Jak X and Ratchet:Gladitator

[GrantM]

Once again it's time for the latest release from the Jak And Daxtr and Ratchet And Clank game franchises. However this time they appear to have taken a different route, Jak X (which I now have on the PS2) is a combat racing game, and Ratchet: Gladiator (the UK title it's been given).....well I actually don't know much about that one

Oh by the way, I hear the voice actor for Daxter (Max Casella) appears in The Sopranos every now and then, is this true?

By the way, yes I like Daxter better than Jak, I've liked him actually since Jak 2 ("God, I miss pants"), and getting to play as other J&D characters (I can't wait to unlock Keira, Pecker, Sig, and Jak's I, II, and III which I can get if I have a save game from the previous J&D games

Any thoughts on these?

[krazymed]

US title is Ratchet: Deadlocked. Didn't like it. Most platforming elements are pretty much gone. It's just running around shooting aliens.

[Tak Mazé]

It's just running around shooting aliens.
Well, it worked for Serious Sam :)

[Martianinvader]

Oh by the way, I hear the voice actor for Daxter (Max Casella) appears in The Sopranos every now and then, is this true?If he is, that'd be interesting, because Casella was Vinnie on "Doogie Howser."

I can't wait for the upcoming Jak sports title, Jak XXX-Treme Mega-Ferocious Rip-Everything-In-Half Kill-You-Ball. It sounds even EDGIER!

[GrantM]

If he is, that'd be interesting, because Casella was Vinnie on "Doogie Howser."

I am aware of that

[Conekiller]

Brother bought Ratchet: Deadlocked, and beat it. It was painfully short (He is going back thru to upgrade the weapons, but still...) these games need to be longer. One of the things I liked about the R&C sereis was the way stages would double back on themselves. But in Deadlocked they give you these tiny missions to accopmplish and stop the action every time you do that, then just plop you inot a new section of the stage -__-

I do like that Clank's presence in the game was not as reduced as previously hinted (actually the whole mood of the game flows just as well in previous instalments and isn't "edgy" or "grittier" than the press material would have us beleive. Thank you!

Who Does the voice for Gleeman Vox? I know I've heard it before, but it's killing me (my gut's telling me it's the guy form Transformers the movie who says "the constructicons form Devastator, the most powerful robot. We should rule")

The after-the-credits ending bit was priceless however, and must see for fans of Ratchet & Clank Up Your Arsenal.

[GrantM]

I feel the Jak And Daxter games might follow the same pattern the Crash Bandicoot games went on the PS1

What I mean was the first 3 Crash games were platformers, the forth one a racing game and the fifth one a multiplayer party game.

[Stickman]

For all this talk about once-a-year Sony platformer franchises, I think we're leaving out the one series that, at the moment, seems better that both R&C and Jak: The Sly Cooper series.

Sly Cooper has gotten nothing but praise for all 3 games. It's managed to be far more consistent than Jak and Ratchet, and has yet to resort to some radical change to the style of each game. And I mean radical in both a "massive change" way (Ratchet's gameplay) and a "dude, that's so extreme" way (Jax X). Why not? Because the Sly series is so varied, there's always something new to do in each game! (*last sentence written intentionally fruity).

So, while Sly may not be the talk of the boards all the time, it's easily the most consistent, and best, series Sony has going for them.

[forget honor among thieves, try honor among gamers]

[Chosen Raven]

Well, I was excited about R&C: Deadlocked, but after hearing of it's change in gameplay and it's extreme shortness, I doubt I'll be getting it anytime soon. It also doesn't help that they've inserted political humor.

Jak X also looked cool...until I learned that the AI allows you to catch-up if you're behind in the race. Very bad move there.

Sly Cooper has gotten nothing but praise for all 3 games.
Well, game rankings shows that the average reviews for the first three games in the Jak and R&C series are better than the first three in the Sly series. Or did you mean among gamers and not "official" reviewers? Personally, I thought the Sly series was better than Jak, but not quite as good as R&C.

[GrantM]

For all this talk about once-a-year Sony platformer franchises, I think we're leaving out the one series that, at the moment, seems better that both R&C and Jak: The Sly Cooper series.

Sly Cooper has gotten nothing but praise for all 3 games. It's managed to be far more consistent than Jak and Ratchet, and has yet to resort to some radical change to the style of each game. And I mean radical in both a "massive change" way (Ratchet's gameplay) and a "dude, that's so extreme" way (Jax X). Why not? Because the Sly series is so varied, there's always something new to do in each game! (*last sentence written intentionally fruity).

So, while Sly may not be the talk of the boards all the time, it's easily the most consistent, and best, series Sony has going for them.

[forget honor among thieves, try honor among gamers] Well I've never played any of the Sly Cooper games.

One thing I want to point out though is unlike most other games I play I seem to really get into the J&D games more often than other games. I mean I seem to care for the characters more often than a Final Fantasy game, a Metal Gear Solid game, etc, I like how unlike the last game they've got all the characters, including Keira who was severely underused in the last game involved in this one (oh yeah and be sure to have a save game date file from J&D 1, 2 and 3 before starting Jak X, it's worth it)

Oh yeah and my other favorite character is Pecker

[Vermunium]

They've had their success, not Naughty Dog and Insomniac need to think of new series.

[Artimus Gigan]

They've had their success, not Naughty Dog and Insomniac need to think of new series.Naughty Dog did Mis Adventures of Flink(and other noteable 16 bit-era games) Crash Bandicoot(up to CTR which was their last game for the Series), and Jak.

Insomniac did Spyro up to a point and a bunch of other Playstation games, and they did Ratchet for PS2.

So Jak is ND's current big success as in Ratchet for Insomniac.

Naughty Dog said it's going to do other things besides Jak and Daxter

[unsane]

i have not played jak and daxter, is it like sly cooper? i just got sly 3 and it is awsome, plus to help promote the game they have started a contest, you could win some cool stuff i hear. if any of you have heard of this, let me know. i would really like to enter, but dont have the details. thanks

[MJC]

i have not played jak and daxter, is it like sly cooper? i just got sly 3 and it is awsome, plus to help promote the game they have started a contest, you could win some cool stuff i hear. if any of you have heard of this, let me know. i would really like to enter, but dont have the details. thanks
Not really. You use a lot of guns and the story is much more mature (cursing, alcohol references, innuendo, etc.).

[FerrariCake]

Not really. You use a lot of guns and the story is much more mature (cursing, alcohol references, innuendo, etc.).Well, the first J&D was your sweet, wholesome, main character is a mute guy with an annoying animal pal type o' platformer. Good times.

I haven't played X or Deadlocked because they look too much like ALL the other dreck being shoved into my little brother's face all waking hours of the day. He's all "Whoa, racing games, whoa, guns! I'm going to play insipid pointless games all the time and hog the Ps2 and never ever let my big sister finish We Love Katamari!!" Ugh. I mean, I'm all for wanton violence (yay Gungrave!), but I can't stand wanton violence for the sake of cashing in on wanton violence (Deadlocked, apperently, judging by my lil bro's constant renting and rerenting fo said title). And I just hate racing games. Maybe it's cos I'm a girl, dunno. *shrug*

[Artimus Gigan]

Well, the first J&D was your sweet, wholesome, main character is a mute guy with an annoying animal pal type o' platformer. Good times.

I haven't played X or Deadlocked because they look too much like ALL the other dreck being shoved into my little brother's face all waking hours of the day. He's all "Whoa, racing games, whoa, guns! I'm going to play insipid pointless games all the time and hog the Ps2 and never ever let my big sister finish We Love Katamari!!" Ugh. I mean, I'm all for wanton violence (yay Gungrave!), but I can't stand wanton violence for the sake of cashing in on wanton violence (Deadlocked, apperently, judging by my lil bro's constant renting and rerenting fo said title). And I just hate racing games. Maybe it's cos I'm a girl, dunno. *shrug*But Gungrave was a game of poor mechanics and shallow level design. It's main draw was just to cash in on the series, which in itself was uninspired and was based on mainly violent action sequences with some horror elements to try and mask it from it's apparent shortcomings.


The Ratchet game is alright, not as good as the platformers though.