Ratchet & Clank

Series Overview

Ratchet And Clank is a satirical intergalactic action-adventure game series developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The series began in 2002 with the self-titled Ratchet & Clank, and is available on PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows. Set across diverse and vibrant galaxies, the franchise has become a pillar of cinematic storytelling, blending high-stakes space opera with a biting critique of corporate consumerism and galactic bureaucracy.

Release Order Complete list of games series in Release Order.

# Game Title Year Platforms Rating Data & Ratings Methodology:

To ensure consistent and accurate insights, our ratings are aggregated using the following priority-based logic:

Primary Source (Metacritic): We prioritize the Metacritic Metascore. The original 100-point scale is normalized to a 10-point scale (e.g., 87 to 8.7).

Fallback Source (OpenCritic): If a Metacritic score is unavailable or unverifiable, we use the OpenCritic Top Critic Average, similarly converted to a 10-point scale.

Note: Scores are static as of the last site build to ensure fast loading times.
1 Ratchet & Clank 2002 PS2, PS3, PS Vita 8.8/10
2 Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando 2003 PS2, PS3, PS Vita 9/10
3 Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal 2004 PS2, PS3, PS Vita 9.1/10
4 Ratchet: Deadlocked 2005 PS2, PS3 8.1/10
5 Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction 2007 PS3 8.9/10
6 Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty 2008 PS3 7.6/10
7 Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time 2009 PS3 8.7/10
8 Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus 2013 PS3 7.6/10
9 Ratchet & Clank (2016) 2016 PS4 8.5/10
10 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart 2021 PC, PS5 8.8/10

Chronological Order Complete list of games series in Chronological Order.

# Game Title
1 Ratchet & Clank
2 Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
3 Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
4 Ratchet: Deadlocked
5 Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
6 Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty
7 Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
8 Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus
9 Ratchet & Clank (2016)
10 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

All Ratchet & Clank Series Overview Each game's plot guide includes minor spoilers.

1. Ratchet & Clank (2002)

On the desolate backwater of planet Veldin, a headstrong Lombax mechanic dreams of escaping his mundane life for the stars until a small, defective sentry robot crash-lands in his backyard. This accidental visitor carries an urgent warning about Chairman Drek, a corporate nihilist who is systematically stripping planets of their resources to construct a new world for his displaced race. The duo strikes a precarious bargain: the mechanic provides the transport, while the robot provides the coordinates to find the legendary Captain Qwark, the only hero presumed capable of halting the destruction.

Their pilgrimage across the Solana Galaxy quickly sours as they realize that the glittering image of galactic heroism is a hollow marketing facade. Qwark's true allegiances turn out to be far more self-serving than the propaganda suggests, leaving the mismatched pair isolated and hunted by Drek's private security forces. The friction between the Lombax's cynical self-interest and the robot's rigid moral programming creates a volatile partnership as they witness the literal disintegration of inhabited worlds. Each planet they visit reveals the sheer scale of Drek's environmental plunder, forcing them to improvise weapons from scrap and ingenuity.

As the corporate fleet closes in on the final target, the tension shifts from simple survival to a desperate struggle for the soul of the galaxy. The mechanic must decide whether to continue his pursuit of a personal vendetta against those who betrayed him or to finally embrace the heroic mantle he once ridiculed. The robot struggles to keep the mission on track while his own internal systems begin to register the immense emotional weight of their failure. They stand before a final planetary countdown, staring at a weapon of mass destruction that threatens to erase the Lombax's home from the star charts forever.

2. Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (2003)

After the dust settles on their first adventure, the duo finds themselves thrust into the Bogon Galaxy under the employ of Abercrombie Fizzwidget, the eccentric CEO of Megacorp. They are tasked with recovering a stolen biological experiment from a masked thief who possesses uncanny agility and tactical knowledge. This high-stakes corporate retrieval mission sends them spiraling through a neon-lit frontier of industrial planets and treacherous space stations. What begins as a straightforward contract quickly unravels into a complex web of corporate espionage where every allied face masks a hidden agenda.

The mystery deepens when the "experiment"-a deceptively adorable creature known as the Protopet-is revealed to be a genetic ticking time bomb designed for mass distribution. The duo discovers that the thief they were hunting was actually trying to protect the galaxy from a looming ecological disaster engineered by Megacorp's own lack of foresight. As the creatures begin to multiply and consume everything in their path, the protagonists find themselves caught between a ruthless mercenary group and a corporate hierarchy that treats global catastrophe as a minor PR hurdle. The scale of the infestation threatens to overwhelm entire civilizations, turning once-vibrant colonies into silent, biological graveyards.

Internal friction arises as the heroes realize they have been weaponized by the very people they were supposed to assist. The Lombax must reconcile his professional obligations with the moral evidence of Megacorp's negligence, while his robotic partner attempts to calculate a cure for a plague that is evolving faster than their technology. The narrative reaches a fever pitch as the Protopets are released into the general population, triggering a wave of primal chaos. They are left racing toward the Megacorp headquarters, knowing that a single lapse in judgment could allow the infestation to become permanent.

3. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (2004)

The heroes return to the Solana Galaxy only to find it under siege by Dr. Nefarious, a robotic supervillain with a deep-seated hatred for all "squishies"-biological life forms. The antagonist plans to utilize a catastrophic device known as the Bio-bliterator to forcibly transform every living creature into a machine, effectively "cleansing" the universe of organic clutter. To counter this technological genocide, the protagonists must reunite with the Galactic Rangers and the disgraced Captain Qwark, forming a reluctant task force to strike at the heart of the robot insurgency.

The conflict escalates as Nefarious utilizes his celebrity status and pop-culture influence to manipulate the masses, turning the war into a televised spectacle. The heroes infiltrate underwater secret bases and icy mountain strongholds, uncovering the villain's personal history of humiliation that fueled his mechanical crusade. The relationship between the Lombax and his robotic companion is tested when the robot is offered a position of power within the machine empire, forcing him to choose between his organic friend and his mechanical heritage. The airwaves are choked with propaganda, making it nearly impossible to distinguish between liberation and conquest.

Themes of loyalty and the absurdity of fame permeate the narrative as the duo navigates a galaxy that seems more interested in Qwark's comeback tour than the impending biological extinction. They find themselves trapped in a labyrinth of robotic factories, racing to disable the Bio-bliterator before its final activation sequence begins. The villain's obsession with dramatic flair leads to a high-stakes pursuit across the star system, with the heroes barely staying ahead of a fleet of mechanical hunters. They stand on the precipice of a final planetary transformation, wondering if a few bolts and a brave heart are enough to stop the inevitable march of the machines.

4. Ratchet: Deadlocked (2005)

In a dark departure for the series, the protagonists are abducted from their ship and transported to the Shadow Sector, a lawless region of space beyond the reach of galactic authorities. They are forced to compete in DreadZone, a brutal, televised combat sport run by the media mogul Gleeman Vox, where contestants are fitted with "Deadlock" collars that explode if they show signs of boredom or cowardice. The Lombax is thrust into the arena as a gladiator, while his robotic companion is relegated to the control room, forced to watch his friend fight for the entertainment of billions.

The narrative focuses on the dehumanizing effects of the media and the commodification of violence as the Lombax climbs the ranks of the DreadZone champions. He is pitted against lethal "Exterminators" who have abandoned their morality for higher ratings and corporate sponsorships. Every victory brings more fame, but it also tightens the grip of Gleeman Vox, who intends to keep his star attraction in the arena forever. The protagonist's struggle for survival becomes a lonely pilgrimage through industrial combat zones, where the only allies are the specialized combat drones he manages to reprogram.

Tension mounts as the duo secretly collaborates to sabotage the DreadZone infrastructure from within, risking instant execution if their movements are detected. The relationship between the fighter and the technician becomes their only anchor in a world that views them as expendable data points. Vox's desperation to maintain his ratings leads him to plan a final, catastrophic season finale that involves the destruction of the entire arena complex with the contestants still inside. The heroes face a final, explosive gauntlet where the prize is not a trophy, but the right to breathe free air once again.

5. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (2007)

The peace of Metropolis is shattered when Emperor Percival Tachyon, a vengeful Cragmite tyrant, launches a massive invasion with a singular goal: the total eradication of the last Lombax in the universe. During a harrowing escape, the protagonists discover that the Lombax race did not simply vanish but fled to another dimension to escape Tachyon's ancestors, leaving behind a legacy of high-tech secrets. This revelation sparks a galactic hunt for the "Lombax Secret," a mysterious device rumored to be capable of ending the Cragmite threat forever.

The journey leads them to the Polaris Galaxy, a region steeped in ancient lore and dominated by Tachyon's imperial might. The Lombax must grapple with the heavy weight of being the sole representative of a lost civilization, while his robotic partner begins to see visions of tiny, ethereal beings known as the Zoni. These entities suggest that the robot has a much more significant destiny than merely being a sidekick, creating a subtle but growing rift between the two friends. They navigate through dinosaur-infested jungles and derelict space stations, piecing together the history of a war that predates their own existence.

The thematic focus shifts toward the price of knowledge and the danger of looking too deeply into the past. Tachyon's obsession with reclaiming his race's lost glory mirrors the hero's own desperate search for his family, creating a dark parallel between protagonist and antagonist. As they finally locate the "Dimensionator," they realize that its power could either bring the Lombaxes back or seal their fate for eternity. The duo stands at a cosmic crossroads as the Zoni finally make their move, leaving the partnership in a state of absolute uncertainty.

6. Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty (2008)

Following the sudden and mysterious disappearance of his robotic partner, the Lombax embarks on a desperate search across the remote Azorean Sea on planet Merdegraw. He is following a lead concerning a legendary pirate captain named Darkwater, who was rumored to have possessed a device capable of communicating with the Zoni. The atmosphere is one of swashbuckling mystery, as the hero navigates through dark sea caves and precarious island outposts, far removed from the high-tech cities he usually inhabits.

The conflict intensifies when the ghost of Captain Slag and his band of undead mechanical pirates return to claim Darkwater's treasure for themselves. The Lombax is forced to forge a fragile alliance with a local smuggler to decipher ancient maps and activate long-dormant beacons. Every step closer to his friend involves navigating lethal platforming challenges and solving environmental puzzles left behind by a civilization of seafaring robots. The sense of isolation is palpable, as the hero realizes just how much he relied on his partner's tactical analysis and companionship.

The narrative explores the theme of perseverance in the face of overwhelming loss. The Lombax's motivation is purely personal, driving him to take reckless risks against a pirate army that cannot be truly killed. He uncovers the secret of the "Obsidian Eye," a powerful relic that promises a glimpse into the dimension where his friend is being held captive. The story reaches a suspenseful peak as the ghost fleet surrounds the final lighthouse, leaving the hero to wonder if the answers he finds will be enough to bring his partner home.

7. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (2009)

The dual narratives finally converge as the robot discovers he is the caretaker of the Great Clock, a massive facility at the exact center of the universe that maintains the flow of time itself. Meanwhile, the Lombax discovers another survivor of his race, the veteran General Alister Azimuth, who reveals a plan to use the Great Clock to go back in time and prevent the Lombax exodus. The protagonists are separated by light-years and ideologies, with one learning the secrets of the cosmos while the other prepares to rewrite history.

The friction between the characters reaches a heartbreaking peak as their goals become fundamentally incompatible. Azimuth's obsession with fixing the mistakes of the past threatens to tear the fabric of reality apart, as the Great Clock was never intended to be used as a time machine. The robot, mentored by a celestial consciousness, realizes that his duty to the universe must come before his loyalty to his friend. They navigate through temporal rifts and shifting landscapes where the past and future bleed into the present, creating a chaotic environment where cause and effect are no longer certain.

The thematic tension centers on the acceptance of loss and the danger of playing god with the timeline. The Lombax is torn between his desire to see his family again and the warnings of his robotic partner about the catastrophic risks of Azimuth's plan. Dr. Nefarious returns to the fray, seeking to seize the Clock for his own mechanical ends, adding a layer of immediate danger to the philosophical struggle. As the heroes finally reunite at the heart of the facility, a single mistake triggers a temporal collapse. They face a final, desperate race to stabilize the universe before time itself ceases to exist.

8. Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus (2013)

Serving as a somber epilogue to the Future saga, the story begins with the heroes escorting two dangerous criminals-Vendra and Neftin Prog-to a high-security prison. A violent jailbreak leads to a catastrophic explosion that leaves the protagonists stranded in a haunted sector of space known for its thin reality. They discover that the Prog twins are attempting to open a portal to the "Netherverse," a dark dimension inhabited by terrifying creatures that Vendra believes are her long-lost kin.

The conflict is defined by the eerie, supernatural atmosphere of the haunted planets they must traverse. Vendra's desperation to find a sense of belonging mirrors the Lombax's own past, but her willingness to sacrifice entire worlds makes her a tragic and lethal antagonist. The heroes utilize new gravity-defying technology to navigate the shattered remains of abandoned research facilities, uncovering the dark secrets of the original experiments that first contacted the Netherverse. The bond between the two friends is weary but unbreakable, forged by years of cosmic trauma and hard-won wisdom.

The thematic focus explores the idea of closing doors on the past and finding peace in the present. The Lombax must confront the fact that his search for his race may never have a happy ending, while his partner struggles to protect him from the encroaching darkness of the Nether creatures. As the portal to the Netherverse begins to tear the sector apart, the heroes face a final, gravity-warping confrontation with the Progs. The narrative ends on a contemplative note, with the duo staring at the stars and wondering what remains for them in a universe that is finally, quietly, at peace.

9. Ratchet & Clank (2016)

This cinematic reimagining of the original meeting returns to the Solana Galaxy, framed as a biographical story told by the incarcerated Captain Qwark. A wide-eyed Lombax mechanic on Veldin fails his audition for the Galactic Rangers, only to find his life transformed when he rescues a tiny robot from a crash site. Together, they uncover Chairman Drek's plan to use the "Deplanetizer" to build a new world out of the debris of conquered planets. They join the Galactic Rangers, led by a skeptical Qwark, to embark on a polished, high-definition crusade to save the star system.

The narrative follows the duo's rise from amateur volunteers to the Rangers' most effective assets, much to the chagrin of the glory-seeking Qwark. They navigate through a vibrant landscape of urban skylines and volcanic moons, systematically dismantling Drek's industrial infrastructure. However, a much more sinister force is revealed to be pulling the strings behind the scenes, using Drek as a front for a more calculated technological purge. The friction between the heroes' genuine idealism and the Rangers' commercialized heroism provides a satirical backdrop to the explosive action.

Tension peaks as the Deplanetizer is aimed at the most populated world in the galaxy, and a major betrayal leaves the Rangers in disarray. The Lombax must find the inner strength to lead a counter-attack without the support of his idols, while his robotic partner provides the tactical intelligence to bypass the station's impenetrable shields. They find themselves in a race against the clock to disable the core before the primary weapon fires. The story leaves the duo standing amidst the remnants of the enemy fleet, their status as the galaxy's premier protectors now firmly established.

10. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (2021)

During a celebratory parade in their honor, Dr. Nefarious ambushes the heroes and steals the Dimensionator, intending to find a reality where he always wins. The device malfunctions, triggering a massive dimensional collapse that pulls the duo into a dystopian alternate universe where an empress version of Nefarious has already conquered the galaxy. The protagonists are separated, with the robot meeting a battle-hardened female Lombax named Rivet, who leads a struggling resistance against the robotic regime.

The narrative alternates between the perspectives of the two Lombaxes as they navigate a fractured multiverse of shifting realities and pocket dimensions. They must find the components to forge a new Dimensionator while dodging the Imperial forces that have utilized the rifts to expand their conquest. The introduction of Rivet provides a fresh perspective on the Lombax identity, as she has lived a much harder, more isolated life than her counterpart. The protagonists must learn to trust their new allies while their robotic friend acts as the bridge between two worlds that are rapidly bleeding into each other.

The thematic focus centers on the fear of being "defective" and the courage to find hope in broken realities. Rivet's cynicism and the robot's search for his own origin create a deep emotional resonance amidst the chaotic, reality-warping combat. As the two versions of Nefarious join forces to erase all resistance from every dimension, the heroes must coordinate a multi-dimensional counter-strike. The suspense builds to a final, grand-scale confrontation at the heart of the Imperial capital, where the survival of the entire multiverse depends on four heroes from two different worlds standing as one.

All Ratchet & Clank Games in Order: A comprehensive list of the franchise, organized by release and chronological order. Information is curated from web sources and highlights mainline entries only. Note: This guide does not include DLCs or remakes, focusing strictly on primary Ratchet & Clank titles for a cleaner browsing experience.