Last week it had been reported that a Jak and Daxter bundle was spotted on the PSN store, but the banner was taken down. For a brief moment, we had believed that some of the best PS2 classics were being revived on PS4. Sony has now confirmed that the bundle is real. In addition to Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, Jak 3, and Jak X Combat Racing will make their way to the PSN Store on December 6.
The PlayStation Blog does not reveal the price for this bundle, but it reveals a more exciting detail. To get everyone in the classic PS2 spirit, it will release a “Legacy Dashboard Theme.” The theme will sell for $2.99 on the PlayStation Store. It will bring back the sights, sounds, and feelings that made the 2000’s special.
In the blog post, SIEA associate producer, Bryan Pardilla reminisces about what had made Jak II a special release.
“Something amazing happened for the Jak and Daxter franchise,” Pardilla says.
“Jak was able to speak for the first time, enabling players to hear and experience Jak’s 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.”
It is strange to think about Naughty Dogs’ storytelling roots being in a lighthearted series, given the recent output, but they are the finest games around.
