Where to Start · Ratchet & Clank
Where to Start with Ratchet & Clank
Insomniac's eternal thesis: what if a buddy comedy had seventeen guns firing at once? Every entry (and upgrade tier) lives on GameOrder; here's the fastest path to grins without wiki obligation.
Two friendly on-ramps
Ratchet & Clank (PS4, 2016) — the movie-tie-in remake that accidentally became a polished intro to the duo. Clean visuals, breezy pacing, writing that still feels like Saturday morning with a budget.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (PS5, 2021) — if you have the box, start here: standalone plot, PS5 flex lighting, dimension-hopping set pieces that look like tech demos with soul.
PS2 sweetness
The OG trilogy still hums — Going Commando (R&C 2) is the fan-favorite spike, with weapon upgrade loops that taught live-service progression before it was a LinkedIn keyword.
Future arc on PS3
Tools of Destruction → Quest for Booty → A Crack in Time carries one continuity thread; A Crack in Time earns the love especially for Clank puzzle planets that finally feel like full games inside the game.
Franchise truth — storytelling is light sitcom continuity; the joy is weapon barks and Insomniac gag writers on overtime. Also: the RYNO costs a fortune every game and ruins encounters in the best way. Budget for it like a civic duty.