The PlayStation brand is defined by its first party games, and behind each of these franchises is an incredibly talented studio. Developers like Naughty Dog have evolved with the industry, pushing the genre of story-driven games forward in significant ways. Sucker Punch has undergone an incredible evolution, moving from small-scale titles like Sly Cooper to sprawling open worlds like the one seen in Ghost of Tsushima. Santa Monica is continuing to grow as it moves toward the future of God of War. Alongside all these juggernauts is Insomniac Games, a studio that is quickly climbing the PlayStation Studios ranks.
While studios like Housemarque have been getting some well-deserved praise for games like Returnal, and Media Molecule’s Dreams is finally getting the attention it deserves, not nearly enough appreciation has been shared for Insomniac Games. The studio has been on fire lately, pumping out great games at an incredible rate. Despite focusing on singleplayer, these games have been given great post-launch support as well. With rumors indicating that even more is on the way, Insomniac does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. As such, its consistency might just see it becoming the premier studio for the PlayStation platform.
Insomniac’s Hot Streak
Insomniac Games has always been a strong studio, with its work on the original Ratchet and Clank games and the under-appreciated Resistance trilogy standing out. However, it truly came into its own with the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man back in 2018. Boasting some of the best gameplay, storytelling, and visuals that the studio had ever delivered, the game quickly established itself as the best Spider-Man game ever made. While this was impressive enough on its own, Insomniac managed to make lightning strike twice, as 2020’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales proved to be just as strong (if not better) than its predecessor. Between these two games, a solid batch of story DLC was released, with several free updates adding new costumes to the original game.
Not only has Spider-Man: Miles Morales continued this trend of free content, adding the Advanced Tech Suit to the game, but a huge graphical update saw new muscle tech added to the PS5 version. While this could have been saved for the next game, Insomniac put the effort into adding it to an already-released title, showing its willingness to improve its games. Alongside Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart has been getting worked on, with the sequel quickly approaching its June 11 release date. While it impressive to make these two high-quality games back-to-back, releasing them so close together without any delays is an even greater accomplishment.
On top of this, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart looks like a huge step forward for the series — both narratively and from a gameplay perspective. Not only is the game making the fan favorite villain Dr. Nefarious a genuine threat, but it is introducing a brand-new protagonist in Rivet. A welcome addition to the Ratchet and Clank universe, this mysterious Lombax is already winning fans over. On top of this, the gameplay improvements look incredible, with the smart use of the DualSense’s adaptive triggers being great to see. The use of rifts to make the combat and arenas feel fresh is another awesome touch, while the plentiful side activities are also welcome. Based on everything shown for the game thus far, it seems like Insomniac is gearing up to deliver yet another hit.
An Exciting Future Ahead
Once Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart releases, Insomniac Games will likely turn its attention toward the highly anticipated Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Making good on the teasers for the Symbiote and Venom all-but-guarantees that the game will meet fan expectations, while the game could look and feel incredible by taking full advantage of the PS5’s power. The possibility of two playable Spider-Men is thrilling as well, as is the chance to add in some more costumes and powers for the webslingers to use. With opportunities to introduce more Marvel heroes and the Spider-Verse in future games, too, there is so much to look forward to when it comes to Marvel’s Spider-Man.
However, recent rumors have made it clear that Insomniac’s future is not only defined by Spidey. Sony recently filed a trademark for Sunset Overdrive, a former Xbox exclusive that Playstation has owned since 2019. This implies that something is finally being done with Insomniac’s over-the-top third person shooter, meaning that players could once again have the chance to fight the OD. This coincides with a leak stating that a Sunset Overdrive remaster is on the way, with the same leak suggesting that a proper sequel is coming for PS5 owners, too. Called Sunset Apocalypse, it is easy to think of how the already-great traversal of the original would be improved with DualSense functionality. On top of this, Insomniac has previously stated that it would love to make a sequel, ensuring that the passion is there.
Finally, Insomniac has seemingly been teasing the return of Resistance as well. Alongside some cryptic tweets from 2020, the first-person shooter was referenced in the latest gameplay demonstration for Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. Keeping the hope alive for a remastered trilogy, or even a new game where the Chimera return, seeing the franchise make a comeback would allow PlayStation to fill the noticeable gap of an exclusive FPS. Regardless, these rumors make it clear that Insomniac’s work ethic is second-to-none. Further, it is clear that the studio has incredible range. Able to bounce between Ratchet and Clank, Sunset Overdrive, and Marvel’s Spider-Man, it is not defined by one series. With Insomniac’s games coming out at a fast pace and getting support after launch, too, players have a great reason to support the studio. Now more than ever before, it is clear just how bright the future is looking for Insomniac Games.