An unexpected and strange PS2 gem is haunting PlayStation Plus next week

Lately, I’ve often bemoaned Sony’s lack of risk and creativity – and indeed the entire AAA industry, although to be entirely fair, they are getting Astro Bot in September, so hooray for that particular platforming renaissance.

It’s there too South of midnight will hit Xbox and PC in 2025, similarly channeling a time of gaming where weirder was often, well, better. Or at least compelling enough to warrant a green light from publishers who are significantly less gun-shy. I mean, in the 90’s, Sony Computer Entertainment released Artdink’s Tail of the Sun on PS1 in the States. Things have changed, sure.

Speaking of weird PlayStation titles, it was announced today that the 2004 PS2 action/horror adventure Ghost hunter coming to PlayStation Plus on June 18. This bizarre definitely not-Ghost busters The game was developed in-house by SCE Studio Cambridge (Original, MediEvil) and was released to fairly favorable reviews, although the experience was arguably derived from the 1980s pop culture phenomenon Dan Aykroyd.

Publishers have been remarkably bizarre at this: Electronic Arts in Japan (2004), Sony Computer Entertainment in Europe (2003) and, of all game companies, Namco in North America (2004). what happened there Pretty wild.

Here’s what IGN had to say 20 (!) years ago (Score: 8.4):

“Workable but straightforward action marred only by some annoying puzzles isn’t a bad thing. When you take that, combine it with likable characters, an interesting and funny plot, and some of the best visuals, you get something that’s great.

It is gorgeous and well made. But almost as often as it is thrilling and awe-inspiring, Ghosthunter is also mundane. This is an experience that PS2 gamers looking for something new shouldn’t just overlook, but it’s still not perfect.

Buy Ghosthunter and you’ll be satisfied, just not for the reasons you thought you would be.”

So next Tuesday, if you’re a PlayStation Plus Premium subscriber, you can download Ghost hunter and a glimpse into the distant past where such a crazy game was not only lit by Sony, but also developed by one of its own first-party studios. I have an old physical copy somewhere in my collection and I remember playing around with it on my PS2 Slim back in the day.

What’s extra fantastic is that we’re getting another solid addition to the Classics catalogue Ghost hunter June 18, and it’s 2006 Jak and Daxter spin-off, Daxter. This brings back a lot of fond early PSP memories and I hope it holds up well. And hey, maybe we can keep playing it two Analog sticks this time instead of fighting that pesky little analog stick!

Check out IGN’s original verdict (Score: 9.0) :

“Daxter is simply an excellent PSP game that brings back old games to the platform that the industry has increasingly shied away from. Sure, his story is a little ridiculous and even a little boring, but the events that lead to the story are fantastic. Daxter is a game that every PSP gamer should try, from the great level design to the extremely refined controls to the excellent production values.

Of course, with both of these revivals, you’ll get the usual classic upgrades like rewind capabilities, up-rendering, and (maybe) trophy support. The odds are high on that last bit because Daxter and Ghost hunter are Sony’s first-party software, and these games usually win modern trophies.

It’s great to see Sony showing some retro love to its founding consoles like the u Sly Cooper’s recent uploads, especially when it comes to lesser-known titles like Ghost hunter. It’s a tragedy that SCE Studio Cambridge closed its doors in 2017, but playing one of their hidden gems on PS4/PS5 feels like a fitting, if not woefully inadequate, posthumous tribute to all that good work.