In motion, everything runs smoothly and looks fantastic (aside from the odd framerate hiccup which is barely noticeable). There are some nice touches that add to continuity – for example Daxter is sporting a snazzy pair of pants that were given to him at the end of Jak 3.
The Lost Frontier continues this – new cast members like Phoenix fit right in with the existing gang, while returning favourites like Jak and Keira have received makeovers that generally looked pretty good (Jak’s feels faithful to the series although Keira looked a little different than I remembered). Jak & Daxter has always managed to pull off a cartoony aesthetic that mixes characters with real-world proportions alongside more exaggerated elements like big ears and eyes. There’s a level of detail that makes the world feel vibrant and alive and the individual elements hold up incredibly well. The world-building here is on point – there’s a good mix between new ideas (the towering cliffs and beautiful waterfalls of the Brink are a sight to behold) and the familiar (plenty of grassy platforming fields to run through) meaning The Lost Frontier is a smart expansion of the series’ existing world.ĭespite the shift in setting, The Lost Frontier absolutely nails the series’ aesthetic and in the process makes one of the prettiest PSP titles. Others don’t receive the same love – Phoenix is fairly one-dimensional and Jak himself never actually has much to say, while the main villain never gets much screen time and isn’t all that menacing. It is nice to be exploring a new part of Jak’s universe and there were nice little continuity nods to previous titles, but otherwise it’s a fairly run-of-the-mill offering.Ĭharacter development is also hit and miss – for example Daxter is as funny as ever (“if there’s one thing we’re good at, it’s arbitrary platform challenges mixed with gunplay”), while it’s lovely to see Keira get more of a starring role (although her goal of becoming an Eco Sage is a seismic shift from her previous dreams, it makes sense for her character).
The story flits around a lot never really settling one idea and major developments – such as new Eco powers imbued by Precursor Idols that Jak will come across – are skimmed over in favour of more dogfighting and combat elements. With that said, the actual plot itself is only so-so, not quite hitting the highs the series is known for. The aerial dogfighting weaves into the plot, as Jak will work both against and alongside a number of different ‘Sky Pirates’ who control The Brink, scavenging and stealing for loot and other supplies. Combined with a new race of people called the Aeropans whose dark history may just hold the key to the Eco shortage there’s plenty going on here – nearly all of it bringing new ideas to the already lore-dense Jak franchise. With that said, there is a bigger focus this time on exploration of new locations (the loading screen reminded me heavily of Uncharted) and a large amount of aerial combat alongside new Eco powers. Right from the opening cutscene, you can tell that the tone of The Lost Frontier is different than its predecessors – it’s not as dark as II or as light-hearted as The Precursor Legacy , falling somewhere in between and more in line with 3. They discover ‘The Brink’, a gorgeous location on the edge of the world and their adventure begins from there. Taking place after the events of the previous games but otherwise offering very little in the way of narrative ties to its predecessors, The Lost Frontier follows Jak, Daxter and the Keira (making a triumphant return after being largely ignored in the second and third titles) as they search for a new source of Eco to solve the planet’s growing shortages. 3D Platformer Action Third-person shooter