Games Like Ratchet and Clank: 10 Must-Play Alternatives

Sunset Overdrive

Vivid colors? Checked. Lively atmosphere? Checked. Fast-paced action and ridiculous humor? Checked.

Image credit: Insomniac Games

Forget about realism – Sunset Overdrive throws all that boring stuff out of the window and replaces it with pure arcade fun with constant action and explosions. The gameplay revolves around smoothly navigating through the city and completing various objectives. The point is to remain in constant motion and not break the combo meter – run the walls, jump, grind rails, get to the roofs, avoid enemy attacks, and shoot them down as you go. If you have ever played any Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game, this one feels incredibly similar, although with the addition of guns.

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Marvel’s Spider-Man

For a more mature experience, you could give Spider-Man a try – it’s a much more realistic alternative if that’s what you’re looking for.

Image credit: Insomniac Games

Marvel’s Spider-Man is an action-adventure title focused on the adventures of the titular superhero. Most likely known to the majority of people living in the USA and Europe, a man with spider-like powers returns with a brand-new story that revolves around a mysterious gang called Inner Demons.

Often considered one of the best superhero video games ever made, Marvel’s Spider-Man provides a lot of entertainment value, mainly in the form of fluid melee combat and exploration with the use of an intuitive web-swinging system that allows one to quickly soar between New York City’s skyscrapers and admire gorgeous views while doing so – definitely a must-play.

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TY the Tasmanian Tiger

There are numerous classic alternatives to Ratchet and Clank as well, and this one is just one of the possible options.

TY the Tasmanian Tiger is an old 3D platform game, where you’ll be playing as the titular Ty as he begins his journey, with the ultimate goal of freeing his family trapped in a different dimension. The game has some sense of humor and presents a rather casual, family-friendly adventure with a variety of increasingly challenging objectives to complete. You’ll have to explore a number of levels taking place in various different biomes, defeat the enemies and solve simple puzzles as you go.

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Spyro the Dragon

Light-hearted casual platform games were quite popular back in the day and Spyro the Dragon is another great example of a such game.

People who liked Ratched and Clank would surely love the adventures of an adorable little dragon. Spyro may yet be inexperienced and small, but he’s brave enough to nullify his shortcomings and tackle the challenges that lie ahead. And that’s good, as he’ll be tasked with freeing all the other dragons – he’s the only one who managed to escape being turned into a crystal by the game’s villain, so now he’s the last hope of those who were less fortunate.

If visuals are important to you, you may be interested in checking out Spyro Reignited Trilogy – a phenomenal remaster of the first three games from the franchise with much better graphics and better controls, but most importantly, made available to modern consoles, including Nintendo Switch, and PC.

A Boy and His Blob

This reimagined version of a 1989 game could also be a great choice to play if you’re a fan of the Ratchet and Clank series.

Image credit: Abstraction Games

As opposed to fully 3D games you may be more used to, A Boy and His Blob is a 2D platformer and puts more emphasis on puzzle solving and finding your way through a variety of traps and other obstacles.

It offers a much more relaxed pace – instead of mindlessly rushing forward, you’ll often have to stop and think about how to pass different sections of the level. The most unique gameplay feature is your shapeshifting blob friend – he can change into a ladder to allow you to get to seemingly inaccessible platforms, change into a cannon and shoot you through the gaps, or even lift the entire ceiling along with the connected vertical blocks of dirt, uncovering new passages.

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Sonic the Hedgehog 2

If you think Ratchet and Clank was too slow, you can try pumping up the tempo with Sonic the Hedgehog. Don’t blink or you’ll miss him!

Image credit: SEGA

Sonic the Hedgehog is one of these classic characters that broke all physical boundaries of popularity and became a transcendent being that will live in the hearts of his fans for years to come – even if you’re not sure what he is or what he does, chances are pretty high that you’ve already heard his name mentioned somewhere before. Insanely fast and chaotic, Sonic will put your reflexes to the test. Avoid traps and obstacles, collect the rings, and get to the destination safely – easier said than done, but with enough practice, you’ll be able to overcome all challenges that lie ahead.

If you prefer a more modern experience tailored for new consoles and PC in particular, make sure to check out Sonic Frontiers as well.

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Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

You must have heard about Crash Bandicoot at some point. If you’re not sure who’s that exactly, now you’ve got the opportunity to learn.

Image credit: Vicarious Visions

2017 was a perfect time to familiarize yourself with the Crash Bandicoot series if you didn’t have the opportunity to play any of the games before. That’s exactly when a collection of remastered versions of the three first classic Crash Bandicoot games was released, allowing old fans to immerse in nostalgic feelings once more, while also giving new players a more attractive and approachable way of diving into the franchise for the first time. The games play similarly to their original counterparts, but the visuals and music were greatly overhauled. Run through the levels, collect items, defeat opponents and destroy crates – a simple yet very effective gameplay formula.

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Super Mario Odyssey

More often than not, Mario games were considered successful, but Super Mario Odyssey is arguably the best and most enjoyable title from the series up to date.

Image credit: Nintendo

Although as opposed to Ratchet and Clank, there’s not much shooting involved, it’s very likely that you’ll instantly fall in love with this one anyway. The game is extremely polished to the absolute limits in all areas, from level and sound design to visuals, animations, gameplay novelty, and control responsiveness. It’s a precious shiny diamond in the platform genre you can’t afford to miss if you own Nintendo Switch – overwhelmingly positive reviews from both critics and players alike say it all. Explore beautiful 3D worlds and uncover their secrets as you hunt for hidden collectibles.

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Banjo-Kazooie

Among classic platformers, there’s one more that’s especially worth being mentioned on the list – a game about a cute animal duo as they progress through the levels.

Banjo-Kazooie focuses on the titular characters of Banjo and Kazooie, a bear and a bird, who join forces and work together in order to rescue Banjo’s sister. The game features different kinds of challenges, and the game’s pace ranges from peaceful to quite fast and energetic, especially during the time-limited parts. Each new level also feels and looks unique enough to maintain a high degree of excitement – boredom is not something you’ll experience in Banjo-Kazooie.

Although it may be difficult to find a way to play the original game these days, you can get the ported version on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Pumpkin Jack

Last but not least, Pumpkin Jack is a perfect title to play if you’ve already completed everything there was in Ratchet and Clank and now you want to try something new.

Image credit: Nicolas Meyssonnier

Pumpkin Jack is incredibly fun, polished, and basically looks like a game made by a professional studio, yet it was developed by one indie dev, which in itself is a stupefying feat. The game offers a test of skill not only for your dodging and timing abilities but also for your clever thinking and puzzle-solving capabilities.

There’s everything you’d want from this kind of game: humor, action, responsive and smooth controls, and enough novelty in gameplay to keep one engaged for the entirety of the playthrough. And let’s not forget about the background music that reinforces the spookiness and builds a silly Halloween atmosphere.

Pumpkin Jack

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