This game continues the Ratchet Retrospective and it’s a very odd one for sure. Instead of another mainline platforming adventure, we have a four player co-op adventure with a larger focus on platforming instead of shooting. The game is also one of the very few 4-player co-op 3d platformers on the market to this day too.
Considering the legacy of the series that must mean this has a lot to live up to. Does the game still offer the great line up of weapons past games alongside the tight gameplay and story of prior titles?
Development:
Insomniac’s main Ratchet team decided to move on to working on a new IP, called Overstrike with EA for multiple platforms (PS3 & 360) while the Resistance team continued working on the series with a final third game coming out in 2011.
This lead to Insomniac making very major decisions here; they were to stop focusing on 60FPS games after reviews did not change because of the frame rate and they opened up a new studio to work on other Ratchet & Clank titles. With this in mind, the game got announced in 2010 with a 2011 release date. It was the first four-player action co-op adventure from a major Sony studio (though Insomniac’s own Resistance 2 is a showcase for MP gaming on PS3; unique co-op story for four+ players for example).
The game released to mixed reception but still got decent sales. People liked the game but it wasn’t as strong to the series past adventure, ‘A Crack in Time’.
Story:
This is interesting, as this game got a prequel comic. It is called, of course, Ratchet & Clank but it continues the story from a Crack in Time. Ratchet faces an old foe again, Sasha from Ratchet 3 and Tawan from the Future series returns and more drama Is shown alongside the series trademark humor. I really enjoyed the comics, so consider reading them before playing All 4 One.
The game opens up after the conclusion of the comics, with Quark becoming president and Ratchet & Clank relaxing from a long time of adventure, with Ratchet saying they are retiring. They still come with Quark for a special award though, as they figure it’s a trap. They are right, with Nefarious & Laurence come back after events from A Crack in Time with a powerful being. The creature turns on them, so all four work together to take it out.
After stopping the creature, a giant ship takes the creature and the four heroes into space, with them being with the ‘Creature Collector’ now. Ratchet, Clank, Quark and Nefarious now have to work together to escape and I really like this story. Simple and not much happens but it can be quite funny.
Gameplay:
Here, is where things really get interesting, as the entire gameplay is very different from past titles. Instead of the traditional 3rd Person view point that the series had up to this point, we instead have a sudo-top down perspective where you can play with up to four players. Characters control like how you would expect them with every character having the ability to throw an object (Ratchet = Wrench, Clank = Sprocket, ect), double jump, have a few different melee attacks and everyone having access to the games line up of weapons.
You can still strafe by holding down one of the triggers, but you it now locks on to a single foe. This was implemented to make combat manageable with four players and to use the synergy shot. This feature is where if everyone is locked on to the same guy and attacks with the same gun, the impact is much more powerful and the effects are more profound.
Other elements to the core gameplay like grinding on rails, traditional 3D platforming and using gadgets are present but they all work differently. Grinding has larger rails to give more room for the players, platforming is pushed far more then any other game in the series this time out and the gadgets all focus on co-op support. One example is the slingshot, with it attaching to other players instead of just the target or the Vac-Gun, which can suck up partners and shoot them across larger gaps.
Level designs are also made differently, with level gimmicks being more common. Leaning on the edge of a car to move faster, using a jet pack, manning a turret, riding on a jet-ski; the game loves having gimmicks like these in the stages. Lastly, the planets/main levels are split up into different sections instead of being long levels like in prior titles.
Issues/Critique:
This all sounds like Insomniac did a great job making a Co-Op Ratchet game and I would agree to a degree. The change-ups from standard mechanics in the series are smart choices to work with four players and the level designs themselves are quite strong.
But…..I feel bad saying this; the game is just boring at points. To be more frank, its best to play this in short bursts instead of running through it like I did. The gameplay in Ratchet games are very strong, with tight controls and great weapons making things feel fresh the whole time through. However, the game just doesn’t have those elements down pat. One thing to note is that this game is 30FPS, which shouldn’t be a major deal to point out, unless you take into consideration that this is the first 30FPS Ratchet game ever made. This lead to the core gameplay not only adjusting to the perspective shift, but response time of the frames as well. Thankfully, it’s fine and perfectly playable but it effects the combat system greatly.
Without having the fun combat aiming systems from past titles, it makes every gun here feel the same. The Grenade Launcher? The Pig Gun? The combuster? All the same due to the combat system here not making the weapons feel special enough. You FELT the impact your guns had in past games and with how you had to use the tight input systems to navigate 3D worlds, it made combat fun.
There has recently been an argument about the Ratchet series not being platformers and I feel that is wrong in some ways; the platforming WORKS with the gunplay, not the later detract from the former. But here, you can really feel the core gameplay systems with Co-Op in mind making the guns not feel special and that honestly bothered me. I would be harsher on the game if the platforming was bad, but that is the strongest part of the game for me. The worlds are still large and have a lot of goodies to find like Gold Bolts. The level design here is great with some fun platforming challenges and the gimmicks each stage has making every level feel fresh and new. My only issue with the levels and platforming is that the core gameplay isn’t strong enough to last for long play sessions, making things feel stale after a while.
Multiplayer:
This needs its own section, considering ‘4’ is in the title of the game. The game adjusts well for single player, with Clank hopping of Ratchet’s back whenever co-op stuff is needed and is a great AI partner for major boss encounters and other such conflicts within the game.
In multiplayer, the guns are more fun to use to some degree thanks to the synergy shot mechanic and the stage gimmicks can really shine when playing with more players.
Not a big MP gamer though, so only played a few stages with people online before writing this. I just prefer playing games on my own honestly and the game still is a strong single player game. Just keep in mind that if you are playing in MP, you have to buy your own guns.
Despite the synergy shot mechanic, everyone has their own bolts and has to buy their own guns. This can be an issue for people just wanting to jump in for a fun time.
Presentation:
Visually, the game looks quite nice with the bright colors and great art style the series has coming through at every point. When you reach the more nature rich locations or the ice world at the middle of the game, the game looks great.
But you can tell the visuals took a hit after A Crack in Time to accommodate the co-op gameplay. It still looks good. Musically, the game sounds great and to me feels like a return to the ‘sound’ of the PS2 games at points. It still sounds cinematic at points like the Future titles, but a few tracks like the opening theme really stick out to me for some reason.
Main Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aMEPDzqyCY&list=PLaE2PvbKMKnr7wb5btYoL54ipg0Zf8zaa&index=1
Luminopolis Rooftops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aDKrhyJBkU&index=3&list=PLaE2PvbKMKnr7wb5btYoL54ipg0Zf8zaa
Secret Weapons Lab: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqgzQoYxw9w&list=PLaE2PvbKMKnr7wb5btYoL54ipg0Zf8zaa&index=38
Ephemeris ~ Parades and Groupies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfiZEA3z2m0&list=PLaE2PvbKMKnr7wb5btYoL54ipg0Zf8zaa&index=57
The game also has the weapon-get cut scenes like A Crack in Time and are great like they were there.
Overall:
I enjoyed this game but not nearly as much compared to past tiles. Insomniac did a great job making the mechanics from the series past work in Co-Op and I like that. But the lack of great gun play and the different controls set up detracted from my enjoyment of the game. If you have a few friends and want to kill a few hours, give this a shot. Fun
experimental co-op platformer and it is quite enjoyable despite some issues.
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