The 10 BEST Insomniac Games

The 10 Best Insomniac Games

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at the 10 best Insomniac games! …Er, we mean the best games from Insomniac Games the developer, not games for insomniacs. That’s another topic entirely.

“Disruptor” (1996)

Throughout the mid- to late-90’s, the video game industry was following id Software’s blueprint in “DOOM” for first-person shooters. Insomniac was among them as “Disruptor” served as their debut title. However, this wasn’t just another “DOOM”-clone. Sure, it played similarly in controls, but in combat, it was totally different. Aside from your weaponry, you were given Psionic powers, power-ups at your disposal whenever you needed them (assuming you had the points to spare). Fry robots with bolts of lightning, heal yourself, block incoming fire, whatever you need to stay on top of the fight is right there for you, and it is super satisfying to come out of the battle like a one-man army.

“Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales” (2020)

We can admit that the story here may not have been as strong as its predecessor, but “Miles Morales” was still one of the best games Insomniac has ever put out. The studio could have easily just given us another webhead with a few gadgets different from Pete’s. Instead, we got an entirely new mechanic with Venom powers that fundamentally changed the way we move around in combat. It kind of puts you in a different state of focus than the previous game, which was a bit more rhythm-based a la “Batman: Arkham”. Plus, even though the story wasn’t as well-written, we will always be down for a tighter focused game than something bloated with more bells and whistles.

“Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart” (2021)

There was quite a lot riding on “Rift Apart” as this was the first original entry in the franchise we had seen since “Into the Nexus” in 2013. We won’t lie - the launch could have been a little smoother as we experienced animation glitches, but nothing game-breaking. Overall, though, this skyrocketed to be one of the top three games in the franchise! “Rift Apart” was just so creative with its goofy weaponry as you could cause everything to explode with a single Drillhound, turn enemies 16-bit with the Pixelizer, or even freeze them by turning them into topiaries. Never before had we swapped between weapons as quickly as we did here just to cause as much havoc as the PS5 could handle!

“Song of the Deep” (2016)

When discussing the best games from Insomniac Games, many often forget about “Song of the Deep”. Understandable considering how this game only released as a GameStop-exclusive, which led to very, very few people ever knowing of its existence. Regardless, “Song of the Deep” is a wonderful bite-sized adventure that any PlayStation fan should check out. Pilot Merryn’s submarine as she discovers the remnants of her father’s fantastical underwater tales all while finding upgrades to explore more and more of the murky waters. Touching in its story, captivating in its world design, and exciting in its gameplay, “Song of the Deep” was one of the rare non-PlayStation endeavors from Insomniac that showed the studio’s prowess in making smaller titles that still pack a ton of punch.

“Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal” (2004)

Not to bring the Lombax and warbot up so soon after gushing over “Rift Apart”, but it’d be a crime to leave out “Up Your Arsenal”. We’ll have a soft spot for the first two games, but “Up Your Arsenal” was where the series found its perfect formula. This was where the controls were as tight as any PS2 game could make them, and the weaponry and visuals pushed the console to its absolute limits. On top of that, this was the game where we got our hilarious series antagonist, Doctor Nefarious. And do we even need to mention how much fun the multiplayer component was, even with bots?

“Sunset Overdrive” (2014)

It’s almost hard to believe that we got an Insomniac game as an Xbox exclusive. Unfortunately, due to the Xbox One’s poor commercial performance and the poor marketing this game got, it feels as if many folks didn’t give “Sunset Overdrive” a fair shake. The best way to describe this game is to think if “Ratchet & Clank” put a heavier focus on rail grinding and stunts in its gameplay over traditional platforming. You still have absurd weapons to utilize, but ultimately, the amount of fun you have playing this is going to boil down to how well you pull off stunts and maneuvers. And trust us, when you start discovering ways to move around and make your shots look cool, “Sunset Overdrive” is going to keep you hooked for several hours.

“Spyro: Year of the Dragon” (2000)

Come on, you didn’t think we’d forget about old Spyro, did you? We’ll give credit to “Spyro the Dragon” for its technical innovations and “Spyro 2” for its gameplay improvements. But “Year of the Dragon” was a beautiful blend of both aspects. First off, Insomniac provided even more detail in textures between the character models and environments while introducing more fun themes for levels. Then, you have the different playable characters that offered new ways to play between vertical platforming, aerial combat, and shooter-based mechanics. And best of all, no trouble with any trolleys or dumb alchemists deliberately running into danger. Just collect, explore, and have fun!

“Resistance 3” (2011)

And of course, we’d be remiss to leave off a “Resistance” game, and while it may be a boring choice to some, it’s hard to say any other game in the franchise is better than “Resistance 3”. In all honesty, there isn’t much difference here in gameplay compared to the previous two games, but the addition of environmental hazards and brand new weaponry were enough to keep us entertained. As for the story…man, what a hell of a story! We don’t want to spoil too much despite how old this game is, but if you love FPS games with gritty stories, immersive environments, and cool as hell aliens, then you owe it to yourself to play “Resistance 3”.

“Marvel’s Spider-Man” (2018)

When word got out that Insomniac was making a Spider-Man game, it was all over. We knew this game wasn’t going to be anything less than amazing, and yeah, it wasn’t amazing - it was SPECTACULAR! This wasn’t just a case of Insomniac copying Rocksteady’s homework with “Batman: Arkham” like most were assuming. This was every Spider-Man fan’s wet dream as we got to swing around in our favorite suits, use a variety of fun gadgets, and fought against Spidey’s most iconic villains throughout the campaign. And at a roughly twenty-hour playtime, it was a perfect, well-paced length even with the couple instances where we were forced to play as MJ.

“Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time” (2009)

Honestly, we don’t think Insomniac Games will ever top “A Crack in Time”. For starters, this was perhaps the first time when a game in this franchise truly lived up to the name “Ratchet & Clank” as both of our heroes took the role of protagonist in their own respective stories here, each dealing with their own issues surrounding their identity and heritage and blending into a very touching story. Gameplay-wise, you had one half dedicated to the usual explosive action we’d expect from the series while Clank’s half was dedicated to unique time travel mechanics for more puzzle-based platforming. This was Insomniac at their most creative and influential (not that that ever went away), and to see this eventually get ported directly to PS5 and not tied to cloud-streaming would be a godsend gift for us, for the franchise, and for Insomniac.

What’s the best Insomniac game you’ve played? Did it make our list? Let us know down in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great videos everyday!