PlayStation At Home has kicked off, promising four months of free content for PlayStation fans. Insomniac's Ratchet and Clank from 2016 is the first game being offered to everyone on PS4 and PS5 for free, no PlayStation Plus subscription required. It's a clear — and smart — marketing tactic when you consider that a sequel, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, is set to launch in June, but an upcoming game doesn't necessarily mean its predecessor is worth your time. It just so happens that this time it is. Now's the perfect opportunity to jump into the classic series before Rift Apart's dimension-hopping shenanigans ensue.

While Ratchet and Clank (2016) served as a reimagining of the original game and isn't a direct prequel to Rift Apart (that honor goes to Into the Nexus from 2013), it's probably the best way to introduce yourself to the series. According to Insomniac, though Rift Apart follows Into the Nexus' continuity, it will mostly be a standalone adventure that new fans can jump into with ease. Because of this, familiarizing yourself with the basics of the series in Ratchet and Clank is a smart idea. Since the last game released in 2016, you'll find many gameplay similarities to latch on to.

If you're not at all familiar with the series, Ratchet and Clank follows the adventures of the anthropomorphic Lombax called Ratchet and his robot buddy Clank as they rid the universe of evil. In its 2016 iteration, Ratchet and Clank attempt to stop evil forces from using the Deplanetizer, a weaponized space station, to destroy several planets and use their remaining resources to build a new home for their evil empire.

It's considered to be one of the best platformers on PS4 for good reason: the controls are responsive, the gameplay is engaging, and it features top-notch visuals. Insomniac looks to continue that trend in Rift Apart.

The only downside of the 2016 release is that it's single-player. While I personally prefer single-player games, given the state of the world many are gravitating towards co-op and multiplayer to connect with other people when they can't leave their homes. As long as that's not a deal breaker for you, I highly recommend it. Plus it's free, so you really have no excuse not to.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is set to launch on June 11, 2021 for the PS5, with no last-gen version on the PS4. It will feature multiple graphics modes that include options like4K resolution, 60FPS gameplay, ray tracing, and more. And like most of Sony's upcoming first-party games it will cost $70 at launch for the base edition.

Ratchet and Clank

Download for free until March 31
Insomniac reimagined the original Ratchet and Clank for its 2016 release, creating a wonderful platformer that stars everyone's favorite Lombax and robot duo.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

A new adventure awaits
Ratchet and Clank are back again in Rift Apart, the upcoming action-platformer from Insomniac. Travel across dimensions and save the universe from complete annihilation when it launches in June.