• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Ratchet & Clank Retrospective - Explosive Blast from the Past

RK128

Member
2DmFsmQ.jpg


Hello everyone! As you might be aware of, I recently finished a retrospective of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, with some Sonic Team games joining the ride :). Only have a few games left to cover and I'm having a blast making it!

But this year also has a special anniversary for another series, Ratchet and Clank! This year celebrates its 14th Anniversary and Insomniac is rebooting the series with a complete re-imagining of the original on the PlayStation 4 and a feature film releasing next month.

To celebrate this, going to be covering the entire series across the its long history; PS2, PSP and PS3 games :). Will also be covering the PS4 game too! But much latter, considering I do not own a PS4 yet.

So, will be posting the thread covering the original within the next few days, but want to announce this, as I love this series just as much as the Sonic series!

Going to list the games here and the thread will update when a cover the next game in the line up. Hope you all look forward to it!

Lets go commando and show our arsenal, as we are going to blast through this retrospective!

PS2 Series:
Ratchet and Clank (2002)
Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando/Ratchet and Clank 2
Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal/Ratchet and Clank 3
Ratchet Deadlocked/Ratchet Gladiator

PSP Spin-Offs:
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
Secret Agent Clank

PS3 Titles:
Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty
Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One
Ratchet and Clank: Full Frontal Assault/Ratchet and Clank Q-Force
Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus

PS4 Game:
Ratchet & Clank (2016)
 

Order

Member
These retrospectives have been really entertaining to read.

I hope you do a Jak or Sly Cooper one in the future.
 

RK128

Member
These retrospectives have been really entertaining to read.

I hope you do a Jak or Sly Cooper one in the future.

I have a lot lined up, so 2016 will be the year I cover a lot of Sony platformers.

Which ones? Well, gotta Crash some creates, collect some orbs and use a cool cane first ;).
 
Deadlocked was one of my favorites I played through it like 5 or so times when I first got it. That megaflail was my favorite weapon in all of the games especially with all the mods you can get.

How can you play these games if they don't have any gameplay?

Wat
 

RK128

Member
How can you play these games if they don't have any gameplay?

Ah XD!

Honestly, I wanted to post this thread a bit early because of that comment; this series THRIVES on its rewarding gameplay, so should be fun proving that dumb comment wrong :').
 

Fat4all

Banned
Ah XD!

Honestly, I wanted to post this thread a bit early because of that comment; this series THRIVES on its rewarding gameplay, so should be fun proving that dumb comment wrong :').

Can't wait, been loving your Sonic Team retrospective.
 

Playsage

Member
I'm still conflicted on which one I like the best in the series between A Crack In Time and Up Your Arsenal...
ACiT has that jaw-dropping presentation, best movement option (they nailed the "rocket boots gadget") and a really challenging boss (unless you had the R.Y.N.O.)
Up Your Arsenal has so much content that I don't even know where to begin (plus, multiplayer!)
 

RK128

Member
I'm still conflicted on which one I like the best in the series between A Crack In Time and Up Your Arsenal...
ACiT has that jaw-dropping presentation, best movement option (they nailed the "rocket boots gadget") and a really challenging boss (unless you had the R.Y.N.O.)
Up Your Arsenal has so much content that I don't even know where to begin (plus, multiplayer!)

Its a really two-way tie between both for me too XD!

Up Your Arsenal/Ratchet 3 is by far the most replayed game I've ever played, so I must really love that one a lot :).
 

RK128

Member
Hello,

Just giving you all the heads up that I changed my mind about the PS4 Ratchet game; not covering it for this retrospective.

With recent rumors around the PS4.5/PS4K, I am completely against getting the console now, so I sadly will not be able to play this game at all.

When the comes and I cover every game in this retrospective, I am open to one of you guys covering the PS4 game :). When I finish covering Into the Nexus, will be asking if people want to cover it :D.

I might change my mind once E3 rolls around and the PS4.5/PS4K is more explained but for now, my mind is made up.

Hope you all understand.
 
Played though most of the original on PS3. Surprised at how few trophies I've gotten, you'd think they'd give more than a couple just for story progression.

Also tried out RC2 and I like the upgrade system! But they seem to only have one upgrade each?

Also played ToD and it's amazing what Insomniac pulled off so early on the PS3.

I also have Quest for Booty but there was this odd de-sync after the first level when you're in the cutscene with the map. It replicated each time but I've never saw it online and no-one's heard of that glitch, weird.

I have Nexus still sealed and bought A4O a while back on a PSN sale for like $10. Haven't gotten to it yet (it's ginormous to download).
 

RK128

Member
Played though most of the original on PS3. Surprised at how few trophies I've gotten, you'd think they'd give more than a couple just for story progression.

Also tried out RC2 and I like the upgrade system! But they seem to only have one upgrade each?

Also played ToD and it's amazing what Insomniac pulled off so early on the PS3.

I also have Quest for Booty but there was this odd de-sync after the first level when you're in the cutscene with the map. It replicated each time but I've never saw it online and no-one's heard of that glitch, weird.

I have Nexus still sealed and bought A4O a while back on a PSN sale for like $10. Haven't gotten to it yet (it's ginormous to download).

Ratchet 2 only has two upgrades, with Omega weapons having a second set of upgrades :).

ToD is really great visually :D!

Nexus is a great game and A4O is.....a really large game XD! Never downloaded it but beat it with a used copy I got from GameStop a long while back. Decent time despite it not matching up to past games.
 

rjc571

Banned
I loved the series on the PS2 when it ran at a high framerate. Now it runs at a low framerate and I don't like it anymore.
 

RK128

Member
I loved the series on the PS2 when it ran at a high framerate. Now it runs at a low framerate and I don't like it anymore.

I'm sorry that bothers you :(. Frame rate doesn't bug me unless its really distracting; something like Into the Nexus was a bit too chopy for me sadly despite me greatly enjoying it.

The new game has a locked frame rate at 30FPS, instead of a target frame rate of 30FPS. So, the game will run much, much better then Into the Nexus :).
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
Hello,

Just giving you all the heads up that I changed my mind about the PS4 Ratchet game; not covering it for this retrospective.

With recent rumors around the PS4.5/PS4K, I am completely against getting the console now, so I sadly will not be able to play this game at all.

When the comes and I cover every game in this retrospective, I am open to one of you guys covering the PS4 game :). When I finish covering Into the Nexus, will be asking if people want to cover it :D.

I might change my mind once E3 rolls around and the PS4.5/PS4K is more explained but for now, my mind is made up.

Hope you all understand.

Joke post?
 
I was actually planning on writting a RTTP like 2 years ago after I played through every single R+C game over the course of a month or 2. I think I still have a draft of my impressions from the PS2 games, haha:
Ratchet & Clank (RTTP)
I'd rented but never owned or finished this on the PS2. This game is probably the most difficult of the R&C games and still hold up pretty well. Levels are very big and very numerous with multiple routes (usually 2) in most if not all the levels that require some backtracking once you get new equipment in later levels. The backtracking can get a little complicated for figuring out where to go next sometimes, but the different routes through levels keeps them fresh and not repetitive. Decent badguy and pretty good humor throughout. The game also introduced the Challenge Mode that nearly every game in the series has as well (New Game Plus), but it's more limited in this game than in others.
Main negatives are that the combat is a little clunky compared to later games, the weapons don't level up with use, and the backtracking can be a little much.

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (RTTP)
The first R&C game I owned and still my personal favorite. It adds the ability to strafe by holding down the left shoulder button which allows you to be much more agile in combat (still my favorite control type, even in later games). Weapons could now level up which is the mechanic I love the most in this series. The humor in this game is even better than the first with a very fun story. A lot of new mechanics such as globular planetoid levels (ala Mario Galaxy), and full 3D flight combat missions (with upgradable ship). Story is very funny and light hearted and the levels are a lot of fun.
The game also has one of my favorite easter eggs ever in a game: The Insomniac Museum. This is a level made to look like the developer's office which features a ton of behind the scenes materials. You're able to see and interact with things that didn't make it into the full game (fancier water effects, tiny globe planets, etc.). A really mind blowing feature that I wish other games would copy.
It also began

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
This game introduced the ability to play with a fully 3rd Person Shooter control scheme. Great for direct aiming, but I still prefer the additional maneuverability that Going Commando's Hold-Trigger-To-Strafe control mode (your able to instantly point backwards and hit enemies that swarm behind you). This game also added online multiplayer which was one of the first online games I played on the PS2. It also has a few reasonably fun sidescrolling Qwark levels that give you a bit of the back story between him and Doctor Nefarious.
Not my favorite game in the series, but still extremely good.

Ratchet: Deadlocked
This one-off of the R&C series that focuses entirely on the combat and multiplayer aspects. Surprisingly, it still has a fun single player with a decent story and villain. I didn't play the multiplayer, but the arenas could be a lot of fun. I did miss having the traditional explorable levels worlds, but I though this was a great one-off title in the series.
 

RK128

Member
I was actually planning on writting a RTTP like 2 years ago after I played through every single R+C game over the course of a month or 2. I think I still have a draft of my impressions from the PS2 games, haha:

That is awesome :D!

Thank you for sharing this with us buddy :).
 

Tagg9

Member
No, I'm serious about this.

If you think its a joke, well, glad you got a nice laugh :).

But otherwise, I'm dead serious. Hope you all understand.

Do you not already own a PS4? I don't understand what your position is here.
 

RK128

Member
Do you not already own a PS4? I don't understand what your position is here.

I don't own a PS4 and was waiting to get one when this, Uncharted 4, and other JRPGS released.

Now that I'm gearing up to get one, this rumor starts flying around and.....I'm just bitter I had interest to begin with. Will wait until E3 before I make any final decisions whenever or not I'm getting a PS4 or not but right now, have no interest in getting one.

Do not want to de-rail this retrospective because of some dumb console, so this is the last I will discuss of the PS4 in this retrospective. When I am close to finishing the retrospective on Into the Nexus, will ask if people want to cover the PS4 game.
 
That is awesome :D!

Thank you for sharing this with us buddy :).

I still have some notes I was taking while playing the PS3 games:
Ratchet and Clank Tools of Destruction:
  • Data corruption, when trying to go back to an old save on my PS3. I ended up deleting the save and having to start from scratch.
  • Audio sync issues in cutscenes. The sound and the stuff happening on screen was out of sync and ruined a lot of the humor of the cutscenes.
  • Weapon items that you don't get ammo for (not sure what I meant by this, haha)
  • Save/Load icon overlaps with the subtitles
  • Narrower paths compared to the PS2 Ratchets, more like the PSP ones.
  • Game froze on me at least once.
  • Overall this might have been up there as one of my favorite games in the R+C series, but the bugs really kept me from enjoying it fully.

Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty:
  • Good small scale DLC game.
  • Had some great lighting in the dark areas
  • Decent openworld-ish hub area kinda thing that was fun to explore.

Ratchet and Clank: Crack in Time:
  • You can throw your wrench while you move now
  • It brings back the globe planets from Ratchet 2
  • Great Clank stages.

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
Weird co-op brawler/shooter for up to 4 players (I played it on my own.
Doesn't work great as a single player game, but it's not impossible.
They turned the RYNO into a big suit that (unless I'm remembering right) is more of a temporary powerup than it is an actual gun.
Probably would have been a decent multiplayer game for at least 2 people, but as is it wasn't as bad as I was expecting, but nowhere near as good as the main games.

Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault
  • Action/Tower defense hybrid
  • ONLY 3 LEVELS, with a single alternate level
  • I actually really liked playing this one since I like Tower Defense games and LOVE tower defense action hybrids like Orcs Must Die, but this one had WAY too little content, even for a budget title.
  • The Vita port was included free with the PS3 version, but it is one of the worst console to handheld ports I've EVERY tried. Horrible framerate and terrible graphics. It's like tweaking the .INI file in Crysis to get it to play on a shitty old netbook.

Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus
  • I don't remember a ton about this one (played it 2 years ago after all)
  • Smaller scale than the full games, but still fun.
  • Had some decent new weapons, but I forget exactly what ones.
 

Ashtar

Member
Subscribed, I'm starting to feel bad about not playing the earlier r&c games but this will give me a chance to catch up
 

RK128

Member
Hello everyone :D!

Now that the Sonic Retrospective is wrapped up, I can come back to finishing this retrospective :).

By Tuseday, I plan on putting up a thread covering Going Commando/Ratchet 2 to celebrate the launch of the PS4 game :D!

And I plan on posting a thread at least once a week, alongside a Mega Man thread considering I'm starting a retrospective on that series :).

Hope you all enjoy blasting with the Lombax and Robot for the next month or so :D!
 

RK128

Member
Going forward, all future retrospectives will be in this thread, to ensure everyone sees them :).

- - - - - - - - - - - -

c53a1a2ca274dbc9a5419c0615c67128.jpg


After the success of my Sonic Retrospective, we are going to blast into PlayStation with the Ratchet and Clank Retrospective!

The Ratchet and Clank series is one I really love, but the original game I played far later; my opinions on the original changed a lot from when I first played it too when I played it recently on my Vita, so let’s start this retrospective on the Lombax and Robot with not a whipper, but a grand blast!

- - - - - - - - -

The series origins stem post the release of Spyro: Year of the Dragon, as Insomniac Games moved on from the Spyro series after feeling like they retched a limit on what they can do with a four-legged creature.

latest


So, Sony and Insomniac dropped the Spyro IP in favor for making a new series that Sony owned.

They called the original game 'Girl with a Stick' and it was going to be more of a Zelda-like adventure but they changed it to something closer to their past work on Spyro, but in space.

500x_girl_with_a_stick.jpg


After prototyping with various creature prototypes, they came to the final designs of Ratchet and Clank. Once this process was done, they gave the game its 'gimmick' being the various weapons they collect and exploring unique planets.

kowUfGM.png


Fast forward to November 2002, they release Ratchet & Clank a year after the release of Insomniac’s friendly rival, Naughty Dog's Jak & Daxter. Both games shared the same tech (core engine) across the PS2 Era too :).

The game was going to be a success and Sony expected this, with them greenlighting a sequel to this game well before its launch (three months before the game went gold).

So, with this game having lofty expectations, how does its gameplay fare?

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Ratchet & Clank feels like a natural successor to Insomniac’s past work with Spyro the Dragoon; large open levels to explore with various paths and objectives to complete. It can also be argued that the guns are less for heavy combat and to just push foes away faster (like the Spyro series). The guns do not having a strafing feature until later in the game, so you are pushed into using your wretch far more (the melee weapon of the game). Guns come in a large variety, and they are the heart of the series going forward.

8116743217_1cfc6bb184_c.jpg


The blaster, the bomb glove, the agents of doom (little robots that attack your foes when planted on the floor), flamethrower (more or less a gun version of Spyro's breath ability but far more affective), Sheep-Ray (that turns your foes into sheep)......and the RYNO.

THIS games BFG gun, the nuke, the most powerful weapon in the game and while it takes a while to buy, its soooo worth it :D!

1c9d3303b9bd0fd1a103819a690ce257.jpg


This gun comes back in every single Ratchet game and it works different depending on the game.

One last element about the guns, is that you need bolts to collect them. You get them from bashing creates, collect bolts on the ground or from defeated robots/creatures. Using the bolts you collect, you can buy various gadgets, weapons and later in the series, armor to increase your health. It’s as if your coins from Mario can be used to get stronger power-ups or if the Rings in Sonic can be used to purchase upgrades to your spin dash; it GIVES greater meaning to your currency and it makes collecting them addicting and really rewarding. Plus, the feeling of smashing boxes and hearing that iconic bolt sound……so good XD!

Z4VFFIT.gif


- - - - - - - - -

So, you must be asking "Wait.....this IS a platformer, right? You only are talking about the weapons now....."

Yes! This game is a platformer, and a really fun one at that.

The original Ratchet and Clank is very close to being a core platformer compared to the rest of the series (which taps into its gunplay a bit more), with Ratchet having a lot of weight, feeling a bit slippery and his double jump not being that effective. This leads to level design focusing on fun platforming sections and each level has at least 2-3 paths to take.

Each paths offers something 'different'; climbing up a sewer system, exploring an underwater cavern and fighting through a construction site in Novalis for example. Every world works like this and it makes every planet feel like, well, a full planet!

You really get the impression that you are exploring a galaxy in the original Ratchet & Clank, and that is its greatest accomplishment. One more thing before moving on to the story, the gadgets and Clank sections.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ratchet gets a lot of gadgets across the game like a slingshot, gravity and grind boots, hoverboard, thruster for faster swimming, heli-pack to hover in the air, jet pack that allows you to strafe and more! They make exploring the world really fun and it makes things really replayable (as some level chunks require specific gadgets you get on latter planets).

rkF51DI.gif


Clank has sections where you can control little robots that can attack foes, enter switches and stop in place. These sections are a bit challenging and they offer some fun puzzle elements. This mechanic stays in the series for a very long time and it only gets more & more in-depth as the series goes on.

We also get......GIANT CLANK! He destroys everything in his path, shoots a barrage of missiles and is raw destruction! ......It’s fun :). It only gets better in latter games where Giant Clank has more usage :).

hqdefault.jpg


- - - - - - - - - -

My only issue with the gameplay is very small things and I will list them:
-No pause screen when selecting weapons/gadgets
-Weapon wheel too small, so you frequently go into the menus to re-adjust the wheel
-No strafing or lock on feature for your weapons until very late in the game

These issues are minor….because later games eradicate them and make them non-issue, but will get to that when we talk about later games ;).

- - - - - - - - - -

The story is where this game really shines bright, as Insomniac tried hard to make more or less a playable cartoon. And I feel they do a good job here.

9Flvo7d.gif


Ratchet is a bit of prick who is open to adventure but is quite selfish until latter in the game, Clank is a little robot who wants to become a hero, Dreck is a great core villain that is quite funny at points, and Captain Quark is more or less a kid friendly Zap Brandagan from Futurama....its as amazing as it sounds XD!

The core plot is that Dreck's species is trying to make a new planet after destroying their homeworld and they are using parts of other planets to accomplish this.....but that will destroy them. Clank gets wind of this after being made and crash lands on Ratchet's planet of Velden. Ratchet and Clank come to an agreement to work together to save the day with distractions and other problems having them but heads after a while.

Ratchet is a really prick here, very different then latter games. He disagrees with Clank a lot, he outright yells at the little robot and he is very vengeful/angry latter in the game. But that makes him more human and makes his friendship with Clank all the more realistic. They dislike each other, but slowly become friends over time. Leads to funny scenes and the game as a whole being really rewarding to play through :).

The other characters are really funny as well. Skid Midmarks being a 'chill' dude, the Plumber being quite funny, bikers that have a soft side to them; the game has a strong personality and the story opens this up in spades.

Overall, its a great plot and it sets up for a really enjoyable series to follow.

- - - - - - - - - - -

hqdefault.jpg


The presentation is really impressive, with detailed textures, massive locations to explore and every level looking different. The world also looks very alien and futuristic, setting up the location greatly. We also got a lot of strong visual effects, shaders and a lot of detail on the character models; a lot of care was put into making this cartoony world feel 'alive'.

latest


This effect is only enhanced with the sound. Explosions sound great, ambiance is done well and the sound of smashing creates just pushes you to keep on breaking them XD!

Musically, the game is strong too.

Velden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHQos_kVWYQ&list=PLD913041344F737E9&index=2
Kerwan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjGxXK_ltcs&index=8&list=PLD913041344F737E9
Kerwan Training Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KtQMxAUSjY&index=9&list=PLD913041344F737E9
Euroda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYPLPobwXdQ&index=11&list=PLD913041344F737E9
Blarg Station: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDTVZxkK1no&index=13&list=PLD913041344F737E9
Rilgar City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMPsMETuaNc&index=16&list=PLD913041344F737E9
Hoverboard Race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuFCqEt51yo&index=17&list=PLD913041344F737E9
Umbris Quarks Base: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prf9SN5H2i0&index=19&list=PLD913041344F737E9
Batalia Rail Grinding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzKSFxPjllM&index=22&list=PLD913041344F737E9
Olantis Orbit - Base: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JnOlg6zrr4&index=31&list=PLD913041344F737E9
Olantis - Planet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0jVB-xwDMg&index=33&list=PLD913041344F737E9
Velden in Peril: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6S1UfspRP0&index=40&list=PLD913041344F737E9

It sets up a very strong mood and is more varied in comparison to the latter games in the series. Love this soundtrack a lot :).

- - - - - - - - - - -

This game is a great title that offers a lot of reasons to replay it. You can go back to the game when you beat it to get gold weapons using bolts/gold bolts you collect, play with your weapons some more and have an easier time with the larger health you have (if you upgraded it across the game originally).

Overall, I love this game and while I prefer the later games in the series more, Ratchet & Clank 1 is a very strong title that sets up a lot for future games in the series.

Lets go commando when we join Ratchet and Clank on a new adventure soon enough :).

ratchet.jpg
 

Village

Member
Which games do you want to help me with :)?

It was great working with you during the Sonic Retrospective, so I would love to work with you again :D!

Eh Up your arsenal. If you desire extra imput in regards to a crack in time or into the nexus, sure i'll do that too.

These games are in a place where most of them are good, an me commenting on all them would be consistent praise and it bleed and become similar, so I don't do wish to do too much.

Its something I enjoy and I would love to talk about.
 

RK128

Member
Eh Up your arsenal. If you desire extra imput in regards to a crack in time or into the nexus, sure i'll do that too.

These games are in a place where most of them are good, an me commenting on all them would be consistent praise and it bleed and become similar, so I don't do wish to do too much.

Its something I enjoy and I would love to talk about.

Well, this series rarely messes up XD!

So us phrasing them is understandable :).

I love the series too and it would be a blast working with you on Up Your Arsenal, A Crack in Time and Into the Nexus :).
 

RK128

Member
ratchet2_box_org.jpg


This game in the series continues where the original left off, with Ratchet & Clank heading out on a new adventure after a year of just relaxing on Veldin.

Ratchet 2 is the turning point for the series, with the core gameplay completely changing in really clever ways and a lot of the groundwork that latter games expanded upon being established.

I love this game a lot, so lets waste no time! Lets go commando everyboday!

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Development history on this game is very direct and simple; the first one was expected to be a success, so Sony greenlight a sequel mid-production of the original Ratchet & Clank. So, three months before Ratchet 1's launch, development of the sequel was underway.

Insomniac wanted to play with a lot of concepts for the sequel game and really push the PS2 hardware with Ratchet 2. Better visuals, more RPG elements added to the core gunplay, modern aiming systems for your weapons and more streamlined design compared to the original game.

Some effects like very advanced water texturing was cut due to the game's frame rate tanking when it was in action, so they used simpler water technology.

So this released in Fall 2003, a year after the launch of the original Ratchet and Clank, with it being very successful. Like Ratchet 1, a sequel was starting development three months before Ratchet 2's launch and some developers leaving both Insomniac Games and Naughty Dog to form High Impact Studios. Will touch on them when we get to the PSP games.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The story is that a now kinder and calmer Ratchet is relaxing on Veldin with Clank being interviewed about what they've been doing since being Drek. They've more or less been relaxing with Ratchet desiring to be part of a new adventure.

maxresdefault.jpg


Literally seconds after saying that, they are warped to Megacorp and see Fizwidget, who asks Ratchet & Clank to find a creature called the Proto-Pet, a experiement that was stolen from the location. Ratchet is ready to go while Clank stays behind to relax.

The story here is fantastic and the dynamics with the cast is outstanding. Ratchet is a kind fellow thanks to James Arnold Taylor being his new voice actor (Insomniac really didn't like the voice direction for Ratchet originally and stuck with James since Going Commando onwards). He does a great job giving Ratchet a lot of life and makes him a very likable character. Something story-wise that makes since, as Ratchet got kinder from his past Adventure with Clank.

The writing is sharp like it was with the original Ratchet but I really laughed hard during a lot of the cut-scenes. When you visit the Megacorp-Testing location, the cut-scene you get there is great, with a kid being terrified while the Proto-Pet is trying to kill him at every turn XD!

maxresdefault.jpg


Story-wise, this is one of the best in the series and Ratchet 3/Up Your Arsenal just gets better.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The gameplay is major here, as Insomniac did ALOT to make this more playable compared to the original Ratchet. While Ratchet 1 was a great game, it felt more like Spyro, with the guns more or less being grander versions of the different breaths.

MisguidedGraveJuliabutterfly.gif


Here, weapons have a lot of impact and are REALLY fun to use. They fell fantastic and they are all controlled greatly thanks to the Strafing feature being added into the core moveset of Ratchet. Just hold R2 and you are locked to the side, with the right stick allowing you to aim far more carefully. This leads to combat being a ton of fun and while you don't have a lot of weight to your weapons/movement, the snappy nature of the gameplay more then makes up for it.

NarrowScornfulHoneyeater.gif


You also got the weapons wheel (where you have all your weapons) pausing the game, Ratchet's core movement being more tighter and having Clank's core abilities and basic items (hovering, jet-pack, hydro-pack, breathing helmet) unlocked right from the start (though you have Clank joining you in a latter level). This makes everything feel like a 'natural' progression for the series and this is further shown off with the ability to get various Ratchet 1 weapons for free if you have a save of the original game when visiting a specific planet.

PlumpBouncyHarborseal.gif


Ratchet also levels up, same with his weapons. Like in Role Playing Games, the more you kill, the more EXP you get. And when you get enough, you get more nano-tech (your health) and your weapons get stronger. This is addicting and one of the best additions to the series. Between the large line up of great weapons like the Lava Gun, Bouncer (which explodes into lots of little bombs), Turrets you can plant on the ground, and even other useful items like a shield that can damage foes when you level it up.

535457-ratchet_002.jpg


I love this line up of weapons and its my second favorite line up in the series! You can also give them special mods (acid effects, lock-on features, ect) if you find Silver Bolts. These are found through exploring through the game and completing space flying levels, which I will get to soon.

hqdefault.jpg


Ratchet's core sections have never felt better and I love his sections of the game.

Also, thank you IceyFlames for the great Gifs :D!

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Clank also is his own playable character again and his gameplay got better too. Like Ratchet, his core movement got a lot better but he also got new robots to command like a bridge robot that can allow you to cross long gaps and a Lifter robot which can pick up heavy objects. These mix up his stages and make them a lot of fun.

Giantclank_gc2.jpg


Giant Clank comes back when exploring a moon, which is as awesome as it sounds. You fight a giant creature on this moon with missiles, massive jumps and powerful punches; a ton of fun.

And the last two gameplay points is the hoverbike and the space combat. The former is F-Zero or Wipeout like racing but with weapons you can use. Its fun and makes up a small portion of the main game.

maxresdefault.jpg


The Space levels though, make up a decent amount of the game. You have three/four main space locations to visit and they are Star Fox all-range mode like fights. They have great design with a lot of places to fly around in, extra missions to complete when beating the main mission, and even different weapons you can get when you pay enough Raretainum (currency you get from fighting foes and blowing up stuff in these levels).

535459-ratchet_004.jpg


I enjoyed these when I played the game more recently but did not like them much during my first playthrough. But when you get the nuke, go to the final space combat area and just shoot it right in front of you once you move a few inches. Kills everything and if you keep doing this again and again, free bolts :).

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Visually, this game looks fantastic. Levels are a bit smaller then the original game but they still have a lot of pathways to explore with a ton of detail. Love the animations in this game though, with it having a lot of squash-and-stretch.

535458-ratchet_003.jpg

535470-ratchet_015.jpg


The music though........man, one of my favorite gaming soundtracks. It is action packed, filled with great tunes and is memorable. Ratchet 3 continues the style of music shown here and it is just as great.

Aronos - Flying Lab: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk13dtTAXgc&index=1&list=PL5D86303F0E380566&nohtml5=False
Oozla - Megacorp Outlet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X83pgH45nj0&index=2&list=PL5D86303F0E380566&nohtml5=False
Wupash Nebula: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqs9igUjY-Q&list=PL5D86303F0E380566&index=5&nohtml5=False
Barlow - Vukovar Canyon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrrLLpYI4JE&index=14&list=PL5D86303F0E380566&nohtml5=False
Hoverbike Race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfNEog-mY84&index=15&list=PL5D86303F0E380566&nohtml5=False
Tabora - Crystal Desert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT0rmOwDFek&index=24&list=PL5D86303F0E380566&nohtml5=False
Maktar Nebula - The Battle Arena: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryggnRU5DZk&list=PL5D86303F0E380566&index=8&nohtml5=False

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Overall, this is how you make a sequel. Fix every issue that people have with the original game and make everything insanely polished. One of the greatest games ever made on the PlayStation 2 and its PlayStation 3 & PlayStation Vita ports are solid (though the Vita version runs at 30FPS; a lot better then that sounds considering I played that version for this retrospective :D).

And the best part? It gets even better with the next game. If this game is close to perfect, Ratchet 3 IS perfect and I can't wait to talk about that soon enough.

showposter.jpg
 

RK128

Member
Just going to clarify how things are going to work for this and other Retrospectives I make. Will be making the post here and every link in the OP will be put toward the post I make. But I will also be making a NeoGaf thread for each retrospective for those who do not follow the main posts in this thread.

Hope this helps people interested in reading my Retrospectives :). If people do not like this set-up, feel free to PM me and I will just post the OP's in this thread going forward :D.
 

Playsage

Member
Oh, man... I miss Ratchet's PS2 days personality... He knew how to be an asshole! lol
Now I kinda want to get a copy of the remastered trilogy (that helmet glitch, though)
 

RK128

Member
Still has the best arenas.

The arena was always my favorite part of the PS2 games :). So much fun getting through each round and the 100 round events in both games were very rewarding to complete, more so when you got upgraded weapons to play with :D!
 

RK128

Member
I plan on putting up the Up Your Arsenal Thread with the help of NeoGaf Member Village within the next day or so, but wanted to make a post saying, thank you Insomniac Games for making this amazing series.

I grew up with this series and loved almost every game in it. Very greatful to go on so many adventures with the Lombax and Robot, and I can't wait to play the PS4 game whenever I get my PS4 this June :).

Here are links to the OT and Review Thread for the PS4 game :).
 

RK128

Member
Hello!

Just wanted to let you guys know that while I promised that the Ratchet 3 thread will be up tonight......thats not happening :(.

Just got home an hour ago and have a decent amount of college work to get done tonight, so don't have the time to make the thread today.

It will instead be up either Thursday or Friday, so I hope you all understand. Love Ratchet 3 a lot (honestly part of my top 3 games of all time), so want to do that game right with a proper Retrospective :).
 
Top Bottom