Ratchet & Clank

The Ratchet & Clank series developed by Insomniac Games continues its success, by giving the fans the best from the previous installments, but also improving on the major gameplay elements.

Overview

Ratchet & Clank is a 3D platforming franchise developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony. The series is released exclusively for Sony consoles due to the terms Insomniac agreed upon when they signed their contract. Insomniac's six Ratchet & Clank games have been released for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3, with High Impact Games developing the PSP titles (later ported to the PS2). The series began with the original Ratchet & Clank on November 4, 2002. Since then, numerous other games in the series have been released. They are: Ratchet & Clank: Goin' Commando, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Ratchet: Dead locked, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, and Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, plus a downloaded PSN game called Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, and a spin-off game starring Ratchet's robotic sidekick, Secret Agent Clank.

Story

Ratchet and Clank

The story of these games follows Ratchet, the last of a furry intelligent race called the Lombax, and his diminutive robotic partner, Clank, as they travel around the universe stumbling into and thwarting the plots of various villains trying to harm the good people in their galaxy. Running jokes occur throughout the series, with characters such as Captain Qwark and The Plumber making appearances in nearly every title. Storylines have also evolved over the series' lifespan - with the intitial focus was on defeating one specific menace in the galaxy shifting to put a greater emphasis on character's relationships and past experiences.

Gameplay

Gameplay from the first game in the series

The core gameplay of the series revolves around third-person shooting and has remained relatively unchanged aside from various tweaks and new weapons. Run-and-gun gameplay is still at its core, along with platforming involving gadgets like a helipack, jetpack, and hydropack. The weapons continue to be outlandish, and improving their abilities is a central component of the gameplay. Upgraded versions of

Gameplay from the newest game, A Crack in Time.

Ratchet's guns have to be purchased with golden bolts which are found around the world. As of the third game in the series, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, the weapons gain experience and level up through their use. Beginning with Tools of Destruction the player is also able to customize each weapon through a tech tree of unique abilities.

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Name	Platforms	Developer
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time released on Oct. 27, 2009	PS3	Insomniac Games
Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty released on Aug. 21, 2008	PSN, PS3	Insomniac Games
Secret Agent Clank released on June 17, 2008	PSN, PS2, PSP	Sanzaru Games, High Impact Games
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction released on Oct. 23, 2007	PS3	Insomniac Games
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters released on Feb. 13, 2007	PSP, PSN, PS2	High Impact Games
Ratchet: Deadlocked released on Oct. 25, 2005	PS2	Buzz Monkey Software, LLC, Insomniac Games
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal released on Nov. 2, 2004	PS2	Buzz Monkey Software, LLC, Insomniac Games
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando released on Nov. 11, 2003	PS2	Insomniac Games
Ratchet & Clank released on Nov. 7, 2002	PS2	Insomniac Games

Name:	Ratchet & Clank
Total games:	9 games
First game:	Ratchet & Clank
Aliases:

Ratchet first in Ratchet & Clank	9
Clank first in Ratchet & Clank	9
Captain Qwark first in Ratchet & Clank	8
The Plumber first in Ratchet & Clank	6
Big Al first in Ratchet & Clank	4
Slim Cognito first in Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando	4
Ultimate Supreme Executive Chairman Drek first in Ratchet & Clank	4
Dr. Nefarious first in Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal	4
Lawrence first in Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal	3
Klunk first in Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal	3