Before Uncharted and The Last of Us, Naughty Dog was best known for a very different sort of game, exemplified by the Jak and Daxter franchise, and Crash Bandicoot before it. It's somewhat surprising that the studio behind a game as sober, brutal, and disturbing as The Last of Us 2 was once responsible for some of Sony's most family-friendly IP, and while something like Jak and Daxter might feel a bit outdated by today's standards, no one should rule out the possibility of it coming back.
This seems especially likely given Sony's stated intention to further develop more of its in-house IP. Franchises like God of War and Ratchet and Clank might paint Sony as a company that pays vigilant attention to its older properties, but the reality is a bit different: countless Sony properties, from Twisted Metal to Infamous, have been more or less left behind, much to the chagrin of their formidable fanbases. This provides a strong business incentive for the platform holder to revive such IP, as they could be immensely popular by virtue of brand recognition. If this were to happen for Jak and Daxter in particular, the results could be rather interesting indeed.
Modern Jak and Daxter Could Leverage Naughty Dog's Recent Narrative Stylings
Naughty Dog Is a Very Different Sort of Developer In 2025
The days of Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter are long gone, replaced by the realistic, snappy, and ambitious narrative-driven adventures of Nathan Drake and Joel Miller. Of course, this new direction hasn't been to everyone's liking—the apocalyptic response to The Last of Us Part 2 is evidence enough of that—but Naughty Dog's storytelling chops are still generally well regarded. There are a lot of elements that make the studio's narratives tick, but first and foremost, series like The Last of Us and Uncharted are character-driven, focusing on relationships and internal struggles more than grand, existential conflicts.
It would be disingenuous to say that the storytelling of Jak and Daxter is shallow or poorly done. On the contrary, the series can often be wickedly clever and compelling, especially considering that it's aimed at children. At the same time, such cleverness isn't a substitute for the emotional depth of Naughty Dog's more contemporary releases, and if the studio were to ever revisit Jak and Daxter, it would be interesting to see how it might integrate its old and new narrative approaches.
Naughty Dog's Mature Storytelling in a Future Jak and Daxter Release Could Be Game-Changing
No one should expect a Jak and Daxter version of The Last of Us, but an injection of more mature themes could be beneficial for the series' future. The evolution of so-called "mascot games" like Sonic and Crash Bandicoot has trended downward, and while franchises like Mario have retained their mass-market appeal over the years, most one-time faces of various gaming brands have aged into decidedly more niche properties. This is to say that the once-ubiquitous concept of a mascot game—something that can be marketed to families, with simple gameplay and memorable character designs—has mostly faded into obscurity.
Or has it only changed? One could certainly consider characters like Kratos and Aloy to be the contemporary mascots of Sony, though they are famous by virtue of their personal journeys and the depth of their stories more than their appearance. Maybe a modern Jak and Daxter could be something of an amalgamation of the old and new eras of mascot gaming, with a dash of Naughty Dog's hard-hitting, emotionally evocative storytelling for good measure. In this theoretical scenario, the next chapter of Jak and Daxter could be something special indeed.
- Released
- November 9, 2004
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Computer Entertainment
- Engine
- Kinetica
WHERE TO PLAY
Jak and his faithful companion Daxter are thrust in the middle of an unforgiving Wasteland where survival of the fittest takes on new meaning. With potent weapons, armor, and vehicles, Jak also discovers that there is an emerging power inside him - the ability to balance Dark Jak and Light Jak. Questions about the mysterious Precursors, the mythical Mar, the fate of the world and the enigmatic Jak himself will be answered, as this most exciting adventure unfolds.
- Franchise
- Jak and Daxter
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Action-Adventure
- How Long To Beat
- 12 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Premium
