2.5.2016

This is where Amazon not allowing half stars is an issue, because I actually want to give it 4.5, but can'tIf you want to see the video version of this review, go here: youtube /watch?v=oWU1Pw_XH5MOtherwise, if you want to read, read on:I never played the full release of Ratchet and Clank back when it launched in 2002, my only experience of the original being the demo I played endlessly on one of those PS2 demo discs. Ah…remember when demo discs were a thing?Anyway Ratchet and Clank is back for the PS4, but is it an uninspired remake or a compelling romp through the galaxy?The gameplay is superb. It’s your classic platforming action which we sadly left behind after the PlayStation 2 era.You mostly play as Ratchet through the eleven or so planets that make up the game’s levels, fighting off numerous different enemies as you go. Along the way you build up your weapons arsenal which includes the groovitron: a floating disco ball that forcibly makes your enemies dance to the more serious RYNO, which ends boss fights in seconds with the added bonus of epic music. Gadgets are another thing you pick up along the way. These help you explore the environment in new ways or even reach completely new areas. Clank also sees similar upgrades, going from just piggy-backing on Ratchet’s back to being a full on jetpack in the later levels.The upgrade system adds to the already varied and deep gameplay. Yes, while a lot of the game is spent swinging your wrench at enemies, but the weapons, puzzles and hover board sections break up what could have been a monotonous experience. Guns don’t come with with endless amounts of ammo so you do have to change change up your tactics a lot, especially on hard. Enemy AI may not be spectacular, but it is effective. Enemy skirmishes have a intense and frenzied feel to them, knowing that at any moment you could lose it all. I personally found a mix of Mr Zurkon plus the Groovitron and the Bouncer or the RYNO to be my weapons of choice. On the other hand, the Rilgar hoverboard race felt fixed, when I first tried it, at least until I learned how to beat the rubber banding. It would have been a lot better if Insomniac had made these sections feel more like you are actual racing than trying to beat scripted AI.Level design is pretty straightforward with some branching paths in places, some of them behind hackable locked doors. These areas are accessible only through trespasser puzzles which get increasingly challenging as you progress, switching up the game’s pacing. Getting through all of them without using the auto hack tool is not only rewarding, but also give you a trophy for your efforts. If you’re not in it for the trophies the optional puzzles give you access to a number of collectibles. Speaking of collectibles, exploring the levels is not a suggestion, but a must if you want to get the full experience as some of the hidden areas hold the best loot. Collecting all the trading cards not only increases the amount of bolts or trading cards you get from enemies, but they also unlock the omega variants of the different weapons for the challenge mode. Gold bolts on the other hand unlock various cheats for use in your next play through and the more you collect the more rooms become open to you in the Insomniac Museum.There are some sections where you play as Clank. These boil down to either escaping for dear life, entertaining little puzzle sections where you fight a few enemies while trying to get out of a room or get some gadget you need to progress. These were fun the first time round, but I began wishing Insomniac had done more with Clank and would have preferred to spend more time as Ratchet.Ratchet and Clank also packs in an upgrade mechanic. Every enemy you kill gains you XP for both your weapon and Ratchet. Get enough XP and you not only unlock upgrades for your weapon, but also upgrades Ratchet’s health so he can take a bit more of a beating.It’s addicting from beginning to end, helped by the amazing graphics on display. These are, hands down, the best platforming graphics I’ve ever seen. They have a Pixar-like quality, in that they are very bright, colourful and detailed in their own cartoony way. It makes a difference from the drab, grey blandness that had infected the seventh generation of consoles. What’s more amazing is 30 fps frame rate holds up most times, even when things get crazy, but in my Challenge Mode play through my PlayStation did begin to stutter and have very short freezes. Maybe it was because I’d already been playing for hours on end.I’m not one for following stories in video games as it plays second fiddle to gameplay anyway. It does need to be at least serviceable to not detract from the game. Ratchet and Clank is the game of the game so I’d imagine it ties into the movie of the same title. What is on offer here is as much a story about Ratchet as it is about Clank. You have Clank, a defective war bot fleeing from his creators, Blarg Industries run by Chairman Alonzo Drek. And then you have Ratchet, a mechanic from the planet Veldin who desperately wants to become a Galactic Ranger so he can range across the galaxy. Clank crash lands on Veldin and is found by Ratchet and the two are drawn into a tale of planetary invasion with a little betrayal thrown in which gives you an excuse to go running around the galaxy beating enemy after enemy with comical weapons. My only other complaint is the game is rather short in retrospect.So Ratchet and Clank is a fun and engaging platformer which is a breath of fresh air in today’s games market. Its tight controls, varied gameplay and spectacular graphics and superb music score certainly make this game stand out. If the gameplay and dirt cheap price is not enough you, maybe the inclusion of a Challenge Mode where you can go back through the game again, keeping all your upgrades will sway it for you.What’s for sure though, is this is one game you cannot afford to miss.

22.5.2016

I have fond memories of the first three Ratchet & Clank games. They managed to take mind bending violence and blend it with cutesy cartoon type visuals, while adding a light – but witty – dash of humour. And it worked a treat. I missed most of the last gen releases, so I was very happy that the reimagining of the original was released just as I bought a PS4.The game assumes a bit of prior knowledge (though this isn’t essential), and you begin with a prisoner talking to another prisoner: Captain Quark. From here, Quark serves as narrator, telling Ratchet’s (and Clank’s) story as you go along, dropping in the occasional one liner based on your activity. The game follows Ratchet (a Lombax,or sort of anthropomorphised space-racoon) - a mechanic with soon-to-be-realised dreams of being a Galactic Ranger, as he meets a defective warbot called Clank who has escaped from the warbot production factory. This factory is run by Chairman Drek, who is stomping around the galaxy on behalf of ultimate bad guy Dr Nefarious, invading worlds, blowing worlds up, stealing oceans from worlds, and other such over-the-top activities which, of course, you have to try and stop.But fear not! Because over-the-top is what Ratchet & Clank is all about, and this is never more obvious than in the arsenal available to your lovable Lombax. The weaponry in the Ratchet & Clank series is infamous for its insanity, and this version is no different. You start with the basics, a Combustor (pistol, in essence), Fusion Grenade throwing glove and a flame thrower, all of which are useful, but by gathering bolts from defeated enemies and smashed crates you can purchase BIGGER GUNS. Eventually you’ll have everything from a rocket launcher through to a sniper rifle, as well as the more fun weapons, such as the Groovitron, which throws out a disco ball that compels all enemies within range to dance, the Pixelator which “zaps enemies back in time…to a time of lower resolution”, and the fantastic Mr Zurkon, an armed, hovering robot who accompanies you for a while, shooting enemies and making quips such as “Mr Zurkon does not need bolts; his currency is PAIN”. All weapons are easily selected by either a quick select wheel, or by bringing up the not-quite-as-quick-select wheel, and it’s incredibly satisfying firing all different sorts of weapons one after the other, then revelling in the carnage.But that’s not all, no no no, as that’s not nearly over-the-top, not for a Ratchet & Clank game. You also have access to Gadgetron Vendors. These vendors provide the new weapons for purchase (usually a new one on each planet) as well as providing the bulk of the upgrading; as you use a weapon, it gains exp. Gain enough exp and it will level up, adding a bit more damage. However, by gathering Raritanium, you can visit the vendor and spend it to add more boosts such as extra ammo, extra bolts/Raritanium from enemies, more range etc. This bit of levelling up is done on a grid, with each space giving one boost. There are also mystery boosts - unlock all the surrounding spaces and they’ll unlock for you, giving special boosts unique to each weapon. Once you hit level 5 on a weapon, all spaces become available and the weapon transforms into a more powerful version of itself, gaining a new perk (and a new name). But is this over-the-top yet? Not even close! Because once you complete the game and unlock challenge mode then the Omega versions of the weapons become available for purchase, which you can then level up another five levels.It really is this attention to chaos that sets Ratchet & Clank apart, providing a focus on the wonderfully insane amount of creative ways to engage and destroy your enemies. And on top of that, you’re treated to some of the most impressive visuals seen in a game. The environments are absolutely beautiful, sometimes to the point of distraction. Fortunately there are moments that seem designed to show them off, for example some of the grind rail sections allow you more than a few seconds of sightseeing as you whizz through levels.So it all seems perfect, and it nearly is. There are few drawbacks, but there are some. The story never feels that strong, perhaps as a result of it being a reimagining, perhaps because it’s supposed to tie in with the movie. Either way, it was more a skim read than a true engagement. Clank’s sections in particular suffer from a fall back on very basic puzzle solving and the odd chase, leaving him little more than another gadget rather than a titular hero. Furthermore, the game itself is fairly short, and even the most diehard of collectable fans will struggle to get more than 15 hours out of the first playthrough. But as mentioned, there is incentive to go through it at least once more, though having only one save file possible leaves you open to accidentally erasing your whole progress if you’re not careful.These points aside, Ratchet & Clank achieves exactly what it sets out to: delivering tonnes of fun. And for a lower price than most new games, there is very little reason not to play it.

2.7.2016

The Ratchet and Clank series has been around for quite a few years now, ever since the early Playstation 2 days. I never got into them until Tools for Destruction on the Playstation 3 though and have played every game since. Fortunately for me the latest title simply called Ratchet and Clank is a reimagining of the first game in the series to coincide with the CGI Ratchet and Clank film recently released. I gather this is more than just an update of the original however and has expanded areas, a perspective shift with Quark telling the story etc. A fan from the early era will be able to tell you the differences,but all you need to know is this is a fun well designed gorgeous game at an insanely low price even at launch.The story focuses on a young Lombax (Like a humanoid cat) called Ratchet. He works as a mechanic but has bigger dreams to join the Galactic Rangers. Turned down at the Rangers trials and disheartened he witnesses a spaceship crash and goes to the rescue discovering a defective warbot, Clank, who has escaped a facility run by Chairman Drek, who has sinister plans. The pair of them rush to the Galaxy Rangers before it's too late....The plot to the game is fairly decent and certainly keeps things moving at a good pace from planet to planet fighting Warbots and various unique looking aliens but it's the humour and voice acting that really make these games so entertaining and this one is no different. They are really well written and though the humour is family friendly they still make me chuckle or smile the whole way through. Very clever.At heart the gameplay is a shooter/platformer hybrid. Ratchet over the course of the game is equipped with a variety of weapons and gadgets he can purchase to blast through his enemies ranging from more traditional pistols, grenades and rocket launchers to more oddball weapons like the Groovitron that paralyses enemies by forcing them to dance, the pixelator which turns enemies into old fashioned game sprite models and my favourite, Mr. Zurkon, a little robot that floats around with you firing at enemies reveling in their pain. Most of these weapons are going to be pretty recognizable to R&C fans though a couple of them are new. Each weapon can be leveled up the more you use it as well as upgraded giving them a higher ammo count, more damage etc as well as unique upgrades depending on the weapon.The presentation in this game is superb. It's colourful, vibrant and the art direction is top notch. I've always been a fan of the cartoon aesthetics the developer Insomniac infused into the series and this is their best yet. It's also a great looking game on the technical side of things, framerate is consistant despite explosions and effects going on all over the place, everything is extremely detailed and animations are also very smooth. Some of the cutscenes are taken straight from the CGI film and look stunning though the game is so good looking that there isn't a huge difference between to make it jarring. The music and voice acting are also bith excellent with series actors for Clank, Ratchet and Quark all returning to fill their roles.Though it has a decent amount of extra stuff to do outside of the main game, such as side missions and challenges like hoverboard races I got the platinum trophy in a few days which was doing everything and took me maybe 20 hours? It's not the longest game in the world but considering it's budget launch price (It's even cheaper now) honestly it's great value for money and I recommend it to any fan of the series or newcomers alike. I hope the other Playstation 2 games also get remastered.Recommended.+ Well written and funny.+ Gorgeous visuals.+ Good value for money with it's cheap launch price.+ Great selection of bonkers weapons......Only a few of which are new to the series.

23.4.2016

Ratchet and Clank is 90% of the first game and a few extra bits, redrawn and rebuilt beautifully with the physics, guns and upgrades of the later games. It's as much fun as the best of them, and extremely family friendly, assuming you don't mind a lot of shooting robots.But if you've been a fan since the very beginning, at this point it seems curiously toothless. Ratchet in the original was grumpy and hated Clank on first sight, and a lot of the game's subplot was about their relationship, with ultimately a touching moment when Ratchet finally grew to accept Clank, forming a solid basis for the rest of the games. However, it was apparently unpopular, so Ratchet is now extremely simple and is immediately best friends with Clank.There's surprisingly little joking around, both characters have very little going for them now - they have heart, and heart is all that matters (I wonder if that's a movie point). Quark has been changed too - he too is pure of heart but jealous, does bad things for good reasons, and with the redemptive power of "looking a bit sad after trying to kill many innocent people" he's on the same page as everyone else. It's weirdly bland and grit-free. The edgiest joke in the game was about how fat nerds don't have girlfriends, but since nobody in the game has a girlfriend it had such little context, like that joke was phoned in from another universe.There's a few more characters but we know nothing about them and they really don't matter much - they mostly exist as voices, constantly chattering to you while you play the game. There is a lot of chatter in this, I guess it's because they wanted to really streamline it away from cutscenes but also deliver a lot more information. I'm unsure whether it was very effective. Still, I don't know if anyone really plays these for the "lore." The final cutscenes are unshareable which suggests they were very proud of them, to which I raise an eyebrow (an action that most of their characters cannot do.)Also it is easy, or perhaps the word is accessible. The lockpicking Trespasser minigame can now be skipped. There's an optional weapons lock-on, twice as many guns as before, including one that will wipe everything out repeatedly over several seconds, and the upgrades are more extensive than in the original game. The improved controls mean the tricky platforming sections are now very simple. There's a late turret section that's been simplified and the spaceship sections seem both less fun and easier than before. Clank sections have been changed, but aren't particularly the better for it. You can unlock Invincibility, Infinite Ammo and the infamously powerful RYNO gun easily before the final fight. I died a couple of times only to have the game shunt me straight into the next cutscene - I still don't know if I'd completed the objective and the game was already moving on or what.So yes, I liked it a lot and in particular I'm glad they released it at £30. On the strength of this game however, the movie is going to be a bit weak.

1.4.2018

There’s not a lot of substance to Ratchet & Clank, but in terms of just pure fun, it’s hard to knock. It’s a short and sweet experience that doesn’t take itself too seriously and can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike.The bulk of the game consists of shooting, but the amount of weapons, and variety in their attacks, mean this never gets dull. At first I wondered if it was worth purchasing each of the new guns on offer, as it seemed just as easy to stick with the ones I knew and level them up by using them more. But I actually found use for nearly all of the weapons, either through circumstances dictating them as the most effective apparatus – such as the Groovitron,

3.5.2016

Superb reimagining and probably the best movie tie-in game to date! This is not simply a "remaster" of the original game - it's completely rebuilt from the ground up. It follows the plot of the original (for the most part) and fans of the original will recognise certain characters, locations and weapons but Insomniac Games have also added new characters and decided to retell the story from Captain Qwarks perspective (who narrates your experiences and is utterly delightful - I love narration in video games!)Insomniac Games have used all of their experience from their previous Ratchet & Clank titles to create something that looks incredible (seriously one of the best looking PS4 games I've ever played)

21.6.2016

I only really played Ratchet & Clank on ps2 on a demo many years back, but loved playing it over on the demo. Over a decade later and I buy the remake 2 consoles later on PS4.Visuals: 10/10It's not often a game gets top marks for graphics, but this game earns it. Very colorful bright and beautiful visuals with lovely lighting to boot, which are aa treat to the eyes. Even the fur on Ratchet can be seen if looked at carefully.SFX: 10/10Hard to really fault the sound, the BGM is constantly on the go giving a sense of urgency and heroic-ness, whilst the sound effects never feel dull or out of place.The dialog is done well and suits everyone, often with a comical edge that will make you smile.Gameplay: 10/10Again difficult to find fault,

11.8.2016

I've played ever major Ratchet and Clank release since Locked and Loaded for the PS2 and this latest instalment did not disappoint. If you're already familiar with Ratchet and Clank you'll already have a very good idea what you're getting. When I was 50/50 on whether or not to buy a PS4, getting to play the next generation Ratchet and Clank tipped the balance. This is a fun mix of platform, action, puzzles and big silly guns and easily accessible for newcomers and will likely satisfy fans of the series.The cut scenes are also used in the recent film (which I haven't seen) and blend in with the action and fit well with the tone of the game. The game looks stunning. The big, colourful,

23.4.2016

Simple review, Buy it and return too the glory days when games were just soo much fun and colourful, when games made you happy to have wasted hours doing and playing it without feeling guilty ignoring everyone!! If your new to this franchise then your gonna be in for a wonderful treat and enjoy one the classics or should I say gaming greats to have graced a sony console! especially since this generation we have some what been stuck in this ultra serious and 1st person shooter era which is becoming a little tedious and stagnant.The variety is a welcome change and too thoses who have played the original before the extra changes and content to the campaign are worth going back to it on its own right!

24.3.2018

Straight away I was impressed with how good this game looks, I have looked at the original and can say how impressed I am with the work gone in to the remake. Not just the graphical upgrade but lighting, textures and additions make this a stunning game to look at.The game starts off pretty challenging however after a few weapon upgrades this completely changes and it gets a lot easier. Some of the few boss battles provide a slight challenge but on a whole I was a little disappointed at how quickly the games difficulty drops. I also liked the choice of weapons and upgrades however this also gets a bit to much and you end up with a ton of different weapons you will hardly use.The collectibles are cards and gold bolts which for the most part can be easily found in one or two play through.

25.4.2016

Didn't by this game on amazon but got it from argos and i think it deserves my review here.This is amazing its basically the a remake of the first ratchet and clank game on ps2, not a remaster. meaning they have made this as a new game from the ground up but with alot of the elements from the first game.The Gameplay is very enjoyable and moreish its so fun shooting up aliens and robots in the many different planets and areas. platforming using the jetpack and clanks moves are very fun. All the mini game sections like the shooter sections and clank sections are just as fun there is no filler here.The story is very good the game its very similar to the first game but its changed up in a refreshing way.

23.4.2016

What an absolute amazing game. I have loved Ratchet and Clank since it came out on PlayStation 2, it is my childhood!This recreation and re-telling of the story in greater depth, is brilliant. They have actually filled a lot of holes that was missing from the original. Such has why ratchet is in a specific area why he is there and they appeared to add more story to our objectives in the game. The humour in the story is brilliant especially the acting, which was done brilliantly on the voice actors behalf.The design of the game is astonishing, feels like your playing a video game in a movie theatre. The graphics is so detailed in design, the beautiful design of the levels just bring you into the world has if your seeing it come to life.

6.6.2016

I've played the original and never completed it dew to it being pretty hard and this Remaster of the first game is challenging like the original but in the original, I felt like I wanted to carry on playing it even after dying hundreds of times in the process..?lol but with this version, it gets boring and I didn't want to carry on playing it despite all the hype about it and everyone saying it's an amazing remake, i just didn't think so and got so bored I've not even got that far through it like I did on the original game. Also, what have they done to the characters!? I loved the way they were designed in the original games but in this ome they changed the colour of their skins and facial features (sometimes whole body changes)

17.6.2016

I missed out when Ratchet and Clank first came out on PS2. My brother was a fan of the original trilogy, and whilst I appreciated the quirkiness of Ratchet and Clank, I spent my time playing the other great platformer of the PS2 era Jak and Daxter, a series of games that I always felt had more depth, grit and humour than Ratchet and Clank. Looking back though, I fear I may have been to hasty to judge.This re-telling of the original game is brilliant, with the essence of what made it so great present and correct. The graphics and visuals during game play are amazing, as are the multiple weapons that you have to choose from. I'd forgotten how great the weapons are; for every brutal one there's a wacky one,

12.5.2016

I had high hopes for this. I bought a PS4 only last month, with this game being the primary motivation for doing so. So in a way I've payed 270 quid to play this (although for peace of mind I will to try to forget that). This is a really fun game, and coming from someone who has played the series since the beginning, it doesn't disappoint. The weapons are a complete riot and the levels all look wonderful. I sometimes just stop and admire all the colourful scenery.The weapons are the star of the show. You have a wrench for melee attacks, but I found myself only using it to break crates. The Groovitron, Sheepinator and Dr Zurkon being among my wacky favourites. It's great how you can level them all up too.

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