Ratchet And Clank (R&C) are one of several game franchises that most of us associate with Sony. The nearly-fifteen year old IP is born anew with a new game out today and a movie out at the end of the month. R&C, the PS4 release, is literally the game based on the movie based on a game — and even better is that the game’s characters are self-aware and fourth-wall breaking enough to pretty much admit it. Crafty, effective, all- agesfriendly humor is one of R&C’s many quality traits.
So you need not have played the original Ratchet & Clank from 2002 nor any of the sequels or even the HD reboot from last gen to fully enjoy R&C for the PS4. Sure, you’ll have a different take on some of the jokes and will be better able to pick up the new weapons and areas, but if you’re a R&C series noob like me, you’ll find this a welcoming place to start. The reasoning is simple: you’re playing the 2002 game, only its been modernized, re-tooled, and in so many ways upgraded and expanded. And seeing as how this game is based on the movie, you’re getting an appropriate origin story for our two heroes as well. Ah yes, so all is right in the galaxy.
Well, our galaxy maybe but not that of Ratchet and Clank — the Solana Galaxy is under threat of extinction thanks to the the corrupt corporate entity known as Chairman Drek. Building an army of warbots, Drek is a clear and present danger to the many planets within Solana. Ratchet, a furry but very self-proficient lombax, wants desperately to leave his job as a starship mechanic behind and become a galactic ranger, just like his hero Captain Qwark. He soons gets a chance to try out and then really gets a chance to prove himself soon after that as the threat of Drek’s forces becomes actionable. You’ll guide Ratchet through a variety of 3D platforming, including jumping, double-jumping, wall-jumping, hovering, gliding, basic puzzles, all masterfully mixed with satisfying action.
And by action I especially mean third person ranged-weapons action. Insomniac Games made a name for themselves with this franchise in how the player gets access to so many interesting and useful weapons. Weapons that were not only cool when you got them, but hours later you’re likely to still be upgrading and using them. Ever play the Resistance games on PS3? Insomniac made those (and Sunset Overdrive on Xbox One) and all of those games were heralded for their plentiful and interesting weapons. In R&C, you’ll come to get fifteen such weapons over the course of about a dozen hours, and these including the new Pixelizer which is a short range, wide spread shotgun like that turns enemies into pixelicous versions of themselves. The weapons are introduced at good intervals, look great, work great, and have interesting and worthwhile upgrades to explore. Combat in general is a lot of fun, maybe a little bit on the easy side for third person action vets, but you can turn the difficulty up to Hard if you desire.
While Ratchet takes most of the spotlight, Clank gets his share too although his sequences are typical puzzle-based. His insight into Drek’s operations help guide Ratchet’s directives, and together the duo make a really likable combination and I imagine the franchise is primed for success at the box office later this month too because of it. While Clank can help steer you in the right direction with some verbal advice, I loved the fairly open design of R&C that gives players the freedom to revisit areas, whatever the reason may be. Perhaps to try to find the remaining collectible Holocards or Golden Bolt, or find more Raritanium to purchase upgrades. With really short load times and graphics that will melt your screen, you’ll probably find yourself going back to some planets even if it’s completely under your own volition and not required by the story.
Speaking of the graphics — R&C is stunning. HD CG animation often looks amazing — and this is a cliched thing to say, I know — but you’re playing through a Pixar movie here. That’s what it looks like: silky smooth framerates, lush colors, long draw distances, it’s a spectacle to experience, but even to just watch someone play is fun because there’s so much to take in, so much background activity and animations to see. Similarly, the voice-acting is AAA and loaded with well written and well placed humor that is sure to get at least a grin from even the most cynical.
Ultimately — and I know this may not be very helpful to anyone on the fence about picking this game up — there’s very little not to love about Ratchet and Clank. It’s 3D platforming at its best, with a modern and refined control scheme, fun combat with a lot of great weapons and upgrades, collectibles, the freedom to revisit areas, and a sufficient story with a great, memorable cast. Any issues I experienced were not even noteworthy, and more subjective than anything. Bottomline, it’s one of the easiest purchase recommendations I’ll make all year.
