On a forgotten planet in a forgotten backwater of a forgotten galaxy lives Ratchet, a young, talented mechanic, who dreams of one day using his abilities to quit his boring homeworld and set off in search of adventure.
That day is not as far off as he thinks. A polluted planet called Belchworld, inhabited by an ugly race known as the Blarg, is ruled by the Big Bad Boss, who has come up with a slightly unusual solution to his planet's problems. He plans to build a new world using the best parts of all the other planets. And if the inhabitants of those planets don't agree, they'll just have to deal with his fearsome army of Blarg warriors.
Meanwhile, in one of the factories manufacturing the Boss's robot army, a computer glitch creates Clank, a highly intelligent robot with that strangest of things, a conscience. Discovering Big Bad Boss's evil plans, he flees the factory to look for help, pursued by heavily armed ships who eventually catch him and shoot him down - over Ratchet's planet.
Brought together by fate, Ratchet and Clank are now presented with the minor task of stopping the Big Bad Boss and saving the galaxy.