Ratchet & Clank

Ratchet & Clank is without a doubt one of the most iconic and successful video games in the history of video games. I will admit that I have never played this game before, but even I know that it is one of the classics. So much so that they made a restored version for the PS4 after so many people missed playing the original version (this one) from 2002. This game got its start on the PlayStation 2 and again became one of the most successful video games of all time. Let’s take a look at what made it so successful!

World of 3D

Starting with a three dimensional platform it was well ahead of its time making a 3D semi open world construct back in 2002. The game was also praised for the graphics, voice acting, soundtrack, and audio, even more things that are difficult to get right now, let alone back in 2002.

The only criticism that came of this game was the fact that the opening levels of the game were too easy, but hey everybody has to start somewhere. Besides how the game was received, let’s talk about the characters that everyone fell in love with, Ratchet & Clank.

Cute Ratchet. Cute Clank

Ratchet is the main character of the game which is some form of alien that looks like a fox standing like a human, for a lack of a better description. Clank is a robot who calls the planet of Beldin home. These two become friends and fight against the evil Chairman Drek who is trying to create a brand new planet for his species while destroying all other planets in the universe. Seems like a common movie and video game theme now, but it is safe to say that Ratchet & Clank were the first to establish this genre. Although Thanos in the Marvel movies is a close second, which has some video games made about it.

What makes the game so fun, besides everything we mentioned above, is the fact that you get to use a wide range of weapons to destroy your enemies. There are also many fun puzzles that you can solve which often include mini games like hacking computers or racing, something often seen in Sly Cooper (another iconic game from around the same time).

Personal Review

If you still don’t believe me about how great the game is, its average rating was nine out of ten stars or 90%. Not many games get that high of a rating which really goes to show you how special it is! Like I said though, I have never played the game personally so I am actually going to give it a 8/10 of rating. I am trusting everyone else’s opinion here and I feel like I would rate it higher if I actually played it myself.

Pros:

• All Time Classic
• Started a Brand New Genre
• Hours of Gameplay With Fun Challenges
• Two Fun Characters with a Great Storyline
• Remastered Version Found on Newer Gaming Systems

Cons:

• Remastered Version is Nothing New

Platform gamers wake up! For those of you who loved the original Crash Bandicoot, spent days playing Jak & Daxter or begin salivating over rumors of the next Sonic game, your wait for the next 'must have'? platform game has officially ended. Ratchet & Clank was in development by Insomniac Games (the team that gave you Spyro the Dragon) for almost three years and it was well worth the wait, as the game reflects the effort and thought put into it.

You play Ratchet, a young, yellow-furred mechanic stuck on his backwater planet, dreaming of adventure and intergalactic space travel. Your plans look doomed to fail as your recently built space ship is lacking a robotic ignition system. Somewhere near the galactic core, the evil emperor Drek, leader of the Blarg, is planning to rebuild his polluted home world by grabbing the best parts of the other planets and relocating them to his world. To ensure that the inhabitants of these planets agree to part with chunks of their planets, Drek is mass-producing an army of war-bots and Blarg warriors. One of the robotic rejects (Clank), figures out what's going on and seeks out the assistance of the Captain Quark, galactic hero, the only one who can save the galaxy, but is shot down over (you guessed it) Ratchet's home world. As it turns out, Clank has a built in robotic ignition system and the two agree to help each other and so the adventure begins.

The game play is multifaceted, diverse and entertaining. Together your unlikely heroes travel from world to world accomplishing tasks, destroying everything that you 'can't put a wrench around'? and collecting cash to upgrade your weaponry. Many times you just need to just destroy everything in your path to clear a level and other times, you will need to think your way out by solving puzzles and even mastering the art of hoverboard. While the majority of the game is pretty straight forward, there are a couple of levels that really have you sweating it out.

The characters are excellent, ranging from the main characters like Ratchet, Clank, Emperor Drek and Captain Quark to even the minor characters scattered around each world. Each is beautifully rendered and professionally voice acted.

The worlds are visually wonderful and detailed. While the game is somewhat linear and task oriented, the worlds have an openness about them so that you don't feel trapped like you do in many games. You can always leave a world and come back later. In fact, many times, you have to leave a world to collect the tool you need to get past certain obstacles. The huge diversity of weapons and gadgets at your disposal provides for numerous ways to take out enemies and overcome obstacles.

My kids (4, 6 & 14 years old) and I loved this game and give it an enthusiastic 'Recommend Buy'?, as we never got bored with it. The only debate is which one of them gets to keep the huge Ratchet poster that came with the game.

Sony CEA November 2002 -- The creators of Spyro the Dragon are back, but the little purple puffer is nowhere in sight. Instead, the folks at Insomniac return with a dynamic duo that lands somewhere between Jak and Daxter and Maximo. Unlike that rat Daxter, Clank (Ratchet's robotic backpack buddy) is actually useful. By saving up enough loot, Ratchet can upgrade the little droid into a wide variety of useful gadgets which, when combined with the dozens of weapons available for purchase, give the player a beefy arsenal to play with. Nonstop action, huge cities, toads of levels and a wealth of secrets make Ratchet & Clank one to watch.

Theres a ton of PS2 hoppers and hoppers arriving this fall, but Sonys Ratchet & Clank stands apart from the rest. Its hook comes from its intense firearm combat and bountiful selection of equipment (over 30 guns and gadgets total). Youll need all that high-tech heat to smoke the baddies infesting the games 18 planets.