Ratchet & Clank PS4 1

Since the series’ inception in 2002, veteran developer Insomniac Games has milked Ratchet & Clank harder than a particularly productive Friesian. The good old dependable duo have starred in no less than 12 titles over the past 12 years – and that’s excluding mobile phone spin-offs, compilations, and cameos in titles such as PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. Despite this, the platforming property registers among this editor’s favourite PlayStation franchises, and so news that its inaugural outing would be receiving a PlayStation 4 remake early next year had a Groovitron-esque effect on your humble host. With details on the overhaul agonisingly light, though, we’ve decided to take matters into our own furry hands – and relay the three reasons why we reckon that this makeover could be so special.

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It’s being assembled from the ground up

If you’re fed up of re-releases stealing all of the headlines on your favourite next-gen format, then we can understand why you may be sceptical of Ratchet & Clank PS4. However, unlike the, er, likes of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition and The Last of Us Remastered, this is not actually a port of a game that you’ve played before – but a complete reimagining. According to brand development director Ryan Schneider, it’s being crafted with the movie in mind, so you can expect the galaxy’s most loveable Lombax to experience a slightly different kind of origin story this time around. However, returning to the source of the experience will allow the studio to also tweak the original’s gameplay, which has aged a little of late. Expect both strafing and weapon levelling to be incorporated, taking the familiar action at the fore to another level.

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Making the most of the movie

Video game films are almost always atrocious – it’s a law that filmmakers seem to be legally inclined to abide by. If that’s the case, though, the Ratchet & Clank Movie creators Rainmaker and Blockade Entertainment appear to have found a loophole, because this flick actually looks good. Not only is Insomniac Games’ series the kind of thing that we reckon could really shine on the big screen – with affable characters, a consistent art style, and a sense of humour that should resonate with both adults and kids – but the producers don’t appear to have had to deviate too much from the spirit that already makes the games so great. In that sense, this could be one of the better cinematic adaptations of all time – and with the chances of it blowing up reasonably high, Sony would be silly to squander that with a subpar a game.

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Pretty as an interplanetary picture

If you’ve played the Ratchet & Clank Collection on the PlayStation 3, then you’ll know that the original Ratchet & Clank holds up surprisingly well. Insomniac Games promises that its remake’s visuals will rival the very best next-gen games on the market, and it doesn’t appear to be cracking a gag. Indeed, this is the first title to be developed in collaboration between its California and North Carolina outfits, meaning that it’s ploughing some serious resources into the release. Seeing as Xbox One exclusive Sunset Overdrive already looks so swish, it’s going to be interesting to get a glimpse at what the company can achieve with the slightly superior hardware of Sony’s newest super machine. The saturated skyline of Metropolis already looked the part on the PlayStation 2 – but can you imagine how it’s going to fare with the grunt of modern hardware to power it?

Are you looking forward to Insomniac Games’ forthcoming Ratchet & Clank remake, or is the prospect of another entry in the ubiquitous series causing you to yawn? Do your best Captain Qwark impression in the comments section below.

Are you looking forward to Ratchet & Clank PS4? (55 votes)

  1. Yes, I was cackling like Clank the second I heard about the remake69%
  2. Hmm, I need to actually see the game first25%
  3. No, the thought of another Captain Qwark quip makes me feel sick5%

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