Hello everybody! Today I will be reviewing Ratchet and Clank, one of the best games on the PS2.




The game:
Ratchet and Clank is a third-person action-adventure game with some platforming elements involved created by Insomniac. It was released in 2002 exclusively for the PS2 console. It would later be a part of the Ratchet and Clank HD Collection released for the PS3 in March 2012. This game is currently getting a full complete remastered edition for the PS4 console.

Story:

In terms of story and levels to play through, this is the longest Ratchet and Clank game to date.

I would say that this would have to be the best story that a Ratchet and Clank game offers with Up Your Arsenal being the 2nd best. This game introduces how Ratchet and Clank became friends and the devs do a great job showing their relationship grow as the game goes on. They go through basically what every friendship goes through as it shows the ups, the downs, being angry at each other, betrayal, and almost destroying the friendship completely. Ratchet’s attitude in this game is quite dickish and seems kind of an asshole at times but as the game goes on, he will retain his likable attitude. Clank is more laid back and a character that hates to see failure and won’t give up. They are the type of main characters that you will care about no matter what happens to them.

The main antagonist in this game, Chairman Drek, is a guy everybody will hate when they play this game. Let’s face it, the guy is an asshole but he has his own sense of humor and you will see it throughout the game. For being the very first villain in Ratchet and Clank, they did a good job at making him seem evil but with a sense of humor at the same time. I also like how the humor in this game isn’t forced and it doesn’t try hard like a Michael Bay movie to get you to laugh.

The characters you meet in the game are funny in their own way, like the RYNO guy. He talks and acts like a stereotypical street thug with what seems like a Brooklyn accent and its hilarious. Skid McMarx, a professional hoverboarder, talks just like a stereotypical surfer/skater and he’s funny also. You’ll find many more of these awesome characters all throughout the game. This is something that I always liked about these games, how the characters are all likable and not one character is annoying.

Gameplay:

- The gameplay in the first Ratchet and Clank game is good, but it can be a little clunky at times. Ratchet will slide around sometimes if not too careful and the camera angle will sometimes move in a bad spot that could lead to your death. You can alter all of this in the Options menu at best you can, but it will still be clunky and weird.

- Ratchet can jump, double-jump, do backflips/frontflips, strafe, crouch, and grab on to ledges making quite a mobile and fast character. The gadgets you will acquire will also make you do all sorts of crazy things during the platforming parts of the game.

- The currency in the Ratchet and Clank universe is Bolts. You gain bolts from destroying enemies, breaking crates, and breaking scenery such as plants, fences, lights etc. With these bolts you use them to buy weapons, weapon ammo, gadgets, and various other items from characters. Bolts in this Ratchet and Clank game are difficult to hoard, as you will be spending a lot on buying key-items in order to help you pass the game.

- The weapons and gadgets in this game are fun to use and all have their advantages/disadvantages. In other words, if you don’t have the right weapons you won’t be able to pass some parts of the game. One of my favorite weapons in this game other than the RYNO is the Tesla Claw. It spits out lighting and will bounce off of nearby enemies dealing tons of damage. One thing I don’t like about this game is that they focused more on the gadgets than the weapons, as there are WAY too many gadgets to collect rather than weapons.

- The enemies vary from planet-to-planet in this game. You will mainly fight Blarg Troops but you will also fight creatures from a planet’s wildlife that you are on. For example, the planet Pokitaru is a vacation resort on the ocean. You will fight mutant fish and a mutant-squid looking thing that shoots missiles. Since there is no difficulty level in the game, the enemies will progressively get tougher and tougher the farther you make it into the game. They will take more hits from your weapons and do more damage to you. The AI also isn’t that smart. They will kill their comrades on accident or fall to their death sometimes.

- When there is a part that Ratchet can’t do, you will play as Clank. Clank, since he is smaller, he is slower and weaker. But don’t worry; you won’t fight enemies that Ratchet can take on when you are Clank. Clank can jump, glide across long-jumps, punch, and control Gadgebots. Gadgebots are tiny robots that will help Clank on his missions. You can tell them to Attack, Hold Position, or Enter a “home” where they can activate doors and switches. And when a certain energy pad is found where there are too many enemies for Ratchet to handle, Clank transforms into Giant Clank and you can cause destruction with him. He shoots missiles, punches, jumps, and has a special energy attack that you can do once every few seconds.

- Ratchet and Clank’s health is called Nanotech. You have 4 circles of Nanotech for both of them. If you get hit 4 times you will die and this makes the game more challenging. You can find crates of Nanotech throughout the levels that will heal you 1 circle of Nanotech but sometimes they will be hidden and rare to find. Towards the end of the game you can upgrade your health. The max you can upgrade it is to 8 circles but it will cost a significant amount of bolts to do that.

Soundtrack:
The soundtrack for this game is beautifully created. The music fits the atmosphere of the game so well and makes you feel like you’re actually in these worlds as Ratchet. Every song fits the levels perfectly. Make sure you put the Music Volume to 10 in the Options menu when you play this game. Some iconic tracks in this game(and some of my favorites) are Blackwater City, Tobruk Crater, Planet Gaspar, Veldin, and Gemlik Base. Some of these tracks even make a return in future titles.

Here are a few examples of this beautiful OST

Graphics:

The graphics for this game during its time were okay and pretty great for its time. Nothing in this game really looks all that blurry unless you REALLY zoom in on it with the camera. Each level is also beautifully created as well and some of the planets have nice skyboxes to look at. Ratchet looks great and Clank does also. My favorite planet graphic wise would have to be Planet Novalis. That’s where the color pallete comes alive and you can see just how colorful this game is. The only planet that is ugly to look at is Planet Orxon because everything is green and dirty.

Extra Content:

This game offers tons of hidden content to unlock. My favorite would be Skill Points. Skill Points are something out of the ordinary you do that you aren’t normally supposed to do such as find a hidden snowman or shoot down 10 civilian ships. The more Skill Points you do and unlock, the more hidden content you get in the Extras menu. You can rewatch any cutscene you want at any time, have cheats to have such as making everybody’s head bigger, Ratchet in a tuxedo, etc. There are hidden Gold Bolts in every level. You collect these to purchase Gold weapons in Challenge Mode. Gold Weapons are stronger variants of the game’s weapons. Too bad there’s no Gold RYNO. Challenge Mode is offered to you once you beat the game. In Challenge Mode you replay the whole game from the start with all your current weapons and bolts. The enemies are tough and the boss battles are even tougher. Challenge Mode leads to never-ending playthroughs of the game and makes it last longer.

Final Verdict:
I give this, the first Ratchet and Clank game, a 9/10. It’s a must-have title if you are a PS2 owner. It does soooo many things well without jeopardizing everything else it offers. I am looking forward to the PS4 remastered edition of this game and see just how beautiful they are going to make it look.

Fantastic job! Give me more!

Thanks for the support!

I got a special game to review next.

Aren't the Rachet & Clanks games on the Vita?

I believe the HD Collection is also on the Vita.

That game was fun

Aren't the Ratchet and Clank games just a spin-off of Jak and Daxter?

Well they are both owned by Sony. And made by their babies Naughty Dog and Insomniac. Maybe?

Quote from: AngryBrute on January 13, 2015, 08:01:55 PM

Quote from: SecondClass on January 13, 2015, 07:54:10 PM

Aren't the Ratchet and Clank games just a spin-off of Jak and Daxter?

Well they are both owned by Sony. And made by their babies Naughty Dog and Insomniac. Maybe?

Either way, J&D is so much better. Jak 3 is in the top 3 definitive games for the PS2.

Those games were fun but I prefer Ratchet and Clank.

And wasn't there going to be a crossover between the 2 series? I remember hearing something about that not too long ago.

Loved this game along with Jak & Daxter and Spyro.
Good shit.

Played and beat all the PS2 R&C games except for this one. I could never find this game at any stores anywhere sadly. This & Jak were some of the best games back in the day. I find it kind of bizarre that Sony just randomly decided to make a movie. Hopefully it won't turn out shit.

Just get the PS3 version that has the first 3 games and trophies.

Quote from: Nuka 'Kal Vargun on January 14, 2015, 12:42:42 AM

Quote from: TheUnwornUniform on January 14, 2015, 12:22:55 AM

Played and beat all the PS2 R&C games except for this one. I could never find this game at any stores anywhere sadly. This & Jak were some of the best games back in the day. I find it kind of bizarre that Sony just randomly decided to make a movie. Hopefully it won't turn out shit.

Just get the PS3 version that has the first 3 games and trophies.

I'm on Xbox.

Ratchet and Clank is a series I've always wanted on Xbox

Ratchet & Clank is probably the most nostalgic game series that I've ever played. Definitely one of my favorites.
(and it's infinitely superior to jak and daxter wtf)

Going Commando > A Crack in Time > Up Your Arsenal > Tools of Destruction = Quest for Booty > Ratchet & Clank >>> Deadlocked > Size Matters = Secret Agent Clank >>>>> All 4 One

I've yet to play Full Frontal Assault and Into the Nexus. And the mobile games, but... fuck.

I think my favorite was deadlocked although I prefer jack and daxter

ive never played a single Ratchet and Clank game...