Insomniac Shouldn’t Miss The Chance to Make a Follow-Up to One of Its Best Games

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Insomniac Shouldn't Miss The Chance to Make a Follow-Up to One of Its Best Games

Highlights

  • Insomniac Games has found great success with Marvel games, but should remember to show love to their original Ratchet and Clank series.
  • Ratchet and Clank has been a big part of Playstation history, spanning multiple consoles and standing as a flagship brand for over 20 years.
  • Unfortunately, a new Ratchet and Clank game may not be released until 2029, as Insomniac is focused on developing multiple Marvel titles.

As a gamer with over two decades of PlayStation history under my belt, I can’t help but feel a tinge of nostalgia when it comes to the Ratchet and Clank series. This duo has been there since the early days of my gaming life, traversing dimensions, battling baddies, and making me laugh with their witty banter. It’s disheartening to see that Insomniac Games, despite their recent success with Marvel titles, seems to have forgotten about their original love – Ratchet and Clank.

Over the past few years, Insomniac Games has become known as Sony’s “superhero” studio, thanks to its focus on bringing Marvel franchises to life in video games. Since the release of the highly praised Marvel’s Spider-Man in 2018, they have been predominantly dedicated to this task. For example, in 2020, they launched the spin-off of Spider-Man (2018), titled Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, as a launch game for the PlayStation 5. Three years later, in 2023, Insomniac Games released Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on the PS5. Currently, they are also working on Marvel’s Wolverine, set to be the first standalone video game starring Wolverine since 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve been utterly thrilled by Insomniac’s superhero games, particularly the Spider-Man trilogy. These bad boys have sold over 50 million units, making them Insomniac’s most successful titles to date! It’s no surprise then that Sony and Insomniac are focusing on Marvel games, given their staggering success.

Insomniac Shouldn’t Forget to Give the Ratchet and Clank Franchise Some Love

Ratchet and Clank is a Big Part of PlayStation History

Apart from the PlayStation 1, the Ratchet and Clank series has been a significant part of almost every Sony console since 2002. This collection of 3D platform games is not only Insomniac’s most extensive franchise in terms of game count, but it’s also served as a leading brand for PlayStation for more than two decades. Interestingly, among the popular mascot platforming franchises that Sony had during the early 2000s, such as Naughty Dog’s Jak and Daxter and Sucker Punch’s Sly Cooper, Ratchet and Clank is the only one from that era still receiving new games today.

Over time, the popularity of the Ratchet and Clank series seems to have slowed down compared to its past. In the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 eras, new games in the series were frequently released, often two per year as in 2007 and 2008. However, since the launch of PlayStation 4, the creators, Insomniac Games, have focused more on projects like Sunset Overdrive, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Song of the Deep, and Edge of Nowhere, which led to fewer Ratchet and Clank releases. Consequently, only one new game from the series was released during the eighth generation of consoles – the 2016 remake of Ratchet and Clank.

A New Ratchet and Clank Game May Not Release Anytime Soon

Due to the fact that Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is currently the only game in the series available for the PlayStation 5, it appears that this pattern of exclusivity will persist throughout the current console generation. The leaked documents from Insomniac’s hack in December 2023 suggest this trend, as they indicate no new installment in the franchise until at least 2029. This upcoming Ratchet and Clank title is likely to be a PS6 exclusive. However, considering the unpredictable nature of game development, there’s a chance it could be delayed even longer.

Insomniac Should Try to Get the Next Ratchet and Clank Game Out Sooner If It Can

As a die-hard fan, I’ve been thrilled by the leaks suggesting that Insomniac Games has a plethora of upcoming projects underway, primarily focusing on Marvel characters. Besides Marvel’s Wolverine and Spider-Man 3, they are rumored to be working on a Venom game, an X-Men title, and a new Intellectual Property within the next decade or so. Given the jam-packed pipeline that Insomniac appears to have, it seems like we might not see a fresh installment of Ratchet and Clank in the near future. However, plans can always shift, so if by some miracle Insomniac finds some free space on their busy calendar, they should prioritize returning to their cherished 3D platformer series as soon as possible!

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2024-08-15 21:34