The 3D platform genre has almost been left behind in the wake of this current gen of consoles as huge blockbuster titles tend to focus on the more seriously toned epic adventure, shooters and racers filling the sales charts each week. I remember the days of 3D platforms with a great fondness from Spyro the Dragon, Jak and Dexter to Crash Bandicoot and Gex: Enter the Gecko. All were bright colourful worlds with amazing characters and gameplay. One of the most popular series was Ratchet & Clank, a series that has spanned fifteen years of the PlayStation era across multiple consoles. The popularity for the adventures of Ratchet & Clank has prompted Sony to bring the series to a new audience on PlayStation 4 but instead of doing a simple remaster, they are doing a full reboot of the series and are releasing a big screen feature film based on the series as well as this new game that is based on the film that is based on….the game!
This Ratchet & Clank is really a reimagining of the very first game that was released back in 2002 on PlayStation 2. It retells the origin story of the main characters whilst bringing together all the different gameplay Styles from across all the games in the series. This is truly a daunting task for any developer but from Insomniac Games, it absolutely feels like a labour of love from start to finish and as the player you can feel their passion for the series all the way playing through.
The story introduces Ratchet, a talented mechanic who dreams of joining the Galactic Rangers and living the life of a hero. The Galactic Rangers have come to his planet Veldin to hold try outs to find a new Ranger. Completing the recruitment test, Ratchet is then rejected by Captain Qwark, famous leader of the Galactic Rangers. At the same time across the galaxy on Quartu, the sinister Chairman Drek, leader of the Blargs, is preparing to start a interstellar war and steps up production of his Warbot army when a defective unit breaks free and escapes in order to warn the Galactic Rangers. After crash landing on Veldin, he is rescued by Ratchet who names him Clank and together they set off to stop Drek and help the Galactic Rangers.
Ratchet & Clank has certainly benefitted from the jump to PS4 as visually it has never looked better with character models and environments that blends effortlessly with the high quality CGI cut scenes. It really as though the player is in the same world as the film and as good as any Pixar flick. The level of detail in the animation of each character really is eye catching. Every level takes place on a different world and are so varied and unique that you do feel like the adventure is spread over a whole galaxy.
But it was always the gameplay that stood out for me and happy to say by combining all the best features from the series has produced, this is the most fun game yet. Each level has objectives, both story and optional, to complete. These can range from exploring an area to solve a puzzle task or clearing enemies to save a character who can aid you on your adventure. You can be platforming one moment and fighting multiple enemies the next but all combine together that it will satisfy new comers to the series but also to remind experienced players with the series just what made them fall in love with Ratchet & Clank all through the years. The combat, puzzles and platforming all honour aa genre that to me has sadly been too easily forgotten by platforms but is still a foundation to modern gaming in so many ways. The old adage “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” has never been proven more right than with Ratchet & Clank. This reboot does a meticulous job of enhancing everything that made this series so popular and repackages it for a new generation but still pays its respect to what has come before.
As you progress through the story both Ratchet and Clank will collect upgrades and new weapons to help the mission. Clank will collect more advanced kit such as a propeller system that will allow Ratchet to glide or reach high platforms which later upgrades to a full jetpack. Ratchet will start the game with his faithful wrench to beat enemies with but soon his arsenal will grow to include some insanely fantastic guns at his disposal. From the basic Fusion Grenade and Magma Disruptor, you will soon be wielding some impressive firepower in the Raptor Missile Launcher and Pyrocitor flame thrower. Of course this would not be a Ratchet & Clank game if it didn’t include some outlandish guns and have no fear, Insomniac Games have delivered!
Weapons such as the Sheepinator that can turn enemies into exploding sheep and the Protoclast that launches a giant orb that sends out pulses that inflict damage to whole groups of enemies. By far my favourite gun of all is the Groovitron that fires a disco ball grenade that will make all enemies stop in their tracks and start dancing. That’s right, you can make the enemy dance which even includes Boss characters as well, with each enemy performing a different dance animation which made me chuckle each time I used the gun.
Finding how to combine the weapons will be key later in the game as the fights grow tougher, it was actually refreshing to have boss fights that put you to the test for once such as the Snagglebeast fight. Weapons can be upgraded using the Gadgetron Vendors in each level, each will have their own skill tree to fill out. Weapons can also improve the more they are used in combat just as Ratchet will level up his health bar with XP. The vast choice of guns to use and upgrade is indeed staggering but deliciously fun to learn how to use, but it is impossible to upgrade them fully in a single play through which is why Ratchet & Clank has a new game plus mode that unlocks after the main story is completed.
The Challenge Mode allows the player to start the story again from the beginning but will carry over all weapons and their upgrade progress. The enemies will be tougher but it enables more weapons to be levelled up and to continue collecting all the Holocard collectibles and earn more Nuts n Bolts currency. In this Challenge Mode, once a weapon has reached level 5 and its full Holocard set Collected, it unlocks the superior Omega version of the gun to be purchased. Omega weapons can continue to be upgraded further than its normal variant This means there is always a reason to keep trying out new guns and more importantly, to keep on playing.
As much as this game is a reboot and a tie in to the film release, it really accomplishes far more than that. It also serves as a celebration of the entire series and is woven into the very fabric of this game. From the tongue in cheek dialogue between characters that poke fun at itself to the bringing together of all the fan favourite elements, Insomniac Games is really showcasing why Ratchet & Clank is so deserving of the place it has in millions of players hearts. There is even a Museum that is only available in the Challenge Mode containing six hangars full of memories to be explored should the player find enough Gold Bolts to open their doors. The whole fifteen year history of the game series is tucked away here with an on-screen message encouraging players to share screenshots of those moments and memories with others.
Ratchet & Clank has always been about fun in its gameplay, its story and its character, something I genuinely feel has been lost along the way these past years. It reminded me of a simpler time in gaming and Ratchet & Clank embodies the very reason that such fun is needed again. The story is well written and the voice acting compliments the great animation to superbly bring real laugh out loud moments throughout. I would have preferred to have had the chance to enjoy more Hoverboard tracks and opportunities to ride more rail sections but overall Ratchet & Clank is back with a tremendous bang which has lost nothing since it first launched back in 2002 to how joyous it it is to play in 2016. It will make people go see the film who will then want to play the game but this release achieves far more than a clever marketing strategy.
Ratchet & Clank is truly gaming at its very best and most fun!
