10 Masterpiece Video Games That Are Total Technical Powerhouses

7. Ratchet & Clank

Let's switch gears from open-world games, as it's possible to execute on a smaller scope with just as much proficiency, if not more. Insomniac's Ratchet & Clank reboot/half-sequel (you'll see, if you ever play it) was one where a movie counterpart accompanied the franchise's twin-pronged comeback.

Sadly, despite the foundations of Ratchet & Clank being a solid premise, the movie's humour was especially repetitive, souring the series' reception somewhat, but not detracting from just how insanely bang-on every part of the game was. You can tell Insomniac didn't just want to re-skin their 2002 original, instead going back and completely reworking the core engine, developing new chunks of the various levels, a load of new weapons, and refining every character model until it literally looked identical to what you'd see on the big screen.

It can't be understated just how gorgeous Ratchet & Clank looks in motion. A solid frame rate, dynamic lighting effects that really come to life whenever you deploy the disco ball-creating Groovitron - there's even a gun that turns enemies into pixellated sprites, which you can then smash apart like Lego bricks.

One of the most underrated PS4 exclusives of them all, Ratchet & Clank is an exemplarily well-made game, and one that already revitalised the 3D platformer long before Crash was back on the scene.