Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is closing in on its official release, as the game will be launching in just nine days. Introducing the multiverse to the series, the sequel opens tons of storytelling potential. Insomniac Games seems to be taking advantage of this, as a city ruled by Doctor Nefarious will be introduced alongside the new Lombax Rivet. In terms of gameplay, new platforming abilities, weapons, and side activities will be added.
While Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is shaping up to be an excellent entry in the long running series, it has some big shoes to fill. With the original game making its debut in 2002, players have been enjoying the series for nearly two decades, and a dozen games have released in this time. From fan favorite spin-offs to the acclaimed Future series, there is plenty of Ratchet and Clank to enjoy. However, if players want to catch up on the entire series before Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart releases, they will need to start playing immediately.
The Original Ratchet and Clank Trilogy
- Ratchet and Clank (2002 and 2016): 10-20 hours
- Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal: 12-27 hours
- Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando: 13-29 hours
First up, there is the original Ratchet and Clank trilogy, games that many would like to see remastered once again. Introducing players to the dynamic duo while also giving them tons of unique weapons and clever humor to enjoy, longtime fans likely hold a soft spot for the first three games. If they are looking to run through the original trilogy again, or play them for the first time, the main stories will take a total of 35 hours to complete. Completionists can spend about 76 hours with the games, however.
The Ratchet and Clank Spinoffs
- Ratchet: Deadlocked: 8-15 hours
- Secret Agent Clank: 7-9 hours
- Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters: 7-17 hours
- Ratchet and Clank: Full Frontal Assault: 5-13 hours
- Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One: 10-17 hours
The Ratchet and Clank series is full of spinoffs as well, ranging from more mature titles like Ratchet: Deadlocked to co-op games like Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One. There were some PSP games as well, with Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters and Secret Agent Clank giving gamers some on-the-go action in the mid-2000s. These spinoffs are on the shorter side, though, especially if gamers are planning to only run through their stories. Doing so would take about 37 hours, while completionists can expect 69 hours of content.
The Ratchet and Clank Future Series
- Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction: 12-40 hours
- Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack In Time: 10-21 hours
- Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty: 3-4 hours
- Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus: 6-12 hours
Finally, gamers can experience Ratchet and Clank’s most recent endeavors in the Future subseries. Flinging the duo forward in time, these are some of the most interesting narratives in the series. Covering topics like Ratchet and Clank being separated and the history of Lombaxes, the titles also offer some top-notch gameplay to enjoy. With each game getting shorter as the subseries goes on, gamers would not have too much trouble beating the Future series before Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart arrives. For main story runs, about 31 hours will be needed, while completionists will have to set aside about 77 hours.
The Grand Total
- Main Story Runs: 103 hours
- Completionist Runs: 222 hours
To beat every main story from every Ratchet and Clank game, players will be looking at just 100 hours of playtime. While this is doable before Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart releases, it would be a tough fit. Gamers would also have to skip all the side content from the games, which is unfortunate given how fun some of it can be. Completionist runs would be impossible to do before the new game arrives, though. As such, players looking to get the most out of their games should pick either the original trilogy or Future series, enjoying those sets of games to their fullest ahead of release.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart launches June 11 on PS5.
