Review Hub - Ratchet & Clank

The Ratchet & Clank series of games has come a long way since the original game's release in 2002, having expanded into alternate forms of media (including a comic mini-series), along with a new game and a movie that have been released that each re-imagine the original game's events. In honor of said movie's release, below is a collection of links to every Ratchet & Clank review on the blog up to this point, sorted in chronological order by logo style. (Links to Second Opinions and other versions of games will be posted next to the main review link in parenthesis.)

Update (6/24/2021): Added Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Original Logo

   

Ratchet & Clank (2002) [Review 100!] (Second Look)

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal

Ratchet: Deadlocked (HD)

Second Logo

      

Ratchet & Clank Collection

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

Ratchet & Clank (Comic)

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One

Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault (Vita)

Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus

Third Logo

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Apocrypha

 

Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters

Secret Agent Clank

Re-imagining

 

Ratchet & Clank (2016)
Ratchet & Clank (Film)

[OLD] Secret Agent Clank

After developing Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, High Impact Games would return to the Ratchet & Clank series to release a second game for the PSP, Secret Agent Clank, which as the title suggests stars Clank in the main role. The game is a take-off of the in-universe Secret Agent Clank series introduced in Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal and is noted for having a James Bond theme, as it takes elements of a spy movie and runs with them. While I found it more enjoyable than the last PSP venture, I still found something off about it.

A priceless gem known as the Eye of Infinity has been stolen from the Boltaire Museum and it appears Ratchet is to blame after words spoken against Clank. With the Lombax in prison, Clank believes his friend is innocent despite evidence to the contrary. As Clank sets out to free his friend, a conspiracy unfolds as he discovers the real culprit. Meanwhile, Captain Qwark is writing a "biography" of sorts, consisting mainly of fantastic stories.

Aside from the consistently good voice acting and music, some changes have been made to the gameplay from the last installment. You are still able to upgrade weapons and select from a small wheel of weapons during battle. These weapons are more based on spy gadgets and work rather impressively, although I ran into a problem with one item that you can't refuel via vendor, the Blackout Pen; this gadget is used to disable cameras and deadly lasers with giant blobs of black ink, but you must refuel them using very special and sparsely placed crates that resemble an ink well. The armor system has also been removed, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, though you now must use Bolts on weapons for both Clank and Ratchet.

On this topic, there is a much greater variety of gameplay here than in previous Ratchet & Clank games. In addition to playing as Clank a majority of the time, there are also times where you can be Ratchet in prison fights, the Gadgebots in small puzzle segments, and Qwark as he tells an odd story. The Gadgebot segments can really get you to think sometimes, especially in certain sections later on, and the Qwark sections can be entertaining or frustrating depending on how you play them. On the other hand I found the Ratchet sections a little difficult compared to the other character-specific portions, but they are possible to get through after a number of tries. There are also times where you have to play a small rhythm game, but they don't exactly work properly due to the lack of any actual rhythm.

While the game has an interesting story, you can actually see some of the plot twists coming from a mile away (except for the big one which I will not spoil), though this doesn't take too much away from the overall experience. Near the end though, I ran into some trouble with the final boss. Since the game up until then is relatively easy, it's a bit jarring to see the difficulty suddenly spike up a bit to the point where it's nigh unbeatable. All I can say regarding this is good luck.

Secret Agent Clank is a fairly enjoyable Ratchet & Clank game, even if a few screws are loose. There is an extra bonus from having a save of the less enjoyable Size Matters, though it's only a set of skins, and just a basic knowledge of what happens throughout that game is all that's needed to understand the continuity between the handheld games. If you're looking for a decent handheld Ratchet & Clank experience, I would direct you to this game instead of the previous one. When I return to this series, time marches on.

[OLD] Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus

In recent years, Insomniac Games had been experimenting with the Ratchet & Clank formula. These experiments gave us Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, which allowed up to 4 players in a campaign simultaneously, and Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault, a (sort of) tower defense game that allowed up to 2 players in co-op (which also had a heavily delayed Vita port despite being a Cross Buy title). While I found these to be enjoyable in spite of them being different from typical Ratchet & Clank games, I had been wondering if multiplayer was the new direction for the brand or if the original formula would ever be revisited, which only sort of happened with HD remasters of the first four games being released (the last of which became bundled with Full Frontal Assault’s long-awaited Vita port when Cross Buy was taken advantage of). Earlier this year, Insomniac and Sony teased an image of a gateway, which after some speculation was revealed to be for the subject of this review, Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus, announced as not only a return to form for the Ratchet & Clank series, but also as the final game in the franchise to be released for PS3, at a budget price of $30. This piqued my interest, since while it was also stated to be a shorter game than most previous entries and advertised as being an epilogue to the Future trilogy, I liked the idea of returning to the series’ roots for this entry and seeing what Insomniac had in store for fans of the series. Though this may be a little late since I got the game as a Christmas gift, I thought the game was very well handled and served as a proper send-off for the Future trilogy and for the franchise on PS3.

While making repairs to a ship they were piloting, Ratchet and Clank receive a call from Talwyn Apogee, who informs them that they are in danger: the ship is going to be under attack by a criminal named Neftin Prog, whose aim is to get his twin sister and fellow criminal, Vendra Prog, the main cargo of Ratchet and Clank’s ship. Wanting Ratchet and Clank to be safe when facing Neftin, Talwyn wants the two of them to be assisted by Cronk and Zephyr, who turn out to be sleeping when the duo finds them. After Ratchet and Clank wake Cronk and Zephyr up, the four of them face problems caused by Vendra before making sure her holding is secure. However, Neftin shows up and, with help from hired Thugs-4-Less thugs, successfully retrieves his sister before taking off, forcing Ratchet and Clank to go after them. As the two try to track down and stop Vendra and Neftin, a much larger plot begins to reveal itself.

Vendra Prog, one of the new antagonists.

While the game may be short (around 5 hours or so), it does manage to tell a coherent story with a beginning, middle, and end, as well as a good deal of character development, not only for Ratchet and Clank, but also for the villains, Vendra and Neftin Prog. However, you won’t be able to get the most out of the plot without having played the Future games, let alone the games that came before them (a specific section of the game reveals the fates of certain characters, including previous villains, though based on what was acknowledged, you can safely skip the handheld entries if you haven’t played any of the games already). Of course, the franchise’s sense of humor has also been preserved, as some cutscenes and bits of dialogue know how to provide a good laugh every now and then.

As with the recent iterations of Ratchet & Clank, the graphics are really amazing. The game’s cartoonish art style blends well with the more realistically rendered fur/hair on the characters among other things, not to mention the lighting in certain areas of the game that gives the worlds Ratchet visits more life to them. I also find it interesting when I see certain small details on a character, be it what makes up a character’s clothing or the physics applied to things such as hair, Ratchet’s ears, or other visible parts of a character’s body such as antennae or particular facial features. Not only does the game impress in the visual department, it also continues to impress with the music, which is good about not only setting up a mood, but also being mildly catchy and not distracting during gameplay.

Speaking of which, as I have said before, the gameplay is more akin to earlier Ratchet & Clank games, but with a few tweaks to change things up a bit. In addition to having a small, but manageable, arsenal of weapons to accommodate the shorter length, some gadgets are tied to certain button combinations, which made sense to me as they were separate from the regular arsenal and helped to streamline the weapon and item selection. One of the new gadgets, the Grav-Tether, provides an interesting twist on the gameplay, in that it can be used to create beams between two appropriate points, which you can then ride to get to another point in the level further away (though which direction you go in depends on the order in which you connected the two points); you can even have multiple beams going on at the same time, which encourages strategic usage of these beams. There’s also a new gameplay mechanic involving a gadget called the Rift Cracker, which alerts you to a dimensional rift at certain points of the game, which are usually found in certain barriers. Once you find one of these rifts, you can send Clank into the Netherverse, where he must make a Nether follow him back to the rift and break down the barrier to allow you to advance in the level. These levels are interesting, in that they are side-scrollers, the main twist being you can shift the gravity of the stage to solve puzzles and guide Clank to reaching or escaping from a Nether.

Neftin Prog, another of the new antagonists and Vendra's twin brother.

Other gadgets within the game include a Jetpack, which allows you unlimited flight (unless you have no fuel or are in a no-fly zone), and the Hoverboots from previous games, which, when acquired, provide the opportunity to move even faster within a stage. Of course, the game still has the usual insane weaponry to be found in a Ratchet & Clank game, which can range from the Omniblaster to the Nightmare Box, which can scare enemies, to even the Winterizer, which can turn enemies into snowmen. These can be upgraded with repeated usage, at which point they become more powerful; weapons can be further enhanced at GrummelNet vendors by using Raritanium dropped from enemies or found within the area, including such benefits as additional ammo and increased rate of Raritanium drops, though some are unique to specific weapons (ex. how long the Nightmare Box can stay active and the range at which it can scare enemies). When upgrades are applied, they can even make the returning Mr. Zurkon weapon, which was already funny, even funnier, since he is eventually joined by his family, providing even more laughs on the battlefield.

There are also hidden collectibles within each level, in the form of Gold Bolts and pieces of a Holoplan for the RYNO VII. Once you complete the Gold Cup in the Thugs-4-Less Destructapalooza, you gain an item that will allow you to better locate most of them on your map, and it is well worth doing so. Though the Gold Bolts don’t seem to have much of a purpose aside from a Trophy, the RYNO VII is a weapon worth scavenging for the complete Holoplan, since it can take down some enemies rather quickly (while playing Mussorgsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain” no less).

The RYNO VII: Now with more Mussorgksy.

Another positive aspect of the game is the voice acting, which has only gotten better with each main game. Characters such as Ratchet (James Arnold Taylor), Clank (David Kaye), and Qwark (Jim Ward) each retain their respective voice actors and display a lot of experience in their voices (though Jim Ward doesn’t seem to get to do much). However, while Talwyn Apogee is a returning character from the Future series, she is no longer voiced by Tara Strong, rather being voiced by Ali Hillis, although I honestly didn’t really notice much difference in the performance, which means she did a really good job emulating the character. Though some other minor and returning characters put on good performances, I also liked the ones from Nika Futterman and Fred Tatasciore, who voice Vendra and Neftin Prog respectively; the two of them seem to put on a rather convincing brother/sister dynamic for their respective characters, which really helped to sell their character development.

There is, however, one thing I didn’t like about the game, namely an experience I had regarding expository dialogue. When I landed on the first planet after the introductory level, as I was exploring the level, Talwyn was explaining something important about where I was, only for me to die before I could hear it. I thought I wouldn’t have to worry and that the dialogue would start over again, as I have seen in plenty of other games, however I never got to find out whatever it was I needed to learn, forcing me to have it looked up online so I could better understand the plot. I’m not sure how much of that was player error, since I was not familiar with the level’s layout at the time, but in any case this really bugged me for a bit after it had happened.

Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus is another welcome addition to the Ratchet & Clank franchise. It may be short, but it manages to do a lot within that short time frame. The level design is good, as is most everything else. Despite its length, the game also manages to provide something of a challenge (though I admittedly played on the Cadet/lowest difficulty since it had been a while since playing the last game). If you are a Ratchet & Clank fan, this is definitely a game to pick up, provided you have played the Future games (+ All 4 One and Full Frontal Assault) and read the comic. If you have not yet played a Ratchet & Clank game and are considering doing so, I would tell you to play the first game and go from there, since the Future series is when it becomes a bit more continuity heavy, although, as I previously stated, you can safely skip the handheld entries.

[OLD] Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

And now it has come to this: the ending of the Future Trilogy in the Ratchet & Clank series, A Crack in Time, released in 2009 following Quest for Booty. Unlike the last game though, this is a full game you can get at retail and not as a download, and it should be noted that this is the first Ratchet & Clank game to have PS3 Trophy support. While it isn't the last of Ratchet & Clank, this game is definitely one of the best I've seen from the series, especially in regards to the story, and I enjoyed every moment of it.

Starting off immediately after the end of Quest for Booty, there is another scene that elaborates on the origins of Clank, calling all the way back to the the very first game in the series. At that moment, the one who had abducted Clank at the end of Tools of Destruction is revealed to be none other than Dr. Nefarious, Ratchet's enemy from Up Your Arsenal, along with his butler Lawrence. After Nefarious fails an attempt to hack into Clank's brain, and losing his trust with the Zoni, Clank escapes, but is caught by Nefarious again, where he learns about the structure they are in called the Great Clock, built in the exact center of the universe (give or take fifty feet). Later, Clank meets another robot named Sigmund, Junior Caretaker to the Clock, and learns of his destiny to manage time. Meanwhile in space, Ratchet and Qwark are busy looking for Clank, when the Lombax learns of an "exile" that may help him in his quest. When he meets the exile, it turns out to be a Lombax like him, named General Alister Azimuth, who seeks to use the Great Clock to undo the fate of the Lombax race. With Ratchet's help, Azimuth not only promises the return of Clank, but also the chance for Ratchet to see his family.

The story is overall very suspenseful and awe-inspiring, having a bit of a cinematic quality to it that helps carry the events forward. There are still quite a few laughs thrown in to prevent it from becoming too serious, but in any case there are some memorable moments from the cutscenes, including bits where the characters make a small jab at story conventions, including highly ironic revenge schemes and wavy flashback effects. There are also plenty of references made to previous games in the franchise, so they might be confusing to anyone who hasn't been keeping up with the franchise from the first installment onward. Regardless, it all felt very much like a movie. A really, really good movie at that.

Familiar control schemes and gunplay elements return in this game from later installments, making it easier to pick up and play, especially for those already initiated. Among these returning elements is the new wrench mechanic introduced in the last game, and it was still interesting in the way it was integrated. However, there are a couple of new upgrade systems; there is one for special "Constructo" weapons where you can pick up mods throughout the game to customize them to your purposes; there is also a new system for your ship, in which you can collect Zoni to give it new upgrades and abilities. There is also a new gameplay element for Clank, where in during his levels you can reverse time when you hit an object, thereby repairing it, slow down time by throwing a special grenade, or recording multiple versions of yourself in order to solve puzzles. I found some of these puzzles to be quite a challenge, and at least once I started one over again once I found a much simpler solution. However, this is the good kind of challenge where you can learn from your mistakes as opposed to the soul-crushing variety.

The music of this game is simply spectacular, with each cutscene having a film-like score that helps the cinematic feel mentioned earlier. The music of the levels is also very good to listen to, and as usual is not annoying in any way while helping build up the tone of the game. The voice acting is also just as good as ever, including the voices provided to the robot characters, and like the background music is not annoying. The acting present on the central characters is deep and can be rather emotional at times, allowing you to feel whatever they are feeling as well. On that note, the performance of Dr. Nefarious in this game served to remind me exactly why he is by far my favorite Ratchet & Clank villain to date. The graphics of this game are some of the best I've have ever seen, in fact the best so far in this series alone, with special praise going to the cutscenes that help display the characters expressions during the story (again, even the robot characters are included).

I didn't actually notice any major problems with this title, aside from there being a couple times when Ratchet would inexplicably fall off of something for no apparent reason. Besides that, I can't really say anything too negative about this game. On a side note, the difficulty setting returns here from Quest for Booty, so depending on your situation you can switch it up or down at any time.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is one of the best this franchise has to offer, and the cinematic qualities it brings are stunning for a game in the modern age. While this is a game I would highly recommend, it's more enjoyable once you are more familiar with the characters presented by playing all the older (console) games. Overall the Future Trilogy is a very enjoyable aspect of the Ratchet & Clank series and is not to be passed up, most especially if you are already a fan. When I return to this series, things go two-dimensional.

[OLD] Second Look - Ratchet & Clank (2002)

In anticipation of the upcoming Ratchet & Clank game and movie, I decided to replay the original PS2 game from 2002 to compare it to the new game on PS4, which acts as a re-imagining of the original game. This was also an opportunity for me to not only reevaluate my opinion on the game, if necessary, but also to see if I could write a better review of it (since I don’t think my writing skills were all that great, though I am still learning even now). So to celebrate this new chapter in the Ratchet & Clank series, I present a look back at Ratchet & Clank on the PS2.

Chairman Drek (Kevin Michael Richardson) has been attacking other worlds around the galaxy so as to build a new homeworld for the Blarg, using pieces from those other worlds. Meanwhile, a small robot named XJ-0461, later known as Clank (David Kaye), was created on planet Quartu, where he made off with an Infobot and crash-landed on planet Veldin. It is there that he meets a Lombax named Ratchet (Michael Kelley) (Note: the term “Lombax” does not appear until Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando), who begrudgingly joins Clank to search for Captain Qwark (Jim Ward), whom he believes can stop Drek.

While the plot moves along well, with the idea that Ratchet and Clank are meant to be opposites that eventually attract, I found Ratchet to be kind of a jerk, but not the fun kind. Especially in comparison to later installments, he has a personality that can be kind of a turn-off, with him being self-centered and casually insulting people that know more about engineering than he does. With the help of Clank, who is meant to act as a foil, he does straighten out by the end, coming more in line with how he is later on in the series. With the new re-imagining on the way, his personality would actually be a rather welcome retcon.

As for the gameplay, it still holds up well, providing the foundation for later games in the series to improve upon. Coming back from later games, I had to remember that the Quick-Select, in which you can quickly switch between weapons and gadgets, works in real time rather than stopping time long enough for you to make your choice. Still, as it is, the game has a lot of variety in its level design, which encourages exploration to obtain hidden extras, and there is a large amount of variety in the weaponry you can pick from. Aside from the standard OmniWrench 8000, weapons range from the normal blasters and bombs to outlandish abilities like turning your enemies into chickens. Then there’s the elusive R.Y.N.O. (Rip You a New One), which is the most expensive weapon at 150,000 Bolts (the series currency), but once you do get it, it is very much worth it.

The graphics, while obviously not as good as later games (being a PS2 game and all), are still good for what they are, helped by the fact that the game uses a more cartoonish art style. The voice acting is still good, although I would agree that Michael Kelley’s Ratchet, as good as it is, is no James Arnold Taylor. Even after all this time, I still found myself moving to the music, which fits in perfectly with the tone of the game as well as that of each planet.

After 14 years, I would say that the original Ratchet & Clank game, while feeling different from what would come later, still holds up after all this time. If you haven’t played Ratchet & Clank before, this is overall a good starting point despite its imperfections. With the PS4 re-imagining on the way, as well as the movie, it remains to be seen if those are good points in which to jump into the franchise. For what it is though, this game can also be played by those waiting for said re-imagining as a way to compare and contrast the two different versions of the story. Looking to these future installments, I wish success not only for this alternate take, but also further success for the foreseeable future of the Ratchet & Clank franchise.

[OLD] Ratchet & Clank Collection

At the same time God of War Saga was released, two other HD Collections were released as part of Sony's new Collection series, one of which is today's subject, Ratchet & Clank Collection. This collection gathers the first three games in the series, Ratchet & Clank, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, and Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, and slaps on an HD coat of paint with some minor tweaks. While this game came out before Full Frontal Assault did, I played that one first because at the time I had gotten both this and that game, Full Frontal Assault was shorter and more recent. That said, this one took a bit longer than I thought it would because of school (and with Finals coming up, I'm glad I finally finally finished it), but despite that taking priority I actually had a good time with this Collection in my off time, though it has some minor issues.

In terms of visual quality, the graphics of the games look better than they did in the original versions, which is complimented nicely with a much better draw distance (especially in the original Ratchet & Clank) than there was before. However, there at least one or two things that don't quite make it through the HD upgrade, such as a section in Going Commando involving a small pool of water where your perspective with the camera changes whether or not the submerged rocks even exist. A couple of minor, albeit somewhat noticeable changes are also made in both the audio and visual departments, such as changing Save and Load icons to a brain in a jar (instead of a Memory Card) and another section in Going Commando where a particular bit of audio was actually muted (I'm not sure why they did this). However, as the ability to gain a bonus from your Saves is kept throughout each game, making this collection especially worth it, the icon for reading the old Save is still that of a Memory Card.

Now while the transition from Standard to High Def is great, there is one particular tidbit that deserves mentioning, namely the HD version of Going Commando (yes, this game again). While Ratchet & Clank and Up Your Arsenal are still SD-friendly, I noticed, having played on an SD TV, that the HD version of Going Commando is actually slightly bigger than the other two games, which means the very top of the HUD is cut off a little bit. While I did get used to this as I played, this can be a little annoying since there's no way to readjust the screen. Just a little heads up for those who don't have an HD TV but wish to play these classics for the first time. There's also sort of a minor problem with the audio in Up Your Arsenal, where close to the end of a cutscene the visual will stutter a little, causing the audio to become slightly out of synch (this is put on full display during one specific scene, which you will know when you see it). The checkpoint system of the games can become annoying due to today's standards, though on the bright side it can help you prepare your moves better in advance.

One of the many obstacles Ratchet must overcome in the first game.

One thing that can't go unmentioned is that this collection has a multiplayer function, specifically the multiplayer of Up Your Arsenal, while Going Commando's multiplayer capability is removed entirely (that game has a lot of problems in the HD version, doesn't it?). For those of you that have played the multiplayer mode after the servers went down, you'll be glad to hear that the servers are back online. I can't say how well they function because I'm not the Online type of guy, but my experience in the Local version proves that it's still a better experience with more than two people.

Although I can't exactly make a comment on it, there's something I find rather interesting about this collection. According to the fan-edited Ratchet & Clank Wiki, one release of this set (presumably not the US release that I have) includes an extra bit of plot that manages to make Ratchet & Clank Collection canon to the Ratchet & Clank timeline. If this is true, that is actually kind of awesome since no one (as far as I know) seems to have done that before and I give Insomniac props for creating an extra bit of incentive to own the collection (though for me it was the chance to play a Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time demo, which is no longer an option for someone picking this release up for the first time due to it being a download voucher).

Despite a few quibbles here and there, Ratchet & Clank Collection is a collection worth having in your library. This is especially a must-have for people who have never played Ratchet & Clank before or if you want to relive these classics and no longer have the original game. However, I would keep the screen size problem with Going Commando in mind if you don't own an HD set, but it doesn't particularly get in the way of the experience too much.

So if you're new to Ratchet & Clank, start your journey with this collection.

It'll have you screaming for more.

Ratchet & Clank (Film) - The Movie, Based On The Game

Having played practically the entirety of the Ratchet & Clank series and become a fan of it, I was immediately on board with the idea of a theatrical feature when it was announced a few years back. I became more interested in the movie after learning that not only was Insomniac Games, the creator and developer of the Ratchet & Clank series heavily involved in the movie’s production, but also that Rainmaker Entertainment was doing the animation (under their previous moniker, Mainframe, they did the animation for the Beast Wars and Beast Machines portions of the Transformers franchise, which were considered groundbreaking for their time and the former of which won a Daytime Emmy). As the release date got closer, I even replayed the original Ratchet & Clank game and spent a lot of time playing the re-imagining of said game just to keep myself hyped for the movie. Having seen the movie in 3D, though somewhat disappointingly in a largely empty theater, I would say that the experience and hype were definitely worth it.

The plot of the movie is, of course, similar to that of the recent game based on this movie (including the plot twists aimed at Ratchet & Clank veterans), which is also based on the original 2002 game, but it flows more like a movie rather than the movie’s plot incorporated into gameplay. Plot elements from the original game are taken in an interesting direction in the movie, with some plot points cut where necessary to help the flow of the story. At the same time, it’s interesting how some gameplay elements from the games are used in the movie, such as the ability to switch between weapons on the fly (or Quick Select, as it’s called in the games) being explained by a device that allows the user to teleport weapons to their hand from an off-site storage locker. Like the re-imagined game, some retcons are made that I think make for a better story, such as the integration of Dr. Nefarious (Armin Shimerman) into the plot and Ratchet (James Arnold Taylor) being a selfless nice guy from the get-go rather than starting off as being a huge, selfish jerk to everyone around him. There are also some cleverly-inserted in-jokes from within the series and to other PlayStation titles, including a tease for the upcoming Sly Cooper movie.

In this continuity, Ratchet wants to join the Galactic Rangers.

The movie is well-casted in the voice department, with James Arnold Taylor (Ratchet), David Kaye (Clank), Jim Ward (Captain Qwark), and Armin Shimerman (Dr. Nefarious) returning to voice their characters from the games, as well as some actors you wouldn’t have expected to hear in Ratchet & Clank, such as Paul Giamatti (Chairman Drek), John Goodman (Grimroth), and Sylvester Stallone (Victor Von Ion); notably, Stallone’s widely-mocked slurred Rambo voice is not present, rather sounding more like his normal speaking voice. As I’ve said about the recent game, the voice actors are definitely bringing their experience with their characters to the table, and Giamatti and Stallone (for reals this time) provide interesting interpretations of the returning characters that they voice. Though new character Grimroth doesn’t get very much screentime, I still thought John Goodman did a good job in voicing the character, particularly in portraying the character’s master/student relationship with Ratchet.

Ratchet & Clank during their first meeting.

The animation is, put simply, amazing, as there was clearly a lot of care put into animating the characters and their body language, as well as Ratchet’s Lombax tail. The animation of the weapons and their abilities is also great at recreating how they function and making them work within the context of the movie. Though the Groovitron, one of my favorite weapons from the games, does not make an appearance, I think the movie worked well enough without it. Also, the music, while not remixing anything from the base game, is still great at capturing the essence of a given scene and character’s emotions (though I can’t recall if any of it is from the re-imagined game).

The Ratchet & Clank movie can be considered a good way to get someone into the Ratchet & Clank franchise, though it is clearly more aimed at Ratchet & Clank fans. There is some fantastic humor in the movie, both meta and not meta, as well as some bits of older-skewing humor that some audiences that fit within the PG rating would probably not get. While it’s funny how text-messaging jokes are incorporated, there is mention of “hashtags” at one point, though the reference is still funny within context since it’s very brief and is more non-specific. Overall, the movie is a well-made love letter to the 15 years of the Ratchet & Clank series and its fans, for whom this is definitely a must-see, and I advise staying through the credits. Since this joint-development between Insomniac and Rainmaker turned out spectacularly, this makes me more excited to see if the same result can be achieved with Sly Cooper when it makes its way to theaters.

[OLD] Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault

Last year, as a follow-up to Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, as well as to celebrate 10 years of Ratchet & Clank, developer Insomniac Games released a pair of Ratchet & Clank titles, one being an HD Collection of the first three titles (which I received for Christmas and will get to eventually), the other being a brand new game called Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault (also a gift). This game was originally to share the same fate as Quest for Booty, wherein it would get a retail release in Europe and only as a PSN download in North America. However, in a strange twist of fate, the game has also received a physical release in North America, something that pleased me greatly, under the same $20 price range as the download version. It should also be noted that this game supports Sony's new Cross Buy initiative, where if you buy the PS3 version of the game, you will also get its PlayStation Vita counterpart for free (however, as of this writing, the Vita version of this game does not come out for another week, but at least I have the physical PS3 disk). Released to little fanfare and a seemingly limited physical run (when I asked my nearest GameStop about the game when it came out, they had only gotten 20 copies), is this game a worthy installment in the Ratchet & Clank series?

The story (or what little there is of it) follows the events of All 4 One, with Ratchet, Clank, and former Galactic President Qwark aboard the Starship Phoenix II. As Qwark expresses boredom over not being able to fight anything, he gets excited when Ratchet mentions a group of rouge cleaner bots. Once they are dealt with, they receive a message from a new, unknown menace that has a personal agenda against Captain Qwark. With this, the three of them spring into action. While the campaign only lasts but a few hours (what else can you expect from a $20 game?), this plot manages to string the events together as best as it can and features some great moments of hilarity and actually manages to have one or two unexpected twists thrown in. One of these twists, revealed after completing the first (of five) levels, is the identity of the villain: Stuart Zergo (voiced by the ever-entertaining Richard Steven Horvitz). (Remember him? Neither did I. He is an easily-forgotten/unfound Captain Qwark fanboy from Going Commando, the second game in the entire Ratchet & Clank franchise!) Overall, the story of this installment is thin, but enjoyable for what it's worth.

The gameplay of Full Frontal Assault is, as advertised, a return to the classic Ratchet & Clank gameplay, but with a new twist: there is now a Tower Defense type of gameplay where you must also defend a base from enemy attack, using defenses such as mines, walls, and turrets. As more advanced defenses are at your disposal, equally more powerful enemies are also sent to attack. The newer items require more Bolts to be spent, but once you get a good groove going, it becomes a lot easier to figure out how best to defend your base. At the same time, you must also infiltrate another base on the other side of the map by destroying power nodes and then rebooting your base for completion. You must also defend a set of generators within your base, using Bolts to repair damaged (but not destroyed) generators, and turrets and bombs can be set up around them. Weapons, among them the amazing Groovitron and Mr. Zurkon in later levels, are found inside special pods, which require a special minigame to open, with breakable Bolt and ammo crates scattered around the environment; ammo and Nanotech crates can be found with the weapon pods once they are opened and regenerate over time. I was a little worried about the Tower Defense mechanic at first, given what I saw of it in Assassin's Creed: Revelations, but when I actually played the campaign I thought Insomniac did a very good job with this style of gameplay, incorporating it well with the rest of the core gameplay. I also enjoyed the level design, though their layout caused me to take more time in some cases to explore everything in order to increase my arsenal and finish certain objectives.

The game also features Local Co-Op, much like in All 4 One, but unlike All 4 One, it is limited to two players instead of four. After testing this feature out with my brother, I found that it works really well (aside from it taking less time to beat a level). Weapons unlocked are shared among players and any Bolts earned are added to both players' Bolt counts, eliminating any sort of competition that was found in the previous title (this is not a bad thing to me, given the style of gameplay present here). However, this feature sadly does not work on Standard Definition TV's, due to it not supporting that resolution. I fortunately own a High Definition TV to allow this to work properly, but this really bothered me, since it singles out players who do not own an HD set. So remember: if you want to play with your friends, make sure you've been keeping up with the latest entertainment technologies.

The graphics are similar to that of All 4 One, in that they are very good. As with the new Dante in the Devil May Cry reboot, I have grown accustomed to this new art style; it keeps the cartoonish look set up by the previous games of the franchise, while retaining the light-hearted atmosphere displayed in the earlier games. Everything is bright and colorful, as is to be expected from a Ratchet & Clank game. This is accompanied by some top notch voice acting, though this is also to be expected, given that whatever few voices there are mostly comprise that of returning characters (including the Plumber's obligatory appearance) and the aforementioned Richard Horvitz. This is backed up by music that suits the atmosphere, although you would be more invested in the gameplay to pay attention to most of it; still, I liked whatever I could get out of the music.

If I have one major complaint about Full Frontal Assault, it's that the game sort of dates itself. The villain's personality seems more tailored to a more modern audience and they spout a handful of internet slang and memes at certain opportunities (though I will give Insomniac credit for doing their research on this). The phrases the bad guy spouts out are thankfully some of the more well-known ones, including "like a boss" and the common "n00b"; there's even a visual joke where using the Groovitron in the final battle allows the antagonist to dance as in the popular music video for "Gangnam Style" by K-Pop musician PSY (the ship's computer is also guilty of this, spouting the internet phrase "U mad, bro?" at one point). On top of this, there is a point where the villain hacks the Starship Phoenix II and the song "I Am Glad, 'Cause I'm Finally Returning Back Home", aka the "Trololo" song, plays over the speakers (R.I.P. Eduard Khil). While this does make the game more relevant to an audience from the modern age of the internet, I have the feeling that these references will become less relevant as time goes on if this sort of thing eventually dies down (then again, this is the internet, so I might be underestimating it here). On the other hand, while these references are more relevant to the time I am typing this, I will admit they're actually pretty funny.

For what the end product is, I would actually say to Ratchet & Clank fans to give Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault a shot. It has rather unique gameplay for a Ratchet & Clank title and the Co-Op and Tower Defense systems work really well. The plot is admittedly paper thin, but I believe the voice acting and twists help to balance out the short campaign. I hesitate to recommend this game to a newcomer since there are a couple of plot references to previous games (one of which requires you to really know your Ratchet & Clank trivia in order to be fully surprised by the identity of the bad guy), unless you don't care that much about the continuity or being somewhat confused right off the bat. While Full Frontal Assault isn't as deep as previous entries (in fact it's rather shallow by comparison), I won't hold it against Insomniac for trying something new.

Happy 10th Anniversary, Ratchet & Clank, and I hope your next 10 years are awesome.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Among the games announced at Sony’s PlayStation 5 reveal, the one that I was most excited for was Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, since it was the first new game in the series since the 2016 reimagining and would return to the original timeline as a sequel to Into the Nexus. On top of this, the reveal immediately showed off the PS5’s potential with the dimensional travel gimmick and the new character Rivet (who was unnamed at the time) was the first female Lombax to be introduced since Angela Cross all the way back in Going Commando. Rivet’s reveal also made a splash on the internet for this reason, however I opted to wait to play the game for myself to see how she was handled rather than indulge in any of the hype. I will admit the game’s $70 price tag was almost a turn-off for me, though I pre-ordered it regardless, finding it to be a much-welcomed return for Ratchet & Clank and a true showcase of what the PS5 can do for the series.

[OLD] Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Continuing through the Ratchet & Clank series in anticipation of Sly 4, we come to Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, released in 2007. It is the first game in what is known as the Future Trilogy, as well as the first Ratchet & Clank game released for the PS3. For the first next-gen game in this series, I would say that it's really well done, though a minor problem arose during play.

On the planet Kerwan, Ratchet is fixing up a hoverbike when Clank gets a distress signal from Captain Qwark, who is under attack by a swarm of heavily-armed robots. They try to reach him through the hoverbike, but crash before fighting their way to Qwark's base. Once there, the duo finds out that the robots are actually trying to eliminate Ratchet, and try to escape. However, they are stopped by the robot army and learn that they are being controlled by Emperor Percival Tachyon, leader of the Cragmite race, who's goal is to wipe out all Lombaxes for eradicating his kind. However, Ratchet escapes before Tachyon can finish the job. As the last Lombax in the universe, Ratchet must defeat the Emperor, also the last of the Cragmites, with help from some friends he meets along the way. Meanwhile, Clank comes into contact with a mysterious group of aliens called the Zoni, who seem to know more about the future than one might anticipate.

The new characters introduced in this installment are pretty enjoyable and not annoying, though it was also nice to see some old faces every so often. I also felt the new female lead, Talwyn Apogee, seemed fairly well-rounded, complimented by some amazing work from her voice actress, Tara Strong (she recently lent her voice to Harley Quinn in Batman: Arkham City). However, that is not to say the rest of the voice acting isn't great, as everyone gave a solid performance overall. While I'm on the sound side of things, I should also compliment the music, which is just as engaging as ever, including an entertaining bit of music from a new gadget, the Groovitron.

Speaking of which, there's a plethora of new weapons and gadgets to use in this game, in fact so much that the Quick Select is now divided into three rings instead of two. Switching between these rings is much easier than in Deadlocked, since it utilizes the shoulder buttons to go through them really quickly. Like in previous games your arsenal can level up over time, though here the maximum Level is back to 5. There is a system similar to the Mods in Deadlocked present through a vendor, but this time it can be used to upgrade various aspects of your weapons, including Ammo capacity, Bolt drops, and Raritanium drops among others, the latter of which is used for the upgrades in the first place. One of my favorite items to use was a robot called Mr. Zurkon, who can be very handy in taking down tougher enemies while hilariously delivering trash talk (one of my favorites is where he compares a target's fighting to "an infant bird-fly").

An interesting addition to the gameplay is the way that the DualShock 3 controller is utilized. Using the Sixaxis functionality of the controller, you can perform actions such as cutting through rock by moving the controller in the desired direction. Fortunately, if there is a point where this becomes too hard to handle, you are given the option to use an analog stick instead for the rest of the game.

The graphics are amazing for an earlier PS3 title, and the physics are actually improved upon, if only in a more minor, yet noticeable sense. Crates this time are smaller and have more weight compared to previous games, in that if you manipulate them in certain ways they will fall over as opposed to just dropping down. While this might cause you to lose a crate if you aren't too careful around gaps, it's still very impressive to behold. When you visit some planets throughout your journey, since there is more texture it's interesting to think of it as Ratchet placed in a modern video game setting, as well as the subtle contrast it creates.

I've brought up the checkpoint system in previous games, and the qualities of it seem to work the same way here. However, this is not the minor problem I mentioned before, since I've learned to expect this sort of thing from a Ratchet & Clank game. The aforementioned problem is actually an instance where the sound in one cutscene went out of synch for whatever reason. Aside from that incident, the synchronization was perfect throughout the game.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is a nice step forward for the Ratchet & Clank series. It has many great improvements to the formula, the graphics are still stunning after a few years, and there are plenty of strong performances all around. The story also is very engaging and leaves on an interesting cliffhanger. If you are a Ratchet & Clank fan, this is one game you don't want to miss.

[OLD] Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One - Not One 4 All

During our buildup to Sly 4 later this year, we have come to the last game in the Ratchet & Clank series, All 4 One, released just last year. It was in fact the release of this game that got me more into Ratchet & Clank in the first place; I had considered playing it, but decided it would be better to get more familiar with the characters first by going through all the other games, starting from the very beginning. To this moment I do not regret that decision, despite the various ups and down I came across during my experience. And now without further ado, let us dip into Ratchet's latest next-gen outing.

Some time after the events of the comic, Ratchet and Clank are escorting Galactic President Qwark to receive the Intergalactic Tool of Justice Award in Luminopolis. In actuality, it is a trap set by Dr. Nefarious as he reawakens a light-eating Z'Grute from cryosleep to devour Qwark. However, this plan backfires, causing Lawrence, Nefarious' butler, to leave his master behind. This forces Ratchet, Clank, Qwark, and Nefarious to work together in order to stop the Z'Grute. Once they succeed, the four are abducted onto a mysterious spacecraft, leading them to embark on an adventure as they learn the value of teamwork.

The story of this game may not have the same cinematic feel as the Future Trilogy, but it is engaging enough to make you want to keep playing. Some of the focus, as well as some of the comedic moments, focus on the relationship between Qwark and Dr. Nefarious, specifically how they gradually become more friendly towards each other during their journey after being bitter enemies for most of their lives. In fact, Nefarious sees plenty of character development in this game, since the titular characters try to get him to use his abilities for good rather than evil. Though he turns on the others again once the universe is saved, there is a rather touching moment after the credits where he seems to actually miss being a hero with the rest of the group.

The gameplay is as solid as ever, though this time the game is more multiplayer focused than before, to where that was the way the game was marketed. However, rather than focusing heavily on competition like most modern games do with this option, it is instead all about co-operation, which you drop in and out of at any time, online or off. As such the gunplay is more centered around this concept, where if two or more players fire with the same weapon at the same enemy, the power of the attack increases based on the number of players. While it is entirely possible to go through the campaign of the game by yourself, I found myself having a lot of fun with a second player on the couch (or futon in my case).

While this game may be all about teamwork, there are still moments of competition to be had. There are plenty of things players can do to try and outdo each other, be it bolt collecting, sucking up small creatures, or even surviving the longest, among others. This adds to the overall experience, rather than hindering it, by throwing in an incentive for parties to get to the end of the stage.

In a turn from the Future trilogy's more realistic next-gen look, All 4 One employs a more stylized art style, making it look somewhat more cartoonish than previous installments. This isn't necessarily a bad thing though, since the game world still manages to look rather impressive and detailed, as do still images used to show the past. While the character designs may be a little different than before, they still remain nice to look at and I wouldn't mind if this style was used again. The music, also as expected, is enjoyable to listen to, one of the high points being the end-of-level music, and helps to match the level or whatever mood is required in cutscenes. The voice actors, for characters both new and old, turn in solid performances for their parts, including Steve Blum as Mr. Dinkles, making the dialogue between them even more enjoyable.

Overall, I thought Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One was a good experience that would definitely appeal to the multiplayer crowd. However, if you are more of a fan of single player, you are probably more likely to enjoy the game less. On the other hand, if you are a Ratchet & Clank fan and you have not picked up this game, I would suggest at least giving it a try.

Playing the Ratchet & Clank games for the last several months has introduced me to some memorable characters and moments, and I have enjoyed it for the most part. I am aware that there is a game that was made for cell phones, Ratchet & Clank: Going Mobile, but I haven't had a chance to play it because, as far as I know, I do not have any way to access it. Regardless, I would consider myself a Ratchet & Clank fan and I can't wait to see what Insomniac does next with the franchise.

[OLD] Ratchet & Clank (Comic) - The Loss of 1 Dimension =/= Loss of Quality

Following up from the Future Trilogy in the Ratchet & Clank series, comics publisher Wildstorm released a six-issue miniseries, simply titled Ratchet & Clank, in the years of 2010 and 2011; this was shortly before Wildstorm was swallowed by the much larger DC Comics. Since I was not familiar with the franchise at the time, I never actually picked up any of the issues, but now that I have played the games I decided to read it through the trade paperback, published by DC. I wasn't exactly sure how easily something like Ratchet & Clank could be translated into comic book form, but surely enough it does not disappoint one bit.

After saving the fabric of time and space from Dr. Nefarious, the titular Ratchet and Clank are back on the planet Veldin, working on a hover vehicle when Captain Qwark, who is now the Galactic President, arrives to inform them that planets have mysteriously gone missing. Without any idea who the culprit is, the duo suddenly find themselves in the middle of a planet jacking of Veldin, making their escape after an attack by heavily armed robots. They soon learn, after being taken prisoner, that the man behind all this is former Galactic President Artemis Zogg. It is then up to Ratchet and Clank to not only save Veldin, along with all the other stolen planets, but also find out exactly how Zogg has been stealing worlds in the first place.

The story of this miniseries, aside from the basic premise, is very much like that of a Ratchet & Clank game, thanks to writing of T.J. Fixman. Fixman not only captures the spirit and tone of the games perfectly, but he also manages to slip in the usual style of humor as well, making for some truly hilarious moments throughout the story. That is not to say there is a lack of tension in the plot, of which there is just the right amount to not completely take over and still keep you going. The dialogue is written especially well, since I could hear the main characters' voices in my head as I was reading their lines.

Speaking of which, the characters that appear in this comic are primarily from the Future Trilogy, with a couple of surprise appearances by ones from previous games, including from before said trilogy. Though Dr. Nefarious is mentioned a few times throughout the story, he never makes any sort of appearance, although fans of Mr. Zurkon can safely rejoice.

The artwork of this comic is, to put in one word, incredible, perfectly complimenting the story and capturing the style of the games while putting a unique spin on it. Adam Archer, the interior artist for all six issues, does a fantastic job with the sequential art as well as giving the right body language to the characters onscreen for the situation at hand, especially when it comes to the facial expressions. The action scenes, which can easily take up as much as two pages, are drawn spectacularly and allow you to see something new each time you look at them without going overboard on the detail. The covers of each issue, drawn by Creaturebox, display what you can expect from each part of the comic with just the right amount of energy, and while they use a different style from Archer's, they are by themselves a sight to behold.

The Ratchet & Clank comic is something I would definitely recommend to fans of the games, especially those who have just played the Future Trilogy and want something more. While the comic can be enjoyable on its own, it makes a bit more sense once you are already familiar with, or at least have some knowledge of, the characters from the games. In any case, Adam Archer and T.J. Fixman have created a perfect Ratchet & Clank story and a video game comic that is worthy enough to have in your library.

Ratchet & Clank (2016) - The Game, Based On The Movie, Based On The Game

Tying in to the upcoming movie later this month, Insomniac has released a re-imagining of the original Ratchet & Clank game for PS2 for PS4 (or, as they dub it, “the game, based on the movie, based on the game”). This is not an HD remake of the original game or a complete reboot of the franchise, but rather it’s a game similar to the original, but done a little differently. On multiple levels, I was excited for this game, and, though there was a pre-order mishap, the game did not disappoint in any way.

The basic premise of the game is similar to that of the PS2 original, however there are some key differences. For one thing, as seen in movie trailers, Dr. Nefarious (Armin Shimerman) is also involved in the plot, and Ratchet’s (James Arnold Taylor) personality matches that of how it is starting from Going Commando (not a total jerk), and the plot seems to be influenced by this change in personality (not that I mind). However, as it is based on a movie that is also based on a game, it may spoil you on some events of the movie since some cutscenes are scenes from the movie; thankfully, it’s not the entire movie, but it does display key plot points. The game is also narrated by Captain Qwark (Jim Ward), since the framing device is him telling the story to an inmate while in prison (said inmate was also looking to play a Ratchet & Clank hologame based on a holofilm based on the events of the original Ratchet & Clank, leading Qwark to explain what really happened).

The gameplay is more in line with that of later Ratchet & Clank games, with the weapon options being a mix of the original game’s and those of later games, as well as some new ones, such as the Proton Drum. While you can use the Glove of Doom from the original game and the Warmonger from a later game, Mr. Zurkon and the Groovitron (my personal favorites) are also in this game, which can make things a lot easier. Some items from the original game, (including the Trespasser, Hydrodisplacer, and the Swingshot) are also tied to button prompts this time, which removes the hassle of juggling the items with the Quick Select. Raritanium is also (perhaps ironically) easier to come by compared to other games, as are Gold Bolts, which, when collected, unlock items in the Extras menu.

The Groovitron will even work on the Blargian Snagglebeast.

A new addition to the game is cards, which can be found either in packs or in singles by defeating enemies; completing sets of 3 can net you a bonus, and you can trade in duplicate cards for a new card. In addition, there is a special set of 9 R.Y.N.O. cards, which you will need to obtain the R.Y.N.O. rather than having to have an unreasonable amount of Bolts (which are also much easier to come by). The cards themselves feature characters and locations spanning across the entire (canon) history of Ratchet & Clank, and flipping over the card tells you more information about what is depicted, including its game of origin. This alone adds a good amount of replay value, as I am currently (as of this writing) in the process of collecting all the cards.

The graphics of the game are simply amazing, coming close to the actual movie coming out and displaying the potential of the PS4; though the original game is from two console generations prior, the difference between it and this new game is like night and day. The music of the game is also good, with at least some tracks being new versions of tracks from the original game’s soundtrack along with some new flavor to match the game’s different tone. The experience from returning voice actors (James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye, Jim Ward, Armin Shimerman) really shines through in their respective characters, and is quite possibly some of their best work in the series yet. Returning villains Chairman Drek and Victor Von Ion are voiced by new actors, turning in good performances that work better for this new interpretation as well as doing amazing impressions of their voice actors from the movie; Drek is voiced in the movie by Paul Giamatti, which can be heard in some of the movie clips, though Eric Bauza performs well as Drek to the point that I thought it was Giamatti; similarly, Mark Silverman as Victor Von Ion does a spot-on impression of the character’s VA in the movie, Sylvester Stallone, to where I could not tell the difference. 

This re-imagined Ratchet & Clank is a perfect jumping-on point to the Ratchet & Clank franchise. It feels just like a Ratchet & Clank game should, plus it manages to feel fresh in the process of going back to the series’ roots. It seems to slightly date itself though with an offhand mention of social media and hashtags in one moment (in the context of Gadgetron Headquarters trying to get good word on their products), but the game itself is overall fun in spite of that, especially with the addition of the card-collecting mechanic. As mentioned above, I give fair warning in that it might spoil the major events of the upcoming movie the game is based on, though I still look forward to seeing the movie regardless. Made for the 15th Anniversary, this game clearly shows how much Insomniac cares for its IP, and I hope they continue to treat Ratchet & Clank right going forward.