Jak 3 is supposedly the final part of the Jak and Daxter trilogy, and if so, then what a way to go out. The series started well and kept up the standard with last year’s GTA-like Jak II Renegade, and Jak 3 takes that template and stretches it even further – Jak 3 isn’t just a platform game, it’s a cartoon platform/combat/racing & exploration game, and this time there are dune buggies to zoom around in as well as the hover cars & bikes of last year.

Always amusing, the Jak & Daxter characters have been given some more funny lines that will genuinely have you chuckling – Daxter is, as ever, the best sidekick around, and he knows it – in Jak 3 you even get to play several sections as Dax.

Unsurprisingly the desert is a hot and desolate place, and after wandering for hours Jak & co succumb to the heat; fortunately they’re rescued by some desert dwellers, unfortunately their leader Onin decides that Jak needs to prove himself in an arena by fighting dozens of desert marauders to the death, and after a lengthy intro this is where you come in…

Now all these buggies (there are 10 in all) might have just been another way of making the traipsing from one end of the level to another less painful, and to some extent that is true, but the vehicles are governed by a true-to-life handling and physics engine that puts many “serious” offroad games to shame. They handle just like you’d expect them to, and even roll over if you push them too hard on the frequent slopes – you even have to watch you don’t fall from one of the massive cliff edges or lose your ride in the surrounding ocean or one of the many rivers or lakes (it's not exactly the driest desert in the galaxy). Fortunately, before long Jak gets his wonderful hoverboard back, which means lots of zooming around and tricking, both for fun and for gain as many artefacts are placed where they can only be reached by skillful hoverboard riding.

Capable of extra strength and tougher attacks last time by transforming into Dark Jak with the aid of Dark Eco, Jak now gets exposed to Light Eco as well, and can now become Light Jak. With a glowing electric blue aura, Light Jak introduces new moves, including the ability to sprout ethereal wings and lift off and fly for short distances, or emit an energy shield. But best of all, as long as Jak has some light Eco stored, he can power up at anytime, which provides the player with a sense of being virtually invincible, and adds greatly to the way the game is played. Thankfully Naughty Dog seem to have listened to comments about the frustrating difficulty of Jak II, and made Jak 3 an altogether more enjoyable and easygoing experience – this doesn’t mean there isn’t a challenge there either, as there is plenty to do and discover, and there are several difficulty levels for the more experienced player.

To add to the atmosphere, the voice acting is done with great ability and humour, the music is excellent (I love the "peaceful" desert theme), the time of day changes, as does the weather, so you get sandstorms in the desert and when it rains you get raindrops on the screen – all little touches that help immerse you completely into J&D’s world. Without wanting to spoil anything, to round the whole thing off you fight one of the best final bosses I’ve seen since Ocarina of Time, and finally discover a (hilarious) explanation to exactly who the mysterious Precursors are. Jak 3 is a superb adventure, and so much more than just a platform game. Buy it now, and hope there is a Jak 4 after all...