The final installment of the franchise on the PS2 was a complete departure from the familiar design of the “Ratchet and Clank” series. Most obvious was the elimination of Clank from the action, which was less than ideal for fans of the original. The game was also designed for fans of online multiplayer rather than platformer goodness. This left many fans on either side of a very large fence.
There is a single-player story, but it is very short compared to the other games. This PS2 games can be completed in less time than the PSP game “Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters”, which is very disappointing. The single-player campaign can be tackled at several challenge levels ranging from very easy to nearly impossible, but the difference is the density of enemies to destroy.
Most of the action is incredibly straightforward. Play is either in an arena against waves of enemies and a final boss competitor, or a well-defined planetary setting with clearly delineated objectives. All of the arena and most of the planetary action boils down to constant destruction with very little nuance. Some of the planetary challenges involve hoverbikes, hoverships, or landstalkers (the best part of the game), all of which seem designed to break up the monotony. However, if you hated those elements of the previous games, having them all concentrated in one game is probably not a positive note.
The default controls are also completely different. The quick select menu cannot be modified, which is unfortunate. Jumping is a straightforward affair without Clank to help out. The left analog control moves Ratchet in a strafing stance, with the right analog stick controlling turns and the camera. Shooting is mapped to R1, though the traditional circle button will also work. This is designed to appeal to the fans of FPS games, a genre I generally dislike. Thankfully, you can adjust the controls here and there to match the previous control schemes more closely.
One interesting change is the ability to customize weapons with different modifications, which is a trend that continued into “Size Matters” and will probably continue into future installments. Ratchet has two “bots” as partners, and they can also be upgraded as the game progresses. On the downside, there are no special bolts and very little in the environment can be destroyed for bolts. Money comes easily, but mostly through constantly wiping out hordes of enemies.
There are 15 skill points in every location. All of them are identified, so it’s easy to figure out what to do to complete those challenges. Most of them involve killing a certain number of enemies with a certain weapon, finishing a challenge in a certain time, and so forth. Many of them are completed without trying, which takes some of the fun out of it.
All in all, this is a game meant to appeal to fans of multiplayer online carnage and destruction. For fans of the original game and its successors, this is likely to disappoint. It gets repetitive very quickly, and before long, the game is over. Science fiction fans will enjoy the constant insults tossed at the FOX Network, but that’s hardly a reason to play this game.
Rating: 5/10
Add A Comment