Jak II - Samos the Sage's Hut

“For every age there is a time of trial. The rocks faced such a fire before they were the strength beneath our feet. The plants braved vast winds before their roots could give us life. As a sage of considerable years, I have known only one such great ordeal. Yet the hero it created was a champion of all TIME….” -Samos the Sage, Jak II

Welcome to Samos the Sage’s Hut! Nestled along the coast of the idyllic Sandover Village, this impressive structure rises high up over the surrounding landscape, providing in ideal place for gazing out over the world and pondering its many mysteries! Samos’ Hut is not only home to the wise Green Eco Sage Samos Hagai, but also his daughter Keira, the feisty mechanic! In the past Jak and Daxter visited the hut frequently, to get wisdom and guidance from Samos, borrow the boat to travel to Misty Island, talk to Keira about her latest inventions, like The A-Grav Zoomer, or just to take in the beautiful scenery! But at the start of Jak II, the hut becomes the site of a crucial event in the universe of Jak and Daxter, thanks to a mysterious floating gateway that propels our heroes into their next amazing adventure, and changes their world forever…

I have wanted an official LEGO Jak and Daxter set to exist ever since first playing the games back in 2001 and with the series approaching its 25th anniversary, I felt the time was right to make one! The Hut itself was an easy pick for me as to the subject matter of the model for a few reasons! Firstly, it’s a crucial nexus within the series for many major story threads (no spoilers here!) Secondly, its colorful design just fits so well into the LEGO aesthetic with its charming windmill, thatched roofs (complete with green Eco-infused trees jutting out!) tall crows nest (with accompanying crows!), and lush surroundings. 

Aside from being a great display piece, taking a lot of inspiration from beautiful LEGO sets such as Viking Village 21343 and The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell 10316, the set is also packed with play features and easter eggs! The set boasts easy access to the hut interior, via removable floors like those of a LEGO modular building, 2 different vehicles for the minifigures to interact with, and 2 enemy types - a Lurker Babak and a Lurker Shark, to keep our heroes on their toes! There is also a hidden grotto to discover, where a Precursor Oracle waits to give you a Power Cell - but only if you have enough Precursor Orbs to trade! There are numerous small details faithfully rendered from the games as well, from Keira’s garage with all her tools, to Samos’ sanctuary and its Green Eco tank, which is spilling out a little onto the floor and causing plants to sprout up! 5 Precursor Orbs are laid out for Jak and Daxter to collect, as well as Green Eco to boost the heroes health after a fight! The huge floating Precursor Gateway hovers somewhat ominously just off the coast of the island, "floating" on transparent LEGO elements, and a wooden ramp has been hastily erected to give our heroes access to its mysteries!

I had a blast designing this homage to a series of games that meant a lot to my younger self, and hopefully will resonate with other LEGO and Naughty Dog fans awaiting Jak and Dexter’s triumphant return!