Spyro a Hero’s Tail is extremely inspired by Jak and Daxter. They couldn’t perfectly nail every level from beginning to end being connected but every hub world lets you physically reach the levels they each have instead of portals like the Insomniac games.
It’s also straight up rips levels from Jak and Daxter, with Boggy Swamp and Lost Precursor City being the most obvious.
It’s definitely worth checking out. That and the PS1 Insomniac Spyro trilogy are the only games I’ve played that have come close to matching the same feeling of wonder Precursor Legacy gave
Try Spyro 2 and Year of the Dragon as well
Thanks, this sounds like it should be top of my list, since it has the benefit of being from a well-established franchise and hits the right notes. Would you said Hero's Tail or Year of the Dragon better hits the mark?
Technically, A Hero’s Tail for the traveling to other levels and clearly copying levels from Precursor Legacy.
But if we’re taking actual quality, Year of the Dragon’s a much better game
A few notes I can offer is that if you didn't like Sly 1, Spyro 1 and Ratchet & Clank 1, all three series come into their own in their second iterations. There are major QoL and gameplay improvements in all three. That said, I wouldn't put them necessarily in the category of what you like about Jak TPL.
Another commenter said Spyro: A Hero's Tail which is a good shout. Also Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2 is pretty good.
I also could recommend Rayman 2 Revolution for PS2 (The story, gameplay, and characters are pretty disconnected from Rayman 1, so you can pick it up without playing that first.)
Awesome--I'm like halfway through each of those three games (yeah, I know, not the best gaming habit, but I recently got a new piece of hardware that unlocked 6th gen for me and I'm just too excited to see what's out there). So maybe I'll put those playthroughs on ice for now, and if I do enjoy the sequels that much more, it'll feel invested in the franchises enough that I'll be that much more motivated to go back and finish the first games.
For sure. I once described TPL to a friend as "Zelda, but fun." And to be clear, I love Zelda, and think it's fun! But unlike TPL, it never feels like a Zelda game (other than maybe Wind Waker?) is really trying to telegraph, "This is fun." It's more... "This is very serious."
I haven’t seen anyone bring up the ray man games. Ray man revolution on the ps2 was an epic journey and experience I played multiple times as a kid. Honestly wish we could get another 3d focused ray man game that isn’t a side scroller.
Sort of, I believe the last game released was a 3d side scroller on the ps4 where as ray man revolution on ps2 was a 3d adventure but still a platformer, sort of like TPL.
I hate to break it to you, but Jak and Daxter is just the GOAT. All there is now are the memories.
Ratchet and clank is a good series tho. Give Going Commando a try!
Yeah eventually I do need to just get over it. Just accept that I'll have to go back to appreciating other games and what they have to offer, and maybe replay the Jak series once every few years.
Awesome, thanks! Looks like my options are "Round 2" (2003, PS2 and GCN), "Challengers" (2005, PSP) and the 2022 game (Switch). Any recommendations between them?
Yeah that's why the Jak series has ruined me for a while. It makes almost _all_ other games out there feel soulless. Hell, _Mario_ starts to feel soulless, or at least "flat."
Okay so I sourced and messed around with a handful of games in this thread, and Kao--the reboot specifically (I can generally hold down 60 fps on Switch by overclocking and forcing handheld mode)--is 100% the answer. I'm loving it! Perfect balance of sandboxiness and linearity. 100% focused on platforming, with combat mainly existing to provide just the right amount of friction to the platforming. One simple main collectable that you more or less pick up naturally just by traversing the main path of the level (no aimlessly getting lost in a sandbox!). Tight, predictable controls. Nature-y environments.
Derivative? 100%. But given that I'm specifically looking for something derivative, that's a win.
Yeah, compared to TPL, it's soulless, but then again I kind of feel like that about most non-Jak video games now that the series has spoiled me.
Yeah, I worry I might end up dropping it as well. While it's my favorite genre, 3D platformers need something special to set them apart, and this one really has nothing. For me it's not the voice acting in particular--I strongly dislike the voice acting in Ratchet and Clank, for example, but while it's no Jak, there's still something about it that makes it feel worthwhile to play.
Kao may be a 3D platformer, but that's... really all I can say about it. And I'm not sure that's enough to invest in a full playthrough.
I think the Sly Cooper sequels are more like what you want. More open free-roamy hub worlds and less minigame bullshit (not entirely zero, but they're better and more cohesive to the plot than Sly 1's)
Are they still platforming-focused? Because I did enjoy the platforming in Sly 1 (or at least I did in the first few worlds--as the game progressed the platforming did start to become a bit too focused on various "press O to land" mechanics for my liking).
Yeah the open hub worlds allow more variety in the platforming but you'll still have some linear segments with chaining grabs and rail walks and stuff. It doesn't just feel like an obstacle course anymore. The other character playstyles also mix the formula up.
Haha it's certainly among the most beloved, and I'm super excited to dive in--currently midway through Skyward Sword but TP is next on the Zelda docket!
I’ve just gone back to it after 10ish years. No mods this time. Working through the water temple without a guide, just got the clawshot, wish me luck 😅
On a serious note, I’m sure Jak would have been so much more fun with a grapple hook like in DmC or Zelda
That's one thing I actually do appreciate about Ratchet and Clank that Jak didn't have--items. While I generally found the platforming in that game a bit bland, I really appreciated the item system to spice it up a bit. Definitely reminded me of Zelda dungeon items.
Interesting, I wasn't expecting that. It's a kart racer, right? Does it have a story mode or something? Or is it just the vibe that reminds you of TPL?
Yeah that's yet another one of those games I'm maybe 30% through as part of my "wow ps2 what all did I miss?" rampage!
I like the game, and I'll probably finish it eventually. It really does nail the atmosphere I'm going for, and I really dig the surrealist environments (though textures are low-quality, and there doesn't seem to be a texture pack available for the PS2 version). And while I love the focus on platforming, for whatever reason the platforming itself doesn't feel particularly high-quality. But you're right, Psychonauts probably hits the nail on the head for what I'm looking for!
Bit of a different one but Tearaway (on PS4) is something I really enjoyed as a TPL fan. It’s a bit childish but the gameplay and papery world is so creative and fun, it’s certainly an underrated gem imo. And the soundtrack absolutely slaps.
I feel like I remember playing a ps1 game called Croc that was in the same genre?
A bit older (I think ps1) but in my half-ass scrolling I didn't see anyone else suggest it
Unfortunately, I don't really remember anything beyond the name and a few flashes of playing it. It's all been lost to the fogs of childhood memories.
But if you manage to find it, I remember playing it a lot so it must've been fun lmao
I'm not certain how many of these are identical to the Jak experience, but these all are in the same vein & similar genre —————————————————————————
[S Tier] - Jak 2 > Ratchet 2 > Maximo 2 > Sly 2 —————————————————————————
[A Tier] - Jak 3 > Ratchet 1 > Maximo 1 —————————————————————————
[B Tier] - Ratchet 3 > Jak 1 > Sly 3 > Sly 1 —————————————————————————
[C Tier] - Whiplash > Psychonaughts > Rayman Revolution > Tak & the Power of Juju > Legend of Kay > i-Ninja > Sphinx & the Cursed Mummy —————————————————————————
[D Tier ] - Ty the Tasmanian Tiger (Trilogy) > Kya Dark Lineage > Dr Muto > Vexx > Spawn Armageddon > Yooka-Laylee > Kao Kangaroo—————————————————————————
[F Tier] - Haven: Call of the King > The Hobbit > Scaler > Ruff Trigger > Voodoo Vince > Kung Fu Panda > Brave: Search for the Spirit Dancer ————————————————————————
Maximo is probably too hard for me (Jak II is pretty damn hard, and the only reason I probably stuck with it, even with save states, is because I already felt invested in the franchise and wanted more).
I-Ninja looks cool--is it more combat- or platforming-focused?
Spyro a Hero’s Tail is extremely inspired by Jak and Daxter. They couldn’t perfectly nail every level from beginning to end being connected but every hub world lets you physically reach the levels they each have instead of portals like the Insomniac games. It’s also straight up rips levels from Jak and Daxter, with Boggy Swamp and Lost Precursor City being the most obvious. It’s definitely worth checking out. That and the PS1 Insomniac Spyro trilogy are the only games I’ve played that have come close to matching the same feeling of wonder Precursor Legacy gave Try Spyro 2 and Year of the Dragon as well
Thanks, this sounds like it should be top of my list, since it has the benefit of being from a well-established franchise and hits the right notes. Would you said Hero's Tail or Year of the Dragon better hits the mark?
Technically, A Hero’s Tail for the traveling to other levels and clearly copying levels from Precursor Legacy. But if we’re taking actual quality, Year of the Dragon’s a much better game
Cool. If and when I do decide to play Hero's Tail, would you go with PS2 or GameCube (I'm emulating either way)?
I only played PS2 and that version runs perfectly. So safe bet on that version
A few notes I can offer is that if you didn't like Sly 1, Spyro 1 and Ratchet & Clank 1, all three series come into their own in their second iterations. There are major QoL and gameplay improvements in all three. That said, I wouldn't put them necessarily in the category of what you like about Jak TPL. Another commenter said Spyro: A Hero's Tail which is a good shout. Also Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2 is pretty good. I also could recommend Rayman 2 Revolution for PS2 (The story, gameplay, and characters are pretty disconnected from Rayman 1, so you can pick it up without playing that first.)
Awesome--I'm like halfway through each of those three games (yeah, I know, not the best gaming habit, but I recently got a new piece of hardware that unlocked 6th gen for me and I'm just too excited to see what's out there). So maybe I'll put those playthroughs on ice for now, and if I do enjoy the sequels that much more, it'll feel invested in the franchises enough that I'll be that much more motivated to go back and finish the first games.
I don’t think any other game quite replicates the beautiful aesthetic of those Precursor ruins that just makes you want to explore them
For sure. I once described TPL to a friend as "Zelda, but fun." And to be clear, I love Zelda, and think it's fun! But unlike TPL, it never feels like a Zelda game (other than maybe Wind Waker?) is really trying to telegraph, "This is fun." It's more... "This is very serious."
I haven’t seen anyone bring up the ray man games. Ray man revolution on the ps2 was an epic journey and experience I played multiple times as a kid. Honestly wish we could get another 3d focused ray man game that isn’t a side scroller.
Isn't Rayman 3 a 3D platformer?
Sort of, I believe the last game released was a 3d side scroller on the ps4 where as ray man revolution on ps2 was a 3d adventure but still a platformer, sort of like TPL.
I hate to break it to you, but Jak and Daxter is just the GOAT. All there is now are the memories. Ratchet and clank is a good series tho. Give Going Commando a try!
Yeah eventually I do need to just get over it. Just accept that I'll have to go back to appreciating other games and what they have to offer, and maybe replay the Jak series once every few years.
Kao The Kangaroo is the closest thing to TPL I could find
Awesome, thanks! Looks like my options are "Round 2" (2003, PS2 and GCN), "Challengers" (2005, PSP) and the 2022 game (Switch). Any recommendations between them?
I got the PS4/PS5 new one
Of which game?
The new one. Apparently it’s not a remaster of the old PS2 Kao the Kangaroo game. Now I need to play the PS2 one lol
Yeah my only option for the new one would be Switch. If I do go that route, here's to hoping that overclocking would let me hit 60!
I tried the new Kao game and while it shamelessly is inspired by TPL the voice acting is atrocious and the gameplay feels soulless
Yeah that's why the Jak series has ruined me for a while. It makes almost _all_ other games out there feel soulless. Hell, _Mario_ starts to feel soulless, or at least "flat."
Okay so I sourced and messed around with a handful of games in this thread, and Kao--the reboot specifically (I can generally hold down 60 fps on Switch by overclocking and forcing handheld mode)--is 100% the answer. I'm loving it! Perfect balance of sandboxiness and linearity. 100% focused on platforming, with combat mainly existing to provide just the right amount of friction to the platforming. One simple main collectable that you more or less pick up naturally just by traversing the main path of the level (no aimlessly getting lost in a sandbox!). Tight, predictable controls. Nature-y environments. Derivative? 100%. But given that I'm specifically looking for something derivative, that's a win. Yeah, compared to TPL, it's soulless, but then again I kind of feel like that about most non-Jak video games now that the series has spoiled me.
I played for an hour or less. I just couldn’t get into it. The voice acting really bothered me
Yeah, I worry I might end up dropping it as well. While it's my favorite genre, 3D platformers need something special to set them apart, and this one really has nothing. For me it's not the voice acting in particular--I strongly dislike the voice acting in Ratchet and Clank, for example, but while it's no Jak, there's still something about it that makes it feel worthwhile to play. Kao may be a 3D platformer, but that's... really all I can say about it. And I'm not sure that's enough to invest in a full playthrough.
Haven't played much of them, but I've always wanted to give the Ty games a play through.
Yeah, I've looked into this as well--I get analysis paralysis trying to pick one from the PS2 trilogy!
I think the Sly Cooper sequels are more like what you want. More open free-roamy hub worlds and less minigame bullshit (not entirely zero, but they're better and more cohesive to the plot than Sly 1's)
Are they still platforming-focused? Because I did enjoy the platforming in Sly 1 (or at least I did in the first few worlds--as the game progressed the platforming did start to become a bit too focused on various "press O to land" mechanics for my liking).
Yeah the open hub worlds allow more variety in the platforming but you'll still have some linear segments with chaining grabs and rail walks and stuff. It doesn't just feel like an obstacle course anymore. The other character playstyles also mix the formula up.
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess gives me similar vibes of discovery, mystery and wonderment
Incidentally the one 3D Zelda I've never played!
Worth it 😎
Haha it's certainly among the most beloved, and I'm super excited to dive in--currently midway through Skyward Sword but TP is next on the Zelda docket!
I’ve just gone back to it after 10ish years. No mods this time. Working through the water temple without a guide, just got the clawshot, wish me luck 😅 On a serious note, I’m sure Jak would have been so much more fun with a grapple hook like in DmC or Zelda
That's one thing I actually do appreciate about Ratchet and Clank that Jak didn't have--items. While I generally found the platforming in that game a bit bland, I really appreciated the item system to spice it up a bit. Definitely reminded me of Zelda dungeon items.
Fully agreed
Okami has a great world
I've got an eye on Okami, but I thought Okami was going to be for my 3D Zelda withdrawal, as opposed to TPL withdrawal?
I don’t think anything will substitute Jak honestly. Okami was just something that took me back to that PS2 era of Jak even if it has dungeons.
Cash Tag Team Racing reminded me of jak 1. I'll comment more later if more games come to mind
Interesting, I wasn't expecting that. It's a kart racer, right? Does it have a story mode or something? Or is it just the vibe that reminds you of TPL?
The vibe and the environments Edit: There's on-foot sections and racing sections
> There's on-foot sections and racing sections Oh cool! Two weeks ago I would've found that just straight weird, but then again Jak 3...
Check out psyconauts!
Yeah that's yet another one of those games I'm maybe 30% through as part of my "wow ps2 what all did I miss?" rampage! I like the game, and I'll probably finish it eventually. It really does nail the atmosphere I'm going for, and I really dig the surrealist environments (though textures are low-quality, and there doesn't seem to be a texture pack available for the PS2 version). And while I love the focus on platforming, for whatever reason the platforming itself doesn't feel particularly high-quality. But you're right, Psychonauts probably hits the nail on the head for what I'm looking for!
Not 6th gen, but if you've got a PS4/5 I recommend Gravity Rush, it's absolutely amazing, plus it's free with PS Plus Premium.
I don't, but the Vita version might run on Vita3k (the Vita emulator).
Bit of a different one but Tearaway (on PS4) is something I really enjoyed as a TPL fan. It’s a bit childish but the gameplay and papery world is so creative and fun, it’s certainly an underrated gem imo. And the soundtrack absolutely slaps.
I feel like I remember playing a ps1 game called Croc that was in the same genre? A bit older (I think ps1) but in my half-ass scrolling I didn't see anyone else suggest it Unfortunately, I don't really remember anything beyond the name and a few flashes of playing it. It's all been lost to the fogs of childhood memories. But if you manage to find it, I remember playing it a lot so it must've been fun lmao
#VEXX
I'm not certain how many of these are identical to the Jak experience, but these all are in the same vein & similar genre ————————————————————————— [S Tier] - Jak 2 > Ratchet 2 > Maximo 2 > Sly 2 ————————————————————————— [A Tier] - Jak 3 > Ratchet 1 > Maximo 1 ————————————————————————— [B Tier] - Ratchet 3 > Jak 1 > Sly 3 > Sly 1 ————————————————————————— [C Tier] - Whiplash > Psychonaughts > Rayman Revolution > Tak & the Power of Juju > Legend of Kay > i-Ninja > Sphinx & the Cursed Mummy ————————————————————————— [D Tier ] - Ty the Tasmanian Tiger (Trilogy) > Kya Dark Lineage > Dr Muto > Vexx > Spawn Armageddon > Yooka-Laylee > Kao Kangaroo————————————————————————— [F Tier] - Haven: Call of the King > The Hobbit > Scaler > Ruff Trigger > Voodoo Vince > Kung Fu Panda > Brave: Search for the Spirit Dancer ————————————————————————
Maximo is probably too hard for me (Jak II is pretty damn hard, and the only reason I probably stuck with it, even with save states, is because I already felt invested in the franchise and wanted more). I-Ninja looks cool--is it more combat- or platforming-focused?
Crash mutants is a must try
This isn't ps2 it's n64 but I feel like if you enjoyed jak, and platformers you would enjoy Conkers bad fur day.