God of War: Sons of Sparta

Note: The review contains spoilers for God of War: Sons of Sparta and God of War: Ghost of Sparta. 

The God of War series is no stranger to having canon installments developed by other studios outside of Santa Monica Studio, but not a full original console game. Such is the case with God of War: Sons of Sparta (Sons of Sparta), a PS5 exclusive co-developed by Mega Cat Studios, the studio behind Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit. Unusually for the series, let alone for its high profile, the game was shadow-dropped on the PlayStation Store during the February 2026 PlayStation State of Play. Although the release was sudden, I still got the game on release day, though it took a while to finish due to my own personal endurance. Upon completing it and reaching the post-game, I thought it was a worthy entry in the series, but not without some questionable design choices.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Note: This review contains spoilers for Death Stranding.

Although Death Stranding (DS1) originally launched to mixed reception, Hideo Kojima considered creating a sequel to further establish the “Strand” genre. As it turned out, development had started when Kojima had written the story prior to 2020, but the way the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted the world made him decide on a rewrite. Since then, he rewrote parts of the story again in response to positive reception from test audiences, fearing that he had created something too mainstream. The final game launched in June 2025 on the PS5, this time to more positive reception, with the name Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (DS2).

When DS1 came out, I felt like I was in a minority that liked the game in spite of its flaws, but I could still recognize the issues that had turned so many away during its initial release. As such, I liked that more people eventually came around on the game following its PC port, then more excited when I learned about the development of DS2. It should be no surprise, then, that I had been playing the game whenever I could since launch day, pouring as much time as I did before (about 50 hours) until I reached the credits. Where I found the original a flawed, but solid step forward for Kojima Productions, DS2 manages to go above and beyond as an example of a sequel outshining the original in almost every conceivable way.

Silent Hill: The Short Message

For nearly a decade, Silent Hill was considered a dead franchise following the cancellation of Silent Hills and subsequent delisting of P.T. While I was already upset with Konami’s actions after their treatment of Hideo Kojima (who would have directed Silent Hills with Guillermo del Toro) came to light, the idea that the series would remain dormant didn’t affect me as much until I actually played through every main game back-to-back, as well as multiple times each. In a very timely coincidence, however, Konami would announce a full-on series revival in late 2022, which would include a new movie as well as multiple new video game projects. The official start of this revival would start with Silent Hill: The Short Message (TSM), a short experimental concept game that received a surprise release after Sony’s State of Play on January 31, 2024, the 25th anniversary of the original Silent Hill’s release (according to Konami, at least). Naturally, as someone excited at the prospect of more Silent Hill content, I downloaded TSM the instant I learned of its surprise release and played through it shortly after. While it’s not a perfect experience, and not as good as some of the series’ highs, TSM still felt like a step in the right direction and gave me confidence about the future of the revival.

God of War: Ragnarök - Valhalla (DLC)

Note: This review contains spoilers for the God of War series.

In celebration of the anniversary of God of War: Ragnarök (Ragnarök­), a piece of free DLC, known as Valhalla, was announced at The Game Awards 2023, for release later in the month. Not only does this DLC contain new story content, it also provides a unique gameplay experience different from the base game, constructed more like a rougelite and with a separate menu option so you can freely jump into it. Having overall enjoyed the base game, I downloaded and played the DLC as soon as I could, finding the story direction intriguing and the gameplay loop well-executed.

God of War: Ragnarök

Note: This review contains spoilers for God of War (2018).

After God of War: Ascension milked the God of War series’ Greek mythology roots for all it was worth, the franchise went in a new direction and began exploring the realm of Norse mythology, seemingly inspired by creator David Jaffe’s original vision for God of War III, starting with God of War (2018). While this new chapter in the franchise was initially planned for at least three games, the increased development time and cost for AAA games led the Norse Era to be capped off at two games, concluding with God of War: Ragnarök (Ragnarök) in 2022. While I did not play this game at launch, I did play the PS5 version as soon as I could when I got it as a gift, as the game was high on my radar once it came out. While Ragnarök is an overall fantastic conclusion to the Norse Era that was worth the wait, the experience was still affected by the amount of content and some technical issues.

Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition

When you’ve spent about a decade developing games in one genre, making a dramatic shift to another can invite a lot of risk. Guerilla Games certainly had their work cut out for them when they took such a risk, transitioning from the FPS-centric Killzone franchise to an open world game, Horizon Zero Dawn. Not only did crafting a whole new world require plenty of research, their own Decima engine needed to adapt to a genre it wasn’t originally designed for. Fortunately, their gamble paid off when the game launched in 2017 to rave reviews from critics and enough positive response to warrant a sequel. With the release of this sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, I finally took a look at Horizon Zero Dawn, specifically the Complete Edition, and found myself wondering by the end why I hadn’t played it sooner.

Death Stranding Director's Cut

Back in 2019, the newly formed independent version of Kojima Productions released Death Stranding, the first game directed by Hideo Kojima after his 2015 split from Konami. Since the game was also the first where Kojima was fully unleashed, for better or worse, reception from critics and players proved divisive (ironic considering the core theme of connections). While I completely understood its flaws in my review of the game, I still liked it enough that I got excited at the announcement of Death Stranding Director’s Cut, a PS5 release that added new content and general gameplay improvements. On top of that, it had an affordable digital upgrade for existing PS4 disc owners where they could get all of the new content and the Digital Deluxe Edition content for only $10, along with the patched-in ability to pre-emptively transfer your entire save file. Needless to say, I played this version of the game Day 1 and while it felt better suited for those just starting their journey to rebuild America, it still added enough to keep existing fans who transferred their save engaged.

Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut (PS5)

The original release of Ghost of Tsushima came around when the PS5 was close to launch, providing an imperfect, yet fantastic swan song to PS4-exclusive first-party titles. Months after the launch of the PS5, a new edition of Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, was announced for both platforms that brought with it new improvements as well as bonus content based around the region of Iki Island. You could even transfer your PS4 save file to the PS5 version, albeit through a USB drive rather than the cloud.

Since I already owned the physical PS4 copy of the game, I opted for the digital upgrade option to save money rather than buy the physical copy again at full price, however it isn’t cheap; upgrading the PS4 version costs $20, then another $10 to upgrade that to the PS5 version, or you can pay $30 to skip straight to PS5. Though I knew I wanted to play the PS5 version to get a better experience, I still went for the two payments option so I could still have the PS4 option if I wanted, and transferred a save file I had based on the original game’s Good ending. After exploring Iki Island to the fullest, I found the PS5 experience to be worth my time, though I feel unsure if the digital upgrade was worth my money.

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.

Astro Bot Rescue Mission

After managing to get a PS5 at launch, the first game I played was the pre-installed Astro’s Playroom, a fun introduction to the system and the new DualSense controller. I enjoyed it so much that I soon sought out a copy of Astro’s debut title, the PlayStation VR exclusive Astro Bot Rescue Mission, partly to have an excuse to get more mileage out of the headset. When I got around to playing it, I found it very charming and a great example of third-person VR.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)

Following the success of Marvel’s Spider-Man from Insomniac, a stand-alone follow-up game, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, was announced as a PS5 launch title, alongside a digital-only PS5 remaster of the previous game. Having liked the first game and gotten to like Miles Morales as a character through Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, I was curious to see Insomniac’s take on him and how they were going to keep fans sated until they release a full sequel to the first game. While Miles Morales also launched on PS4, I weighed my options and went for the PS5 version, helped by the Ultimate Edition (which comes bundled with a voucher for Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and bonus content) being included in a PS5 launch bundle from Costco, which also included an extra controller.

The bundle itself took much longer than expected to arrive, an annoyance I wasn’t alone in experiencing, though once it finally arrived, I didn’t get to actually play the game until receiving it as a Christmas present. After finally getting around to it, I found it a worthwhile experience despite its short length.

The Last of Us Part II

Note: This review contains spoilers for The Last of Us, The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Undertale and Spec Ops: The Line.

Ever since the PS2 Jak and Daxter games, I’ve been a fan of Naughty Dog and their work, even when they shifted to a narrative-driven style with the Uncharted series onward. I even enjoyed Uncharted 4 and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy in spite of their flaws and found The Last of Us to have some of the best character writing I’ve ever seen in a video game. When they originally announced The Last of Us Part II, directed by Neil Druckmann, I was intrigued, but news of overly intense crunch periods soured my willingness to play it. Once the game actually released during the early months of the global COVID-19 pandemic, I opted to watch a playthrough of the game and a few videos to see if I had really missed anything.

Although I wasn’t impressed with what I had seen, I eventually decided I should witness the story and gameplay for myself. Considering the praise that the game received, and its numerous Game of the Year awards, I wondered if maybe I had missed something and might change my mind if I actually played The Last of Us Part II. During my 25-hour journey, I did form my own opinion of the story separate from what I had already heard and found that I actually liked a couple ideas. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to like the game, I felt so thoroughly disappointed by such a painfully average experience that I now question if I can still eagerly support a company I once loved.

Ghost of Tsushima

Back when it was announced in 2017, Ghost of Tsushima caught my attention, due in part to it being a brand-new IP from Sly Cooper and Infamous developer Sucker Punch and for it being their own take on samurai-style gameplay. The more I learned about the game as it got closer to release, the more it intrigued me, such as how the game was heavily inspired by works such as Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo comic book series and the films of Akira Kurosawa of Rashōmon fame. Though the game was delayed on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, said delay was fortunately only by a few weeks, which incidentally made it the final first-party PS4 exclusive following the rather divisive (and that’s I will say on that) The Last of Us Part II released a few weeks prior. The game took a little longer for me to complete than anticipated due to Comic-Con@Home starting up shortly after it came out, though once I finally completed it I found the experience be wholly worthwhile.

MediEvil (PS4)

While I didn’t grow up playing the original MediEvil on the PS1, I did become interested in playing it for the first time through a remake of the same title, with some quality-of-life changes, that was announced for the PS4 and released last year. When a limited-time demo was available, I made sure to give it a try so I could see what the gameplay was like, along with unlocking the previously Japan-exclusive Dan’s Helmet item in the full game as an incentive. Needless to say, I was hooked on the game after playing the demo. Though I would later receive it as a Christmas gift, I didn’t get around to playing it until recently, with Dan’s Helmet unlocked and everything. Despite some difficulty spikes and flaws in the experience, I found it to be an overall enjoyable experience.

Concrete Genie

When Concrete Genie was first announced, I found its concept of a street artist whose drawings come to life intriguing, as well as its appropriately sketchy art style, though what hooked me was the fact it was compatible with PlayStation VR. Among other games, I would receive this one as a Christmas gift, and so wanted to check this one out as quickly as I could. After finally getting to see what the game is like, I quickly found out it’s not 100% playable in VR, however this did not detract from what I found to be an overall worthy experience.

Death Stranding - Tomorrow Is In Your Hands

Following a very public falling out with Konami in 2015, game developer Hideo Kojima reformed Kojima Productions as an independent studio with a strong relationship with Sony Computer Entertainment. In 2016, Kojima announced his first independent game, Death Stranding, which he pitched as a new genre called a “Strand Game”. Development of the game concluded three years later in 2019 and it released November of that same year. I immediately pre-ordered Death Stranding both as a fan of Kojima’s work and as someone who wanted to make sense of all the sparse information about the game. Over 50 hours later, since launch day, I found the unique gameplay experience to be worth the wait, but there are some flaws about the game that are simply hard to ignore.

Marvel's Spider-Man (2018) - Spectacularly Amazing

As both a Spider-Man and Insomniac Games fan, I was excited upon the official announcement that the two would come together for a game released exclusively on the PlayStation 4. While many of the Spider-Man games have been based on the comics or films series in some way, this game would be set in a new Spider-Man universe that incorporated elements from other continuities (including the now-defunct Ultimate comic line), including a large number of Spidey Suits based on suits from other continuities (among them the suit that Spider-Man’s MCU counterpart wears in Avengers: Infinity War). After having played the game (via a Best Buy pre-order that included a free physical copy of Destiny 2 of all things), I can definitely say that this is one of the better video game representations of Spider-Man.

After trying to catch him for years, Peter Parker/Spider-Man finally faces off against Wilson Fisk/Kingpin. Once Spider-Man manages to defeat him and have him arrested, Fisk warns him that things will only get worse with him behind bars. Fisk’s words turn out to be prophetic, as a new threat known as the Inner Demons threatens New York City, leaving Spider-Man to try and solve who is behind it. Meanwhile, Peter has also been studying alongside Dr. Otto Octavius on a scientific breakthrough in prosthetic limb technology.

With a new continuity to play around with, Insomniac manages to tell a rather engaging Spider-Man story that incorporates familiar elements in clever ways, such as the origins of certain characters and elements of Peter Parker’s backstory (delivered through dialogue), as well as some perfectly-timed meta humor based in Spider-Man media. Some things that are more or less common elements in most Spider-Man lore (ex. the death of Uncle Ben, Peter’s romantic pursuits with Mary Jane Watson, Peter’s tenure at the Daily Bugle) are largely implied through exposition via throwaway lines, though I feel this game (in a similar fashion to the Batman: Arkham series) was able to get away with this due to Spider-Man being arguably Marvel’s most ubiquitous character.

The graphics for the game are simply stunning, sporting a visually-appealing yet detailed art style that’s stylized enough to avoid the uncanny valley. The designs for Spider-Man’s and villains’ costumes are unique and interesting to look at, particularly in how said designs capture the essence of each character and their abilities. New York City is rather highly-detailed, taking full advantage of the PS4 to render things such as reflections, water and different weather conditions, along with a guest appearance from Avengers Tower to ground the narrative within the larger Marvel universe. Certain famous landmarks from both the real and fictional versions of New York City, such as the Daily Bugle and the Flat-iron building, can also be seen when swinging around and taking a picture of them in Photo Mode even nets you a bonus (more on that later).

There's also another, separate photo mode that lets you take your own screencaps
(unlike this review).

The music is really good in capturing each moment properly, with certain tracks playing appropriately depending on the situation. A particularly great track is the triumphant music that plays whenever you’re traversing New York City, as it really adds to the feeling of playing as Spider-Man and makes you want to keep web-slinging. The voice acting is another point of praise, with each of the voice actors being able to capture each character well. Yuri Lowenthal, who has had prior experience in the 2017 Spider-Man cartoon (albeit voicing villains), does a really good job as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, showing an impressive range for the character as he tries to balance superhero business, work and a social life. Two other stand-outs are William Salyers as Otto Octavius and Darin De Paul doing an impressive J. K. Simmons impression as J. Jonah Jameson, whose voice is heard in broadcasts of a radio show.

The combat is a bit like the rhythmic combat found in the Arkham series with spider powers and gadgets added in. Often you are battling waves of enemies at once, whose fighting styles range from close-quarters to guns and rocket launchers, as well as shields that block direct attacks. Certain abilities are in place to take advantage of Spider-Man’s abilities and agility, such as the ability to dodge around and under foes, as well as webbing objects in the environment to use as blunt instruments. Skill Points, obtained by earning enough EXP and leveling up, can unlock additional skills for use in combat, such as the ability to take the opponent’s weapons/shields away with webs and throw them right back at them, as well as perform ground pounds to throw enemies off-balance.

Gadgets (more on that later) can also greatly help in combat, including Electrical Webs, Web Bombs and Spider-Drones to aid in crowd control (there’s also a weapon wheel to help choose which gadget you want to use, in true Insomniac fashion). There is also a Focus mechanic, which by default fills up as you land hits on bad guys, which can be used to heal yourself in a pinch. As I had never played the Arkham games (only watching someone else play), this style of combat took me a while to get used to, however it worked really well once I got used to the rhythm.

Alongside the gadgets are a number of Spidey-Suits (27 in total) based off of various incarnations of Spider-Man, usually unlocked by fulfilling certain requirements. These suits include the aforementioned Infinity War suit, as well as costumes from the 2099 comics and the Sam Raimi films, among several others. Each of these suits also comes with a unique ability that can be activated at any time by clicking both sticks, such as creating shockwaves and making oneself temporarily un-blockable; my favorite is Web Blossom, which webs all enemies around Spider-Man and can make for effective crowd control. An array of Suit Mods can also be unlocked, of which up to three at a time can be equipped, which can provide an array of passive benefits for Spider-Man such as reducing damage from certain weapon types and manipulating how much/often Focus can be generated. While reading about the number of customization and combat options may sound overwhelming, the end result is handled in a such a way that it really isn’t.

The Iron Spider suit, included as a pre-order bonus, based on Avengers: Infinity War.

While the more open-world style of gameplay is a perfect fit for Spider-Man, there are fortunately plenty of things to do to entice exploration and help upgrade/unlock abilities. There are a number of sidequests available, more of which become available as you go, which earn you more EXP upon completion to level up faster. This also applies to other things that unlock over time, such as Taskmaster Challenges (disarming bombs set by Taskmaster), clearing out Fisk/Demon Bases, completing Oscorp Research Stations, stopping various types of Crimes and tracking down Black Cat. There are also a number of Backpacks strewn throughout the city, each of which contains an item of personal interest to Peter Parker and fills in details of his backstory in the game (while occasionally making some subtle meta humor about other versions of Spider-Man). Webslinging around New York to get to these is really fun to do once you get the hang of it, though the later ability to Fast Travel to specific locations (such as police stations and plot-critical buildings) can be a real time-saver in a pinch.

Performing each of the aforementioned tasks (sans Black Cat) nets you different types of Tokens (no less than five), any combination of which may be required to unlock Suits and abilities, as well as upgrading Gadgets. The Token system is a lot to work with and can lock you out of certain things for some time depending on your playstyle, though for some this is simply an excuse to continue exploring the city for all it's worth.

New York City seen from atop a skyscraper.

While the combat draws inspiration from the Batman: Arkham games, there’s other similarities that I had noticed during my playthrough. The Black Cat side missions, in which you needed to locate toy cats in a given space, made me think back to the Riddler Trophies seen throughout the Arkham series, though finding the cats requires far less effort than the Riddler’s neon green nightmare. On the subject of nightmares, following the introduction of this game’s version of the Sinister Six (seen in a trailer) in the third act, there is an entire section featuring segments somewhat reminiscent of the Scarecrow segments in the Arkhams Asylum and Knight, during which Spider-Man has to prevent losing his sanity while dealing with Scorpion. There was, however, some effort made to make Scorpion’s hallucinations stand out from Scarecrow’s.

Spider-Man (2018) is one of the best Spider-Man games to be released, if not one of the best superhero games. A lot of attention is paid to Spider-Man lore (both old and new) for fans to enjoy, plus there is a well-crafted story that takes an interesting turn on said world. The combat is enjoyable and offers a vast array of options (even more so than a typical Ratchet & Clank game), plus the graphics are amazing and take full advantage of the system’s capabilities. Fans of Spider-Man and/or the Batman: Arkham games should give this game a try; the world presented in the game draws from familiar Spider-Man elements as well as more recent additions to the Spider-Man mythos (which I only found out from some quick research after finishing the game as I have not been keeping up with the comics), though the game manages to organically weave these elements together to form a world that offers something for both new and long-time fans of Spider-Man.

God of War (2018) - It All Begins Here...Again

After God of War III concluded the story of Kratos’ run in Greek mythology, alongside the PSP game God of War: Ghost of Sparta later that year (which expanded on a one-off line from Zeus), Santa Monica Studio made the bold move of following things up with a prequel, God of War: Ascension, which set out to expand on Kratos’ actions prior to the events of the original 2005 game. Years later, a new chapter in Kratos’ saga, also called God of War and set in Norse mythology, was hyped at E3 and I was instantly hooked from the first trailer. I was, in fact, so hyped that I pre-ordered the Stone Mason Edition, which includes several physical and digital items, among them a cloth map of the game world and a statue of Kratos and his son Atreus. After spending some time with the game following release day, I would say that this new God of War was overall worth the hype and proved to be an interesting learning experience on Norse mythology.

Some time after the events of God of War III, Kratos is in the land of Norse mythology teaching his son Atreus how to survive in the wild. After giving his late wife a Viking funeral, Kratos and Atreus go on a journey to fulfill her last wish and spread her ashes from the highest point in all the realms. This is compounded, however, when the Norse Gods start going after them for reasons Kratos had been keeping secret from Atreus.

The story is not only excellently pulled-off (the secret ending is worth it), it also explores Kratos more as a character beyond his admittedly flatter portrayal during the Greek Era. His bonding with Atreus on their journey has him acting more subdued and wiser, as well as trying to be a good father to his son to the best of his ability, though his stoicism can still lead to some funny moments. In any case, it’s interesting to see a more three-dimensional Kratos, aided by Christopher Judge’s talent and the way Atreus is handled in-game, and I can’t wait to see what more they can do with this in future games.

The graphics are absolutely spectacular, surpassing even God of War III and pushing the PS4’s capabilities as far as they can. The backdrops are gorgeous and everything manages to have lots of detail without being off-putting (unlike its PS3 predecessor, God of War: Ascension). A notable aspect of the game is that, outside of menus, the visuals are presented in one continuous shot, an effect that, along with the graphical quality, helps make gameplay and cutscenes indistinguishable from each other.

The visuals are spectacular. (From left: Kratos, Atreus)

The gameplay is both similar and different to the previous entries, different in that Kratos instead wields a new weapon known as the Leviathan Axe. This weapon has its own useful features, mainly in the ability to throw and retrieve it (much like Thor’s hammer Mjölnir, as many have noted) to pull off some crazy combinations, in addition to some different abilities you can equip to the Axe for a more versatile play-style. Kratos also wields a customizable Shield (though your pre-order dictates how many options you have at the start) that works in tandem with different abilities in addition to blocking, plus his son Atreus can shoot arrows at enemies on command along with different summons for holding the button down. What makes the gameplay similar in this regard is that, despite the changes to combat, it still feels like a God of War experience, just at a somewhat closer camera angle.

A new armor and crafting system has also been introduced to the series, wherein you can customize Kratos and Atreus’ armor and weapons, as well as equip Kratos’ armaments with various Talismans that actually affect gameplay in addition to stats. Choosing the right combination can mean life or death at certain points in the game, however the exact loadout you want is entirely up to personal preference in the end. The game also features a somewhat different game world, in that it is still linear with some non-linearity, leaving itself open to including various side quests and hidden treasures to find. There’s also different realms to explore, two of which are optional, giving the player even more things to do in the game world. In general, there is so much to do in Midgard alone that after the playing through the story you’ll want to just keep exploring more and see what you get. So much so that there is now a fast travel system that involves activating special gates to warp between specified locations; whether or not this works well is up to the player.

Among the things you can find are different types of chests, each of them designed such that you can easily tell what sort of thing you will get. One of these types is the Nornir chest, which requires undoing three well-hidden seals (runes) to open, which encourages exploring the environment to see if you can find them (until you resort to a guide in some cases). One type I was not particularly fond of, though, were Nornir chests that required ringing three bells in order to undo the seals, often requiring several tries to get the timing just right. Regardless, the rewards inside are usually worth the trouble.

One thing I commend the game for is that, much like its Greek-centered predecessors, it serves as a great, if unconventional, way of learning about Norse mythology. The game is packed with information on the subject, largely contained within side conversations and hidden shrines throughout the game world that present this information in the form of stories. The way the story utilizes aspects of Norse mythology contributes to this, since, once you know more about said mythos, it’s interesting to see the game put somewhat of a different spin on certain elements. While there is so much to learn from this game alone, the way things are presented makes me want to see what else they can put into any subsequent installments.

God of War (2018) is an excellent entry in the God of War saga that should not be missed by fans and PS4 owners alike. It tells a very intriguing story that explores a different side of Kratos’ character, as well as featuring a glutton of information regarding Norse mythology that many will find interesting to learn. The quality-of-life changes to the formula help keep the series fresh and, alongside the introduction of Atreus, opens up a lot more options during combat. This game can be a good jumping-on point for newcomers, however certain aspects of Kratos’ character make more sense for those that have at least played the main entries in the series. Regardless, it’s an amazing game on its own merits that will leave players wanting 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.