Played through Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and/or Super Mario Odyssey and still hungry for more 3D platforming? Well, you’re in luck, because Sony has announced when they’re bringing the rest of the Jak and Daxter series to PS4. Sony re-released Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy back in August, and soon it will be joined by Jak II, Jak 3, and Jak X: Combat Racing.
Before you get too excited, Jak and Daxter aren’t getting the full remake treatment, but the original PS2 games have been upgraded with 1080p and Trophy support. You can check out a brief trailer for the Jak and Daxter re-releases, below.
For those too young to remember the Jak and Daxter games (sigh), they were Naughty Dog’s attempt to push the 3D platformers of the N64/PSOne era to the next level, introducing open-world environments, varied gameplay, and a heavier emphasis on story. Jak II and Jak 3 added more mature elements, and, in a sense, provided the foundation games like Uncharted and The Last of Us were built on. Here’s what Sony had to say about the series’ evolution:
“In 2003, Naughty Dog released Jak II for the PlayStation 2 system, and something amazing happened for the Jak and Daxter franchise: Jak was able to speak for the first time, enabling players to hear and experience Jak’s own point of view using his voice, instead of relying solely on Daxter’s witty banter and exposition. This was the start of something special, and the franchise continued to reach new heights with the release of Jak 3 and Jak X, in part because of this one simple addition.
By giving Jak a voice, it allowed Naughty Dog to explore new narrative techniques that allowed them to create a grittier world with a much more developed and evolved storyline. Jak and Daxter evolved from whimsical lighthearted platforming characters to a much darker vision of a future’s past world where Jak and Daxter find themselves pitted against multiple dark forces moving against them.
The narrative tropes Naughty Dog explored in Jak and Daxter laid the foundation for the evolution of their highly innovative story telling. It put them on the path that led to the creation of future blockbuster franchises like Uncharted and The Last of Us— and to think it all started with giving Jak his own voice. Jak 3 on PS4. In celebration of Naughty Dog’s rich heritage, it is with great pleasure that we present to you these Jak & Daxter classics on the PS4.”
Jak II, Jak 3, and Jak X leap onto the PS4 on December 6. The games can be bought for $15 apiece, or as part of a bundle.