Jump to content
Awoo.

Ratchet & Clank


...

Recommended Posts

Deadlocked is less of a traditional Ratchet game, sure, but I still think just overall as a game it's better than Tools of Destruction.

I will give you that. Another thing is that ToD has one of my favorite OSTs in the series, even if some of the music is unmemorable. Case in point, one of my favorites would be Stratus City, The Docks. Edited by Felix
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Both Tools of Destruction and A Crack in Time are great games, it just that both have things that they do better. ToD had more platforming ,a better arsonal of weapons, and bigger worlds but had a unfinished feeling and lack of ploish in some areas (Space Shooting Sections, Clank levels) while ACiT had a stronger story, best Clank gameplay in the series and a more open world to explore with the explorable moons but had some really cool ideas cut thoughout development (Gravity Sphire, Dice Crates, Hoverboot races, Randomly Generated Levels, ect...).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With ToD, the weapons had more verity with the weapons along side devices that can turn the tide of battle. While ACiT had a very solid line up of weapons new and old, I personaly felt that ToD's weapons made battles more interesting; you need to use evey weapon you had vs. sticking with a few powerfull ones.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

http://blog.us.plays...eries-revealed/

iam8bit, a group of artists and collaborators that have good relations with Insomniac are working on R&C 10th anniversary screen-prints. They just released the first one on sale 2 days ago for $60. (And there were only 300 of them, and they're sold out.)

8116743217_1cfc6bb184_c.jpg

Damn, this looks sick.

Edited by Rayman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I only got into the series this year. I picked up A Crack In Time and loved it. I now also have the Trilogy/HD Collection and Quest For Booty and I'm probably going to get Q-Force.

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I only got into the series this year. I picked up A Crack In Time and loved it. I now also have the Trilogy/HD Collection and Quest For Booty and I'm probably going to get Q-Force.

When you'll have some free time try Tools of Destruction too. It may not be fresh but it's still an amazing game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When you'll have some free time try Tools of Destruction too. It may not be fresh but it's still an amazing game.

I tried out the demo and it blew me away. I'm going to try to pick it up in the week. If I do, I'll post my thoughts on this topic.

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I tried out the demo and it blew me away. I'm going to try to pick it up in the week. If I do, I'll post my thoughts on this topic.

Welcome to the brotherhood.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ratchet-and-clank-boxart.jpg

In 4 days, this game, and the entire R&C franchise will be turning 10 years old. In order to celebrate, I'm going to do reviews of each game chronologically, starting on November 4th, with R&C1.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe on November 4th I'll actually bother continuing the first Ratchet and Clank and get the platinum trophy in it like I did the other ones on the Collection.

Edited by Chooch
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe on November 4th I'll actually bother continuing the first Ratchet and Clank and get the platinum trophy in it like I did the other ones on the Collection.

Now you'll soon have to look forward to 100'ing Deadlocked HD. :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nah. I don't think I'm gonna bother buying Deadlocked HD. Let alone getting 100% in it. It was hard enough getting Ninja Ratchet in it the first time around on PS2 and I'm dreading this platinum in the first game for similar reasons.

I really like the game, but not that much. I wanted to get the Collection so bad because it had Up Your Arsenal and Going Commando on it as well as a demo for Sly 4. I don't know. I'll probably change my mind later.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nah. I don't think I'm gonna bother buying Deadlocked HD. Let alone getting 100% in it. It was hard enough getting Ninja Ratchet in it the first time around on PS2 and I'm dreading this platinum in the first game for similar reasons.

I really like the game, but not that much. I wanted to get the Collection so bad because it had Up Your Arsenal and Going Commando on it as well as a demo for Sly 4. I don't know. I'll probably change my mind later.

Ah, I see. Oh well, hope you get to buying it. :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ratchet & Clank

RaCbox.jpg

Developer: Insomniac Games

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Platforms: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 (HD remake)

Composer: David Bergeaud

Release: November 4, 2002 (PS2) August 25, 2012 (PS3 HD remake)

Genres: Platformer, Third-person shooter

Welp, it's been officially 10 years since Ratchet & Clank hit stores across the US, symbolizing the start of the Ratchet & Clank series, and the start of one of the PlayStation's most iconic franchises, bringing an even mix of platforming, puzzles, and shooting to create a platformer different from most of the norm. In order to celebrate this special occasion for the birthday of my favorite video game series of all time, I shall be doing a retrospective/review of the first Ratchet & Clank! Now, let's begin, shall we?

How It All Began

After completing Spyro: Year Of The Dragon, and their overall work on the series, in 2000 for the original PlayStation, Insomniac knew of Sony's latest piece of hardware and sequel to the PS1, the PlayStation 2, and got to work on their IP for the new console, named I-5 (Insomniac Game 5), later named Girl With a Stick, an adventure-like game that was based more around The Legend of Zelda. Insomniac was never enthusiastic about the idea, and then scrapped the idea after 6 months in development.

Chief Creative Officer of Insomniac, Brian Hastings later brought on the idea of a space-traveling alien creature who would travel planet to planet with various weapons and gadgets to use at his disposal. Many other Insomniacs were captivated with the idea, and came with many various designs until Ratchet's final design, ranging from a cat, dogs, and rat-like creatures. A robot would be meant to assist Ratchet, originally starting as multiple robots, having different functions to help him, and then being morphed into one robot with multiple functions, this robot would be later known as Clank.

ratchet-610x411.jpg

clank_1-300x300.jpg?9d7bd4Clank_progression_sketch-300x263.jpg?9d7bd4

Early character designs for Ratchet & Clank.

With Insomniac finalizing designs for both characters, they created two tech demos demonstrating their idea to Sony of a new IP for the PlayStation 2. (Which of course, Sony later green-lit development of the game.) These would lay the ground for to later levels in the game, Metropolis, Planet Kerwan and Jowai Resort, Planet Pokitaru. The tow tech demos also governed how levels in the universe of R&C would be like. Environments filled with spaceships and flying cars, lush and colorful environments, and retro-future architecture.

One of the tech demos, which would later evolve into Metropolis, Kerwan in the final game.

Pre-production of the game began in March 2001, with a small team of 35 people. Later on, Naughty Dog asked Insomniac if they were interested in using the same technology they used to make Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. Insomniac agreed, and in turn, allowed ND to use any improvements Insomniac would make to the engine. However, to popular belief that R&C ran on J&D's engine, the engine for R&C was developed in-house, but had some very important renders by Naughty Dog. Production of the game had finally begun in early November of 2001, with the team growing to about 45 people.

insomniaclogohires580.jpg

After more than one whole year of development, Sony released Ratchet & Clank to the masses on November 4, 2002, garnering massive critical acclaim and commercial success, even winning to accolade of PlayStation 2 Game of The Year in 2002.. Many gaming publications praised the great graphics of the game at the time, fun and addictive gameplay, creative puzzles, and it's varied arsenal of weapons and gadgets to use at specific times. The game went on to be in the Greatest Hits line of PS2 games, and even becoming the first Western PS2 game to be bundled with the console in Japan. To this day, the game has sold over 4 million copies, making it the best-selling game in the entire Ratchet & Clank series. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the series, R&C1 was re-released in high definition along with it's two sequels in the Ratchet & Clank Collection, in August 2012.

The Story

The story begins in the Solana Galaxy, on the planet Veldin, where a Lombax mechanic named Ratchet is working on his own spaceship to explore the cosmos beyond the backwater planet that is Veldin. Ratchet is using HelpDesk, an automatic helping service that tells him how to build his ship. However, it turns out Ratchet is missing a robotic ignition system in order to activate his ship, making him sigh in disappointment. Not far away from Veldin, on the planet Quartu, in a robot plant, menacing Sentrybots are being created one by one, until an error accidentally creates a small, puny robot instead of a Sentrybot. The small, diminutive robot walks over to an Infobot, which later opens its contents, showing an extensive plan by the Blarg, and their leader Chairman Drek, to destroy other planets in the Solana Galaxy, and use their components to merge them into one planet for the Blarg, due to their home planet, Orxon, being polluted and overpopulated.

A Sentrybot sees the incident, later attempting to capture the small robot, but with him going through an airpipe, and into an escape fighter. Two other Sentrybots enter fighters and follow the robot, later shooting him down over Planet Veldin. Ratchet sees the ship crashing down, and hears a crashing sound, later walking to the crash site to investigate, later finding an unconscious robot at the crash site, which Ratchet later brings with him Ratchet continues to work on the ship, until the robot suddenly woke up, and startled him. Clank tells Ratchet that he's looking for Captain Qwark, the greatest hero the galaxy has ever known, in order to stop the plans of Chairman Drek. The two later come to a deal that if Ratchet helps Clank to achieve his goal, Clank would activate Ratchet's ship, due to Clank having the robotic ignition system he needed to start Ratchet's ship. So therefore, the two flew off Veldin, with their adventures coming to a start.

Gameplay

Ratchet & Clank plays like the average platformer, you've got your double jump, you kill enemies and avoid obstacles, and you jump from platform to platform. But however, unlike many other games for it's time, R&C offers an even blend of shooting, platforming and puzzles. The game has over 19 planets to explore around the Solana Galaxy, and over 36 weapons and gadgets to help you at your disposal. ranging from the OmniWrench 8000, allowing you to whack your enemies, and to unlock bolt cranks, and the Bomb Glove, a glove that allows you to throw small bombs at enemies, the Glove Of Doom, which allows you to summon small robots that seek enemies, and when exploding when running into one. There are only two main playable characters, Ratchet, with his large, sprawling levels, platforming, blowing stuff up, and solving puzzles, and we have Clank, with his more puzzle-oriented levels with the small, diminutive, Gadgebots.

Ratchet_051902_5-396488_640w.jpg

Ratchet burning some Sandsharks with his Pyrocitor on Outpost X11, Planet Aridia, the 3rd level of the game.

Ratchet's levels are large, open areas with multiple paths, allowing for large exploration value, and to find new goals and missions, and other collectibles around the stage, such as Gold Bolts. In a level, there are small, blue vendors by the company, Gadgetron, where you can buy weapons, or ammo for weapons you have. You buy these weapons with bolts, the main currency of the game. You can find bolts by breaking bolt crates, killing enemies, or finding them placed around the level. However, many weapons in the game get more expensive as the game goes on, and getting bolts is really tedious compared to other R&C games out there, so whenever you see a bolt crate or enemy? Break it or kill it. Always.

ratchet-and-clank-ps3-20060322052523566.jpg

The visuals for each planet look incredibly detailed, colorful, the animations are clean, smooth, and is definitely a visual and technological marvel for the PlayStation 2. (And the HD remake just updates the game's beauty tenfold). At times, during cutscenes, it sometimes even feels like you're playing/watching a cartoon, witht he crude slapstick humor and adult innuendos. Ratchet, in the entirety of the game, can find or buy over 35 weapons and gadgets, mostly gadgets, which are needed to progress through most of the game, such as the Swingshot, which allows you to hang on to certain Versa-Targets to reach across gaps, and the Trespasser, which helps you unlock certain doors to hidden areas. Clank is on your back during these levels, and you use the Heli-Pack or Thruster Pack to glide over gaps, and the Hydro-Pack to swim in lakes, and rivers, and go against currents, along witht he Grind Boots to allow you to grind on rails. However, as fun as Ratchet's levels can be at times, there are many flaws.

Unlike it's two respective sequels Going Commando, and Up Your Arsenal, and all games there-forth the game has no strafe, making aiming projectile weapons like the Blaster a huge pain in the neck. The controls in the game tend to feel clunky at times, and it feels like controlling a block of lead on shopping cart wheels, especially with the fact that Ratchet feels heavy, and the double jump is virtually useless. Weapons are also unable to be upgraded, and can only get a upgrade by buying their Gold upgrades, these Gold upgrades give the weapon golden plating, increase their power, and give them new functions, however you can get by having a certain number of Gold Bolts, and normal bolts, and these tend to be very expensive. Finding bolts is also a tedious process, as the game tends to have a much less favorable bolt economy than the games after it. Another thing is that certain weapons tend to be total duds, and you never end up thinking of using them at all, like the Taunter, Drone Device, and Mine Glove (though both are admittedly good weapons). Though, the upside is that there are very useful and fun weapons, like the Blaster, Devestator, Walloper, Tesla Claw, and Visibomb Gun, to name a few, and introduced us to series' mainstays, such as the Suck Cannon, and Morph-o-Ray (starting the animal transformation weapon trope).

ratchet2x26x11x02.jpgratchet3x26x11x02.jpg

Some weapons and gadgets in the game in order, Blaster, R.Y.N.O (Rip You A New One), Taunter, Suck Cannon, Pyrocitor, Glove Of Doom (proto design), Tesla Claw, Visibomb Gun, Hydrodisplacer (proto-design), Swingshot, Morph-O-Ray, OmniWrench 8000, Walloper (proto-design), Trespasser, Ratchet & Clank themselves, Devastator, Metal Detector

Aside from the usual blowing stuff up, and platforming Ratchet also has to use the Trespasser to unlock certain Invinci-Locks attached to certain doors, some of which can be incredibly frustrating, so you have to put your mind to the test. The Hydrodisplacer allows you to fill certain pools with water, and drain pools filled with water, and the Metal Detector can find hidden bolts in the ground. Ratchet also participates in certain Hoverboard races, though these are only in two planets in the entire game, Rilgar and Kalebo III, you can beat these in order to win certain prizes to help you progress through the game. They are quite fun, my only complaint is that the AI tends to be unfair at times. There are also occassional segaments where you find yourself in a starfighter, having to shoot down certain objects in the sky. These levels would carry on to Going Commando, but would play much differently.

Now, we shall speak about our little robotic friend, Clank, with his very own gameplay.

ratchet__clank_image24.jpg

I enjoy Clank's gameplay, I really do, but in this game? NOOOOPE. Unlike this game, the Clank gameplay is actually short little tidbits that bring fun and creative puzzles to break off from the mindless shooting from Ratchet's gameplay, but I loathe the Clank levels in this game. The reason is that they drag on for too long, especially for the one on planet Orxon. Clank is slow as a slug, and with the expansive levels R&C1 has, it certainly doesn't help matters. The Gadgebots are meant to assist you with different commands, Attack other enemies, Enter various machines to open doors, waiting, and following. Sounds like a good assist to Clank, right? Wrong. The Gadgebots have the most sensitive kind of communication, for example, when opening a door, and the Gadgebot(s) is one inch too far away, he won't follow you and go through the door, and you have to start the level over again just to fix it. Another example is that when a Gadgebot gets killed, instead of teleporting at a station near where it died, you must go ALL the way back to where the Gadgebot originated. What's worse is that these levels take about more or less than half an hour to complete. These levels are not fun. They're clunky, tedious, break the pace of the game, and horribly boring.

Now that I've gotten gameplay out of the way, let's talk about the game's soundtrack. The game's soundtrack was composed by British composer, David Bergeaud, who had composed the soundtrack for Insomniac's first game, Disruptor. Ratchet & Clank's soundtrack ranges from techno, trance, orchestra, and electronic/house. Ranging from the whimsical, epic tunes of planet Novalis, the epic orchestra mixed with techno beats at Nebula G34's Warship, and the addictive mix of electronic and techno at Planet Eudora. I mean, just listen to this.

You can't say you weren't bopping your head listening to this. You simply can't.

The Final Verdict

Now, I finally come down with the final verdict for the first Ratchet & Clank game. Ratchet & Clank is a good platformer that has it's fun moments at times, but it overall pales in comparision to it's sequels with so many things missing that make it look puny in comparison to Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal, such as no upgradeable weapons, no strafe, clunky controls, boring Clank levels, among others. However, on it's own, R&C1 is a good game, and is still what it deserves to be along with the other PS2 Ratchets, and among other great games in the early 2000s. A classic. This is the game that started it all, and Ratchet & Clank is a great start to a great franchise. Happy 10th birthday, Ratchet & Clank, let's make it another 10 years, and many more.

Pros:

-Varied arsenal with fun and interesting weapons

-Amazing soundtrack

-Great visuals and animations, and voice acting

-Ratchet levels are a blast to play

-Huge and expansive environments with multiple paths and goals

Cons:

-There are weapons you'll have little to no motivation to use

-Clank levels are a boring, tedious mess

-Controls are clunky

-Bolt economy is very unfavorable

-Overall hasn't aged well as it's sequels

Score: B-

10thAnniversaryBanner2.png

(all credit goes to KBABZ from the Insomniac Games Community for this banner)

Edited by American The Assface
  • Thumbs Up 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

You must read and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy to continue using this website. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.