Jak 3

This is the end, my furry friend, the end. The end of Jak, the end of Daxter, the end of the Precursors, their legacy and all this pretty platform violence. For after this game the trilogy is over and just like Crash, J and D will be slung out of Naughty Dog and left for any rival developers going through their bins. (Sniff.)

But what a way to go Jak 3 should be; big beyond belief, sumptuously detailed, far more anarchic and open than any previous PS2 platformer.

If Renegade was like Blade Runner with all its hovercars, cops and high-tech toys, this is Mad Max 2 (not Beyond Thunderdome. Thank god). The reason for this change is that Jak has been thrown out of Haven City after it went to war with the Metalheadz and itself. So the furry pair have been cast into the badlands where they have met Damas and discovered his lost city of Spargus. Which also means that not only have Naughty Dog slaved to create a war-torn version of the bubble city, but they have also fashioned a frontier town and the miles of giant sands in between. What's more, it's all fog-free and load-free too!

Just like the angry Aussie Max, Jak also gets a chance to get behind the wheel with a whole new set of buggies that can be raced, bounced and blasted across the desert dunes in some straight races or in unfair fights against groundshaking Metalheadz monsters. But the off-road warrior will be able to defend himself, since his four smart shooters now come with three levels of upgrades and his dark Eco powers now have a lighter side.

With the promise of yet more vehicles and the chance to take part in an epic battle in Haven City, Jak 3 looks like being a fantastically flash epitaph to a great series.

Jak 3 is released on 3 December for PS2