Ratchet & Clank (2016) Review

In advance of the upcoming Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart for PlayStation 5, let’s take a look back at the previous entry in the series. Ratchet & Clank released for PlayStation 4 in 2016 and has since become a favorite among PS4 owners. This colorful reimagining of the 2002 game of the same name had a lot to live up to for fans of the series. Not only did it have to live up to the standards set by the original game in the series, but it also had to serve as a tie-in game for the film that released around the same time. As such, we will be looking closer at Ratchet & Clank to see if a couple of old dogs can learn some new tricks.

A tale of two heroes

This reimagining of the 2002 game has a few story changes that make for a better Hollywood film. The overall plot is largely the same, but a few improvements have been made to the cast and the moment-to-moment events. It serves the game well at the end of the day, especially for newcomers to the series.

The plot involves a defective robot helping his new friend join a team of heroes. Working together, Ratchet and Clank become members of an elite peacekeeping group called the Galactic Rangers. The Rangers are led by the fantastic Captain Quark,who may just have a few dark secrets hidden behind his insincere smile. It’s the same great story that many of us played as kids. However, there’s one thing that didn’t quite sit right with me regarding the characters.

The humor that the series has always been known for seems to be toned way down in this version. The game is quite funny and lands a few jokes quite well, but there seems to be a bit more generic, safer humor padding those instances. Of course, humor is subjective and I’d imagine that many people would prefer this type of humor. Personally, though, I hope that the PS5’s Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart goes back to the delicate mix of mature and childish humor that the older games had.