Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando is a 2003 platformer developed by Insomniac Games for the PlayStation 2, the sequel starring the wisecracking Lombax mechanic Ratchet and his small robot friend Clank on a new galaxy-spanning adventure in the Bogon Galaxy for a mysterious megacorporation.

Building on the original, it greatly expanded the outrageous arsenal of gadgets and weapons, and crucially added weapon-leveling that upgrades guns through use, along with player experience and health that grow over the course of the game, giving it a light RPG progression. It mixed inventive weaponry and platforming with space-combat sections, arena gladiator challenges, and vehicle segments, deepening the variety and replay value considerably.

Considered a major step up from its already well-received predecessor and one of the finest games in the series, it helped cement Ratchet & Clank as a PlayStation mainstay. The franchise has continued across later hardware, and the early games have been made available in a remastered collection, so newcomers can readily experience this entry.