Even the most loyal Xbox fan would have to admit that they were a bit short-changed when it came to exclusives during the last generation of consoles. Whereas Sony provided players with excellent exclusives like God of War and Bloodborne, the Xbox One struggled to find consistency in terms of exclusive releases. However, Microsoft appears to have ditched their strategy of deprioritizing exclusives with their purchase of Bethesda, giving Xbox fans hope that triple-A exclusive games will be coming to the Xbox Series X/S soon.
Unfortunately, this battle between Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo to provide the best exclusives results in many gamers never getting the chance to play excellent games. The Ratchet & Clank series is one such case, as none of the series' many entries have ever appeared on an Xbox console. Thankfully, Xbox players don't have to search too hard to find similar platformers on Microsoft's home consoles.
Updated on September 8th, 2022, by Jack Pursey: Since this list was first written, another major Ratchet & Clank release has hit stores. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was a commercial success and a hit with fans and critics alike. Unfortunately for some, the game was, unsurprisingly, exclusive to PlayStation 5. There has been some good news for Xbox owners, however, as Microsoft has begun the process of acquiring Activision, so high-quality Xbox and PC exclusives likely aren't too far away. To tide Xbox owners over until then, we've updated this list with some more great games like Ratchet and Clank on Xbox.
18 TY The Tasmanian Tiger HD
As the name suggests, TY The Tasmanian Tiger HD is a high-definition remaster of the original TY The Tasmanian Tiger, which was released on Xbox, GameCube, and PlayStation 2 in September 2002. The HD remaster was first released on PC in December 2016, before arriving on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in the years that followed.
TY The Tasmanian Tiger HD is a solid platformer that doesn't try to reinvent the wheel in terms of level design but is still enjoyable nonetheless. The game's main differentiator is the protagonist's numerous boomerangs, which are sporadically unlocked throughout the game and give the player a wide range of unique abilities.
17 The Gunk
The Gunk was developed by Image & Form and was released on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in December 2021. The game puts players in control of a scavenger named Rani who traverses numerous alien biomes and rids them of a substance known as Gunk. The game wasn't a huge hit but scored a respectable 70 on Metacritic.
The Gunk is currently available on Game Pass, giving numerous players the chance to try the four to six-hour adventure at no additional cost.
16 Toy Story 3: The Video Game
Movie tie-ins were already starting to fade away by 2010, but given how successful the Toy Story 3 film was, few were surprised to see that a video game based on the film was released. Whereas many movie tie-in games were criticized for being little more than cash-grabs, Toy Story 3: The Video Game was a pleasant surprise that clearly tried to be a great game in its own right, something that it definitely succeeds in.
Along with a stellar story mode, Toy Story 3: The Video Game also includes a thoroughly enjoyable sandbox mode that is based on the Woody's Roundup television series seen in Toy Story 2.
15 Sunset Overdrive
Sunset Overdrive was originally released in October 2014 on Xbox One before coming to PC just over four years later. The game will immediately stand out to Ratchet fans for being developed by Insomniac Games, the studio behind the Ratchet & Clank franchise.
Sunset Overdrive is similar to Ratchet & Clank with its over-the-top, explosive action. Additionally, it features a wide range of innovative weaponry that players must utilize to take down huge waves of enemies in the game's beautiful open world.
14 ReCore
ReCore's similarities to the Ratchet & Clank series come from its blend of gunfighting action and platforming. Unfortunately, ReCore falls short of the Ratchet & Clank series' quality, exemplified by its Xbox One Metascore of just 63.
The game's issues are clear to see, particularly in its repetitive combat. Still, it's worth including on this list for how closely the sci-fi game's core gameplay resembles Ratchet & Clank. Fans of the series may still want to give it a shot.
13 Conker: Live & Reloaded
Conker: Live & Reloaded is a remake of the cult classic Conker's Bad Fur Day, which is also available on Xbox consoles through 2015's Xbox One game Rare Replay.
Although Conker' s platforming is thoroughly enjoyable, it's the game's humor that makes it truly stand out. The game's M rating may surprise people, especially when looking and the colorful visuals and cute character models. However, the reason for the rating soon becomes apparent when the fluffy protagonist opens his mouth.
12 Lego City Undercover
Ever since the release of Lego Star Wars: The Video Game in 2005, the Lego series has been a staple of the collectathon subgenre. The games have offered levels that are simple and enjoyable for casual players to beat but filled to the brim with tons of additional content for dedicated completionists to sink their teeth into.
Unlike most modern Lego games, Lego City Undercover doesn't tie into a licensed film or franchise. Instead, the game offers its own original story centered around the protagonist, Chase McCain, a police officer tasked with taking down the notorious criminal Rex Fury.
11 Sonic Unleashed
To say that 3D Sonic games divide opinion would be an understatement. Some claim that there are no good 3D Sonic games, while others say that the series ranks among the platform genre's very best. For those who enjoy the games, Sonic Unleashed is often mentioned as a favorite.
Sonic Unleashed was initially released in November 2008 and offered a unique spin on the long-running franchise. The game kept the series' traditional platforming stages but mixed in some beat 'em up levels. One of these featured Sonic transforming into a Werewolf-like creature known as a "Werehog."
10 Super Lucky's Tale
Super Lucky's Tale is a sequel to Lucky's Tale, an Oculus Rift VR launch title. The 2017 sequel ditched the use of VR and tried to bring gamers back to the golden days of platformers and collectathons like Banjo-Kazooie.
Despite being a throwback, the game seemingly isn't aimed at older audiences who are looking for some nostalgia. Instead, it's intended for younger audiences, clear from the game's simplicity. Its basic design holds it back from being a top platformer, but it's still an excellent game for younger audiences. Additionally, completing it 100% is challenging enough for it to be worth experienced players considering.
9 Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
In terms of difficulty, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is on the other side of the spectrum to the aforementioned Super Lucky's Tale. Toys For Bob acknowledged that a large chunk of people buying the latest Crash Bandicoot game will have perfected the original PS1 trilogy. Consequently, developers ramped up the difficulty in It's About Time with longer levels, tougher enemies, and trickier platforming sections.
Completing the game 100% is excruciatingly difficult. There are far more boxes to collect in each level, challenging flashback tapes, and frustratingly short platinum relic times that require players to perfect not just the levels but the fiddly triple spin mechanic.