog. It is the third game in the main Jak and Daxter series. Jak 3 was completely localized and dubbed in Japanese, but was not released in Japan due to Jak IIs poor sales...
, incorporating three of the original gun mods and limited eco use. Much of the game is played aerially. Like its predecessors, The Lost Frontier is fairly open-ended, allowing players to complete assigned missions or freely roam the map. The player also gets a chance to play as Daxter, but in the form of a mutant monster.
Plot
Jak and his sidekick Daxter, begin the game escorting Keira on her journey to become a Sage and help to find the reason for a worldwide Eco shortage. After an encounter with Captain Phoenix, an eco-seeking Sky Pirate, Jak crash-lands and sets off in search of eco with which to repair his Hellcat. After a successful take-off, Jak must fight off Sky Pirates attacking the ACS Behemoth, which is owned by Duke Skyheed of Aeropa. Jak is given an instrument called the Eco Seeker. He is unable to power it because the excess Dark Eco in the area prevents him from using his own eco powers, but Keira is granted permission to study it for a week if Jak proves himself in the Danger course. Daxter also escapes from the underground of Aeropa, but not unscathed. Tainted further by Dark Eco, he becomes black, spiky and in no mood for "soft underpants."Then, Captain Phoenix attacks the building and steals both the Eco Seeker and Keira. Jak and Daxter then chase Phoenix but are led into a trap, resulting in them landing back on the Island again. On the Island the duo meet The Castaway, who knows that Jak has been touched by Dark Eco, but can't remember his own name, nor why he was on the island in the first place. He also mentions that he built the Robots. He also offers to fix Jak's Hellcat, but requires a Velonium Power Pod from the most dangerous robot The Castaway ever created, the Uber-bot 888. After Jak and Daxter get the Power Pod, The Castaway fixes his ship and later sneaks on board. When Jak and Daxter take off they destroy the Phantom Blade's engine and defenses, causing Phoenix to let them land. On board Jak and Phoenix get into an argument, but Keira intervenes and makes them shake hands.
The Eco Seeker tells them it needs more Light Eco to work and they travel to an old research rig used by the Aeropans. At the rig, Jak comes across a testing table (similar to the one he was experimented on in Jak II). He realizes that someone has been experimenting with Dark Eco and vows that whoever did it should be destroyed. After finding the Light Eco, Daxter is transformed again when Dark Eco is poured into a container he was placed in.
After the Light Eco is inserted into the Seeker, Jak finds out that it is missing three parts, and they travel to Fardrop to get the first piece from a pirate. Then they travel to the Old Aeropan Barracks, where they find one of the Coordinates, the Castaway reveals that he is (or once was) a Dark Eco Sage and that he built the facility for the Aeropans. Phoenix reveals that he was once the commander of the Aeropan Air Forces. He was put in charge of a secret weapons program to make a new class warrior (similar to the Dark Warrior Program). When he found out what they were doing, he refused and tried to stop the program, but Skyheed wouldn't hear of it. So, he took the only option left and kidnapped the program's chief scientist, The Castaway. In the scuffle, he took a blow to his head and suffered amnesia. He was marooned on Brink Island to hide his work from the Aeropans. Phoenix further explains that Skyheed spread the dark power to all the Aeropans, who declared him an outlaw and he vowed to destroy all dark warriors, including Jak. Keira protests, saying that Jak isn't a monster, though Phoenix had seen what Jak was, and she gives him an ultimatum that if Phoenix cared for her at all, he would spare Jak. The Castaway says that Jak can be used to undo the damage done, being "a warrior who proves Dark Eco can be controlled, or at least managed".
When the location of the third coordinate sphere is found, the duo fly the Phantom Blade to Sector Zero. Jak and Daxter get the third sphere, but the Behemoth attacks the Phantom Blade and Jak has to defend it. Back on board, Jak, Daxter, Keira, Phoenix and the crew fix the Eco Seeker, which points to the abandoned research rig. Phoenix recalls that the rig was built over strange formations, later revealed to be an ancient Precursor facility. When they reach the Eco Core, Keira tries to fix it. Shortly after, Klout arrives with Skyheed at the Eco Core, but was paid off by Skyheed in exchange for the location. Skyheed orders Klout to kill everyone except Jak, because he wants to study his control over Dark Eco. When Klout advances, Keira activates an energy field from the Eco Core. The Eco Radiation kills Klout while Jak, Daxter, Keira, and Phoenix escape, leaving Skyheed behind.
Back on board, they receive a message stating that the Aeropans have laid siege to Far Drop. Jak and Daxter are sent to defeat Aeropan Shock Troops at Far Drop, but the Behemoth appears to destroy it. Jak and Daxter successfully destroy the Behemoth's weapons, causing the Aeropans to retreat. On board the Phantom Blade, Phoenix wants revenge on Skyheed for the attack. Then another message is transmitted anonymously, telling them to use the old Barracks warp gate. Jak, Daxter (after another dark venture following being seized by an Aeropan soldier), and Keira get through the warp gate and Jak's Gunstaff weapons are disabled. Jak has to destroy the Weapons Control System to get them to work again, then head up to the palace to defeat Skyheed. But when Jak encounters Duke Skyheed, Skyheed begins drawing massive amounts of Dark Eco which transform him into a Dark Eco Monster. Jak tries to defeat him but Skyheed escapes on an Airship. Skyheed retreats to the Behemoth, intending on using the Eco Core to make the Aeropans the dominant species.
Jak then has to stop the ACS Behemoth from stealing the power. The Phantom Blade disables the shields surrounding the Behemoth. When Jak destroys the Eco Crystals on the Behemoth. Phoenix flies the Phantom Blade between the Eco Core and Behemoth to prevent them from taking eco. But unfortunately the Phantom Blade gets destroyed and as a result, Phoenix gets killed. However, the Behemoth is now vulnerable to attacks. A forlorn Keira then installs a Light Eco Beam in the Hellcat to finish the Behemoth off.
When Duke Skyheed and the Behemoth are finally destroyed, the Eco balance is restored. Keira then activates the Eco Core and the Core channels energy which travels to Eco Vents around the world ending the Eco shortage and reduces storm and quake activity in all directions.
Soundtrack
A soundtrack of the game titled Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier (Original Soundtrack from the Video Game), was released to iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on November 3, 2009,and has been received positively.
Track listing
1. Hellcat to the Rescue- 2:042. The Brink- 3:23
3. Galleon Conflict- 2:06
4. Laser Defense- 3:31
5. Sounds of Fardrop- 3:24
6. Dark Eco Warrior Training Camp- 3:18
7. Super-Dark-Daxter Rampage, Go!- 3:19
8. Behemoth Air Battle- 2:39
9. Parallel Universe- 4:18
10. Voices of Aeropa- 2:38
11. Ambushed- 2:40
12. A Captain's Sacrifice- 2:11
13. Daxterball- 3:40
14. Jak vs. the Arborcider- 1:33
Reception
The game has received mixed to positive reviews.GamespotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave the game 7.5/10.Joystiq
Joystiq
Joystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
's assessment was negative; after playing a preview code of the game, they "were surprised that SCEA had done so little to promote the existence of the next true continuation of the [Jak] series," and went on to say that they "can see why Sony would stay so secretive: it's not very good." They criticized the game's awkward camera and lack of explanations for those new to the series, but they noted that "the Dark Daxter sequences promise adrenaline for a game that otherwise feels stagnant and boring." However, Greg Miller from IGN was more positive, stating that "the thing that struck me was how good the graphics looked." He gave it a 7.4 out of 10 rating, but commented on the poor camera views and how Jak no longer had a goatee (though it is accessible in a cheat.)
. JustPushStart reviewer Jon Christopher called it an "enjoyable and enthralling action platformer game." Although he criticized its "cliché storyline," he awarded the game a 4.5/5. AceGamez took a more critical view, calling the game "a severe disappointment from start to finish."