Ratchet & Clank is a game franchise of primarily third-person shooter/platform video games developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, released mostly on the PlayStation brand of consoles, though individual titles have also been released on mobile devices and personal computers.
As of 2023, Ratchet & Clank includes ten main installments and numerous spin-offs - some developed by series creator Insomniac and others by companies such as High Impact Games. The series began with the eponymous first game in 2002, which saw three direct sequels: Going Commando (2003), Up Your Arsenal (2004) and Deadlocked (2005). 2007's Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction began a new story arc titled Ratchet & Clank Future, which saw three additional games in Quest for Booty (2008), A Crack in Time (2009) and Into the Nexus (2013). A reimagining of the first game was released in 2016, followed by a standalone sequel to the Future saga titled Rift Apart (2021).
Originally conceptualized for the PlayStation 2 console, Ratchet & Clank was the second property developed by Insomniac Games with Sony after Spyro the Dragon. The series combines the platform gameplay of its predecessor with third-person shooter elements, with the player having access to numerous weapons with comical and exotic properties. Much of the franchise follows the titular duo Ratchet and Clank as they embark on multiple adventures across the galaxy. Ratchet serves as the primary playable protagonist for most of the franchise, though Clank and other characters have gotten playable moments too. Rift Apart introduces Rivet, who serves as the game's second playable character.
Ratchet & Clank has received positive reception since its initial release. It attracted praise for its visuals, graphical advancements, art direction, humor, weapon design and gameplay, though over the years was also met with some criticism for notable gameplay innovations. Most of the mainline games were also met with commercial success, and the series was also nominated for numerous accolades. Ratchet and Clank became notable mascots for the PlayStation brand, with both appearing in other games as a result.
Games[]
Main titles[]
- Ratchet & Clank (2002)
- Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (2003)
- Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (2004)
- Ratchet: Deadlocked (2005)
- Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (2007)
- Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty (2008)
- Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (2009)
- Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus (2013)
- Ratchet & Clank (2016)
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (2021)
Spin-offs[]
- Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
- Secret Agent Clank
- Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
- Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault
Mobile titles[]
- Ratchet & Clank: Going Mobile
- Ratchet & Clank: Before the Nexus
Gameplay[]
Setting[]
Characters[]
Plot summary[]
Development[]
Other media[]
Film adaptation[]
An animated film adaptation was first announced in April 2013; it was originally slated to release in 2015 but was pushed back to April 2016. It is a loose retelling of the original 2002 game, featuring a broadly similar storyline but with numerous alterations.
Manga adaptation[]
A manga called Ratchet & Clank: Bang Bang Bang! Critical Danger of the Galaxy Legend was serialized in CoroCoro Comic between February 2004 and February 2008. It was illustrated by Shinbo Nomura.
Reception[]
- Ratchet & Clank - 88/100
- Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando - 90/100
- Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal - 91/100
- Ratchet: Deadlocked - 80/100
- Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction]] - 89/100
- Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty]] - 76/100
- Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time]] - 87/100
- Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus]] - 76/100
- Ratchet & Clank (2016) - 85/100
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - 88/100
The Ratchet & Clank series has largely enjoyed acclaim from gaming publications, with all of its main installments receiving positive reviews. As of 2023, Up Your Arsenal is the highest-rated title in the series according to review aggregator site Metacritic, with a score of 91/100; it also ties with Spyro: Year of the Dragon (2000) as Insomniac's highest-rated title on the site. Going Commando, the preceding title, was also met with critical acclaim, holding a score of 90/100 on the aggregator site; it ties with 2023's Spider-Man 2 as Insomniac's second-highest rated title on Metacritic. Most mainline titles enjoyed nearly similar level of acclaim, with the original 2002 game, Tools of Destruction, A Crack in Time, the 2016 reimagining and Rift Apart all scoring scores between 85/100 and 89/100. Deadlocked was met with positive but considerably lower review scores, owing to its increased focus on shooting elements and a darker tone than the first three games. Quest for Booty and Into the Nexus tie as the lowest-rated main installments, though still positively received, with major criticism at their short length in comparison to Tools of Destruction and A Crack in Time.
- Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters - 85/100
- Secret Agent Clank - 72/100
- Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One - 70/100
- Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault - 64/100
Reception to the spin-off games has been mostly mixed with exception to 2007's Size Matters, which received positive reviews and holds a score of 85/100 on Metacritic. Secret Agent Clank was met with a notably more mixed reception than its predecessor, with criticism for its inconsistent quality. Both All 4 One and Full Frontal Assault received generally mixed reviews, with both being the lowest-rated Ratchet & Clank titles developed by Insomniac.