There are other topics discussing the "best" Ratchet game, or good places to start if you want to get into the franchise more seriously. If, however, I am purely interested in playing 1 and only 1 Ratchet & Clank game, which one would give me the best overall Ratchet & Clank experience? I know virtually nothing about the franchise, but want to see what it's all about, and can't commit the time needed to playing them all. What say you bombadeers!?

Also, ignore logistics (cost, platforms, etc.) and assume I have equal access to all games.

Most will say Up Your Arsenal, or Going Commando. While those are both fine games, I had the most fun with the black sheep of the series: Deadlocked. That's probably because it was the first R&C game I played. It did manage to get to me to buy up the entirety of the rest of the series and play through them all, time or no :-/

YRMV.

EDIT: Now that I think really hard about it, it was also the first game I played on that entire generation of consoles. Which may also have heavily factored into my enjoyment of it.

SECOND EDIT: I have one less total post than you!

@Sinusoidal said:

Most will say Up Your Arsenal, or Going Commando. While those are both fine games...

Why yes, most will say Up Your Arsenal or Going Commando. They would be right. Me personally, Going Commando.

Up Your Arsenal and Crack in Time are the best in the series. If you care about the story then read a wikipedia summary and watch youtube videos of some RC1 cutscenes.

Do you want more platforming or more shooting?
Going Commando for the former, Up Your Arsenal for the latter. Both games have both attributes but each has one that is more prevalent.
You can take or leave the rest.

I say Up Your Arsenal hands down. Easily the most fun I've had with a Ratchet and Clank game. It's kind of a bummer actually, every time a new R&C comes out I think "this is it, this will recapture the magic!" But they never do. They have certainly gotten better looking, and I did really like Crack in Time but... yeah, no. Up Your Arsenal is where it's at.

If your willing to back to the PS2 its definitely R&C2 or 3 (Going Commando or Up Your Arsenal) but Tools of Destruciton (the first on PS3) was a fantastic game and looks great even now. Though really you can play most of "main series" games you are totally fine.

@BeardStrokingBullshit said:

I say Up Your Arsenal hands down. Easily the most fun I've had with a Ratchet and Clank game. It's kind of a bummer actually, every time a new R&C comes out I think "this is it, this will recapture the magic!" But they never do. They have certainly gotten better a looking, and I did really like Crack in Time but... yeah, no. Up Your Arsenal is where it's at.

This.

Up Your Arsenal is when the series peaked. Play that one but you'd get a lot more out of the story if you played through the first two first.

Either A Crack In Time or Up your Arsenal. Even if ACIT was the last real game they put out I doubt you'd be lost story wise. Not only is it the second funniest of the games (UYA having the best jokes, despite some of them being pretty dated now.) it is also the best looking, best controlling and best paced.

The increased speed of the leveling is another reason why this is the best game to start with, in past games upgrading some guns to their highest levels felt like a chore, ACIT is constantly upgrading your guns and therefore making you feel far more powerful. There is also a gun that shoots portals where alien tentacles shoot out and snatch enemies away.

I just think it has a good balance of all the different parts the Ratchet games have excelled at. Exploration, side missions, space combat, arena combat, braidesque puzzles and platforming without ever feeling like stuff has been thrown in there because they could, like in the previous game.

You really can't go wrong with 2, 3 or ACIT, but as a huge fan of the series I don't think Insomniac could make another game better than A Crack In Time.

@Aegon: you sir are correct, have a cookie