After spending the last 20 years on PlayStation, the Ratchet and Clank franchise will be making its PC debut with Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart later this year. This will be the first mainline title in the series to launch outside the PlayStation ecosystem, and it will be interesting to see if it pays off. If it is a success then other Ratchet and Clank games may follow, and hopefully it will renew interest in this classic platforming series.
The future of the Ratchet and Clank franchise is currently unknown as Insomniac Games goes all in on the Marvel universe. While there will likely be more Ratchet and Clank games in the future, it currently seems like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart will be the only title on PS5. This continues a troubling trend from the PS4 era, and it needs to be rectified. With this PC debut, hopefully more Ratchet and Clank experiences loom on the horizon.
Ratchet and Clank is Waiting to be Tapped for PS5
Ratchet and Clank has been a staple of the PlayStation brand ever since its debut on the PS2. SInce then, the franchise has seen a plethora of titles across the PS2, PS3, the PSP, and PS Vita eras. It seemed like there was no end in sight for adventures in this colorful galaxy, but things seemed to change once the PS4 rolled around, and it does not look any brighter in the PS5 era.
The PS2 and PS3 both saw four mainline Ratchet and Clank games during their tenures, but the PS4 only saw one. After Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus, Insomniac Games went to work on Sunset Overdrive for the Xbox One. The studio would then return to Ratchet and Clank, but it would only release a remake of the original title for PS4. After that, It went to develop Marvel's Spider-Man, and left the Ratchet and Clank series in the dust.
Five years later, Insomniac Games revisited Ratchet and Clank once again with Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart for the PS5. It was a fantastic thrill ride for fans, but there has been no news on additional PS5 adventures. The studio is currently developing Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Marvel's Wolverine, and there may not be any room for more Ratchet and Clank right now. The PS5 has already been out for three years, and it currently seems like it will only get one Ratchet and Clank title.
While Insomniac Games has a lot on its plate, it seems strange that a series as iconic as Ratchet and Clank would not get more attention. There are still so many stories that could be told with this lovable cast of characters, and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart opened up even more possibilities by introducing the multiverse. It deserves to dominate the PlayStation ecosystem once more, and hopefully this PC debut is a sign of things to come.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart could be launching on PC simply because Sony wants to further expand into that market, or it could be a way to hype up a future release. Horizon Zero Dawn launched on PC the same year that its sequel got announced, The Last of Us Part 1 launched on PC to hype up the HBO adaptation, God of War hit PC months before God of War: Ragnarok launched, and Marvel's Spider-Man released on PC during the long wait for Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Hopefully, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart's debut means that another chapter is not too far behind.
There have been no rumors suggesting a new Ratchet and Clank game, and Insomniac is pretty busy for the next couple of years. However, it would be a shame if the PS5 only got one Ratchet and Clank adventure. Hopefully, the PC version of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart helps show PlayStation that there is an audience for these characters, and that it is time to capitalize on them.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is available now on PS5 and will release on PC on July 26
