• Light/Dark
  • Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
  • We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.

Ratchet and Clank: A Rift apart looks pretty neat are there any other Ratchet games that are must plays before the new one drops?

Musubi

Musubi

Unshakable Resolve - Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,689
So... according to PS Now I have access to

  • Ratchet and Clank : All 4 One
  • Ratchet and Clank : Into the Nexus
  • Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty
  • Ratchet and Clank: Full Frontal Assault
  • Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time
  • Ratchet and Clank (2016)
None of the PS2 ones are accessible in anyway on a PS5 sadly but out of the PS3/PS4 Ratchets which ones should I check out to familiarize myself with the series before the new one drops?
 
DecoReturns

DecoReturns

Member
Oct 27, 2017
22,003
A Crack in Time is by far the best one in that list.

tho I rank the original trilogy highest. Shame you can't play those, they're fantastic.

2016 is a remake of the first game. But I think it's a terrible remake. Tho you might enjoy and a good place to start honestly
 
ASleepingMonkey

ASleepingMonkey

The Fallen
Oct 26, 2017
4,498
Iowa
I think the 2016 entry is certainly worth playing before this one, but they've said this new game can be played without any prior experience with the series.
 
Milennia

Milennia

Prophet of Truth - Community Resetter
Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,273
Crack in time is my favorite by a large margin
 
tophu

tophu

Member
Oct 27, 2017
9,486
A Crack in Time is one of the best platformers ever made.

You should play 2016 -> ACiT and you should be good for Rift Apart. If you aren't burnt out, play Into the Nexus as well.
 
Jawmuncher

Jawmuncher

Crisis Dino
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
38,652
Ibis Island
I feel like if you just want a quick rundown of the characters, playing the 2016 game would be good. As I imagine you don't wanna burn yourself out.

Don't know for certain, but Crack in Time seems like it'll be playing with the time elements to likely explain how "all games" are canon while also being more standalone and not needing people to have played everything prior.
 
ConVito

ConVito

Member
Oct 16, 2018
3,101
It's a shame you don't have access to the PS2 games or Tools of Destruction. But I'd say A Crack in Time and Into the Nexus are your best bets. Haven't played 2016, but since it's apparently just a remake of the original, maybe check that one out too.
 

Deleted member 90921

User requested account closure
Banned
Jan 29, 2021
422
I'm playing all the main canon ones in preparation.
Ratchet and Clank
Ratchet and Clank Going Commando
Ratchet and Clank Up Your Arsenal
Ratchet and Clank Tools of Destruction
Ratchet and Clank Quest For Booty
Ratchet and Clank A Crack In Time
Ratchet and Clank Into The Nexus
 
Chaserjoey

Chaserjoey

Keeper of the White Materia
Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,673
A Crack in Time and then Into the Nexis are the ones that will properly get you ready for Rift Apart.

Well, I guess you can do Quest For Booty since it was the 2nd game in the Future saga, but it's only a handful of hours and set on one planet.

The rest are spin-offs and the 2016 reimagining isn't canon, but def play the 2016 game. It's gorgeous.
 
VariantX

VariantX

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,916
Columbia, SC
Id probably play any of them to be honest. I loved every ratchet game and probably UYA is my favorite of them all even though its a PS2 era ratchet game. And thats despite adding the now staple mechanic of seperating ratchet from clank.
 
Famassu

Famassu

Member
Oct 27, 2017
9,186
A Crack in Time is among the best games ever released, so that definitely. I'd also play Ratchet & Clank 3, Tools of Destruction & the PS4 remake of the first game (it's worse in some respects than the first, mostly story, but gameplay has all the bells & whistles of a more modern R&C game, making it a more fun game to play, IMO, the original feels dated & kinda clunky nowadays).

EDIT: That's IF you have the means but not quite the time/interest in playing everything. There are really no R&C games that are downright bad, just kind of ok at worst.
 
ZeroX

ZeroX

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
21,266
Speed Force
All of the single player Ratchet games are good

Of the listed games you have, you can't go wrong with Into the Nexus, A Crack in Time and 2016

But you should definitely try and get Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal there
 
Faenix1

Faenix1

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,114
Canada
  • Ratchet and Clank (2016)
  • Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty (This is set before A Crack in Time, but after Tools of Destruction.)
  • Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time
  • Ratchet and Clank : Into the Nexus
Ignoring the fact 2016 is a reimagining of the first one, those are the "main" ones. The other two are spinoffs.

You can't go wrong with any of them really though you're kind of missing an important one with Tools of Destruction being absent. 2016 is probably better for an R&C beginner.
 
Ridley327

Ridley327

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,517
Georgia (the state, not the country)
Musubi said:
So... according to PS Now I have access to

  • Ratchet and Clank : All 4 One
  • Ratchet and Clank : Into the Nexus
  • Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty
  • Ratchet and Clank: Full Frontal Assault
  • Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time
  • Ratchet and Clank (2016)
None of the PS2 ones are accessible in anyway on a PS5 sadly but out of the PS3/PS4 Ratchets which ones should I check out to familiarize myself with the series before the new one drops?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
A Crack in Time is definitely the clear winner of that list, though Into the Nexus has a lot going for it despite feeling a bit short. From there, it depends on what you're looking for.

-Quest for Booty is pretty important to the Future storyline, but it does honestly feel like a glorified demo with how short it is and being set on just one planet.
-2016 is... weird. It's a beautiful game and updates the gameplay of the original to better fit all the QOL changes they've made over the years, but the writing is very weak all around as a result of tying into the movie, as well as making Ratchet and Clank themselves a lot more boring. It has a bit of divisive reputation as a result, but it's not like it's a terrible game by any stretch.
-...yeah, you don't need to play either All 4 One or Full Frontal Assault. They're rather poor spinoffs through and through that tried yet again to fit a square peg in a round hole with their multiplayer focus, which Deadlocked already proved there really wasn't much of an audience for back on the PS2.

Is that all of the ones available on PS Now? If you have a PS3, your options open up considerably since you can get the HD collection of the first three games, as well as the first Future title as well.
 

Deleted member 56752

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
May 15, 2019
8,699
Musubi said:
So... according to PS Now I have access to

  • Ratchet and Clank : All 4 One
  • Ratchet and Clank : Into the Nexus
  • Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty
  • Ratchet and Clank: Full Frontal Assault
  • Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time
  • Ratchet and Clank (2016)
None of the PS2 ones are accessible in anyway on a PS5 sadly but out of the PS3/PS4 Ratchets which ones should I check out to familiarize myself with the series before the new one drops?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
wait what? are all those available to download?
 
Hexa

Hexa

Saw the truth behind the copied door
Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,748
Shame you can't play Tools of Destruction. It's the first entry in the Future trilogy so it's really good as a starting point and has plot elements carried over from it into Quest for Booty and from there into Crack in Time. It's a pretty gameplay oriented series so the story isn't that important, but I would still recommend watching the cutscenes for Tools of Destruction on Youtube. Then play Quest for Booty and then Crack in Time. After that Into the Nexus and then 2016, which are both solid though not as much as Crack in Time.
 
TheSpaceBetween

TheSpaceBetween

Member
Jan 11, 2018
9,664
Musubi said:
So... according to PS Now I have access to

  • Ratchet and Clank : All 4 One
  • Ratchet and Clank : Into the Nexus
  • Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty
  • Ratchet and Clank: Full Frontal Assault
  • Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time
  • Ratchet and Clank (2016)
None of the PS2 ones are accessible in anyway on a PS5 sadly but out of the PS3/PS4 Ratchets which ones should I check out to familiarize myself with the series before the new one drops?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Tools of Destruction and A Crack in Time are the only ones you need to play.
 
Strings

Strings

Member
Oct 27, 2017
31,530
A Crack in Time is the best game in the franchise and awesome in general.

I'm really looking forward to Rift, but iunno if they'll ever match ACiT. Especially after I kinda disliked 2016, and how Rift is bringing back Nefarious AGAIN.
 
KingFantasma

KingFantasma

Member
Oct 29, 2017
72
All the canon games are great imo. In preparation for Rift Apart though, I would recommend Ratchet & Clank (2016) and the future saga. Into the Nexus serves as an epilogue to the future saga, so play that as well.
 
Zalman

Zalman

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,896
Honestly, most of the games on that list aren't great, but you should play A Crack in Time.
 
Mecha

Mecha

Shinra Employee
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
2,479
Honduras
All of them. But if you don't have time play A Crack in Time, it's my favorite in the series.
 
VanWinkle

VanWinkle

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,098
A Crack in Time is the best R&C game. But it might be weird to play that one first because then there's nowhere to go but down (probably even when A Rift Apart releases).

Maybe do Quest For Booty, then A Crack in Time, then Into the Nexus, which is the chronological order. Ideally you'd start with Tools of Destruction before those three, but apparently it's not on PS Now.

Quest for Booty is kind of a short "side" game that will be good to get your feet wet.
 
Modest_Modsoul

Modest_Modsoul

Living the Dreams
Member
Oct 29, 2017
23,809
The problem was/is, in my humble opinion, that most of the mainline Ratchets core gameplay were same-old; shoot/throw/wrench your way through enemies, puzzles to solve, platforming, go to point A to B, collectibles, jumping from one planet to the other, etc.

The are differences in story, settings, and such, but if you play one mainline to the end, I guess that'll give you idea with the rests. : /

So either A Crack in Time for meaty contents or the 2016 game for the latest impressive PS4 graphics, albeit basic Ratchet gameplay.
 
Richietto

Richietto

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,074
North Carolina
Personally I think you lose a lot if you don't play the original trilogy but that's a lot of games to go through. The 2016 game isn't canon and misses what made the original so special. Crack in Time is the best of the future series. Don't bother with Full Frontal or All 4 One. Regardless I have a feelin there will be important information from previous games that Rift Apart deals with, especially in regards to Nexus maybe.
 
MarcelloF

MarcelloF

"This guy are sick"
Member
Dec 9, 2020
7,522
The PS2 games are the best ones. Too bad they're not available for you.

While Crack in Time is good, I don't like how Ratchet and Clank are split up for it. The Future trilogy also made dumb story choices, like making both Ratchet and Clank special instead of just normal people.
 
Rapscallion

Rapscallion

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,798
There's a narrative, but any game is a good entry point. I'd play the 2016 reboot and see if it seems like something you're interested in. From there you can go back to the original trilogy or to the ps3 games.

You don't want to get burned out ahead of the new one.
 
RockmanBN

RockmanBN

Visited by Knack - One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
28,025
Cornfields
Jawmuncher said:
I feel like if you just want a quick rundown of the characters, playing the 2016 game would be good. As I imagine you don't wanna burn yourself out.

Don't know for certain, but Crack in Time seems like it'll be playing with the time elements to likely explain how "all games" are canon while also being more standalone and not needing people to have played everything prior.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Haven't played the PS3 games, but 2016 Ratchet is nothing like the PS2 one.
 
8byte

8byte

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt-account
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
9,880
Kansas
Absolutely play Quest 4 Booty, A Crack in Time, and Into the Nexus. Them jump into Ratchet 2"16.
 

Scruffy8642

Member
Jan 24, 2020
2,852
A Crack in Time is the best game in the series, but it's also the third in the Future saga, so might be a bit weird jumping into. I'd say play 2016 as an introduction, and if you like the gameplay loop, play Quest for Booty > A Crack in Time > Into the Nexus as entries 2-4 in the Future saga. Quest for Booty is super short and practically a demo, aCiT is a full game, and Nexus is like a half game. Really, all mainline R&C games are well worth playing in order, but if you can't access the 5 entries prior to Quest for Booty, not much you can do.
 
Saiyaman

Saiyaman

Member
Dec 19, 2017
1,885
All of them. Well, all of the mainline ones. Not even joking; every single Ratchet game is an absolute joy to play.

If you're interested in the continuity of the series I'd recommend looking for the HD collection of the PS2 games somewhere so you can play through the original, Going Commando, and Up Your Arsenal.

With what you have available I'd check out Ratchet & Clank (2016) as it's a retelling of the original (with some changes, usually not for the better when it comes to the narrative of the game; however, the gameplay is immaculate). After that, if you're still itching for more, then feel free to jump into the future saga. Typically the Future saga goes like this: Tools of Destruction > Quest for Booty > A Crack in Time > Into the Nexus. Unfortunately, unless you have a PS3 lying around, it might be hard to play Tools of Destruction. Quest for Booty and Into the Nexus are both smaller games so the two of them together are probably similar (maybe still a tiny bit shorter) to that of a normal game in the series.

If you're really only looking to play one, then I'd spring for A Crack in Time, as it's the most packed Ratchet game.
 
Vonocourt

Vonocourt

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,639
JasonMCG said:
Is R&C standalone or do I have to play all of them to get the story?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
All the games are standalone in that the central conflict is introduced and resolved in each entry. The closest they ever got to a more serialized nature was the Future series on PS3, and even it's not a super big deal. A Crack in Time is probably the only one I would suggest to really look into given what we've seen from A Rift Apart.

2016 also, but that's just because it's a really good game that anyone with access to a PS5 and plus can play right now.

Edit: and it's a remake of the first game.
 
F4r0_Atak

F4r0_Atak

Member
Oct 31, 2017
5,519
Home
Musubi said:
So... according to PS Now I have access to

  • Ratchet and Clank : All 4 One
  • Ratchet and Clank : Into the Nexus
  • Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty
  • Ratchet and Clank: Full Frontal Assault
  • Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time
  • Ratchet and Clank (2016)
None of the PS2 ones are accessible in anyway on a PS5 sadly but out of the PS3/PS4 Ratchets which ones should I check out to familiarize myself with the series before the new one drops?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
A Crack in Time for sure.

And I don't know how well received this other one was, but I am also gonna say Into The Nexus. It's the one game in the franchise where I cared for the main villain.
 
Clive

Clive

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,108
2016, A Crack in Time and Into the Nexus are excellent games. Into the Nexus is very short but it feels like they've managed to cram everything the series is known for into a game that's only a few hours long so if you like 2016 and A Crack in Time then you should definitely continue with Nexus.

A Quest For Booty is even shorter but unlike Nexus, it doesn't feel like a complete package: few weapons and less upgrades, practically no combat encounters and only one boss IIRC. It's skippable.

Full Frontal Assault is fun, has a short campaign and a different take on the series but it's not an important game. Play it in 2023 if you have cravings for more Ratchet & Clank.

All 4 One is a fun co-op game but if you don't have anyone to play with then it's not as fun as the other games. Worse controls and lacking many important series features like levelling up guns through use, armor, exploration and an arena. It's completely linear.

So, play 2016, then A Crack in Time and then if you like them Into the Nexus. If you really like them, also consider Full Frontal Assault and maybe Quest for Booty. If you become a hardcore fan then absolutely go back to the original PS2 series as well. A PS3 can't be that expensive in 2021 and it's cheap on PSN. The very first game controls poorly by modern standards but the rest of the HD Collection is great and so is Gladiator/Deadlocked.
 
raketenrolf

raketenrolf

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,239
Germany
They are all amazing games. My introduction to the series was Tools of Destruction on PS3 and I loved every entry since. I think I would rate either Nexus or 2016 as the weakest but still fun games in the series.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.