Ratchet & Clank (2012, Playstation 3) Review

(4 / 4)

Also on: Playstation 2

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SCRATCH(ET & CLANK) YOUR

 3D PLATFORMING ITCH

All the way from the glory holes of the aughts comes one of the defining games of the Playstation 2-era: A fun, energetic collectathon platformer in 3D, with varied mechanics and cute characters of a highly stylized universe. It contains weapons and gadgets enough for a dozen games, and mini-games to cover a couple more.  Thinking back on what PS2-gaming life was like in its prime, how better to encapsulate it than by playing a round of Ratchet & Clank? Maybe by playing Jak & Daxter?

I'd never touched any of these Insomniac classics before, but boy am I glad that I finally did. I always dismissed them as children's games, but surprisingly found at least this one to become challenging towards the end. I had to back out of the final boss fight to grind for cash (the currency in this world is screws 'n' bolts) for ammo and an expensive health upgrade. That's what you get for beelining through a game.

A DEVIOUS PLAN

The story is a fun, cartoony anti-capitalist romp across the galaxy. The evil alien chairman Drek threatens life on all planets. He destroys world after world and collects the best parts of each one (yes, literally parts of the planet!). He plans to piece them together into a new home, after his old one was polluted and made uninhabitable under his rule. The player must thwart these plans, taking on the role of both the lynx-like mechanic Ratchet and his newfound little robot friend Clank (who was rejected from Drek's robot assembly line).

In order to do so, you need to follow a trace of leads on planets across the galaxy. Each world presents its own theme and adds some new, ingenious gameplay element. Sometimes I would say out loud to myself: "How'd they think of that?"

There's a richness to Ratchet & Clank that might get you thinking that Insomniac had a hard time killing their darlings. Some of the weapons I fired only once and totally forgot about later, bringing a whole new meaning to the concept of "fire-and-forget". For instance, I would love to go back and experiment with the "Taunt" mechanic to see what fun I could've had.

Since even I have a hard time picking out a single favorite gameplay feature from a very wide range, I can get why Insomniac seemingly didn't want to leave anything out. Since nearly all of it is good, they created a longer game instead. Maybe it would have been better to save some ideas for sequels or other franchises, but then we wouldn't have the Ratchet & Clank that we got.

A GAME OF INVENTIONS

So, the foundations of gameplay consist of running, jumping or swimming around the levels, pounding or throwing your wrench into enemies and collecting the bolts they drop when they perish. Bit by bit, you'll add to that experience.

You'll find or buy new weapons that work great against certain enemy types. New gadgets will allow entry to closed off areas. Inventive pieces of equipment will expand your transportation possibilites - you might glide through the air with your heli-helmet, or walk vertically on certain walls with magnetic boots. You'll partake in mini-games like Hoverboard racing, rail sliding, space shooting or even one where Clank is enlarged to the size of a giant and stomps rampant across a city. Some areas are unavailable to Ratchet, so you'll have to control the clunky little Clank, which briefly turns the game into a fun, rudimentary puzzle adventure. Most impressive of all is that they managed to keep the controls simple and intuitive across all these sprawling game mechanics.

I've hardly come across a game this transforming. It reinvents itself with each new location. The maps usually allow you to go down several paths, all ending in some kind of juicy reward that makes you reconsider your combat options. It also incentivizes you to go back to previous worlds to try out newfound gadgets. Who knows, they might open up new secret areas of higher difficulty, not even shown on the standard map. I hardly exploited these possibilites, giving me a reason to one day return to the game.

A WORLD WORTHY OF PIXAR

Visually, the game's worlds are unified under the appropriate, cartoony 3D art style that was popularized by Pixar Animation Studios in 1995:s Toy Story. This helps the graphics stand the test of time. Characters use exaggerated facial expressions to get their meaning across, which works well with a story that doesn't take itself very seriously. The worlds are lively places, with loads of moving objects and vehicles that sometimes might even surprise you by interrupting your gameplay.

I played the PS3 HD version that was part of the Ratchet & Clank Trilogy bundle, and it certainly doesn't suffer from utilising the entire screen instead of a 4:3 letterbox. Each world is detailed to a degree that's almost wasted on the unaware player, who is likely focusing on the task at hand. But then again, world design and immersion have always worked their magic best on the subconscious level - we appreciate the effort all the same.

A lot of the game's humor is visual in a way that doesn't call for attention, and doesn't translate well into writing. It might be in the way of design - I for one thought it quite funny that a spaceship is equipped with rotating propellers - or just the way things move - like when Ratchet flies off towards a new planet and does a single barrel roll for no reason. Of course, there's fun to be had in the writing as well, and I have to compliment the cutscene crew for keeping it short. Even the acting is surprisingly good. (In case you don't know: This era of gaming is infamous for having some really nasty voice acting.)

ALMOST FALLS SHORT OF GREATNESS

I'll award Ratchet & Clank a whopping four star rating, but it nearly falls just short of that because of the, say, last ten percent of the game. The final planet - that doesn't introduce anything new and instead tests the skills you've acquired - feels like one endless finishing run through the motions. The end boss itself requires you to have plenty of cash or undying patience if you cannot win in just a few attempts. This might mean you have to back out of the fight to grind.

Also, closer to the end, we get some less exciting gameplay features involving stealth and disguise, breaking the pace and needlessly taunting the urge you might have to beat the game. However, once they're introduced the game is almost over, so you don't have to suffer through them for long.

The fact that it's the only part I would have stricken from such a rich game is a telltale sign of its successes - it's the exception that proves the rule. Ratchet & Clank builds up enough captivizing goodness from the start to carry a lasting goodwill through the weaker closing parts.

I hope Ratchet & Clank is remembered as I experienced it - as a combination of inventiveness and humoristic kinks that combine to create some amazing, timeless qualities. For instance, the mini-games might not themselves be awesome, but when Clank turns into a giant, part-by-part, and the head is the last one to change, for a second we are looking at a very funny picture of a giant robot with a miniature head. That lifts spirits high enough to last the short duration of the sequence, where Clank shoots and punches across the stage. And, as a punchline, as he shrinks back into his normal size, once again Clank's head changes last.

I'm well accustomed to playing retro games, and let me tell you, they are rarely as good as you remember them. If you never played a certain game upon release, good luck in trying to get much fun out of it fifteen years later. In my opinion, the current generation is always the best. All that said, Ratchet & Clank holds up remarkably well. It starts out small, but keeps building upon itself to create something truly magnificent out of unremarkable little screws and bolts. I'm eager to find out where this series went. Stay tuned for reviews of sequels and remakes.

[Screenshots from MobyGames: www.mobygames.com]