Support NeoGAF

[VertPin]

Wow. There are a ton of games in this series, and there isn't really an awful one either (unless we are talking about the mediocre spin-off's). The PS2 trilogy is excellent, with Up Your Arsenal being my favorite (also the first one that I played) however I do acknowledge that Going Commando has more to do. Then, there is the PS3 Future series, with Tools of Destruction having a large majority of things to do, a Crack in Time which is awesome but very short. There is also the side games, Quest For Booty and Into the Nexus which are short but very fun. Also, the PS4 "reboot" was excellent too!

All of those games don't appear to have any flaws, and share a wonderful cast of characters and very fun weapons to use. So...how is this series not as appreciated? To me, it feels as if it could be one of Sony's crown jeweled IP's.

I do hope that if another one is made, it's a longer entry as the last few games we got have been considerably short. Give us several planets, missions, an arena, tons of good (and new weapons -including new melee ones), secrets, non-linear gameplay, races, etc.

For anyone that hasn't touched the series, give them a try! The PS2 entries still hold up really well too, except for first game.

Spoiler

Why do people typically rank CiT > ToD?

 

[Rush_Khan]

One thing is for sure, the subtitles are all gems.

I think the fact the series is still going strong is a testament to the quality of the games.

 

[Gitaroo]

SNK should get insomniacs to make a 3D metal slug... and capcom should too for megaman legend.

 

[Calfirma]

There is also the side games, Quest For Booty

That game was awful and I disown it from the series, to me it never existed.

I think the reason they stopped making them was because the ps3 ones were less well-received and then they made those weird spon-off games because (and I both assume and agree) that writing another game into that plot would be bad idea. Those games were absolutely trash and idk why they made them like it was, although that strategy one I do kinda like. EDIT: Size Matters was also kinda good too, felt more like a real Ratchet and Clank game. I suppose after that they lost hope and resigned themselves to short, cheap games and remakes.

I do agree with you though, ps2 ones were best and most will agree. I also love 3's mp and stuff and its my personal favourite 1 and Deadlocked are the next ones then 2. ToD is worse than CiT Imo simply because I liked the lombax angle much more but generally I hate the ps3 ones because they tried too hard with comedy and.....corny? Good characters but horrible script.

My personal ranking is:
3, dreadlocked, 1, 2, CiT, Nexus, ToD from best to worst.
I exclude remake and Booty Quest but remake was better.

 

[DriftingSpirit]

One of my favorite franchises.

 

[Bandit1]

Love, love, love the series. Ratchet & Clank and Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando are what really got me into gaming. The Future series and Into the Nexus were some of the highlights of the PS3 era for me as well. The reboot was great and it made me all nostalgic seeing some of the original locations brought back in full PS4 glory. Definitely hope we get more entries whether they continue with the reboot or pick up where Into the Nexus left off.

 

[NotLiquid]

First two games were all-time classics. Third game was great but it's aged worse than it's predecessors and is way less refined.

ToD and ACiT were great platformers though they kinda lost a little bit of the expansiveness in favor for narratives that were, for the most of the part, pretty good. Despite being too absorbed in a lot of the "both Ratchet & Clank were individually destined for great things" angle that took away from the down-to-earth charm of the initial trilogy, it was still a nice culmination to their character arcs. And it's still a gorgeous game; imo the best Ratchet as far as consolidating visuals with game play/performance goes.

All 4 One and FFA were utterly forgettable. Never played Into The Nexus because it struck me as more of a low-budget title that was kind of unnecessary in terms of narrative.

The PS4 remake is a good game on it's own yet also one that took everything I loved about the original and threw it out the window. It's visually fantastic but in just about most ways I consider it inferior, and I imagine in time I'll be lamenting the fact that it isn't running at 60 fps.

 

[pretty done]

Only played the PS4 game and I can't say I really get the appeal. Is it the wacky weapons?

I went in thinking it would be a platformer with shooting but I got a third person shooter with some cool guns. There really didn't see to be much platforming at all. It wasn't a bad game but it just felt so unremarkable aside from the insane visuals.

 

[Mr. Sam]

I liked the latest one but I thought it was weirdly difficult.

A Crack in Time is still the pinnacle for me.

 

[Shambalakan]

This thread reminded me how much I love to see a new R&C. The remake was so good!

 

[Shift Breaker]

The remake/film game was the first in the series I played and it was one of my games of the year last year, if not the top. Ridiculous amounts of fun, I played it enough to get the platinum and then proceeded to get platinum trophies for the ports of the PS2 games on the PS4 while I was at it. Was burnt out after that, but I'll definitely get back to finishing the series after that. I've heard particularly good things about A Crack in Time.

Bring on a sequel, too.

 

[MiamiWesker]

Amazing series and I feel ACIT was the culmination of everything they worked on for the ultimate Ratchet game.

 

[Tizoc]

It'll be interesting to see the PS3 games run on the emulator once it gets far ahead.

 

[Calfirma]

All 4 One and FFA were utterly forgettable. Never played Into The Nexus because it struck me as more of a low-budget title that was kind of unnecessary in terms of narrative.

Nexus was actually not that bad, you're right though, cheap and short but the gameplay was solid and plot was okay.

Spoiler

it mostly revolved around using the brain dimension thingy to bring people's races back to the universe but Ratchet refusing the temptation AGAIN.

 

[Christian]

Tools of Destruction never got a trophy patch, therefore it is inferior.

 

[Creaking]

First two games were all-time classics. Third game was great but it's aged worse than it's predecessors and is way less refined.

ToD and ACiT were great platformers though they kinda lost a little bit of the expansiveness in favor for narratives that were, for the most of the part, pretty good. Despite being too absorbed in a lot of the "both Ratchet & Clank were individually destined for great things" angle that took away from the down-to-earth charm of the initial trilogy, it was still a nice culmination to their character arcs. And it's still a gorgeous game; imo the best Ratchet as far as consolidating visuals with game play/performance goes.

All 4 One and FFA were utterly forgettable. Never played Into The Nexus because it struck me as more of a low-budget title that was kind of unnecessary in terms of narrative.

The PS4 remake is a good game on it's own yet also one that took everything I loved about the original and threw it out the window. It's visually fantastic but in just about most ways I consider it inferior, and I imagine in time I'll be lamenting the fact that it isn't running at 60 fps.

No thoughts on Deadlocked?

 

[ItIsOkBro]

I played the PS4 reboot recently, unsure of what to expect. And I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was quite formulaic.

I don't think formulaic as a bad thing. These games have a tried and true formula that is always a blast. Wacky weapons that upgrade the more you use them, a variety of diverse enemies, cool boss fights, and lots of bolts.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

A Crack in Time is one of the best games ever.

 

[McMoneyman]

I like the series. But I wish Insomniac would stop the wannabe-Pixar vibe with the newer installments.

 

[NotLiquid]

No thoughts on Deadlocked?

Another one I never got to play, although I've always been curious if the combat centricism was pulled off to better effect in that game as opposed to Up Your Arsenal, where it felt like the combat abundance weighed down the pretense that it was still a platformer at heart.

 

[semiconscious]

All of those games don't appear to have any flaws, and share a wonderful cast of characters and very fun weapons to use. So...how is this series not as appreciated? To me, it feels as if it could be one of Sony's crown jeweled IP's...

not as appreciated as what? ...

i've been a fan of the series since it began. it made through 2 generations, received remasters, & then we got a gorgeous remake of the original game in this one. i think it's been pretty deeply appreciated...

 

[FelipeMGM]

yes, and we need another one before the gen ends

 

[VertPin]

I’m actually playing Into the Nexus right now for the first time. It’s the shortest by far (like five hours) but it’s still pretty good!

 

[added_time]

Ratchet & Clank is one of my all time favourite game series. I think it's very underrated for the quality but they may have diluted the brand a bit with some questionable spinoffs.

When considering buying a Playstation console, I generally just look how many Ratchet & Clank games there are lol

 

[HYDE]

That game was awful and I disown it from the series, to me it never existed.

I think the reason they stopped making them was because the ps3 ones were less well-received and then they made those weird spon-off games because (and I both assume and agree) that writing another game into that plot would be bad idea. Those games were absolutely trash and idk why they made them like it was, although that strategy one I do kinda like. EDIT: Size Matters was also kinda good too, felt more like a real Ratchet and Clank game. I suppose after that they lost hope and resigned themselves to short, cheap games and remakes.

I do agree with you though, ps2 ones were best and most will agree. I also love 3's mp and stuff and its my personal favourite 1 and Deadlocked are the next ones then 2. ToD is worse than CiT Imo simply because I liked the lombax angle much more but generally I hate the ps3 ones because they tried too hard with comedy and.....corny? Good characters but horrible script.

My personal ranking is:
3, dreadlocked, 1, 2, CiT, Nexus, ToD from best to worst.
I exclude remake and Booty Quest but remake was better.

Quest For Booty kicks ass...just more exploration.

 

[Waddle Dee]

I really liked the PS2 titles but in later games the writing became terrible. All of a sudden all the jokes were being made for children. I don't understand why but a lot of people, including many people in Insomniac games, act as if the Ratchet & Clank franchise has always been this fun-for-the-whole-family franchise when all the PS2 games were Rated T and had a lot of innuendos, satirical jabs at various lifestyles, and commentary on current trends and practices. It wasn't just a kids-only franchise with fart jokes and humor that feels like something you'd see on a bad cartoon.

 

[Creaking]

Another one I never got to play, although I've always been curious if the combat centricism was pulled off to better effect in that game as opposed to Up Your Arsenal, where it felt like the combat abundance weighed down the pretense that it was still a platformer at heart.

I remember liking it because you could play the whole thing in co-op (fully featured, rather than the pared-down gunk they offered with All 4 One). There was also a very novel first person perspective option.

 

[Waddle Dee]

I like the series. But I wish Insomniac would stop the wannabe-Pixar vibe with the newer installments.

This. Especially since it the games feel less like Pixar movies and more like Dreamworks shit. Like Sharktale tier.

I liked the latest one but I thought it was weirdly difficult.

A Crack in Time is still the pinnacle for me.

You thought the reboot was tough? It's miles easier than the original (the PS2 games had a bit of a problem with "checkpoint starvation").

 

[Wozman23]

It's my favorite franchise of all time. The games are just so fun, and offer a lot of replayability through challenge mode and maxing out every weapon.

As for why they aren't one of Sony's flagship series: cartoony platformers don't sell like they did two generations ago, and increasing budgets make it harder for the games to be profitable. Plus, for a while we were getting a game every year, or every other year. Despite their quality, I was getting a bit burnt out, and I'm sure the dev team was as well. That fatigue negatively impacted my opinion of A Crack in Time, but for that same reason I loved the panned All 4 One because it was so different.

There were some dark years in there, from All 4 One, to Full Frontal Assault, to Into the Nexus, where I wondered if the franchise was going away, but with the success of the PS4 entry, I'm convinced we'll see another full length, completely new game in the not too distant future.

And I couldn't be more ready for it!

 

[Espada]

I definitely agree that the series has done a really good job or retaining a certain level of quality of the years, while at the same remaining true to itself in terms of presentation, humor, etc...

I just wish 3D platformers were more popular these days, so we could get another full length full price R&C game.

 

[VertPin]

Did I make a mistake guys? I just ordered All 4 One and am playing it with some friends in Sunday. I’ve never played it before, and neither have my friends, and we like the characters and games lol.

 

[rawd]

I had fun with Full Frontal. It was a neat spin on things.

 

[Huge Succeeded]

Only played the PS4 game and I can't say I really get the appeal. Is it the wacky weapons?

It's wacky weapons, charming characters, and fun stories filled with dumb jokes.

R&C on PS4 has wacky weapons, but it's also got the lamest versions of the titular characters, the weakest plot delivery in the series, and of course, Captain Qwark narrates, which just gets old fast

 

[8byte]

Haters be damned, Full Frontal Assault was phenomenal online. It was such a joy, and a really interesting twist on MOBAs and traditional 3rd person combat.

 

[WanPisu]

Having overlooked the franchise during the PS2 and PS3 gens, I binged all the mainline games 1-2 years ago before I got my PS4.
They're so much fun.

 

[Creaking]

Did I make a mistake guys? I just ordered All 4 One and am playing it with some friends in Sunday. I've never played it before, and neither have my friends, and we like the characters and games lol.

You could have a good time if you take the game for what it is, which is a pared-down R&C experience. I didn't like it because I was hoping it'd be like Deadlocked, but I remember my brother and friends finding it on my system once and having a fair bit of fun.

 

[Sword Of Doom]

Mainline games are all great. It’s a shame they’re no longer 60fps. It impacts the gameplay

 

[Vertti]

It's a good series but most of the games feel too similar.

For example I loved 2 and 3 as a kid. I skipped the PS3 games because I wasn't that much in to gaming at the time.

Played the Ratchet & Clank (2016) last year and really liked it. Jjust looked so good, played better than the PS2 originals and had some really cool weaponry.

Then I finally played the PS3 games and just felt bored with them. Nothing wrong in them really, solid games I must say. But they just feel too similar to other games in the series. And I was shocked how many of the weapons of PS4 Ratchet & Clank had been introduced in older games. I think if I had played the PS3 games before the new one it would have felt much more stale. Now I enjoyed it a lot because it felt fresh.

 

[TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared]

It's criminal how the future trilogy hasn't been remastered for PS4.

 

[kc44135]

Well, I've only really played the PS4 remake/reboot or whatever it's supposed to be to the series, but I really loved it. I'd like to play the other games, but not at 480p/720p...

It's criminal how the future trilogy hasn't been remastered for PS4.

.

Yeah, not only are none of the PS3 Ratchet games available on PS4, but none of the PS2 games are even available as PS2 Classics either. It's frustrating to be a PS4 owner sometimes, with Sony's complete disregard for their legacy content... :/

 

[boingball]

Definitely my favorite Sony franchise. A shame that it doesn't sell better and we see new games only every couple of years now (and you could make an argument that R&C PS4 remaster is not a new game, which story-wise is true but gameplay wise definitely not).

 

[McMoneyman]

I really liked the PS2 titles but in later games the writing became terrible. All of a sudden all the jokes were being made for children. I don't understand why but a lot of people, including many people in Insomniac games, act as if the Ratchet & Clank franchise has always been this fun-for-the-whole-family franchise when all the PS2 games were Rated T and had a lot of innuendos, satirical jabs at various lifestyles, and commentary on current trends and practices. It wasn't just a kids-only franchise with fart jokes and humor that feels like something you'd see on a bad cartoon.

Spot on.

 

[Blam]

The PS2 games were the end of the franchise for me, past that I couldn't stand playing them. Something about all of the games PS3/PS4 were off and I couldn't ever put my finger on it.

Nothing felt fun, and seemed forced imo. Sure it looks nice but that's as far as it went.

 

[Brandon F]

The PS4 remake is a good game on it's own yet also one that took everything I loved about the original and threw it out the window. It's visually fantastic but in just about most ways I consider it inferior, and I imagine in time I'll be lamenting the fact that it isn't running at 60 fps.

This. Arguably the PS4 reboot is the worst entry in the core franchise, but it looked phenomenal and controlled well. The content itself from the characterization and narrative to even some of the level re-imagining and progression felt like a giant leap backward over even the 2002 original.

 

[Randam]

A really great series imo.
ToD was my first one.
Our internet was out for over a week back then. I didn't care.

 

[sloppyjoe_gamer]

One of my favorite all time series. Overdue for a new one!!!

 

[Blam]

Probably the best game imo in the R&C Series was Deadlocked hands down.

 

[black070]

The reboot is one of PS4's best yet least talked about exclusives.

 

[Rynocirator]

I agree

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

I didn’t get into the series until PS3,with Tool of Destruction and I’ve loved them all since (except All 4 One).

ToD is my favourite actually but I really do love them all. Even the shorter ones.