The Ratchet and Clank series has always been a hard series to mess up, often giving fans good platforming and great weapon-based combat. You could argue that every game in this franchise is the same, and that’s not a bad thing. While these games don’t look to innovate, they are still really fun platformers that everyone should be able to play.
So why hasn’t Sony made these games more readily available on PlayStation 5? A couple of games are available, like Rift Apart on PS5, the remake on PS4, and some PS3 titles through streaming. However, none of the PS2 games are available on PS5 right now, and that’s pretty inexcusable.
Ever since Sony introduced PS Plus Premium, the company has steadily released PS2 games for sale so that fans can experience these older titles on new hardware. Fans can play Sly Cooper, all of the Jak and Daxter titles, and even an old port of Tomb Raider: Legend. If all of these games can make it to PS5, there’s no reason why Insomniac’s iconic Ratchet and Clank series can’t.
Only Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters is available to play on PS5 right now, and that’s the PSP game. It’s still a great game, but this has a PS2 port with better camera controls, and it would have been good to bring it to PlayStation 5.
Fans are probably hoping Sony remasters the original trilogy on PS5, much like the rumored God of War collection supposedly coming. The work is slightly done, as Ratchet and Clank on PS4 acts as a remake of the first title and a movie tie-in game. Yes, there was a Ratchet and Clank movie that came out in 2016; nobody liked it.
Some fans might blame the low sales of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart for Sony’s hesitance to bring the PS2 games to PS4, but we doubt that’s the reason. Like we mentioned earlier, the Jak and Daxter games are all available right now, and this duo hasn’t had a new game since the PS2 era. The PS2 port of Sly Cooper is also available on PSN, and that franchise hasn’t had a new game since the PS3.
click to enlargeWe wouldn’t be too surprised if Sony eventually adds these games to PSN, as they’re good games that fans are nostalgic for. These are a classic series of 3D platformers that everyone should play, given the current boom this genre is going through. If PlayStation can learn anything from Astro Bot's success, it’s that 3D platformers are great, and more of them would be amazing.
Please let the classic Ratchet and Clank games be part of that movement.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Features and Ratchet & Clank page.