

The player character is provided with health, in the form of nanotech, which is displayed (after the first two installments) as a numeric value. Bolts, which serve as the main form of currency in the series, can be obtained by defeating enemies and smashing crates, and they are required for purchasing weapons, armor, and other items the player may need. His other weapons and gadgets can be cycled through using pause menus or the Quick Select. Ratchet's most common device is the OmniWrench, which appears in many varieties and is used as a melee weapon in combat, for turning bolt cranks, and picking up and throwing items (in later installments).

Ratchet can jump and double jump, aided by Clank through built-in gadgets such as the Heli-Pack, plus he wields a wide variety of weapons and gadgets. In the main series, gameplay focuses on Ratchet, who carries Clank as a backpack, as he explores different planets to complete objectives before unlocking and moving onto another. Ratchet using his OmniWrench 8000 against a horny toad. The plot arc focuses on Ratchet, a lombax mechanic with a lifelong desire to explore space, and Clank, a Zoni robot created in a robot factory, as they go on adventures to save the universe from various threats. They are primarily known for their weaponry, featuring a wide variety of often comically outlandish, yet strategically valuable, weapons. The games feature a science fiction setting and span a variety of genres, mostly focused on third-person action-adventure and shooting, with elements of platforming, racing, and puzzle solving. Outside of video games, the series has been featured in many forms of media such as comic books and film. Many releases are also playable on the PS Vita hardware and PlayStation Now online service.

It was developed as a Sony intellectual property exclusively for PlayStation hardware, having begun on the PlayStation 2 and since being developed for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation Portable.

The Ratchet & Clank series is a video game franchise created by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The logo of the Ratchet & Clank Future trilogy.
