PS5's most underrated AAA franchise returns as new free entry goes under the radar

The PlayStation 5 is home to some incredible first-party titles, with Astro Bot, Ghost of Yōtei, Horizon Forbidden West, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and God of War Ragnarök among them.

It’s Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, though that is perhaps one of the PS5’s most underrated first-party exclusives.

Despite performing well both commercially and critically, you don’t hear fans calling on Insomniac Games for the next franchise entry as they do for Marvel’s Spider-Man.

Hopefully, a new full-scale Ratchet & Clank emerges before long, but at least for now, we’re being treated to a free-to-play spin-off.

Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble has officially begun its pre-registration period, meaning that we’re on the final countdown to launch.

This free-to-play hero shooter is actually being developed by Oh Bibi, and while it is unfortunately a mobile-only game with no console release yet planned, it does look pretty good.

The game has been made in collaboration with both Insomniac Games and PlayStation Studios.

It’s built around the premise that Captain Qwark has developed a new combat simulation programme to find the next generation of Galactic Rangers.

PlayStation Studios

The player steps inside that simulation, selecting from a line-up of legendary heroes.

You’ll be able to master a wide array of abilities and make use of powerful weapons as you engage in real-time PvP arena battles with some PvE elements.

There are to be 12 heroes available at launch, which you can use across six game modes.

“Squad up with friends in fast-paced team PvP battles, take on waves of enemies in PvE, or discover fresh twists to the license, including a battle royale-inspired mode and a football-inspired showdown where every goal comes with a little extra firepower,” reads a post on the PlayStation Blog.

It seems to be teased that beloved weapons from across the series’ history will return, although with some refinements to make them built for fast-paced mobile platform skirmishes.

It’s also hoped that the music will ooze nostalgia for long-time fans of the franchise.

READ MORE: PlayStation users issued refunds as $60 AAA cancels highly-anticipated DLC

Pre-register your interest to unlock unique free bonus DLC

Again, the pre-registration period has now begun. It’s essentially a way for you to register your interest in the game ahead of its upcoming launch.

The more people who do pre-register, the more in-game rewards you’ll actually unlock.

Qredits, Reebok, and Raritanium are all up for grabs if you pre-register your interest. Plus, if the final community milestone is reached, players will unlock a Clank Suit skin for Widget.

All rewards are due to be delivered when the game launches, which, sadly, still lacks a release date; this is the final countdown, though with beta testing having already been held.

You can pre-register by visiting the game’s website with Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble due to launch across both the App Store and Google Play.

“Until launch, the team is hard at work polishing the game, expanding the experience, and preparing a few exciting surprises for players to discover,” the blog post concluded.

“Some of what’s coming may already be hiding in the screenshots throughout this article.”

Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble should definitely offer some welcomed on-the-go fun, but let’s hope Insomniac Games follows up eventually with a brand-new mainline entry.