Ratchet & Clank

System: Playstation 2
Release Date: 2002
Published By: SCEA
Reviewed by: Darien
Rating:

What? An action platformer with gen-yoo-ine action and platforming? Heavens, I'd thought the whole genre had transformed into glorified scavenger hunts. And yet, here it is, kids. And there's a lot on offer.

Ratchet & Clank is a beautiful game. The environments are so vivid and so lovely that you'll only be a little bit annoyed by the constant swimming of the wall textures. The enemies are varied and expressive, and the effects are suitably large and raucous. The audio design is similarly strong, and will get many a tune stuck in your head. Meanwhile, the voice acting is actually good - not perfect, but good. Drek, Qwark, and the RYNO Salesman are the high points, and seveal exchanges are well enough written and performed that they will probably draw some laughs.

On the gameplay side, This is one of those games you could conceivably play again every six months for the rest of your life, like I do. There's plenty of actual platforming - in 3D, no less, and done well - and the weapons are a lot of fun. The only complaint I have against the game's system is that it lacks any sort of precise aiming that doesn't require that Ratchet stop moving entirely, thereby severely limiting the utility of several weapons. On the other hand, the game doesn't really require that degree of aim, and the only time you'll really be feeling it is during the final battle.

There are, of course, minigames, but they are actually done rather well, here. As a rule, the minigames have an objective that must be cleared to advance the game, which is pitched at a somewhat low difficulty level, and then a harder objective that gets you a skill point. This is the way minigames should be, if they must be at all.

The one major frustration in the game is the sheer lack of funds. Yes, for once, a video game not only doesn't overwhelm you with currency in the late game, but actually makes you beg for it. If you have any illusions of buying the RYNO your first trip through the game, well, you'd best reconcile yourself to long hours spent fighting random monsters to collect bolts. Or you can take advantage of one of the game's convenient exploits and get rich quick! Hey, your call.

Ratchet & Clank is one of the best games I've played in ages, and any PS2 owner with any fondness for action games or platformers should definitely pick it up.

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