Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (PS2) review

With the success of the first installment, the Ratchet & Clank series would only get better with the sequel subtitled “Going Commando”, which is the first amongst many suggestive-sounding subtitles. What made this game so revolutionary? Let's find out.

Story

Taking place after the events of the first game, Ratchet and Clank are being interviewed by Behind the Hero, mentioning that not much has been going after Drek’s defeat. That is, until the head of Megacorp, Abercrombie Fizzwidget, summons them to the Bogon Galaxy to retrieve a stolen experiment from a mysterious thief. While on their adventure, the thief hires an organization called Thugs-4-Less to stall the Intergalactic Duo.

While the story is not as memorable, it was full of surprising twists as well as hilarious comedy. Some of the new characters feel as welcome and loveable, that it’s no wonder that some of them came back in later games, even if it was just a cameo. The Thug Leader is really entertaining character; he seems menacing, but sometimes oblivious (the coordinates he showed to Ratchet prior to their final confrontation). And who can ever forget the moment when Ratchet & Clank nearly imitated Jak and Daxter’s victory dance?

Gameplay

The gameplay is similar to its predecessor, where it is a 3D platformer with shooting elements, along with new features. The newest feature in the game is the Nanotech Leveling System. It is an RPG element in which you upgrade your health and weapons with experience points. In order to gain experience points, you must defeat enemies. Once you’ve gained enough experience points and filled up their growth bars, you will level up one unit of your health or upgrade a weapon into a more powerful one. You can also buy body armor to protect Ratchet from more powerful enemy attacks.

Arena battles in the game.

The game is full of side-quests in which completing them earns you a number of bolts. One new feature that has appeared in almost every game afterwards are the gladiator arena battles, where you take on various challenges like defeating all enemies or fighting a boss. Completing these battles will earn you bolts. Another way to earn bolts are the hoverbike races, which are really exciting to play through, even if the A.I. gets more desperate in later challenges.

Another new feature are the crystal-collecting missions, where you are on a free-roaming planet, collecting crystals and trading a certain number of them to the Mystic will earn you a number of bolts.

The dogfights return, filled with new side quests, like racing or defeating a group of enemies. During the flights, you can also collect Raritanium, which is used for buying upgrades and weapons for Ratchet’s ship at Slim Cognito’s Ship Shack. The space combat used to be my least favorite part, because I was used to the flight mechanics from the first game but now I don't mind them.

Like the Gold Bolts from the first game, there are a total of 40 Platinum Bolts hidden throughout the game. This time, they are used for purchasing weapon modifications from Slim Cognito’s shop which are located on Megapolis, Tabora, and Boldan.

There are also spherical worlds that Ratchet & Clank can either explore or fight enemies (as Giant Clank). Those who think Super Mario Galaxy invented this aspect, they haven’t played this game.

There are a total of 24 weapons in the game, the largest number of weapons in any Ratchet & Clank game. Some of my favorite weapons are the Blitz Gun, Miniturret Glove, Seeker Gun, Synthenoids and the RYNO II. Some of the weapons from the first game return and you can get them for free if you have save data of the first game on your memory card. Though, the weapons are not as useful since you cannot upgrade them.



Nearly all the weapons available.

Some gadgets like the Swingshot and Grindboots return and the Magneboots from the first game are replaced by the Gravity Boots. Some of the new gadgets like the Dynamo and Thermanator are really creative. The Dynamo can create new platforms, while the Thermanator can freeze or melt a body of water to navigate through obstacles.

Clank is once again a playable character, where he can command small robots called Microbots (identical to Gadgebots from the first game) to follow, wait, attack, or enter small holes to open doors. There are additional Microbots like the Hammer Bot, Lifter Bot (the most underused Microbot), and Bridge Bot that perform each respective function, and can even salute Clank, though I do not see what the point of that command was.

Other aspects of the previous game like the Skill Points are still present, where there are secret, hidden tasks, and completing a certain number of them will unlock cheats. Some minor improvements made in the game are the ability to pause while using the quick-select screen and the ability to strafe, where you can walk sideways or backwards while still focusing on enemies. Also, during Challenge Mode, a bolt multiplier is added, that way you don’t have to tediously grind for bolts.

Graphics and Level Design

Once again, the game looks gorgeous and each planet you go to looks very different and very colorful. Each level has a different atmosphere to fit with the mood of each world.

Audio

David Bergeaud once again returns to composes the music, combining orchestra, ambient, and electronic music. Some of my favorite tracks are the Flying Lab (beginning of the game), Feltzin System, Planet Boldan, Planet Smolg (the docks), and Planet Yeedil. The voice acting, once again, is top notch. This is the first time Ratchet is voiced by James Arnold Taylor, replacing Mikey Kelley from the first game.

Conclusion

With everything I just mentioned, it’s safe to say that Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando is one of the best sequels of all time, and easily one of the top games in the series. It introduced a lot of elements that would become a staple to the series and has a lot of replay value thanks to the RPG elements and various side quests for every completionist out there. But the fun doesn't stop there. Tune in tomorrow as I review the next game: Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal.