Overview
Ratchet & Clank on PS4 is a reimagining of the PS2 original, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Released on April 12, 2016, it retells the origin story of the Lombax mechanic and his robot companion with entirely rebuilt visuals, new story beats, and gameplay systems designed around the PS4's hardware. The result sits somewhere between a remake and a new entry, borrowing the bones of the first game while expanding almost everything around them.
The game pulls in footage and storyline elements from the 2016 Ratchet & Clank animated film, giving the narrative more cinematic weight than the PS2 version ever had. Captain Qwark plays a larger role, new characters join the cast, and the voice acting throughout matches the quality you'd expect from a big-budget animated feature. The tone stays light and comedic, with the humor landing more often than not.
Gameplay and mechanics
The core loop is classic third-person platformer shooting: move through a level, destroy enemies with increasingly absurd weapons, collect bolts to buy upgrades, and find hidden collectibles tucked into corners of each planet. That structure hasn't changed much since 2002, and that's not a criticism. Insomniac refined it across a dozen entries before this one.
Key gameplay features include:
- 14+ weapons with upgrade paths
- Clank-specific puzzle sequences
- Planetary exploration across multiple star systems
- Ship-based flight and combat segments
- Gadgets that open new traversal options
Weapons are the real draw. The Pixelizer turns enemies into 8-bit sprites before shattering them. The Groovitron makes every enemy on screen start dancing. The Mr. Zurkon companion floats alongside Ratchet and fires automatically while delivering one-liners. Weapons level up through use, gaining new stats and eventually transforming into more powerful variants with enough XP invested.
World and setting
The game spans multiple planets across the Solana Galaxy, each with a distinct visual identity and set of missions. Novalis is a green, pastoral world under siege. Rilgar is a neon-lit urban planet with hoverboard races. Gaspar is a volcanic wasteland. The variety keeps things from feeling repetitive, and each planet hides enough optional content to reward thorough exploration.
The overarching story follows Ratchet's dream of joining the Galactic Rangers, set against Chairman Drek's plan to destroy planets and harvest their pieces to build a new homeworld. It's not a complex plot, but it doesn't need to be. The writing leans into parody and absurdist humor, and the characters are charming enough to carry the lighter tone through to the end.
Visual and audio design
For a PS4 game from 2016, Ratchet & Clank still looks sharp. The art direction targets a Pixar-style aesthetic, and Insomniac executed it well enough that the game holds up visually a decade later. Environments are detailed, character animations are expressive, and the particle effects during combat give the screen a satisfying amount of chaos without becoming unreadable.
The soundtrack supports the adventure tone without ever demanding attention, which is exactly what this kind of game needs. Sound design on the weapons is punchy and distinct, making the act of switching between them feel tactile. The voice cast, which carries over from the film, brings consistency and polish to every cutscene.
Impact and legacy
Ratchet & Clank arrived at a moment when the PS4 library needed a first-party platformer, and it filled that gap with confidence. The game holds a 4.49 out of 5 rating across more than 113,000 PlayStation Store reviews, which reflects how well it landed with the audience it was built for. It's rated ESRB Everyone 10+ for animated blood and fantasy violence, making it genuinely accessible to younger players without feeling dumbed down for anyone else.
For anyone who grew up with the PS2 original, this version offers a familiar story through a sharper lens. For players coming in fresh, it works just as well as a standalone adventure. The platform shooter genre has few entries that balance comedy, combat variety, and world design this cleanly.