The Jak and Daxter series’ numbered trilogy will finally be available on PlayStation 4 as the second and third entries will release next week through the PlayStation Store as PlayStation 2 Classics.
Jak II, Jak 3 and Jak X: Combat Racing were announced yesterday as individual downloads ($14.99 each) or a bundle ($39.99) starting Wednesday, Dec. 6, three months after Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy was released as a PS2 Classic in August. Together, the entirety of Naughty Dog’s Jak and Daxter installments will be playable on the current Sony platform.
Throughout its lifespan, the series has seen a number of changes to its gameplay formula. In 2003, Naughty Dog gave Jak a voice and added a Morph Gun at his disposal, giving the sequel third-person shooter elements. Jak II also took a darker tone than the original, adding a ‘dark Jak’ form and pushing the game’s rating to Teen instead of Everyone. This tone was carried to Jak 3, expanding on the gun aspect while Jak gained a new ‘light form’ to contrast the more sinister form he used in the second game.
Naughty Dog further changed the series by releasing Jak X: Combat Racing in 2005, offering a vehicle racing multiplayer experience. The single player campaign revolves around Jak racing for an antidote as he and his friends were poisoned during the game’s plot. Combat Racing featured online play during the PS2 era, but online functionality will not be included in the Classic adaptation. Players trying to use feature will encounter an error.
The PS2 Classic version of Combat Racing marks the first time the game will be re-released, while Jak II and 3 were part of the PS3’s Jak and Daxter Collection in 2012. Combat Racing was also the last title Naughty Dog developed before Ready at Dawn and High Impact Games developed Daxter (2006) and Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier (2009) for PSP respectively.
The three games, along with a nostalgic PS2 theme, will be available on PS4 through the PS Store on Dec. 6.