Jak & the Lost Frontier

[Mercen-X]

So, I'm playing the Hero Mode of Jak & Daxter the Lost Frontier and I'm battling the Phantom Blade (or Galleon as I hear over the "onboard radio") and I'm having a vitch time trying to fight off all these damned mosquitos and their swarms of AIDS virus as I'm struggling to take out the engines on the huge ship. I fought and died here about twelve times using several different strategies (including one that Failed my mission 'cause I ran out of time)... Then I finally figured out I just have to take out the propellers (not the engines) and I'm done. God, I felt dumb.

Anyone else play Jak? Anyone else have "duh" moments during a game?
Oh! For anyone who's played Lost Frontier, does the ship have two names or am I just hearing things when Phoenix calls his ship the Galleon?

[Shoeberto]

I love the Jak games. Is Lost Frontier worth picking up? I heard the reviews were sort of iffy, but since they did a PS2 port, I'm tempted.

[Mercen-X]

There are like five alternate looks for Jak in the game (you have to play Hero mode to pick up the 5th). I don't like that you can't deliberately change your outfit if you want something fresh to look at. But they're all neat-looking.

The controls feel clunky when compared to previous installments and the camera is hard to manage which may mean you'll land in lava or dark eco (or beer) or fall off of cliffs plenty. I miss pressing triangle to go into first-person. Not being able to look around freely feels restrictive in some way. Swinging is slow and annoying compared to previous games. Instead of jumping freely, you have to watch Jak swing all the way around a pole before he can jump and then watch his long-winded flip toward a pole you're not quite sure he's gonna catch.
I like the process of building Jak up with Ecos and I like the sky sessions as well. I have mixed feelings about earning funds as easily as they come in the game. So far, my favorite plane is the Interceptor (modeled after the Tornado ADV interceptor).
I wish there were boss battles for Daxter as well. That would definitely be neat. I also start to miss Dark Jak and I've read that in Jak 3, there's a Light Jak. I'd like to see that. I really need to pick that up.

FYI, if you play Lost Frontier, you should get Gold rank (if you care) on the gun course when you're first introduced to it, because you won't be coming back. It's ridiculously easy in Hero Mode when you have access to the quick-firing Vulcan.

Joystiq's criticized the game's awkward camera and lack of explanations for those new to the series, but they noted that the "Daxter sequences promise adrenaline for a game that otherwise feels stagnant and boring." However, Greg Miller from IGN has been more positive, saying that "the thing that struck me was how good the graphics looked." He gave it a 7.4 out of 10 rating, but commented on the poor camera views and how Jak no longer had a goatee (even though it can be accessed as a cheat for 3 Precursor Orbs). JustPushStart reviewer Jon Christopher has stated "The vast selection of weapons (in) aerial battles are a welcome addition in the game and something you should look forward to during gameplay." He criticized its "cliché storyline", but gave the game a 4.5/5. AceGamez took a more critical view, criticizing the gameplay and camera, stating "The Lost Frontier is a severe disappointment from start to finish", and awarded it 58%.

It's true the game feels more like a precursor to The Precursor Legacy in its level of enjoyment, but I still think's a good game.

[Mercen-X]