7 PlayStation Franchises That Could Use the Ratchet & Clank Treatment

Earlier this month, we welcomed the return of the greatest heroes in all the galaxy when Insomniac’s rebooted Ratchet & Clank descended onto PlayStation 4.

It was a triumphant homecoming, too, with our own Chandler Wood showering praise on the studio’s smart, funny and damn well beautiful adventure. Toeing the line between reboot and franchise revival, the Ratchet & Clank of PS4 is considered a re-imagining of the 2002 original, but not without the addition of new planets, bosses and wonderfully over-the-top weaponry.

From the Groovitron to the bat-shit insane Pixelizer, Insomniac did a stand-up job of ensuring the core spirit of R&C remained intact, all the while fine-tuning the formula for a new generation.

Going Back to the Well

It may not be perfect, but for an origins story of the titular, spacefaring duo, Ratchet & Clank PS4 represents a stellar starting point for newcomers to the series. Plus, the fact that Insomniac opted to release the franchise revival for $40 as opposed to the standard $60 ensures the galactic platformer stands as an enticing prospect for those who are perhaps still on the fence.

Couple this with the imminent feature film and there’s no question that Ratchet & Clank is back in business, ready to kick some asteroid all the way to the Solona galaxy. But what other dormant PlayStation franchises are in need of a little fan service?

In debuting Ratchet & Clank to the PS4 audience, Insomniac released a nostalgic adventure that deftly balanced the old with the new, all wrapped up in an enviable $40 price point.

Let’s suppose for a moment that other developers will adopt a similar strategy, what would those results look like? Moreover, with the advent of PlayStation VR, it’s worth keeping in mind that some of these titles could be reworked for Sony’s head-mounted device.

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