Ratchet & Clank: The PS3 Era Is Over, PS4 Next!

Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction Demo Disc:

This demo is the one that turned me into a huge fan of the Ratchet & Clank series. A close friend of mine, Adam B., from America sent it to me. I can’t even count how many times I begged him to send it, but eventually, it worked out. The reason I was so desperate was that this demo was exclusive to America for months, and it was only available on disc.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on it before most people in Europe, and to top it off, I got one of the very few demos produced for the PS3 on Blu-Ray. I have no idea how many were made, but over the years, I’ve rarely seen any for sale.

That demo got me so excited for the full game that it ended up being my very first pre-order.

Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction:

This was my very first pre-order, and it’s probably the only one where I went for the standard version. I can’t even recall if there was a special edition or anything like that. If there was, I’d definitely be interested in picking it up now.

The game marked the first time I had a PS3 title that lasted more than 5-7 hours, which was a big deal for me at the time, and best of all, there were no dull moments throughout.

The graphics were a major leap from the already stunning PS2 and PSP versions of the series. I’ll always remember how Sony and Insomniac marketed it as a Disney/Pixar-quality production. The promotional materials worked, and back then, I genuinely believed it was of that caliber. Now, 8 years later, I’ll admit it’s aged a bit, but it still looks amazing in many areas and definitely holds up against Pixar films of the same era.

Tools of Destruction carried on the tradition of featuring the best weapons ever in a game—a hallmark of the series. Funny, quirky, amazing, strange, and downright silly at times, but they never broke the gameplay.

Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty:

After the success of Tools of Destruction, Insomniac faced a big challenge: the fans wanted more, and they wanted it immediately! Unfortunately, Insomniac made its second biggest mistake by deciding to create a scaled-back game, which they marketed as a “PSN title.” The idea was to provide a filler while fans waited for the next big entry, A Crack in Time. While this might have seemed like a good plan initially, it ended up doing more harm than good for both the series and the developer.

Nowadays, there’s no stigma attached to PSN titles, and they’ve evolved beyond the “downloadable games don’t need to be AAA” mindset. So, what went wrong here? Well, the game itself was actually fantastic, featuring some really great ideas and boasting the same high-quality graphics and production values we’ve come to expect from Insomniac. The issue, however, was that it could be completed in under three hours, with most players finishing it in around five hours, leaving them with the lingering question: “Was that it?”

The retail release also came as a surprise, and because it was a Ratchet & Clank title, most retailers priced it higher than it should have been. It didn’t take long before used copies flooded the market.

Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time:

Following the “disappointment” of Quest for Booty, A Crack in Time arrived and is, for many, considered the best game in the series. It improved on almost every aspect and managed to stay true to the heart of the franchise. The game introduced brilliant new weapons, and the time mechanics were executed flawlessly.

The graphics saw a noticeable upgrade, and while the framerate wasn’t flawless, it was still impressive considering the level of detail and the high resolution.

So far, this is the only game in the series to explore time travel as a core concept. While I understand why this hasn’t been revisited in later titles, I can’t help but wonder why it hasn’t been included as a bonus feature in subsequent games.

This title is undoubtedly one of the best in the series—if not the best. It offers a lengthy adventure that isn’t too difficult, but if you’re aiming for the trophies, you’ll need to put in some effort. A Crack in Time was the first Ratchet & Clank game to feature PSN trophies, though every game in the series (even the PS2 titles) has some form of achievement system.

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One:

This title marked the first departure from the main storyline of the Ratchet & Clank series (spin-off). Initially, it was released as the primary game with little indication that both the story and design would differ from the rest of the series. The game’s standout feature, which was heavily hyped, was the 4-player co-op mode.

Insomniac aimed to try something new with All 4 One by focusing on cooperative gameplay. The game featured proper online play, allowing players to team up in a variety of combinations—two players locally with two others online, three players locally with one online, or any other variation.

However, the game had its flaws. At times, it felt disorganized, and the absence of the typical Ratchet & Clank vibe was noticeable, largely due to the co-op mode. The boss fights also felt somewhat underwhelming compared to what the series had previously offered.

Despite its shortcomings, All 4 One is far from a bad game. The graphics and engine are top-notch, and it’s impressive how Insomniac managed to maintain the high standard of the previous games while introducing a four-player co-op mode.

Ratchet & Clank Trilogy:

It was inevitable, really—fans had been asking for it for years, and with the PS3 entering an “HD remakes” era, where all the best titles were being re-released, this compilation had to happen. This release includes three Ratchet & Clank games from the PS2 era, with Deadlocked being the only notable omission.

Three Ratchet & Clank games on a single disc, three Platinum trophies, and over 60 hours of gameplay if you’re aiming to complete them all. Each game has been updated for HD displays, with essential improvements like framerate being taken into account, though the upgrades are somewhat limited.

Sounds perfect, right? Well, not exactly. After a while, I found myself burned out by playing all three games back-to-back. Three lengthy games on a single disc was a bit too much, similar to how I felt with the Prince of Persia HD trilogy. That said, my son and I have recently revisited the Ratchet & Clank trilogy and have decided to finally complete them.

One notable absence is Ratchet & Clank: Deadlocked (also known as Gladiator). I’m not sure why it was left out, but it was the fourth game in the series.

Ratchet & Clank: Q-force:

This is another spin-off, and it takes a strange and rather unnecessary approach by turning into a tower defense-style game. The title was surrounded by controversy, but believe it or not, the controversy wasn’t even about the lackluster gameplay.

The game was initially advertised as a cross-buy title (yay!), with all marketing featuring the cross-buy logo. Upon release, the trophy list was shared between the PS3 and Vita versions. The PS3 disc offered a cross-buy feature, but you had to jump through some hoops to activate it. The problem, however, was that the Vita version never actually materialized.

Insomniac remained silent about the issue for a while, only stating that the Vita version was still in development. Months went by, and then the bombshell dropped: the Vita version had been canceled due to technical problems.

This led to a massive uproar on the forums and a flood of negative press, which hit Insomniac hard. Not long after, another announcement came out saying the game was back in development for the Vita, but this time a new team had taken over, and the release would be soon.

Months passed again, and when the Vita version finally came out, there was little fanfare, almost as if Insomniac didn’t want to draw attention to it. Naturally, I downloaded the Vita version right away, having put the PS3 version on hold in anticipation of a portable experience. It took me just 10 minutes to realize why Insomniac had kept quiet—the Vita version was dreadful: slow, poorly designed, and just as bad as the game itself.

Ratchet & Clank: Deadlocked/Gladiator:

No, you’re not dreaming—this fourth game in the series on PS2 was given a shiny HD remake for the PS3. However, for some inexplicable reason, it was never released on disc, and I’m not sure if it was ever made available for direct purchase online either.

The game was initially offered to those who pre-ordered Qforce or participated in some other promotion, with a code sent via email upon registration. It’s possible it was eventually made available on PSN for everyone, but I honestly haven’t checked.

I had a lot of fun with this game on PS2, but never really gave the PS3 version a proper chance, as it was released during a time when I was juggling too many other titles. However, I do plan to give it a go before the reboot drops next year.

The standout feature of this game is its fantastic online mode. One of the earlier games on PS2 also had online capabilities, and it was a huge hit, so it’s safe to say this version was just as good, if not better.

What I can’t wrap my head around is why this game was left out of the trilogy collection (it could’ve been the first-ever quadruple pack on PS3!). I’m also puzzled as to why its release was so quiet, and most of all, why it wasn’t released on Blu-Ray. These are questions I’d love to have answers to.

Ratchet & Clank: Nexus:

This is the first main entry in the series since A Crack In Time that isn’t a spin-off. Released two years ago, it surprisingly received little hype, and even more puzzling is the fact that it wasn’t released on the PS4 as well.

From the very first moment, Nexus felt like a full-fledged AAA title, and it quickly became clear that this was no rush job.

The graphics were as impressive as ever, and everything about the game felt fresh and well-crafted. It wasn’t just a rehash or a recycling of ideas. Some of the boss fights even brought back that classic Ratchet & Clank magic. As always, the weapons were inventive and a blast to experiment with.

With Nexus, the Ratchet & Clank series is back on track. It took a few years to return, but while the spin-offs and the trilogy weren’t bad enough to ruin the franchise, they did lose a few fans along the way.

Size Matters & Secret Agent Clank + Mobile:

This brings me to the games I don’t have on disc. I never picked up Size Matters or Secret Agent Clank for the PS2 because I was deep into the PSP scene at the time,

so I ended up buying them online. Both games were decent, but the PSP’s single analog stick made things a bit tricky, especially during boss fights.

There were also two more games released exclusively for mobile/phone platforms, and they were both disappointments. Ratchet & Clank: Gone Mobile and Ratchet & Clank: Gone Home—two perfectly named titles (in good Ratchet & Clank tradition) with a connected story. As soon as the first game was out, I got a compatible phone, but it didn’t take long before I regretted that decision.

To wrap up this post, let’s talk about the upcoming movie and the new Ratchet & Clank game. The game ties in with the movie, which is a reimagining of the first game. It’s not a direct remake though, as it introduces many new locations and features. So, don’t worry—it’s not just another HD remake.

While Insomniac doesn’t want to label it a reboot, after watching some videos, I can confirm that some locations are familiar, albeit with updated graphics. But there’s plenty of new and exciting content as well. Only time will tell how much of a fresh experience this game truly offers.

The in-game footage from the E3 announcement trailer looks amazing.

A great comparison video between the PS2 and PS4, showcasing some of the locations that have been remade for the reboot.

One of the most stunning levels we’ve seen so far—it looks incredible, in my opinion.

That’s all for now. Thanks for your time, and stay tuned for more articles coming soon. My vacation is almost over, but I’ll be back soon with some big surprises.

All images of the game boxes are from my collection, except for the “fake” Deadlocked/Gladiator box, which is from the Internet.