Ratchet & Clank PS4 PlayStation 4 1

Remember when Sony famously said that the PlayStation 2 would be capable of powering Toy Story-esque visuals in realtime? We've been waiting a long time for it to deliver on that statement. But with Ratchet & Clank on the PlayStation 4, developer Insomniac Games may have finally succeeded, as this is one of the most visually impressive titles that you're likely to see on the system for some time.

The presentation succeeds both technically and artistically, with a crystal clear 1080p image pairing with vibrant, feel-good locales. It's not all style over substance either, as the title has more than enough gameplay panache to back up its ocular flash; it's Ratchet & Clank as you remember it, but if a format ain't broken then you sure as hell shouldn't meddle with it – as the lousy All 4 One proved.

The presentation succeeds both technically and artistically, with a crystal clear 1080p image pairing with vibrant locales

As a remake of the original, a swift train ride through the city of Metropolis will feel more than familiar among franchise fans. The main difference is that the futuristic fantasy world looks even more sumptuous now: blue skies and floating cars fill the skybox with interesting things to look at. The title also implements all of the rudimentary role-playing elements from later games, which weren't fully fleshed out in the first entry.

But it's the weapons that define PlayStation's most popular platforming double-act, and this is like a megamix from previous games: Mr. Zurkon, the Groovitron, and the Plasma Striker all return – accompanied by a newcomer named the Pixelizer, which turns foes into blurry sprites straight out of the 8-bit era. It's nothing especially groundbreaking, but it's just fun.

And that's the thing about this rebooted Ratchet & Clank: it's not trying to be anything other than a mouth-watering romp that re-imagines some of the series' most iconic moments. With the developer still having several months to buff the release before the movie arrives, then we're confident that this will ship with a mirror-like sheen. In truth, you could eat your Frosted Qwark-E-Os off it already.

Will you be giving Grummel Net all of your bolts in order to play this game on day one, or are you tired of this series being recycled generation after generation? Embellish like a particular Galactic President in the comments section below.