Ratchet & Clank review – silly fun with a few surprises

This reimagining of the first game in the classic action adventure series is a fond, respectful and visually beautiful exercise in nostalgia

Released to coincide with the forthcoming movie, Ratchet & Clank could have been a cash grab - a cynical HD reskin of Insomniac Games's classic action adventure. It could have been churned out fast to capitalise on all the goodwill and publicity surrounding the film. But it isn't and it wasn't. It's great.

As a re-imagining of the original 2002 title, the graphics are the first thing players will notice. The technical possibilities have improved vastly in the last 14 years, so now the levels are filled with extraordinary colour, light and detail. Zoomed-out views at the start of each level and the occasional flying taxi ride allow the creators to show off their intricate world-building, and the effects can be breathtaking. These alien worlds feel huge and - despite the relative lack of NPCs outside of cutscenes - alive, with geographical features or city buildings stretching out into the horizon as airships cruise by overhead.