Ratchet & Clank (PS2)
Publisher: SCEA Developer: Insomniac Games
Ratchet & Clank was one of many games released in recent years that seems to follow the idea that every hero needs a buddy. Buddy games are very popular these days, so in order to keep on top of the pack, you need a hook. The "hook" for R&C was gadgets. They claim that there are over 36 weapons and gadgets to choose from. This is very smart from an advertising standpoint, as it makes the game have a lot of variety. It certainly has that.
Ratchet & Clank not only has a variety of weapons and gadgets, but it sure is fun to play. Most of the additional weapons aren't really very useful, but some of them are neat to try. There's something about turning a robot into a chicken that just screams FUN!
Gameplay: 9.5
Ratchet & Clank is loads of fun to play. It's got a simplistic (and customizable) control scheme, and the camera seems to work well most of the time. It's definitely comfortable to play. The game plays like any standard 3D game, except for the fact that you've got loads of weapons and gadgets to choose from. You can assign any of the 36 weapons to one of eight quick load buttons, and weapon switching is a breeze. Some of the cooler weapons include a Blaster (long range shooting), the Hookshot (for grappling), and my personal favorite, the RYNO (Rip Ya a New One). The RYNO is available early in the game, but it's pretty unlikely that you'll have enough to buy it. Better save your bolts! (It's much more fun to beat the game without the RYNO at least once, anyhow. Having it makes everything WAY too easy.)
Ratchet is the animal looking guy and Clank is the robot. Most of the time, Clank is connected to Ratchet's back, and appears when needed. If Ratchet needs to make a long jump, Clank will pop out with a propeller or a jet pack. He gets upgrades throughout the game to become more efficient. There are a few missions in the game where you're without one of the characters for whatever reason, and I must say that some of those are a little harder. You come to rely on both of their abilities! When you play as Ratchet only, you'll miss a few little things like being able to jump higher and farther. When you play as Clank only however, you'll be missing out on being able to use any weapons at all. Clank is terrible alone, but he does have one super power. He is able to control other robots, so you'll be building a small army to fight with. They'll do all your dirty work, so they're actually quite fun.
Most of the game consists of playing as Ratchet (with attached Clank) and shooting enemies with the long range weapons, or whacking them with your wrench at close range. When you kill an enemy, bolts fly everywhere, making the kills a little more exciting. The bolts are also important, as they are used for currency throughout the game. Bolts are used to buy new weapons and gadgets, or to simply restock ammo. You may seem like you're collecting a lot of them at first, but you'll really need lots of them for some of the better weapons, so collect all you can. Some of the more interesting gadgets include the Suck Cannon (which sucks up enemies and spits the out) and the Morph-o-Ray (which morphs enemies into chickens).
Each planet has a set of missions. As you complete a few missions, you'll find infobots with information on the next planet. You may need to venture on to the next planet to get an item you need to finish the previous one. There will be a certain degree of planet hopping required to finish everything. The game is fun though, so retracing your steps a few times won't be much of a problem.
There are also several mini-games and puzzles to solve throughout the game. Some planets will require that you do a few flying missions, where you fly a space ship and shoot down enemy ships. Other recurring puzzles include those done with the Trespasser. These puzzles are solved by matching up light beams until a particular pattern turns them all green. Some of them are quite challenging, so they may keep you busy for quite some time.
The only thing really lacking in the game, is the lack of upgrades available. It's very difficult to upgrade your life, and it only happens a few times in the game. You also frequently run out of ammo if you're a bad aim, so try to shoot carefully. Blaster bullets go quickly. You're able to buy on command later in the game, but by then you may not need them. Just dodge all enemies, and aim carefully when firing. Some of the missions are tricky to get completed without running out of ammo or getting killed.
Ratchet & Clank has a few boss fights, and these are clearly noted as such. The boss has a big life meter at the bottom of the screen, so you always know how much more it will take to beat him. I like this feature. None of them are terribly hard, but as I mentioned earlier, it's a good idea to shoot carefully and ration your ammo so you don't run out totally. You don't want to be down to just a wrench on a boss.
Graphics: 9
The graphics look pretty good in Ratchet & Clank. There aren't a ton of super duper looking FMVs or anything, but the graphics are solid throughout. The FMV scenes did look great, but the graphics were good overall, so they didn't stand out a ton. (This isn't a bad thing!) The backgrounds are nice to look at also, and every planet has it's own feel. I wasn't disappointed in any way. I don't think you will be either.
Sound & Music: 8.5
There wasn't much noticeable music in the game, but that's not always a bad thing. The sound effects were good, and the voice acting was good as well. Nothing seemed forced or faked. Also, if you happen to have a surround sound system, the game has Dolby Pro Logic II, so everything will sound a whole lot better. I definitely recommend a sound system for gaming. The developers really seem to be going that direction.
Story: 8
There's a semi-interesting story in Ratchet & Clank. Ratchet's ship gets stuck on a planet, and he finds Clank who helps him escape in exchange for some help. Clank needs Ratchet to help stop a bad guy from destroying other planets. Ratchet reluctantly helps, and things go from there. They are basically on a big chase from planet to planet stopping the invasion from happening. The cut scenes were not only good looking, but they were quite entertaining. It's a good enough story to keep you interested the whole time.
Replay Value: 7
The game is pretty fun the first time, and there are a few additional unlockables (golden weapons) the second time through, but the game is the same. I did play through it twice, and while it was fun, I didn't run back for a third go at it.
To buy or to rent?An experienced gamer will be able to beat it in a week long rental, but you might miss a great deal of the game this way. If you tend to take longer to beat games, then you might consider buying this one. It takes a few weeks to beat if you're a casual gamer. It's a greatest hit, so it usually retails for under $20 at most places.
Overall: 9
Overall, Ratchet & Clank had nice graphics, excellent gameplay, a good story, and it was tons of fun to play. It really kept me entertained for a long time, and I would really have to recommend it to anyone looking for a solid game. It's one worth picking up.
Additional Information:
Genre: Action/Adventure
Players: 1
Memory Required: 350K
Rating: T (for Teen)
Extras: Dolby Pro Logic II Sound
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