Ratchet & Clank
PlayStation 4
I have been a big fan of the Ratchet and Clank series since the mid 2000s. I've played nearly every version of the game that has hit the shelves, with the exception of Deadlocked and a few of the minor PS3 era titles.
The formula of the games, while fun, has been losing some of its magic to me for quite some time now. You run, you shoot, you collect bolts, you buy and upgrade new weapons. Rinse and repeat. Each game has its own slightly amusing story line, complete with pre and mid-level story sequences. It is clear that the makers of the game are trying to make you laugh and keep you entertained when you aren't fighting, but to be honest I always found these scenes to be a bit of a chore to sit through. A necessary evil that I must endure before moving on to wreak havoc and distraction on a new alien world.
That said, I oddly enjoyed the Ratchet and Clank movie that came out a few years back. Perhaps without the distraction of, you know, actually playing the game I was able to focus more on the story of the film and enjoy it for what it was: a fun, if not too horribly memorable kid's movie.
I only mention the movie because it ties in directly to this game. Ratchet and Clank for the PlayStation 4 is essentially a remake of the original Ratchet and Clank for PlayStation 2, but with added content from the movie thrown in. The back of the game's box sums it up well. "A game based on a movie based on a game." Confused? Well, you shouldn't be. It is not that hard to figure out!
When I first heard news of this game coming out, I was a little bit excited. I enjoyed the movie. I wanted to see how the game would look on a PS4. The formula of the game looked like it was going to be unchanged, but it had been a while since I had played a Ratchet and Clank game, so I was willing to overlook that.
When I started the game up, fun memories of the series came rushing back to me. It was indeed true that, as far as gameplay goes, not much had changed in the series. But I was willing to overlook that and just focus on having a good time. And this game definitely was a lot of fun.
Since this is my first review of a Ratchet and Clank game, I will break down how it works. You play as a Lombax named Ratchet. Ratchet is a mechanic and a wannabe space exploring galactic hero. He investigates a nearby crash site where he finds Clank. Clank is a little robot who was created in a weapons processing facility. But he is a "defect" that is unwanted. He flees the facility, enemies in hot pursuit, and that is how he ends up crashing near Ratchet. The two immediately hit it off, team up, and become space exploring galactic heroes, just like Ratchet had always dreamed of becoming.
Gameplay takes place from a behind the back perspective. The name of the game is guns, explosions, and non-stop action. You start with a basic weak weapon that fires in a straight line. You quickly begin adding new weapons to your arsenal. There are bombs that you toss, heat seeking missiles, a "Pixelator" that acts like a shotgun and breaks your enemy into 8 bit looking pixeled characters, a flamethrower, a disco ball that distracts your enemies while you go ape on them... there are many other weapons to collect as well, but there are too many to describe them all.
A typical level takes place on an alien world. There are different branches you can take on the world map, each one leading to a new mission objective. You have to fight your way to the objective, taking on hordes of enemies at a time. Action is often quite hectic on the screen. As you fight on and advance, you are going to be smashing lots of boxes in the process. These boxes contain things like ammo, health, and bolts. Bolts you collect to buy ammo and new weapons. There is a collectible substance in the game called Raritanium that you can use to upgrade these weapons to more powerful levels.
That really is the name of the game. Run, explore, shoot. There are some atypical action levels thrown in to keep things fresh. In some you have to fly a spaceship and dogfight with smaller alien ships. In others Clank breaks away from Ratchet and has to solve puzzles in order to help you advance the plot. Some levels contain hover board races you must complete to gain bolts and keep the story line moving. There are some small interesting gameplay variations as well. You gain a jetpack (which I don't recall seeing in the original Ratchet and Clank) which you can use to fly around some levels. There is a grindrail, which IS seen in other Ratchet and Clank titles, that basically acts as an on-rails segment where you have to jump from rail to rail, avoiding objects and swatting enemies out of your way. Don't get me started on the hacking mini game, though. It sucks ass.
It shouldn't take you too long to complete this game. I beat it in less than a week, and that was only playing sparingly off and on again. I did find the game to be slightly more challenging than past Ratchet and Clank games. I don't know if that is because it is indeed more difficult, or because I am just out of practice since I haven't played one of these in so long. Even with the added challenge level I still beat the game pretty quickly. Spoiler alert (not really): the boss battles where you have to fly around on the jetpack are the WORST!
There isn't anything particularly new or groundbreaking about this game, especially if you have played Ratchet and Clank games in the past. It looks really good. It sounds really good. Technically it is a very impressive game. It is a lot of fun, but very simple at the same time. Which isn't a bad thing. Smash, collect, smash, collect, explore, shoot, jump, shoot, repeat, jump, smash, collect. It is a fun trip down memory lane with the remixed old levels as well.
Is it worth full price to buy this game? Not really. Especially if you already own the original Ratchet and Clank game. And especially if you can beat it in a couple of days like me. But if you can find it cheap (or borrow it from a friend, which is what I did!) that would be the way to go. It's a fun, solid game. A nice throwback to a classic and winning formula. I could think of worse ways to spend time. It is not the best nor the longest game in the universe but it is a fun time. That's really all I can say about it.
Overall:
B
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