Ratchet & Clank Review (Playstation 4)

Ratchet & Clank is a title that exists because Sony Interactive Entertainment and its partners decided to invest in a movie based on the video game franchise and then discovered that the coming entertainment product would benefit from the existence of a video game tie-in.

The events of the big-screen adventure are based on the first title in the franchise and benefit from voice work from a range of Hollywood stars, including Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, Rosario Dawson, and Sylvester Stallone.

The new Ratchet & Clank video game is linked to the movie regarding narrative, but it takes the core mechanics and the environments of the PlayStation 2 title and updates them to appeal to modern players.

There's a lot of fun gameplay in the new Ratchet & Clank, but the game really shines in the graphics department, offering some beautifully animated cutscenes and a world that's a pleasure to explore.

The almost remake concept works well, and the title will appeal both to those who are nostalgic about their first interactions with the characters and the universe and to those who discover the series for the first time now.

Ratchet & Clank is developed by Insomniac Games and is published by Sony only on the PlayStation 4 home console.

Story

Ratchet & Clank has always been more interested in its two central characters and their relationship than in offering a complex and deep narrative, and the story of the new release is designed to show how important the two protagonists are to one another.

Clank, the robot, escapes from the planet where he was manufactured and meets Ratchet, the lombax with big dreams of being a hero, and the two have to deal with the evil machinations of Drek Industries, which is aiming to take planets apart and to then dominate the galaxy.

Chairman Drek is the main villain of the story, and the entire narrative is delivered by Captain Qwark, which offers plenty of opportunities for winks to the audience and references to the past of the series and the links to the new movie.

Ratchet & Clank enemies

There are plenty of elements of the original narrative that are omitted, and characters from other entries in the series are now part of the game, which serves to make the story more dynamic, with some great cutscenes tying it all together.

I laughed out loud a few times, but there are also moments when the humor feels a little forced, although the sense of hope that infuses both Ratchet and Clank is powerful enough to keep fans rooting for them as they move from adventure to adventure.

Gameplay

Ratchet & Clank is a very pure game, a platformer with plenty of combat that is unafraid to offer a very clear set of core mechanics and to then give the player limited space for experimentation, relying on locations and pace to keep him engaged.

Ratchet is the character that gamers will spend most time with, and as the game progresses, he gets access to a variety of weapons and gadgets that allow him to deal with enemies and explore some impressive landscapes.

Clank gets less screen time, with a focus on puzzles and short escape sequences, and there are also sequences when the pair has to solve a planet's warbot problem using their spaceship or when they engage in pretty spectacular hoverboard races.

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The platforming is engaging and never too hard to deal with, even if the targeting of some abilities can be a little hit-or-miss, and Ratchet can get into some impressive battles when the entire screen is covered in enemies and weapons fire.

It's relatively easy to die, especially early on, but it's mostly fun to once again wade into the fray and find new ways to deal with the waves of Blargh that threaten a certain planet.

When it comes to weapons, Insomniac Games is introducing a wide range of fan favorites to find and use, including the Groovitron, which forces enemies to execute some cool dance moves. Then, there are the Sheepinator, Pixalator, Mr. Zurkon, Proton Drum, and more, all of them with a range of upgrades, which means every player can create unique versions for their campaigns.

The variety of options cannot hide the fact that there are some issues with the targeting, which is a little erratic. This means that it's often a good idea to use a powerful weapon for the opening stages of an engagement and then use the double jump and the trusty Omniwrench melee attack to take the opponent out.

“Ratchet & Clank also delivers plenty of variety when it comes to the planets, and over the course of the about 10-hour-long campaign, gamers will be able to explore unique environments and deal with some well-built characters.”

Mag boots and the jetpack also open up new areas on already-visited planets, leading to more combat and the opportunity to get access to some of the cards that Insomniac has added to the game.

The card collection system, which features no microtransactions, allows players to get both special versions of weapons or passive upgrades, and those who want even more can move get into New Game+ for even more upgrade options for their arsenal.

One of the biggest problems with the new Ratchet & Clank is that it does not offer any coop mechanics, despite the fact that the original had them and that the entire series is structured around the two characters and the differences between them.

Graphics and audio

Ratchet & Clank is a very good-looking game, clearly designed by Insomniac and Sony as one of the titles that can show what the PlayStation 4 can deliver, and there are moments when even action sequences are very close to animate movie quality.

The development team sticks to the already-known style of the series, with environments that are both lush and filled with humorous touches, and cleverly uses backgrounds and far-off locations to make the levels bigger than they actually are.

The characters are lovingly animated, both during gameplay and in the cutscenes, and their personality is infused in everything from speech to movement, with Captain Qwark maybe the most interesting to watch and interact with.

There are a few action moments when the camera can be a pain, and I died a few times because it failed to register the swing point I was interested in. However, most of the time, Ratchet & Clank is a good-looking and smooth experience.

The game also has a solid sound design, with great voice acting for all the characters and a distinct audio identity for all the planets, although there are some moments during combat when the enemies are so noisy that it's hard to focus on taking them out.

The Good

The Bad

Conclusion