Insomniac Games was in a weird spot in 2002. They’d just finished the Spyro the Dragon trilogy on the original PlayStation and needed something new, something grittier but still fun. What they landed on was a furry creature with a wrench and a tiny robot that looked like a toaster. It shouldn't have worked. But here we are, over twenty years later, and the Ratchet and Clank series is basically the last "mascot platformer" standing from that era that still feels relevant.
Most people think these games are just for kids. They aren't. Not really. If you go back and play the original 2002 release, the satire is biting. It's a cynical, loud, and incredibly funny critique of late-stage capitalism and consumer culture. Ratchet wasn't a hero at first; he was a bored mechanic who wanted to get off a backwater planet. Clank was a defect. Together, they stumbled into saving the galaxy. It’s that DNA—that mixture of Pixar-level visuals and a slightly mean-spirited sense of humor—that kept the franchise alive while its peers like Jak and Daxter or Sly Cooper went dark.
The Secret Sauce of the Ratchet and Clank series
What actually makes these games "Ratchet games"? It’s the guns. Always the guns. While other platformers were giving characters spin attacks or double jumps, Insomniac decided to give us a Morph-o-Ray that turns enemies into chickens. Or a Groovitron that forces villains to dance to disco music while you pelt them with rockets.
The progression loop is addictive. You kill enemies, you get bolts, you buy bigger guns. The guns level up as you use them. It’s a simple dopamine hit that hasn't changed much in twenty years because it doesn't need to. You start with a basic blaster and end with the R.Y.N.O. (Rip Ya a New One), a weapon so powerful it literally plays Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture while vaporizing everything on the screen.
It’s about the "feel." Most developers struggle with the weight of third-person shooting. Insomniac nailed it early on. By the time Going Mobile and Up Your Arsenal hit the PS2, the controls were as tight as any dedicated shooter on the market. They added strafing. They added lock-on mods. They turned a platforming game into a chaotic, explosive ballet.
It’s Not Just One Big Story
When you talk about the Ratchet and Clank series, you have to acknowledge the messy timeline. It’s not one continuous narrative without breaks.
First, you have the "Original Trilogy" on PS2. These are the foundations. They are rough around the edges, sometimes frustratingly difficult, but they have the most soul. Ratchet is a bit of a jerk in the first game, which makes his character arc actually mean something.
Then came the "Future Saga" on the PS3. This is where things got cinematic. Tools of Destruction and A Crack in Time introduced a level of emotional depth we hadn't seen yet. We learned about the Lombaxes. We learned why Clank was created. A Crack in Time, specifically, is often cited by fans as the peak of the series. The time-manipulation puzzles and the radio stations you could listen to while flying your ship between moons made the universe feel lived-in. It wasn't just levels anymore; it was a galaxy.
The Weird Middle Years
There was a period where Insomniac experimented. We got All 4 One, a four-player co-op game that felt a bit "off" for solo players. Then Full Frontal Assault, which tried to be a tower defense game. Some fans hated these. Honestly? They weren't terrible, but they lacked that core "Ratchet" feeling of lone-wolf exploration and weapon grinding. They felt like side projects, which they mostly were.
Then we had the 2016 "re-imagining." Tied to a movie that... well, let’s just say the movie didn't do great. The game, however, looked incredible. It was basically a playable CGI film. But it lost some of the edge. The characters were nicer, the world was brighter, and some of the original's bite was sanded down for a younger audience. It was a massive commercial success, but it left long-time fans wondering if the series had lost its teeth.
Rift Apart and the Power of SSDs
Then came the PlayStation 5. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart wasn't just another sequel; it was a tech demo for what modern consoles could do. The whole gimmick—jumping through portals into entirely different worlds instantly—was only possible because of the custom SSD in the PS5.
It also introduced Rivet. Introducing a new protagonist this late in a franchise is usually a death sentence. Fans are protective. But Rivet worked. She felt like a natural extension of the lore, and her chemistry with Clank (and eventually Ratchet) gave the series a fresh perspective.
The visuals in Rift Apart are genuinely staggering. When you see the individual hairs on Ratchet’s ears blowing in the wind or the ray-traced reflections on Clank’s metallic body, it’s hard to remember this series started as a bunch of blurry polygons. It’s one of the few games that truly justifies owning a high-end 4K display.
Why Does This Series Still Matter?
In a world where every big-budget game is a 100-hour open-world RPG or a live-service extraction shooter, the Ratchet and Clank series feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s focused. You go to a planet, you blow stuff up, you find some hidden collectibles, and you move on.
It’s the "comfort food" of gaming.
There’s also the humor. Even when it’s toned down, the series maintains a sense of the absurd. Captain Qwark is one of the best "lovable idiot" characters in fiction. His constant failures, his ego, and his eventual (and often accidental) heroics provide a backbone of comedy that keeps the stakes from feeling too heavy.
Misconceptions to Clear Up
Some people think you need to play every single game to understand what's happening. You don't. While there is a deep lore for those who want it, Insomniac is very good at making each major entry a jumping-off point. If you start with Rift Apart, you'll miss some references, sure, but you won't be lost.
Another myth? That the games are "easy." Try playing the original PS2 games without using cheats or looking up guides. Some of those boss fights and platforming sections are brutal. Even the newer ones have "Challenge Mode" (New Game Plus) which cranks the difficulty and lets you upgrade your weapons even further. It's as hard as you want it to be.
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How to Experience the Series Today
If you're looking to dive in, you have a few paths.
- The Modern Path: Buy a PS5 and play Rift Apart. It’s the most polished experience and requires zero homework.
- The Nostalgia Path: If you have PlayStation Plus Premium, you can stream many of the older titles. It's not perfect—streaming lag can be a pain in a precision platformer—but it's the easiest way to see the history.
- The Purist Path: Track down a physical PS3 and the Ratchet & Clank Collection. This gives you the original three games in high definition with 60fps gameplay. It is arguably the best way to experience the "soul" of the franchise.
The Ratchet and Clank series isn't just about blowing things up. It’s about a weird friendship between two outcasts that somehow saved the universe a dozen times over. It’s about the joy of a weapon that shouldn't exist. It’s about looking at a beautiful, alien world and then accidentally falling off a ledge because you were distracted by a shiny bolt.
Actionable Steps for New and Returning Players
If you want to get the most out of these games, don't just rush to the end credits. The magic is in the margins.
- Seek out the Gold Bolts. These aren't just for trophies; they often unlock "Cheats" like big-head mode, different skins, or even developer galleries that show you how the games were made.
- Focus on Weapon Variety. It’s easy to find one gun you like and stick with it. Don't. Use the weird stuff. Use the Mr. Zurkon droid that insults your enemies while shooting them. Use the Topiary Sprinkler that turns bosses into garden hedges. The game is more fun when you play it like a chaotic scientist.
- Check out the "Insomniac Museum." In many of the games, there is a hidden area called the Insomniac Museum. It contains cut content, prototypes, and stories from the developers. It’s one of the coolest "Easter eggs" in gaming history and shows the sheer amount of work that goes into these titles.
The franchise has survived four console generations for a reason. It doesn't try to be anything other than a blast to play. Whether you're a kid playing your first platformer or a thirty-something looking for that PS2-era magic, the galaxy is always worth saving one more time.