Sony recently revealed its upcoming batch ofPS Plus Extra and Premiumgames, featuring 13 total in all. Each stands out for different reasons, appealing to a variety of gaming fans to boot. However, one of thesePS Plus Premiumtitles is of particular note, just because it brings one entire classic franchise closer to being playable on modern hardware.
The Jak and Daxter Games on PS2
It’s no secret that theJak and Daxterfranchise has received little-to-no traction in recent years. There arerumors of aJak and Daxtermoviebeing in the works, but it always feels like there are rumors about a beloved game IP receiving a movie adaptation. They don’t always manifest, even if legit. The result is that the last “release” was the 2017 bundle which featured ports of the first four games in the franchise (Jak and Daxter: The Precursor, Jak 2, Jak 3, andJak X: Combat Racing). Before that was a 2012 remaster of the original trilogy for PS4, and before that was the last brand new release in the franchise: 2009’s Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontieron PS2 and PSP. It’s been 18 years since a new game then, and while the franchise is not likely to see another, it does seem to be finding new life on modern hardware.
Every Jak and Daxter Game in the Franchise (Platforms, Release Year)
Thanks to the bundle, playing the first four games on PS4 (and by extension PS5) has been possible for the past seven years. However,Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontierhas not been playable on modern hardware before, likely due to the fact it’s less popular than other games in the franchise. In other words, a PS2 in 2009 could play more oftheJak and Daxterfranchisethan someone on PS4/PS5 could have before the newest batch of PS Plus Premium games. Now, thanks to PS Plus Premium, 5 out of 6 games are playable on modern hardware - something that the franchise hasn’t done since the PS2 era.
All Jak and Daxter Games on PS4/PS5 May Not Be a Pipe Dream
However, it may not end there. Many fans have been calling forPS Plus Premium to addDaxterfor some time now, just because it was one of the best PSP games of the time alongside part of this beloved IP. PS Plus Premium periodically adds PSP games, and while they are perhaps the black sheep on the service, it’s likely to happen eventually. Thanks to PS Plus Premium’s addition ofJak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier, Daxter’s addition seems even likelier - and if it did happen, it would be the first time someone could play the entire franchise on the same hardware ever before. It wasn’t possible during the PS2 era, understandably, andDaxterwas a PSP game.
It could be this year, it could be next year, or it could be several years, but it feels like it’s legitimately going to happen. PS Plus Premium’s addition ofJak and Daxter: The Lost Frontiersets the stage for the franchise’s memory to be honored, even if it doesn’t seemingly have much of a future.
Jak and Daxter
The Jak and Daxter series was created by Naughty Dog and began in December 2001. The first game had a ’90s mascot platformer style, while the second and third games employed a darker tone and ventured into the action-adventure genre.The series also has a vehicular combat game, a spin-off Daxter game, and another platform game from the studio High Impact Games.
