11 Best 3D Platformer Video Games Of The 2000s

3. Jak & Daxter/Jak II/Jak 3 - 2001-2004 - PS2/PS3

Naughty Dog has proven to be excellent at knowing when to drop one franchise and move onto another. Leaving Crash Bandicoot to be more or less desecrated by lesser developers, the company created the Jak and Daxter trilogy for the PS2 - charting the adventures and coming-of-age of elf-alike humanoid Jak and his furry 'ottsel' sidekick Daxter. What's unique about the Jak games is the way the main trilogy seamlessly melds together into one awesome narrative. Unlike many platformers, the Jak games don't feel like three distinct products simply throwing familiar characters into new situations, but a continuum in which we see the characters grow, mature and evolve. The worlds of the three games are vast, open, and diverse, taking you from the comfort of Sandover Village to the arid, hostile deserts of Jak 3. While Jak and Daxter was very platform-oriented, the sequels expand to more open worlds, integrating vehicles and weapons into the games - fitting as we see the characters mature into adults. The Jak trilogy achieves something few platformers manage by feeling truly epic - a sprawling sci-fi adventure that taps into every 3D platforming trope out there, as well as adding plenty of ideas of its own.