Even the most loyalXboxfan 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 likeGod of WarandBloodborne,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 thattriple-A exclusive games will be coming to the Xbox Series X/Ssoon.
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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. TheRatchet & Clankseries 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 Apartwas 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, asMicrosoft 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 greatgames like Ratchet and Clank on Xbox.
18TY The Tasmanian Tiger HD
As the name suggests,TY The Tasmanian Tiger HDis a high-definition remaster of the originalTY 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 HDis 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.
17The Gunk
The Gunkwas 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 respectable70 on Metacritic.
The Gunkis currently available on Game Pass, giving numerous players the chance to trythe four to six-hour adventureat no additional cost.
16Toy Story 3: The Video Game
Movie tie-inswere already starting to fade away by 2010, but given how successful theToy Story 3film 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 Gamewas 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 Gamealso includes a thoroughly enjoyable sandbox mode that is based on the Woody’s Roundup television series seen inToy Story 2.
15Sunset Overdrive
Sunset Overdrivewas originally released in October 2014 on Xbox One before coming to PC just over four years later. The game will immediately stand out toRatchetfans for being developed by Insomniac Games, the studio behind theRatchet & Clankfranchise.
Sunset Overdriveis similar toRatchet & Clankwith 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’sbeautiful open world.
14ReCore
ReCore’s similarities to theRatchet & Clankseries come from its blend of gunfighting action and platforming. Unfortunately,ReCorefalls short of theRatchet & Clankseries' quality, exemplified by itsXbox 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 resemblesRatchet & Clank.Fans of the series may still want to give it a shot.
13Conker: Live & Reloaded
Conker: Live & Reloadedis a remake of the cult classicConker’s Bad Fur Day, which is also available on Xbox consoles through 2015’s Xbox One gameRare Replay.
AlthoughConker’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.
12Lego City Undercover
Ever since the release ofLego Star Wars: The Video Gamein 2005, theLegoseries 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.
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Unlike most modernLegogames,Lego City Undercoverdoesn’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.
11Sonic Unleashed
To say that 3DSonicgames divide opinion would be an understatement. Some claim that there are no good 3DSonicgames, while others say that the series ranks among the platform genre’s very best. For those who enjoy the games,Sonic Unleashedis often mentioned as a favorite.
Sonic Unleashedwas 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.”
10Super Lucky’s Tale
Super Lucky’s Taleis a sequel toLucky’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 likeBanjo-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.
9Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
In terms of difficulty,Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Timeis on the other side of the spectrum to the aforementionedSuper Lucky’s Tale. Toys For Bob acknowledged that a large chunk of people buying the latestCrash Bandicootgame will have perfected the original PS1 trilogy. Consequently, developers ramped up the difficulty inIt’s About Timewith 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, andfrustratingly short platinum relic timesthat require players to perfect not just the levels but the fiddly triple spin mechanic.
