Every Ratchet & Clank Game, Ranked Worst to Best
Created nearly 20 years ago by Insomniac Games, the combat-laced buddy platformer franchise Ratchet & Clank has been charming gamers on Sony platforms ever since with its mix of humor, heart, story development, and over-the-top, cartoon-style action spanning multiple genres, outliving its main rival, Naughty Dog's similar Jak and Daxter series.
In the gallery on this page, we rank every* Ratchet & Clank game to date by Metascore, from worst- to best-reviewed. Some R&C games were issued on multiple platforms, and rather than clutter our list with countless versions of the same game, we limited our selection as follows:
• In general, the first release of each title is included.
• If a title was released simultaneously on multiple platforms, we only included the version that received the highest quantity of reviews from professional critics.
• If a title was later ported to other platforms, those ports are not included ...
• ... but if a title was substantially remade for another later-generation platform, the remake is treated as a separate game and included in our rankings. (We're looking at you, PS4 version of Ratchet & Clank.)
* We have omitted the 2005 cellphone (but not smartphone) game Going Mobile, which was not covered on Metacritic. (GameSpot has a review if you are curious.)
All photos courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment unless otherwise indicated.
PlayStation 5, 2021
The newest R&C game is also the franchise's first appearance on Sony's newest console, where, as a PS5 exclusive, it has the potential to make an impact in the next-gen console wars—that is, if it were actually possible to find a new console to purchase. Designed to be approachable for newcomers and longtime fans alike, Rift Apart introduces a new playable character, the resistance fighter Rivet, and a storyline (set across both new and returning locations) centering on an alternate dimension in which the villainous Dr. Nefarious is now an emperor. Rift also leverages some of the tech and tricks developed by Insomniac Games for their previous release, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, including instantaneous transitions from cutscenes to action. Impressive graphics harness the new console's power, and the soundtrack comes from Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh.
“Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the first game I’ve played since the ninth-generation consoles launched that feels like a true next-gen title. Insomniac Games has done everything that it needed to do in making both a sequel to its longest-running franchise and a true next-gen exclusive. While it might not technically be a PlayStation 5 launch title, it feels like one—a real preview of the console’s capabilities. But beyond that, Rift Apart is just an absolute blast to play.” —EGM