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How do you feel about the Ratchet and Clank franchise?

jayj

Banned
For me it was always appealing but not something I ever really loved. I enjoyed the characters and the cartoony presentation, and as a big fan of the original Spyro trilogy it was the next big thing by Insomniac for a while, but looking back, it feels like one of those overdone franchises where nothing really stands out to me anymore. I mean they made what, over 15 different games in the franchise? I don't know, maybe some people always kept with it and can give me a breakdown on the best entries and how it developed, but it's a bit overwhelming for me to look at all the games I didn't play in the franchise, and the latest ones have never really been the type of thing that caught my attention.
 

jayj

Banned
Great and I enjoyed them up until the early PS3 games (Tools, Quest For Booty).

Been shit since the PS4 reboot.
Yeah I remember losing interest during the PS3 era, they were among the highlight platformers for me during the PS2 era. Seems like the PS4 reboot was very divisive.
 

Punished Miku

Gold Member
I've actually never played one.

I was big into Nintendo and really looked down on all other 3D mascot series after playing Mario 64 first - like Crash, Sly, Ratchet, Jax, Croc, Spyro. Just seemed incredibly inferior. But I think I was biased because I tried some imitators on PS1 that were truly, truly terrible. I think by PS2 they were probably making decently solid games. They still didn't really appeal to me, but they seemed better.
 

Daneel Elijah

Gold Member
Great and I enjoyed them up until the early PS3 games (Tools, Quest For Booty). James Arnold Taylor is awesome.

Been shit since the PS4 reboot.
This, but I did not hate the PS4 reboot. Ratchet have some of my best childhood games moments. And the fact that you could replay it in new game plus with better weapons made the games really fun and engaging for a long time. I was really sad when the last one was such a letdown. It could have been so much better, and the fact that Clank is so underutilised is really a crime. I hope that the next one, probably for PS6 is a full game.
 

Zuzu

Member
I don't feel excited about the franchise going forward. The combat gameplay in Rift Apart is fantastic but the story and characters have become very plain and dull. The actual platforming in the game is simple and just kind of exists. It's neither bad nor particularly interesting.

I don't think Insomniac are interested in Ratchet as a character anymore and they want to go all in on Rivet. If that's the case then I hope they just make a new game called Rivet and remove Ratchet all together. Don't have him in the next game and pretend as if you still care about the character while removing all interesting things about his personality and making him a side character.

I kind of think the franchise as it currently is is kind of done. They need to massively evolve the game. Combat is great, but lots of games have fun combat these days. If Insomniac churn out another 12-15 hour adventure in the next game with essentially same combat, linear levels with simple puzzles and platforming and boring characters I don't think it's gonna sell well.
 

lh032

I cry about Xbox and hate PlayStation.
one of my favorite franchise, i always love to max every weapon , i just want an open world RnC game
 

SmokedMeat

Gamer™
I think they’re very fun games, that always push the hardware. But they also haven’t evolved so it’s pretty much the same thing as always.
 

Skifi28

Member
I just want a remastered collection with all the ps2 and especially ps3 games.

3bUqmlY.gif
 

Mr Hyde

Member
Ratchet and Clank is fun and has a lot of charm to them, especially the last two ones have been quite solid efforts from Insomniac. Rift Apart is probably their best work (and prettiest). But in all honesty, I'd much rather have Sly and his friends come back instead of Ratchet and Clank. Sly Cooper was much more fun, had better writing and platforming, funnier supporting characters and nice visuals. I hope the franchise makes a comeback one day.
 
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Silver Wattle

Gold Member
Futurama Whatever GIF

I've never really cared much for the series, I had minor interest in the latest game due to some impressive graphics but gameplay/story is bland.
 

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
I think they’re very fun games, that always push the hardware. But they also haven’t evolved so it’s pretty much the same thing as always.
I'd argue it has devolved. I'm going through the first three games in the HD Collection and the original game blows Rift Apart out of the water in level design.

Sure, Rift Apart is much larger but also more simplistic and flatter. You don't do much exploration anymore because everything is in plain view. With the original one, I was looking at my missing Gold Bolts and wondering how the hell did I only have 1/4 in Gorda City when I had explored the entire map twice. Turns out, I hadn't and there were some very well-hidden spots.

Moreover, the Metroidvania-lite style is completely gone. No more letting the player wander off only for them to hit a wall and realize they need another piece of equipment that they're not even told where it is. No more trying to figure out where X or Y gadget is located in order for you to progress. It's all hand-holdy and you basically can't get stuck in Rift Apart and there are no optional gadgets hidden in way out-of-the-way places.

Even the combat has taken a hit. It's now just a mindless shooter where you aim your gun and jump strafe and blow everything up. You don't really need to consider what weapon you're using. They mostly are the same except for different graphics when you shoot them. In the first game, even for how janky it is, you needed to be situationally aware and use the right weapon for the right job. You couldn't just charge a tank or a group of enemies with your Blaster or you'd get murked.

The platforming is also effectively non-existent.

After going through the first one, Rift Apart feels like a children's game. Nice QOL changes though and you can feel that the OG is dated in many respects but I think it's a better game than Rift Apart overall. If only they could modernize the UI, weapon wheel, and controls, it wouldn't even be a debate. Instead, we got the abomination that was 2016 because Sony were jerking around Insomniac too much and only gave them 10 months to make the game. It's miraculous that it came out as good as it did.
 
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Three

Member
I actually love them but have never spent £60 on one even though I've pretty much played them all. I guess I enjoy them but not enough to ever go day one on it. I'm not sure why because they're high quality games.
 

kyussman

Member
I enjoyed the PS2 and PS3 ones,the remake was just meh and I've kinda lost interest now.I've kinda lost interest in Insomiac as a dev tbh,they aren't making games I want to play anymore.Shame.
 

Chuck Berry

Gold Member
Loved the early ones when Ratchet was more of a prick to Clank. It was more interesting chemistry.

Crack in Time was the pinnacle for me. That game still rocks. Would love a remaster, but fuck Insomniac.
 

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
Loved the early ones when Ratchet was more of a prick to Clank. It was more interesting chemistry.

Crack in Time was the pinnacle for me. That game still rocks. Would love a remaster, but fuck Insomniac.
And he wasn't outright mean until Clank naively almost got both of them killed. At that point, Ratchet was rightfully pissed and resentful.
 

TidusYuna

Member
They are great. I have every game in the franchise, even the spinoffs. Glad to see Insomniac is still making Ratchet and Clank games despite making Marvel games.

Love all the weapons and gadgets in Ratchet and Clank and upgrading them. Its the reason I think an Iron Man game would be perfect for Insomniac, so long as they don't abandon Ratchet and Clank.
 

Bond007

Member
Love it- not in love with the first few up until we got to about PS3 with Tools of Destruction and become a day one franchise for me. Probably cause they removed the platforming, which is a win for me personally, in the traditional sense anyway.
Id agree the game has devolved some and become more accessible over the years.
 

Fbh

Member
The wacky weapons are always fun to use and I like the mix of combat and platforming. The presentation is usually always a highlight too, Rift Apart is still one of the best looking Ps5 games IMO but even back during the Ps3 era I remember being really impressed by the visuals of a Crack in Time.

That said I've never been that much into the story and writing and somehow the last few games have gotten even worse in that regard. It's like they try to be funny but they come across as a C tier animated movie. Also after more than 20 years the formula feels a bit stagnant, aside from the cool graphics and the interdimensional gimmick, Rift Apart still felt very much like more of the same.
 

Fredrik

Member
Heard some negativity on how Ratchet has changed and a woke agenda and what not, but I loved Rift Apart and I’m forever thankful that Insomniac did full voiced localization to my tiny country so I could play the game with the kids without acting like a translator. After Returnal it’s the best playthrough I’ve done on a Playstation console in I don’t know how many years.
 

Banjo64

cumsessed
Progressively getting worse with each iteration but a very good looking, albeit safe, platformer.
 

AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
A personal all-time favourite, and I'll play anything they put out, but it's also really ran its course by now. That last one was good, but I can't help feel like we've seen it all before numerous times.
 

Drake

Member
They're fun games. I haven't played one since the PS3 era. I think the last one I played was A Crack in Time. Not life changing games, but I always had a good time with them.
 

Duchess

Member
Massive fan, though I feel the franchise has run its course.

Rift Apart felt like it was the last outing for the pair.

Having said that, if another game shows up, I will consider playing it.
 

Trilobit

Member
It was pretty fun, but got repetetive and the story didn't hook me. Unlike Sly Cooper 2 which felt very varied and had an interesting way to tell the story and incorporate the gameplay.
 

Aces High

Member
I'd love to bash Insomniac for their woke nonsense, but Rift Apart is the best PS5 exclusive game and the graphics style is absolutely amazing. For me, it's one of the best games of the generation so far.
 
Used to really like them back on the PS3 days.
But the most recent ones from the PS4 and PS5 days have not been as appealing.

Rift Apart was not a bad game, just lacking in colorful fun.
Kit the robot was just depressing.
The first 2 area's was really well done, but the rest were bland and forgettable.
I felt like I was shooting the same 2 enemy types the entire game.
 

Little Mac

Gold Member
Just got a PS5 Slim about a month ago and, after getting the platinum in Astro’s Playroom, played Rift Apart. After finishing it, I’d say it was a 7.5/10. It’s a beautiful, shallow experience. It’s a game dad’s can play with their kids. Nothing more. Nothing less. After getting the platinum, I’m onto Spider-man Remastered now.
 

killatopak

Member
Very fond memories. I actually played the first Ratchet in JP because of the region lock. Understood nothing and 100% it. You know the game is good when you literally have zero clue about the story, dialogue and instructions and finish it anyway.

The next time I played Ratchet, it was Deadlocked and again it’s a game you need zero language understanding and still have fun. I understood this time though. I freaking have to with my jp PS2. I started to get into RPG then and dialogue was actually important. I learned Ratchet is actually edgy as fuck along with his dynamic with Clank.

I guess I’m in the camp that feels like they neutered Ratchet’s personality when I played R&C2016. I mean the gameplay is still fun but the jokes aren’t hitting. It’s like Ratchet is just there. No personal growth from start to finish alongside his relationship with Clank. It’s like they’re buddies from the start unlike in the original where they grow closer the longer they were with each other.

It’s still one of my favorite franchises because the gameplay upgrade loop is so addicting. I will forever collect golden bolts.
 

MiguelItUp

Member
I honestly never got into it, and I'm not really sure why. I usually don't judge a book by its cover, but there was nothing about it that looked appealing to me. Never really had friends that were super into it either TBH.
 

Mr.Phoenix

Member
I think it is, and has always been a AA game with AAA production standards.

That by no means makes it bad, it's good for what it is and somewhat fun... however, I feel it's forgettable and definitely not a system seller. And that's ok, not everything needs to be a system seller.

Its too easy, tries to be funny but never really is, lots of guns and "variety" but because of how easy it is you never need to use them all or build any kinda strategy in gameplay. This kinda makes the whole idea of having so much variety moot, like it becomes this "you can do this" experience vs being a "you should do this". And I feel that makes a whole lot of difference.

Even the music is forgettable. I have played every entry though, I would recommend it as one of the best AA games out there. Won't advise anyone to buy it at full price though.
 
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acm2000

Member
incredible to look at, dull as dishwater to play.

how that tosh has gone on and on and other way better ps2 ip's got left behind i have no idea.
 

SHA

Member
A fun game but I usually, with this category, go with Mario, Zelda and some action RPGs from level 5 and other tiny characters with artistic 3d design, I don't see western games fit into this category imo.
 

Holammer

Member
It's alright, Ripped a Fart was overall pretty good and I want more of them. A port of the PS4 remake on PC would be nice and within the realm of possible. Even if true fans seem to hate certain very understandable story beats in it.
 
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