Daxter's love interest Tess returns as a weapons designer and Jak's mentor, Samos, also makes appearances through the game.Ī new character, Damas, is first introduced here. There is also Ashelin, the Governor of Haven City, who was previously involved with Torn, the now-commander of the Freedom League. Jak's mechanic friend (and potential love interest) Keira returns in this game. Jak is revealed to have the birth name of Mar in this game, named after his ancestor and the original founder of Haven City, Mar. Main article: List of Jak and Daxter charactersĪs in the games before it, Jak 3's two main protagonists are Jak and his best friend Daxter the 'ottsel', which is a fictional cross between an otter and a weasel. Some levels from the previous game are radically altered (Haven Forest, Metropolitan area) or removed entirely (like the Bazaar in Haven City), while others are added (New Haven City), branching off from Spargus and the Wasteland and Haven. Later on, the plot shifts focus to Haven City, a sprawling metropolis which was the central locale in Jak II, though the area is only a fifth the size of the Wasteland. Spargus City, a large settlement within the Wasteland bordering the ocean, is where the game begins, and serves as a hub for the player, where new weapons and upgrades can be earned, and most missions are given out.
Jak 3 largely focuses on the Wasteland, a large desert only briefly referred to in the previous entry in the series as being completely uninhabited and inhospitable. The game is set one year after the events of Jak II. Like its predecessors, Jak 3 takes place in an unnamed fictional universe created by Naughty Dog specially for the games. The jet-board makes a return appearance from Jak II to this game, with some additional upgrades as well. Also, the 'Dark Jak' form, introduced in Jak II, which allowed the player to transform into a more powerful offensive version of Jak, is countered by a 'Light Jak' form that mainly focuses on defensive abilities. While Jak II provided the player with only four different types of guns, Jak 3 expands on the concept with two additional modifications for each type, ending with a total of twelve weapons. Spargus City, the Wasteland, and Haven City function as the main hubs in Jak 3, where leaper lizards, buggies, and zoomers are respectively the main transportation source.
Most notably are the changes undergone by the Haven City environments. There are some differences between Jak 3 and Jak II. In Hero Mode, Jak also keeps all twelve of his weapons but loses his light flight along with two of his dark powers until they are collected in their respective parts of the game. Collecting all 600 Precursor Orbs has some cosmetic effects on Jak's appearance, but has no effects other than this. As Precursor Orb count is not reset, and the orbs are regenerated at their original locations, the player is able to regather orbs that he or she had already collected the previous time they played through the game. After the game has been completed, the Hero Mode option is made accessible, which, when purchased, allows the player to re-play the game at a harder difficulty level, but with all previously unlocked cheats and extras still available.
With the exception of timed or otherwise linear missions, the player is free to explore the game world as they see fit.Ĭheats, made available as the player progresses, can upgrade weapons, flip the game world around into a mirror image of itself, or grant the player invincibility.
Missions can consist of anything from defeating particular enemies, reaching a specific location, or completing a puzzle. The player is led through the story as they complete missions, assigned by the various characters in the game. Like its predecessor, the gameplay of Jak 3 is a blend of platforming, driving, and gun combat. The player uses Dark Jak, returning from Jak II, to fight enemies.