The upcoming game Duskfade, aiming for release on PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, takes inspiration from classic PS2 games like Kingdom Hearts and Jak and Daxter. Duskfade had its first proper reveal earlier this year, with the game promising to be a love letter to classic 3D action-platformers.
Action-platformers are hard to come by nowadays, but they were all the rage during the sixth generation of consoles. The PlayStation 2 especially had plenty of critically-acclaimed 3D platformers, from the aforementioned Jak and Daxter series to the Sly Cooper games to Insomniac's Ratchet & Clank titles. With games like that so rare in this day and age, it's exciting whenever a similar game is announced. Genre fans hungry for a new experience should definitely keep an eye on Duskfade.
Ratchet & Clank: All The Games, Ranked
The Ratchet & Clank series has been around for two decades and seems to withstand the test of time. Naturally, some games are better than others.
Duskfade is Inspired by PS2 Classics
Duskfade is scheduled to launch in 2026 and wears its inspirations on its sleeve. As developer Weird Beluga explained in a recent video showing off gameplay, Duskfade has visuals that are inspired by Kingdom Hearts, but with gameplay that is more reminiscent of the Jak and Daxter games. The same video also said that Duskfade's main character, Zirian, was inspired by Treasure Planet's Jim Hawkins. Additionally, it's been made clear that Ratchet & Clank has served as inspiration for Duskfade as well. It all sounds very promising, and it will be exciting to see if the final product can live up to the games that inspired it. Duskfade will be playable at Gamescom this month, so attendees will have the chance to try it out ahead of its 2026 launch.
Duskfade's main character wields a large sword and moves like Sora with his keyblade. Players are tasked with completing platforming challenges like they would in Jak and Daxter, which even includes grinding on rails like in Ratchet & Clank. The game is set in a vibrant fantasy world that certainly captures the vibes of classic PS2 games. As a big fan of those kinds of games, I am very excited to try Duskfade for myself, especially since there aren't many new games made in this style.
In fact, the franchises that inspired Duskfade are largely dormant. There hasn't been a new Ratchet & Clank game in four years, and while Kingdom Hearts 4 is in development, its release window is nowhere in sight. Jak and Daxter has been MIA even longer, and at this point, it would be surprising if we ever get a new game in that series. Duskfade and other indie games will hopefully step up to fill the void.
- Developer(s)
- Weird Beluga
- Publisher(s)
- Fireshine Games
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
