You want to know why? Because this is the best in the series. Video game sequels tend to get better as opposed to turning into vinegar, a la Hollywood. However, Jak III really takes the cake. First, Naughty Dog chained its staff to their desks and told them they'd be beaten if Jak III sucked. Actually, the entire crew came up with some unique ideas to take the series far beyond what they ever imagined it would ever be.
One of these ideas was remove loading screens and avoiding hiccups in the gameplay. Sounds easy enough, right? When you're programming for PS2, it's a feat of technical genius that requires a lot of creativity and a bit of luck. After this, they decided to cram in as many features and play modes as possible. For instance, in one scene, you're Daxter attempting to control a missile around a harbor. In another, you're piloting heavily armed dune buggies around a barren wasteland. Either way, you're going to be up to your eyeballs at any given time.
Naughty Dog also decided it didn't want to rest on its laurels and allow Jak to simply have his dark powers. Now, he has access to "light" powers, which allow him to fly and do a variety of other feats. As with the previous titles, Jak III goes all out in its efforts to drag you in and never let you go. The graphics are amazing; the voice acting is consistent and engaging, and the controls are superb.
The experience is enthralling and fresh. At no point was I bored or frustrated. For fans, this is clearly a must-have. If you're new to the franchise, pick this one up and consider looking at the previous two to see how far this franchise has come since its inception.
Ace Combat 5Publisher: NamcoPlatform: Ps2In flight games, as with racing games, there's a fine line between simulation and arcade styles. The sim style is almost always insanely in-depth and provides you with the most realistic, albeit sometimes difficult, experience. For arcade, there's the instantly accessible and playable style that appeals to the masses. Ace Combat 5 follows the arcade style very closely, but gives it enough sim flavor to give it a lasting appeal.
For those of you who've had your fighter-pilot dreams curtailed by such minor things as color vision deficiency or psychosis, Ace Combat 5 makes it possible to hop into the cockpit and blow the hell out of stuff. Even if you've never had dreams of flying multi-million dollar weaponry, Ace Combat provides a flight game that is actually a hell of a lot of fun to play.
Although the storyline borders on cheesy at points, it provides a good structure. With some of the conceits of anime and 1980s fighter-pilot dramas thrown into the mix, you could conceivably imagine you're good old Tom Cruise reprising his Top Gun role-except for the paycheck.
The flight controls are good and you're given a reasonable level of challenge. The missions step up in complexity and give a good feel. The soundtrack is appropriate and the effects are pretty good. That's not to say you can expect a high degree of realism here, but it does lend to Ace Combat's atmosphere. Everything pulls together to give you an excellent experience. Overall, if you're looking for a really fun flight game that doesn't require a pilot's license, Ace Combat 5 is the game for you.