Master Jak 3's controls! This guide covers Jak's movement, combat, Dark Jak, Light Jak, vehicles, and more for PS2, PS3, Vita, and PS4.
Alright, let's get you moving and grooving in Jak 3! This guide breaks down all the essential controls so you can get the hang of it quickly. We'll cover Jak himself, his special forms, Daxter, and even some of the vehicles and critters you'll be using.
## Jak
Jak's your main man, and you'll be controlling him for pretty much the whole game, whether he's on his own two feet or behind the wheel of something.
Here's a rundown of his basic moves:
| Action | PS2/3 Controls | Vita Controls | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move Character |  | Move the player character around. |
| Move Camera | ![Right analog stick]() | Move the camera around. |
| Jump | ![X]() | Jump once. |
| Double Jump | ![X]() + ![X]() | Jump twice in the air for extra height. |
| Crouch | ![L1]() | ![Shoulder L]() | Crouch down. |
| Crawl | ![L1]() + ![Left analog stick]() | ![Shoulder L]() + ![Left analog stick]() | Crawl around while in the crouching position. |
| High Jump | ![L1]() + ![X]() | ![Shoulder L]() + ![X]() | Jump higher from a crouching position. |
| Roll | ![Left analog stick]() + ![L1]() | ![Left analog stick]() + ![Shoulder L]() | Roll once in your current line of direction. |
| Roll Jump | ![Left analog stick]() + ![L1]() + ![X]() | ![Left analog stick]() + ![Shoulder L]() + ![X]() | From a roll on the ground, perform a launching somersault in the air to reach long distances. Press ![X]() when landing to do a high jump immediately after. |
| Use | ![Triangle]() | Hi-jack, enter, or mount a drivable vehicle or machine. |
| Punch / Gun Whack | ![Square]() | Sliding/lunging punch (whack with [Morph Gun]() if equipped). |
| Spin Kick | ![Circle]() | A 360-degree spin kick attack. |
| Aerial Spin Kick | ![X]() + ![Circle]() | A 360-degree spin kick in the air. |
| Uppercut | ![L1]() + ![Square](), or ![Square]() + ![X]() | ![Shoulder L]() + ![Square](), or ![Square]() + ![X]() | Uppercut from a crouching position, or a sliding punch followed by an uppercut. |
| Dive Attack | ![X]() + ![Square]() | Dive fists-first from a jump to execute a top-down attack. |
| Continuous Dive Attack | ![X]() (hold), ![Square]() (while in mid-air) | After a dive attack, Jak will bounce back into the air. Another attack can be executed if timed properly. |
| Submerge | ![Square]() or ![Circle](); (hold) | Hold to submerge underwater, release to emerge. Use ![Left analog stick]() to swim around. |
| Shoot | ![L1]() | ![Shoulder R]() | Fire one shot from your equipped or last-equipped weapon. Hold to fire continuously if using a blue mod, or prepare a charge if using a chargeable weapon. Press a second time after discharging the [Gyro Burster]() to make the disk stationary. |
| Equip Red Mod | ![Up]() (twice for second mod, thrice for third mod) | Equip the [Scatter Gun](), [Wave Concussor](), or [Plasmite RPG](). |
| Equip Yellow Mod | ![Down]() (twice for second mod, thrice for third mod) | Equip the [Blaster](), [Beam Reflexor](), or [Gyro Burster](). |
| Equip Blue Mod | ![Left]() (twice for second mod, thrice for third mod) | Equip the [Vulcan Fury](), [Arc Wielder](), or [Needle Lazer](). |
| Equip Dark Mod | ![Right]() (twice for second mod, thrice for third mod) | Equip the [Peace Maker](), [Mass Inverter](), or [Super Nova](). |
| Put Weapon Away | ![Up]() or ![Down]() or ![Left]() or ![Right](); (hold) | Put equipped weapon away. |
| Wastelander Move | ![Square]() + ![L1](), or ![Circle]() + ![L1]() | ![Square]() + ![Shoulder R](), or ![Circle]() + ![Shoulder R]() | (Blaster only) A melee attack followed by a three-shot bullet stream from the Blaster. |
| Aerial Wastelander Move | ![X]() + ![Circle]() + ![L1]() | ![X]() + ![Circle]() + ![Shoulder R]() | (Blaster or Vulcan Fury only) Jump and kick in the air while shooting to unleash a 360-degree flurry of five semi-auto-aimed bullets around Jak. |
| Toggle Dark Jak | ![L2]() | ![Touchpad top-left]() | Toggle Dark Jak mode. Once a light power is acquired, it can also be used in conjunction with the face buttons to summon Light Jak mode. |
| Activate/Deactivate JET-Board | ![R2]() | ![Touchpad top-right]() | Equip the JET-Board, if available; or put it away if currently using it. |
| Display HUD | ![L3]() | ![Touchpad bottom-left]() | Displays the HUD on-screen if it is hidden. Contains info such as the total and remaining number of [hit points](), and total collected [Precursor orbs]() and [skull gems](). |
There's a lot to remember here, but don't worry! You'll get the hang of it with practice. Pay close attention to the combinations for different attacks and weapon switching, as they'll be key to overcoming tougher enemies.
