On November 4, 2002, Ratchet & Clank made its debut on the PS2 in North America. The groundbreaking title helped put PlayStation on the map for platformers and solidified Insomniac Games as one of the best developers in the industry.
A Historic Day for Platformers
For many of us ’90s kids, Nintendo had a chokehold on platformers, as games like Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie completely dominated the genre. However, Insomniac Games’ Spyro the Dragon in 1998 was, for many of us, the first time we considered PlayStation an actual alternative to Nintendo’s tight grip on console gaming.
So when Ratchet & Clank made its debut in 2002, many were excited to see how the PS2 would continue to evolve platformers—and Insomniac Games did not disappoint. The new title was ahead of its time with its Pixar-style characters and mind-bending gameplay elements. In my opinion, Ratchet & Clank was the first time many recognized Insomniac Games as a truly unique voice in the gaming space.
Groundbreaking Gameplay That Defined a Generation
Without a doubt, one of the most defining aspects of Ratchet & Clank was its varied weapons and gadgets. The platformer had a total of 36 items you could collect, which was a lot for a 2002 game. One of my favorite weapons was the Suck Cannon, which essentially turned you into Kirby and allowed you to swallow smaller enemies and turn them into projectiles to save ammunition.
Then there’s the iconic Devastator rocket launcher. The gold upgrade version had missiles that automatically targeted enemies and even bounced off them. However, what really made Ratchet & Clank stand out was its impressive mashup of being a third-person shooter with platforming elements.
At the time, games like Banjo-Kazooie had shooting mechanics, but they were very clunky, as the N64 wasn’t the best when it came to entering first-person mode. Insomniac Games blended the two genres seamlessly without losing the fun of its platforming gameplay.
Beautiful Worlds That Still Impress in 2025
While many PS2 graphics don’t hold up as well today, this isn’t the case with Ratchet & Clank. One of Insomniac Games’ signature qualities as a studio was established in the series, and that is beautifully diverse worlds with striking color palettes. As a child, I just remember being blown away by all the various levels you got to explore in Ratchet & Clank. And again, when compared to other platformers at the time, it truly stood out.
Planet Rilgar, for example, is a dystopian metropolis with looming skyscrapers and factories. But then, in contrast, you’re thrown into Orxon, a dirty swampland dominated by a bright green color scheme. My personal favorite, however, is Kerwan, a futuristic city in the sky. I still can’t believe this level was able to exist during the PS2 era. Its intricate level design is still impressive even in 2025.
Critical Praise and Lasting Legacy
When Ratchet & Clank made its debut, it made a huge splash in the industry. GamePro, for example, gave Insomniac Games’ platformer a 90 and wrote: “R & C’s innovation comes in the form of all those crazy, non-gimmicky weapons and tools. This is a complex, polished platform gaming machine.”
Game Informer magazine gave it similar praise, specifically citing Ratchet & Clank’s impressive level design. “The detail that went into the worlds and fluidity of the character movements are towering achievements that have no rival.”
All this to say, players knew the game was special when it debuted in 2002, and the game’s legacy has since solidified Insomniac Games’ place as one of the premier developers in the industry.
From Ratchet & Clank to Marvel’s Spider-Man and Beyond
In 2019, Sony purchased Insomniac Games to make them an exclusive PlayStation Studios team. Unsurprisingly, the studio made another groundbreaking title with Marvel’s Spider-Man. Just like Ratchet & Clank defined platformers, their take on Peter Parker showed the industry how superhero games can be done right.
A lot of Ratchet & Clank’s DNA can still be found in that series as well. For example, 2023’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has you switching between multiple characters while exploring a beautiful and colorful open world. While Spider-Man isn’t a platformer, a lot of its fun combat and gameplay has a direct lineage to Ratchet & Clank.
In 2026, Insomniac Games is now setting its sights on Wolverine. It will be interesting to see how the studio continues the legacy of Ratchet & Clank in its latest Marvel title. But based on their incredible history as a studio, it’s almost guaranteed to be fun.
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