Eco is a powerful substance in the Jak and Daxter series. It is capable of physically appearing in the form of droplets or clusters of liquid or as a gas in its natural form(s), ore, a prism, or a crystal, and comes in the six different known colors of light eco, dark eco, green eco, blue eco, yellow eco, and red eco, each color possessing a different and specific property. It was created by the Precursors and is studied and mastered by a group of humans known as sages.
Eco is produced and distributed at the eco core,[1] and is used as the primary currency throughout the games next to Precursor orbs, especially when in the form of ore.[2] All colors of eco are able to invoke their properties or abilities into what they are passed through, and can sometimes be channeled through a living body. It can also be used to power technology, mostly including weapons.
History[]
The Precursor Legacy[]
Eco was most prominent in The Precursor Legacy, commonly found in the form of floating clusters that when acquired would provide Jak with temporarily augmented abilities. More concentrated eco could be found in eco vents, which gave Jak the ability to use these skills for the maximum time allowable. Dark eco was commonly found in boxes, and when touched, would detonate and harm whoever it came in contact with. However, if one were to fall in a pool of dark eco, it would kill that person.[3] Light eco only appeared in the final ending where all four colored eco lasers were emitted through four towers surrounding a large dark eco silo to create the substance (how is as of yet unknown). Jak then used it to destroy Gol and Maia.[3]
Interestingly, when Daxter fell in a vat of dark eco, he changed from human to an ottsel. Later in Jak 3, it is learned that eco contains the essence of the Precursors, which allowed Daxter to survive the submersion.[4]
Jak II–Jak 3[]
During the time of Jak II and Jak 3, colored eco appeared to be seemingly rare in its natural form, while dark eco and other forms of physical eco appeared to be more common. Red, yellow, blue, and dark eco appeared in the form of Morph Gun mods, which were used as weapons specializing in the colored eco's respective ability. Green eco appeared in its natural form only a few times, and was most common in the form of health packs. Other forms of dark eco and eco ore were used as a form of currency, and were constantly sought after by factions on both sides of an ongoing war. Eco was also used to stabilize Haven City through its eco grid. In Jak 3, dark and light eco crystals were revealed. Jak collected these and used them to fuel the eco power sphere for the Planetary Defense System.
Jak X: Combat Racing[]
All colors of eco excluding light eco were featured during Jak X: Combat Racing. With the exception of light eco, colored eco was used as a type of eco pick-up—each color benefiting the racer according to the eco's specialty. This meant that yellow and red eco acted as frontal and rear weapons respectively, green eco as health, and blue eco as turbo boost fuel. Dark eco could be collected after destroying enemy vehicles and would ultimately power up the driver's vehicle and improve his or her weapons.
The Lost Frontier[]
During The Lost Frontier the world suffered a sudden eco shortage.[note 1] Jak and Daxter set out to find more eco along with Keira, a sage-in-training, where they discover the eco seeker artifact that leads them to the eco core, a massive control panel for the distribution of eco that they go on to re-stabilize.[1]
During the game, eco could again be found in vents, similar to the first game. They were used to replenish or activate Jak's eco power reservoir, allowing him to use his eco skills created with dark eco dropped from fallen enemies, similar to previous games. Jak also used eco in his Gunstaff, similar to Jak II and Jak 3 with the Morph Gun.
Types[]
Green eco[]
Green eco contains the energy of life. Jak used it throughout the games to heal himself after taking damage. It was also used to cure dark plants in The Precursor Legacy and Jak 3. In the first game, small green eco droplets and larger green eco clusters were dropped by defeated enemies and also found in crates and vents. Fifty green eco droplets amounted to one cluster, which restored one point of Jak's lost health, and green eco vents would fully restore his health. In Daxter, Jak II, Jak 3, and The Lost Frontier, green eco could be found in metal cubes with neon green plus signs, carrying significant amounts of green eco called health packs, which restored two segments of health. In Jak X: Combat Racing, it was used similarly in the form of a pickup, which repaired race cars when damaged. The Gunstaff had a green eco mod called the lobber, which interestingly used green eco in an offensive manner as a grenade launcher similar to Jak 3's red eco Plasmite RPG.
The sage of green eco is Samos Hagai.
Blue eco[]
Blue eco contains the energy of motion.[3] In The Precursor Legacy, it is used to increase Jak's movement speed, attract collectable objects like precursor orbs and other ecos, and to activate dormant Precursor technology. After green eco, blue eco is the most common color of eco in the first game, with vents and clusters appearing in almost every area. As befitting its ability to increase speed and power machines, blue eco often resembles blue lightning. In Jak II, Jak 3, and The Lost Frontier, blue eco was used in the blue mod for the Gunstaff and Morph Gun starting with the Vulcan Fury, a machine-gun-like weapon with an exceptionally fast rate-of-fire and high ammo capacity, while relatively weaker and shorter range compared to other gun mods. It is also presumably used in the JET-Board to help maintain its motion. In Jak X: Combat Racing it is used in the form of a capsule-shaped pickup which provides its user with turbo.
The sage of blue eco is the Blue Sage.
Red eco[]
Red eco contains the essence of power and strength. Similar to other colors of eco, Jak could pick up red clusters or walk through red eco vents to channel the energy and be able to slay more powerful enemies with less difficulty, such as bone armor lurkers with killing them in one hit opposed to two. In Jak II, Jak 3, and The Lost Frontier, red eco is used in the red mod which specializes in blunt, powerful force, albeit with taxing recoil, a relatively slow rate-of-fire, lower ammo count and less range. In Jak X: Combat Racing, red eco appears as a glowing red capsule, and is used as a defensive weapon to avoid missiles or to hinder/kill opponents further behind on the track. It is almost always ejected out of the back of the vehicle.
The sage of red eco is the Red Sage.
Yellow eco[]
Yellow contains the power of long-range strength.[3] In The Precursor Legacy, similar to red eco, it could be found in floating clusters and vents, except when in this form, Jak could shoot yellow eco projectiles that were just as strong if not stronger than red eco, which replaced his dive and punch attacks. Yellow eco is particularly useful for opening strong boxes which cannot be done otherwise except with the use of a cannon.[3] Yellow eco appears to be seemingly abundant, especially in Boggy Swamp. When coming from vents, it resembles an amorphous stream of gas. In Jak II, Jak 3, and The Lost Frontier, yellow eco is used in the yellow mod which specializes in strong artillery with long reach. In Jak X: Combat Racing, yellow eco appears as a yellow octahedron pickup, which gives its user long-distance, frontal offensive weaponry to eliminate opponents.
The sage of yellow eco is the Yellow Sage.
Dark eco[]
Dark eco has the property to warp, mutate, and destroy things. It is also the most common type of eco. Large amounts resemble a thick, black liquid with a purple sheen. Smaller amounts dropped by enemies in Jak II, Jak 3, and The Lost Frontier, often called "droplets", resemble shifting purple spheres and often come in groups of four and up to ten,[5] though in some rarer cases a single droplet may appear.[6] During The Precursor Legacy dark eco was found in containers, silos, or sometimes in crystalline constructs which would detonate several seconds after touching. All dark eco was particularly harmful in this game, though Daxter's transformation came from him falling into a pool of dark eco. In Jak 3, dark eco was also shown in crystal form, as well as in droplets and vents.
During Jak X: Combat Racing, if Jak continues to shoot and hit or kill an enemy, dark eco upgrades his weapons and powers up his vehicle.
Starting with Jak II and going through to the beginning of The Lost Frontier, Jak had the ability to transform into a dark eco alter ego named Dark Jak. This happened by several torturous injections of dark eco while being subject to the Baron's Dark Warrior Program, which was ultimately unsuccessful. Jak later went on to use and master his new powers (with the help of an oracle at the Water Slums) to defeat historical enemy figures including Kor, Cyber Errol, and many other enemies. In The Lost Frontier, Daxter was again subject to large, deadly amounts of dark eco while in the Aeropan sewerage system. In Jak 3, it is revealed that Dark Makers were Precursors that were changed by dark eco, exactly how remains unknown. Though because dark eco contains the essence of the Precursors, Daxter was able to survive the submersion again, and gained the ability to transform into a dark alter ego similar to Dark Jak named Dark Daxter. Later in the game, dark warriors make an appearance, which were products of a successful Dark Warrior Program, similar to Haven City's, but this time under Aeropa's conduction. However they were eventually destroyed. Dark eco droplets were collected in this game instead to be brought to Keira in exchange for eco skills.
The Morph Gun utilized dark eco in its dark mod. Starting with the Peace Maker, this weapon mod focused on devastating power, though was not ammo efficient compared to the other mods, and the rate-of-fire was the slowest of the Morph Gun (though rate-of-fire was not a necessity due to its superior strength, outside of the Mass Inverter in Jak 3, which did no damage outside of rendering most enemies incapable of action by having them float around).
Dark eco has had varying sages throughout the series, the first of which being Gol Acheron and his sister Maia. His sister was never proclaimed to be a sage, though was equally warped and obsessed with the substance as her brother.[3] Later in the future, a man named Tym became a sage of dark eco and made his first appearance in The Lost Frontier, and remains the current sage.[3]
Light eco[]
Considered the purest and rarest of all eco, light eco contains the property of healing, restoring, balancing, and purifying.[5] It is created by the combination of all colors of eco excluding dark. It had apparently only been speculated about,[7] before its discovery in The Precursor Legacy when four eco laser beams emitted from four towers surrounding a dark eco silo combined their power to create it.
Light eco did not appear again until Jak 3, in which it occurred naturally as droplets (similar to dark eco), in crystal form, and flowing from vents. It played a large role in Jak 3, as it gave Jak light eco powers to counterbalance his dark eco powers; which included Light Regeneration, Flash Freeze, Light Shield, and Light Flight, all used as defensive/support mechanisms opposed to Dark Jak's offensive powers. In The Precursor Legacy, Daxter theorized that light eco may be the key to reversing his transformation, although due to the large presence of light eco in Jak 3, this is presumably incorrect.
Light eco made one reappearance in The Lost Frontier, whenever a small droplet was dispensed from a tube in a facility visited by Jak and Keira. As of the conclusion of that game, Keira was in the process of becoming a sage, according to the dark eco sage, Tym.
Characteristics[]
Liquid[]
When fully concentrated and in large amounts, some eco has been known to fall to a liquid form. This is a characteristic mainly taken up by dark eco, as it is found in several pools (often in vats and silos) throughout the series, all leading to death except in the case of Daxter. There were shallow liquid puddles of dark eco in The Lost Frontier which only reduced Jak's health instead of killing him.[1] Green eco could also be seen dripping in a liquid form and running through tubes in Samos' hut. When in this form, liquid eco looks like a thick fluid substance with a lighter-colored oily sheen, dispensing small spurts of trailing eco from its surface.
Gas and clusters[]
Eco can often take up the characteristic of gas, clusters, or droplets when flowing from vents, dropped by enemies, or sometimes stored in containers. All colors of eco were seen in these forms in The Precursor Legacy, Jak 3, and The Lost Frontier. Clusters are floating clouds of eco with a foggy aura, inside it being either spherical spurts in constant motion, or small electrostatic lightning. With green eco, in smaller amounts, the cloud will be absent and the spherical spurts will no longer be bound together, and fall to the floor in separate smaller droplets. Fifty small green eco droplets make up one green eco cluster in value. Eco flowing from vents is more concentrated than clusters.[1][8] Green eco gas was also used as fuel in the Hellcat during The Lost Frontier.[1]
Crystals and ore[]
Eco can also come in the form of crystal and ore. Dark eco crystals were seen in The Precursor Legacy, which would detonate a few seconds after coming in contact with it. Other colored crystalline substances were found in the first game, though it is unknown if it was eco, or what their purpose was, other than the colored eco crystals seen in a few of the sage's huts in their respective locations. Eco ore, depicted to be especially rare, was first introduced in Jak II when Jak had to deliver a shipment of it to Krew. Mining operations were set up by the Baron in rocky, mountainous terrains, presumably mining for eco in the form of ore. In Jak 3, dark and light eco crystals were featured. Dark eco crystals would have presumably acted in the same or similar manner as they did in the first game, evident in the way Seem reacted upon seeing it, though Jak was able to handle them safely, perhaps due to his being altered by dark eco.[5] In The Lost Frontier, bigger dark eco crystals similar to the ones in the first game reappeared, and acted in the previous detonating way.
Green eco prisms made an appearance in The Lost Frontier, and were able to convert dark eco into other colors of eco, bringing to further light of the fact that dark eco is the polar opposite of light eco, in that it takes all colors of eco to create light eco, yet dark eco can decompose into the four colors of eco after being passed through an eco prism. Eco prisms look exactly like eco crystals, but carry different properties.
Weapons[]
Eco is often used in weapons which carry the characteristic of whatever eco it uses. In the Morph Gun and Gunstaff, eco was used in four different mods; the red mod specializing in short-range power, the yellow mod specializing in long-range power, the blue mod specializing in an exceptionally fast rate-of-fire, dark mod specializing in devastating power, and unique to the Gunstaff, a green mod replaced the dark mod, and specialized in a characteristic not often taken up by green eco, and was similar to the red mod's Plasmite RPG.
Notes[]
- ↑ Presumably due to either previous war activity, mass consumption, increasing human population, or the world simply growing older in age.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 High Impact Games (2009). Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier. PlayStation 2. Sony Interactive Entertainment.
- ↑ Naughty Dog (2012). Jak II. PlayStation 3. Sony Interactive Entertainment.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Naughty Dog (2012). Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. PlayStation 3. Sony Interactive Entertainment.
- ↑ Naughty Dog (2012). Jak 3. PlayStation 3. Sony Interactive Entertainment.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Naughty Dog (2012). Jak 3. PlayStation 3. Sony Interactive Entertainment.
- ↑ Naughty Dog (2012). Jak II. PlayStation 3. Sony Interactive Entertainment.
- ↑ Naughty Dog (2012). Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. PlayStation 3. Sony Interactive Entertainment.
- ↑ Naughty Dog (2012). Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. PlayStation 3. Sony Interactive Entertainment.