8 Reasons Ratchet And Clank Is The Best PS4 Exclusive So Far

You know when you come across a game that just screams quality? The Witcher 3 had it, Rocket League did too, and considering I was already willing to embrace a 3D platformer like an old friend not seen in decades, Ratchet & Clank is absolutely bursting with charisma and charm.

It's a damn good thing too, because Insomniac deserve to have their name up in lights. The creators of Spyro have since lost him to the Skylanders abyss, only to get lost in developing the cult success Resistance,mega-flop, Fuseand the supremely underrated Sunset Overdrive. Now they're back to putting something out that has an immediate sense of appeal, with value routed in nostalgia and a new tie-in film, the result hopefully being that Ratchet & Clank will spearhead the return of the 3D platforming genre in full.

We'll have to wait and see on that last part, but if the critical and commercial response so far is anything to go by, it's only going to be bolstered by the likes of Yooka-Laylee, Lucky's Tale and Rime in the coming months and years.

Here's to more exclusives that truly show off their console's best aspects, as Insomniac have really knocked it out the park with this one.

8. It's An Effortless Blend Of Genres

Across the last generation, Ratchet was continually pushed in increasingly action-focussed directions. Personally I adored the original instalment and the PS3's outstanding Tools of Destruction, but the more they became weird-controlling shooters, the less interested I became.

Well, the Ratchet of today is a mix of both. Standard platforming controls apply for the most part, but holding down the left trigger snaps the camera behind you, rearranging your analogue sticks and allowing for strafing and more precise dodging.

It's a neat and matured system, one reminiscent of something like Dark Souls that sees players toggling between lock-ons and standard freeform combat to deal with single or groups of foes in any encounter.