Daxter review

This game, quite literally, doesn't need Jak

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    The platform-hopping is top-notch

  • +

    Load times are well-hidden

  • +

    The characters burst with personality

Cons

  • -

    Story could be more captivating

  • -

    Dream minigames are uninspired

  • -

    Uncooperative camera

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Okay, we’re just going to lay it out for you: Daxter is an awesome game. And the thing that makes Daxter so awesome, the thing that sets it apart from other, similar PSP games, is that it succeeds in capturing much of what made the Jak games so great while simultaneously being perfectly tailored for the PSP.

The Jak games have always had great characters coupled with tried-and-true platform-hopping gameplay (and a few weapons thrown in for good measure). Daxter has all of these things, but - appropriately - on a smaller scale. Starting out right after Jak and Daxter, as the heroes travel to the future and crash land in Haven City, we discover how Daxter got away. Then the plot jumps ahead almost two years, and we find out that the little orange otter-weasel was doing pretty much what he always does: telling tall tales. This leads to a gig as an exterminator, thus setting up the premise that’s meant to hold the game together.

While traveling freely around Haven City, players take up different exterminating jobs, using Daxter’s gadgets to wipe out vicious Metal Head bugs and working toward the ultimate goal of meeting up with Jak again. This is a lot of fun, and jumping around through these missions is even more so.

Of course, it’s not without its faults. First, the story bits aren’t all that compelling, though it does pick up toward the end, when it begins to tie into Jak II’s storyline. And second, Daxter’s dream sequences, which parody movies like The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings, are only somewhat entertaining, date the game and feel out of place in this fantastic world that’s already been established.

More info

GenreAction
DescriptionThe little guy takes center stage in this platformy, shooty adventure yarn and turns out to be a hero in his own right.
Platform"PSP"
US censor rating"Rating Pending"
UK censor rating""
Less