Ratchet & Clank (PS4) Review

Can you believe that the upcoming Ratchet & Clank movie is only less than a couple of weeks away? While we're waiting for that, the intergalactic duo have finally made their debut on the PlayStation 4. But not just any game; it's a movie tie-in game. The tagline itself reads "The Game, Based on the Movie, Based on the Game." You know you're in for something good when a product like this is self-aware.

Ratchet & Clank is a "re-imagining" of the original game for the PS2. Insomniac Games prefers that it would called a "re-imagining" instead of a "remake" or a "reboot." I doubt this game itself is a reboot because, while it is re-telling the origin story, it's made to tie in with the upcoming film. Who knows, maybe the next game will continue after Into the Nexus.

The story is the same as the original, re-telling the origin story of the intergalactic duo, but changed things around to add more depth and connect some stuff, in addition to, once again, tying in with the upcoming film.

A Lombax named Ratchet teams up with a small robot he names Clank to fight against Chairman Drek, the leader of the Blarg who plots to destroy planets with a not-so-subtle Starkiller Base knock-off. It's there that they join the Galactic Rangers led by the galaxy's most famous hero, Captain Qwark, whom Ratchet idolizes.

Speaking of Qwark, he narrates the story in the entire game. He has a framing device, sometimes cutting back to him and this criminal he is telling the story to. In parts of the game, his narration sometimes serves as tips on what kind of gadget Ratchet needs, which just adds to the entertainment value. He seems to be the appropriate narrator because of how much of a lovable narcissist he is.

Since it is a re-imagining of the first game, it reintroduces other characters with updated models, like Skidd McMarx, Big Al, The Plumber (who continues to be hilarious at leaning on the fourth wall) and other minor characters who now have names.

As well as that, it does also feature characters from the film, like Grimroth, Ratchet's mentor and father figure; Cora, a member of the Galactic Rangers; and Elaris, another member of the Galactic Rangers. There really isn't a lot I can add to the new characters.

The same goes for the villains. Chairman Drek is... amusing, I guess; Victor von Ion I mainly remember for his grudge against Clank; Dr. Nefarious (this time as an organic life form), however, is pretty entertaining despite not appearing in the game that much. I mean, come on, it's Dr. Nefarious. You can't go wrong with that.

Actually, now that I think about it, the story is pretty weak, and there isn't much character development, especially with the two leads. Remember back in the first game where Ratchet was antagonizing Clank and skewing his priorities after the game's big twist? Say what you want about how he was sometimes a jerk in that game, he eventually matured and started to value Clank a lot more and began to save the galaxy. That made the story a little more interesting, but nothing like that is present here. There is just no conflict between them, which is pretty disappointing.

The voice acting is pretty good as usual. The usual voice actors for Ratchet, Clank, Qwark, Big Al, and Dr. Nefarious return and do a marvelous job at what they are given. I can say the same with the actors from the upcoming film like Paul Giamatti as Drek, Bella Thorne as Cora and Rosario Dawson as Elairis. For some odd reason, John Goodman and Sylvester Stallone didn't voice Grimroth and Victor, which is a bit of a let down, but I guess Insomniac Games couldn't afford them or whatever.

One thing to note is that alongside the in-game cutscenes, it also features clips from the movie to match with the story. It's easy to tell because when characters are talking, their animations are a little stiff and lifeless in comparison to the movie clips, which are much more energetic. It's not a bad thing at all; they just really stick out.

Since it does feature clips from the movie, approach the game with caution. The film hasn't come out yet by the time I'm posting this, and it does feature spoilers. Want to feel surprised about some things that happened within the game's story? I say watch the film first.

The series never fails to deliver its trademark comedy. There are so many great jokes that had me busting a gut. I mentioned in the first paragraph that it is self-aware of being a game based on the movie that's based on the game, and there is a lot more where that came from. It also unexpectedly pokes fun at gaming culture, like pre-ordering games for exclusive stuff. Although I do find that to be hypocritical because there was a bonus weapon that came with the game if you pre-ordered it, something I do not like in this generation of gaming.

Ratchet & Clank proves to be one of the best-looking games on the PS4. Everything from the environments, lighting, textures, particle effects and character models is just astounding. I loved seeing the planets from the original re-imagined in this new game but with some new twists. For example, Planet Batalia took its level layout from the first game and had a snowy weather like in Planet Hoven. Yeah, one thing to add is that a few of the planets from the first game were omitted, which I felt made the game a little shorter than in should, not that it's a bad thing.

Anyone who has followed my blogging site and read all of my Ratchet & Clank reviews will know what to expect in the gameplay department. For newcomers, though, here is the basic rundown:

Ratchet & Clank is a 3D platformer with shooting elements. You play as Ratchet, who is equipped with Clank on his back, as he makes his way through planets with his arsenal of weapons. At the start, Ratchet is only equipped with his wrench, which serves as a weapon and a tool, but can buy weapons with bolts, the main currency. Bolts can be earned in many different ways, like smashing crates, defeating enemies, or trading Telepathopus brains, similar to the crystal gameplay from Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal.

The game features a variety of weapons (almost all from the previous games) that range from handguns like the Combuster, explosives like the Fusion Grenade, and rocket launchers like the Warmonger. It also has other unusual weapons that match the series' goofy tone.

The Groovitron returns and making enemies dance to it never gets old. Mr. Zurkon also makes a comeback, being a helpful companion while still trash-talking enemies and claiming that he uses fear to survive instead of nanotech (the game's health power-up). There is also this cool weapon called the Pixelizer, which, when fired, will turn enemies into 8-bit graphics, featuring some nice particle effects in the meantime.

I really do wish that the vendors had the VR weapon training from Up Your Arsenal and Into the Nexus. I always thought it was a great addition to let players know what weapons might be worth purchasing. Though I guess all weapons were worth the purchase because of the upgrade system.

Upgrading weapons like in the previous games never gets old. An element that was first introduced in Going Commando was that using weapons gives out experience points when hitting or killing enemies. Once there is enough experience points, it will upgrade to a much more powerful weapon, further adding an incentive to experiment with others. Following the footsteps of Tools of Destruction and Into the Nexus, upgrading them can be taken even further by collecting Raritanium which can be used to purchase weapon modifications like additional ammo or more damage to enemies.

There are also several gadgets that can be obtained while on the journey. Ratchet can use a Swingshot to reach platforms that are far away, or use the Magneboots (which function like the Gravity Boots) to walk on certain surfaces, or use the jet pack to fly around the more open areas.

Playing as Clank is also just as fun. His gameplay in some of the previous titles were always more puzzle-oriented, whether they would be controlling Gadgebots or manipulating time. Here, he is aided by Gadgebots which can be transformed to have different functions to help him navigate through levels better. While I don't think they're as brilliant as the time puzzles from A Crack in Time, some of them were pretty challenging and took a while for me to figure out how to solve, which I have to applaud Insomniac Games for.

I don't have a lot to say when it comes to the ship combat, but they control pretty well and are fun to play. In addition, I found the Hoverboard races to be much more fun to play than in the original, controlling slightly better and just having that sense of speed that was kind of lacking. Good luck completing the two trophies for it, though. Beating them under a certain time took me a while.

There is a lot of replay value for all the completionists out there. There are Golt Bolts located in hidden areas, and collecting them unlocks some bonus content. There are also Holo-Cards to collect, whether they would be collectible or obtained when defeating random enemies. Completing a set increases the chances of getting bolts, raritanium and Holo-Cards. 

Having been a fan for six years now, I feel like such a nerd when I collect a card and quickly identify the character or weapon represented and the game they first appeared in... just before reading their descriptions. I did, however, identify a goof-up in one of the cards. I already made a tweet about it:

That can't be Darla Gratch. That's Juanita from Ratchet: Deadlocked. #RatchetandClank pic.twitter.com/kKzZmPCZdU

— Brian D. (@CrashJakFan1994) April 13, 2016

The fun can be taken even further with Challenge Mode, which is the series' version of New Game+, in which weapons can be upgraded even further. Plus there are PSN trophies to complete, which have completely eliminated the traditional Skill Points from previous titles.

While I've listed a few gripes like the weak story, underdeveloped characters, and the lack of VR weapon training, there are a few more that I want to bring up:

1. No gladiator fights - This is a let-down because they were some of my favorite parts in the previous games and provided another way to earn bolts.
2. The soundtrack - Easily is one of the most forgettable in the series. By this time, though, I'm not really expecting any Ratchet & Clank soundtrack to top the first three games.
3. Repeated dialogue - I don't see it all too often, but this one can get annoying. This is most notable when you restart Hoverboard races and the person hosting it repeats the same thing.

I've gone on for too long. Everyone, Ratchet & Clank for the PS4 is...

WORTH CHECKING OUT

While it's lacking in some aspects, it's a great re-imagining of the original game that is nicely polished, controls great, looks great, has excellent gameplay, and has replay value for all completionists like myself. I'd go as far to say that it is one of the best games in the series. Sure, not much has changed in the gameplay formula, but if it ain't broke, then there is no need to fix it.

All that is left now is the upcoming film at the end of the month.