Ratchet & Clank (or Ratchet and Clank) is a series of animated action shooting games featuring a futuristic science fiction environment for the PlayStation consoles by Sony. There are Ratchet and Clank videogames available for all Sony consoles except Playstation 1.

The reason why I am writing this article, is the fact that this franchise was a big part of my childhood and I still play Ratchet and Clank games in my free times, which I find them to be great games that can be extremely fun, challenging and let you adventure yourself in an intergalactic experience, exploring hundreds of different planets and travelling through space. There is also a Ratchet and Clank movie.

I have played most of Ratchet and Clank games available for Playstation 2 and Playstation 3, and so far, I've enjoyed every single one.

You play as Ratchet, a humanoid cat from planet Veldin and his loyal sidekick Clank, a small robot that possesses a high intelligence and also gadgets that can make him let Ratchet fly, or even make himself bigger. The first Ratchet and Clank game starts out in Ratchet's planet, where he meets his new friend Clank, and starting from there, the two heroes adventure themselves in a battle against the evil forces. Their first antagonist is Chairman Drek, which plans on destroying planets all over the galaxy, and new enemies will be found in the other games, such as Dr. Nefarious and Emperor Tachyon.

Another notable character from this series that is seen in many games is Captain Qwark, a man which appears dressed in a green suit who claims himself to be the greatest hero in the galaxy. However, he is egocentric, thinks too highly of himself and is also somewhat silly, sabotaging Ratchet and Clank in their missions and joining the evil side so he can steal their fame, but he has also helped the heroes several times and some villiains wouldn't have been stopped if it weren't for this aid.

The gameplay is filled with action, combat and is similar in every game of this series. You have a health bar that increases with experience points, a wrench named as Omniwrench which is Ratchet's main melee attacking tool and also useful for non-combat actions and a wide range of weapons that vary through every game. You start off with a few amount of weapons that are also upgradeable with experience points. The game also lets you purchase weapons and other items like armor and gadgets with bolts, the main currency of these games.

As you defeat your enemies in a certain planet and complete missions, it will be unlocked the access to even more planets and sometimes, you will be able to experience missions in space, playing as your heroes in their spaceship while shooting foes and exploring the universe.

What makes the franchise so unique and incredible is that the game lets you feel the adrenaline of an intense combat between Ratchet and Clank and enemy robots and aliens, but also, the planet and space textures combined with the background music is highly captivating. It is visually spectacular and all the unique weapons and gadgets that change in every game, apart from the always emerging foes and the constant missions that are given to you give you intense feelings and makes you want to keep playing because you will never know which enemy will appear next and which will be the planet you will explore.

If you have a PlayStation 2, Playstation 3 or even a PS4, PSP or PS Vita and haven't played any game from this franchise, what you are waiting for? I highly recommend everyone who can afford to play these games to explore the world of Ratchet and Clank so they can enjoy themselves crushing foes and travelling through vast galaxies in this amazing third-person shooter.

Here is the list of all released games (taken from Google):