Ratchet and Clank (PS4) Review

Ratchet and Clank, a re-imagining of the original 2002 game, was released in 2016 coinciding with a tie-in film by Rainmaker Studios. And for the purposes of this review, yes, I am going to be specifically using the term “re-imagining” to describe this game because honestly, there is not enough of the old game intact to consider this a remake.

I definitely enjoyed my time playing through this game, it has got the staple action platformer gameplay that I’ve come to expect from the franchise, with quality platforming sections, side tasks on various planets, and hidden collectibles placed within levels.

But… there is no soul. Any of the slapstick comedy of previous entries has been removed in favour of a persistent and unfunny narrator, no interactions with characters who will be here for one world and then gone the next, and most egregiously, there is no real interpersonal conflict between any of the characters.

Whilst the original Ratchet and Clank had a story reminiscent of traditional buddy cop films, the interactions between the two characters felt real and there was a distinct arc in the development of their relationship. Ratchet may have had a bit of an abrasive personality, but this contributed to the conflicts experienced by the duo.

Story and Characters

As opposed to the premise of “individual wants to escape from planet they’ve been stuck on for years”; the re-imagining begins with Ratchet going to try outs for the Galactic Rangers, because he’s always wanted to be a hero.

The Rangers this time are not green robots with entertaining dialogue and interactions, they are instead a group of characters with minimal introduction and development throughout the game:

• Cora Veralux, youngest ranger to ever be recruited and native of Novalis (that is most of her development by the way, she gets one moody scene apart from this)
• Brax Lectrus, a brash ranger who prefers the all guns blazing approach as opposed to thinking out methodical plans (no development whatsoever and no missions with him as support)
• Elaris, the technical support and strategist of the rangers, who aside from making one plan at the end, is never really seen, and is only heard briefly in cutscenes/mission dialogue

They are all lead by the greatest superhero the galaxy has ever known…

Captain Qwark.

And no, I am not giving him an over the top intro, because frankly this version of Qwark is a toothless parody of a character who was already supposed to be satirical. The main point of his character is that he is a superhero who likes to take credit for the work that other people do, driven by vanity and greed.

In the confused identity this game has, there is not really any clear characterisation for him and plot reveals involving him are incredibly lazy. He is jealous because Ratchet comes on the scene and starts stealing his thunder… and none of this is foreshadowed or explained up until the end of the game.

Even the villains are disappointing this time around, which is incredibly disheartening to say considering this game both has the character and original voice talent of Doctor Nefarious (Armin Shimerman). Nefarious is supposed to be over-the-top, with ridiculous lines and crazy character moments…

…and aside from a few cutscenes and some dialogue on a planet, the doctor is never heard from until the end of the game, where he suddenly fulfils the role of primary antagonist and even then, aside from a single throwaway line that gave me a chuckle, there isn’t anything redeeming about this development.

And Drek.

Chairman Drek.

The evil ultra-capitalist from the first game, with a deep, guttural, intimidating voice that made any cutscene imposing despite his short stature has been completely ruined. There is no mystery or motivation to his plans this time round, what was once an impactful reveal at the end of the original is now relegated to a brief gag in one of the first cutscenes in the game. Aside from barking orders over comms and making a few threats to his military; there is not really anything there to show a player he means business.

Finally, the dynamic duo themselves, Ratchet and Clank barely have any meaningful interactions during cutscenes. Before cutscenes involving talking to NPCs were dynamic, you could see the two emoting, having body language sell what the current scenario means to either of them, and most importantly, they’d actually look at each other and have a proper conversation about the events that just transpired. Now it boils down to a character saying, “It would be a good idea to check out Planet X!” and the other going “Yeah, fine by me.”

Like I said before, there is no interpersonal conflict, and even when the game presents the potential of conflict, it is resolved as quickly as it appears.

Weapons

Coming in with a modest 14 weapons the re-imagined game does not have the largest roster of any game, but it comes close to matching the 15 weapons found in the original game. Despite this though only two weapons from the original are updated for this game, the rest are either originals or taken from other entries into the series.

Whilst the weapons are all functioning and fun to use, it would’ve been cool to see what the Blaster as a modern-style Ratchet and Clank weapon would be like, or seen the potential of the PS4 be put to good use by re-imagining what the iconic Visibomb Gun could do.

This does not necessarily mean any of the new designs are bad per say, one of my favourite weapons throughout the game was a completely original weapon, the Proton Drum. An area-of-effect weapon that launches out a large orb in a parabolic arc that is then deployed and sends shockwaves to nearby enemies, decimating crowds and softening up larger targets for finishing blows. Its upgrade incorporates bolts of lightning that will shock specific enemies for even more damage.

The other new design in the game is a weapon known as the Pixelizer, the obligatory shotgun style weapon found in most games starting in 2 with the Blitz Gun. In this iteration enemies hit by the Pixelizer have a very amusing filter placed over their model which makes them looks incredibly low fidelity, which then causes them to shatter into cube shaped pixels upon death.

Although the concept of the weapon is fun enough, and it is certainly massively damaging in close proximity, but for me it also lacked the bite that shotgun weapons need to have, there is no loud BANG followed by a click, there are only pixelized bleeps and bloops.

Out of all the designs to return from another game, the one I ended up enjoying the most were the Buzz Blades. Fulfilling a similar role to the Disc Blade Gun from the third game, the main purpose of this gun is fast firing ricocheting projectiles that can bounce through crowds and tear apart larger enemies with some sustained fire making it a staple weapon in my arsenal right up until the end.

However, none of these weapons compare to the sheer joy that I encountered when I got to fire this game’s iteration of the R.Y.N.O. For context, I have currently not finished any of the PS3 Ratchet games, I am currently playing Tools of Destruction when I visit a friend, but I have barely scratched the surface of that game.

This meant that when I first got the R.Y.N.O, I saw the absolutely massive initial ammo count of 1000, and wondered “Why the hell does it need that much?”

Then I held down the trigger.

And everything made sense, because this is the first time I’ve had the experience of the R.Y.N.O playing an overture for me as I fire. And it gave me happy fuzzy feels I did not think were possible after playing through the story of this game. It is also immensely powerful, making enemies and bosses crumple before the unstoppable barrage of high explosive missiles, being able to take out the final boss in just over a minute.

With the R.Y.N.O in tow, the only one they fear is you.

Gameplay

Before I move onto discussing new and returning gameplay, please join me in a moment of silence for the levels lost to this re-imagined world:

• Planet Eudora, the logging site for Drek’s new planet
• Planet Umbris, a fantastic gauntlet with challenging mechanics
• Planet Orxon, the actual Blarg homeworld that Drek polluted
• Planet Hoven, a high stakes race to destroy a planet busting bomb
• Gemlik Base, the best level in the original game, atmospheric, gorgeous, and providing closure on a game long arc
• Planet Oltanis, a Ratchet only challenge due to Clank being vulnerable to the raging storm around you
• Planet Quartu (the good one), a two-part planet home to the origin of Giant Clank and an incredibly moving scene with Clank
• Drek’s Fleet, the penultimate level which features both stealth and action segments as you jump between ships
• The return to Veldin, a terrifying chase to save your homeworld

For the levels that remain, they are mostly intact. A lot of the level design for returning planets is lifted straight from the original game, with tweaks in some areas and some getting complete overhauls like Planet Gaspar. Quartu is completely redone from the ground up to tie in with the new lore and the Deplanetizer is now its own self-contained level.

In line with the source material, Gold Bolts are a hidden collectible, scattered throughout levels in locations old and new. Unlike the source material however, these are not used for unlocking superior Golden Weapons upon completion of the game/finding the hidden area in Gemlik base.

They are instead used for unlocking things in the “Extras” menu such as screen filters, head, armour, and ship styles, concept art galleries and cheats, including Infinite Ammo and Invincibility at 27 and 28 bolts respectively. Additionally they are used to unlock more hangars in the “Insomniac Museum”, which, whilst a cute addition in the style of a museum to the franchise; it doesn’t have the same charm as the in-depth developer comments older museums had.

A new collectible to this game are the “Holocards”, collectible cards that can be dropped by enemies and found in card packs around the galaxy. Holocard sets come in threes and completing a set will reward you with a passive income bonus, a buff to your Omniwrench damage, or the ability to unlock the “Omega” versions of weapons whilst in Challenge Mode. Holocards are also the way the R.Y.N.O is obtained in this game, as you need all nine R.Y.N.O holocards to have the full plans to construct it.

The latter of these is at least enjoyable, as all the cards are either hidden in obscure locations or as reward for completing a difficult challenge, and since the last one isn’t obtainable right before the end of the game you don’t become all powerful too early on.

My one gripe with holocards is that once you have completed all the sets; there is not really any use for the duplicate cards that continue to drop and all the packs that respawn per playthrough, no way to trade them in for something else.

A similar complaint can be said for the other currency of the game, Raritanium. Found in hidden deposits throughout levels and sometimes dropped by enemies, the glowing rocks are used in a returning mechanic from the Future series, being used to upgrade your weapons. Each weapon has its own map of hex tiles that unlock a certain buff when purchased with raritanium, including “secret upgrades” that are only unlocked when all hex tiles surrounding them are bought.

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What is cute is that each upgrade map when completed forms a little image relating to the weapon itself, like a flame for the Pyrocitor, a buzz blade for the Buzz Blades, and an ominous skull-and-crossbones for the R.Y.N.O. Though as mentioned, once you have completed all upgrade maps for all weapons, the utility of raritanium takes a complete nosedive, leaving you with a stockpile in the hundreds as you obtain even more from blasting enemies.

All weapons, as is franchise staple, can be upgraded through use going through 5 levels and turning into a more powerful form upon reaching that 5^th level. In this game only damage/duration is upgraded upon level up, with more upgrade hexes unlocking to enhance ammo, rate of fire and additional effects to be chosen at the player’s leisure.

This next complaint is a bit more personal to me, especially as someone who made an effort to mention this in every previous Ratchet and Clank review but…

Why does this game run at 30fps? It baffles me completely, every previous game through the PS2 and PS3 ran at 60fps with dips in the only most exceptional of circumstances. I managed to make this game start to chug when just using the Pyrocitor on a crowd of enemies, I would rather see a downgrade on the fancy new graphics to get a solid, stable, 60fps. (Reference: played on an original PS4. Have not conducted framerate tests on PS4 Pro hardware)

Clank levels returned, but only in his small on foot form as the locations where Giant Clank would have been used have been cut from the game. The Gadgebot variety has been changed from the original game with no options to use them for attacking or entering gates.

Instead now Clank can take any Gadgebot and reprogram it to being one of three options:

• Springbot, allowing Clank to jump to ledges he could not normally reach
• Powerbot, provide electricity to machinery to open the path
• Bridgebot, extend a bridge across hazardous pits

Using these bots there were quite a few clever scenarios and puzzles during these Clank segments, including one near the end of the game where I was properly stuck for a moment before figuring it out.

Returning from the original game are the hoverboard races on Rilgar and Kaleebo III. Both planets now have three levels of race to compete in, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. The difference between these tends to be the number of explosive crates placed on the track, throughout my multiple attempts trying to attain the trophies for these tracks, I did not notice any improvements to the AI.

New to this game are that you do not need an item to perform tricks to earn boosts, this ability is unlocked right out the gate. And believe me, you will need to use this ability religiously in the time trial trophies in order to keep a good amount of boost ongoing.

Most gadgets return from the original game, minus the Sonic Summoner from winning the Rilgar hoverboard race, the Metal Detector from destroying the Blarg Warships on Batalia, and the PDA purchased on Oltanis.

• The Swingshot is now unlocked from the beginning of the game, and functions in the exact same way as in all entries, allowing you to swing from and pull yourself to grapple points
• The Hydrodisplacer retains its function of allowing you to fill/drain areas to proceed
• The Hologuise now takes the form of Captain Qwark to infiltrate the Deplanetizer as opposed to Quartu
• Magneboots and Grind Boots return for traversing ionised surfaces and grind rails respectively
• And Clank can obtain all his pack upgrades, with the Power Slam from the Thruster Pack being replaced with the ability to turn heavier bolt cranks

In addition to all these, the Trespasser also makes it return in a slightly upgraded form. After reaching a certain point of progression in game you gain the ability to toggle trespasser rings on and off, a feature which is essential in some puzzles but also gives you the ability to declutter the interface and look at a puzzle in a different way.

However, unless you are bothered about getting the trophy for completing all Trespasser puzzles… the gadget is essentially moot, as now by pressing Square you can have the puzzle autocomplete itself for the penalty of not being able to earn the trophy and missing out on the bolts completing the puzzle normally would get.

New to the game is the XK-81 Jetpack obtained on Planet Gaspar. Used in a handful of specifically locations, the jetpack plays mechanically similar to the Levitator in Ratchet and Clank 2, having fuel that you use to propel yourself upwards. In any jetpack enabled level you essentially now have sandbox levels of movement around the level, best shown in the area where it is obtained with wide open spaces and distant landmarks to discover.

Controls

As much as I take issue with various points of the game, the one area I cannot really fault anything are the controls. All aspects of the game control perfectly in my opinion, Ratchet’s movement is responsive, strafing and jumping side to side during combat still feels as great all these years later, and the Hydro Pack is even unlocked from the beginning to make swimming segments easier (partially because the planet where you would normally obtain it got cut).

Aside from the previously mentioned feature of turning more difficult bolt cranks, the Heli-Pack and Thruster Pack function closer to how they work in later Ratchet and Clank games, it being closer to a personal preference than an edge during gameplay. As usual, once unlocked, I stayed with the Thruster Pack. I can never betray my roots.

Returning from the original game are a handful of ship combat levels, with each usually introducing a gimmick to add diversity to them. This can be using a magnetic grapple on your ship to launch warbots into a warship, using newly acquired rockets to damage large vessels that are immune to your machine gun, or being stuck in a tractor beam with your movement stick now controlling your reticle to shoot down homing missiles.

Aside from a few issues when it comes to turning around with the ship in tight spaces, I encountered no major issues with the controls here, and none of the gimmicks were too high of a difficulty spike, introducing the right amount of additional challenge into each encounter.

Music

This is a section I haven’t really covered in any of my previous Ratchet and Clank reviews, but as this game is specifically being based off a game with an absolutely banging and iconic soundtrack, I need to use the opportunity presented to me to say the music in this re-imagined version is not only considerably worse than the source material, it is bland in isolation.

Iconic tracks such as Metropolis and Blackwater City have been dropped in favour of generic orchestral scores, sometimes overlaid with harsh electronic beats during more intense combat segments. There is no identity or impact to the music, and that is honestly a bit sad, considering the potential for remixes or remastered music to set the nostalgia neurons throbbing.

Conclusion

Ratchet and Clank (PS4) is a solid action platformer, with great weapons, fast-paced gameplay, and an overall enjoyable experience in isolation. However, when compared to what came before it, it is a hollow shell trying to find an identity in between being a re-imagining of the first game, trying to tie into a film, and trying to make you care about the characters within the game without any of the development that went into previous entries.

In all honesty the film is probably what lead to this identity crisis the game seems to have, in place of cutscenes sometimes there are direct sequences ripped straight from the film, except that these scenes sometimes don’t have the context of what happened previously in the film, so events and actions can sometimes come out of the blue completely.

It would have been awesome to see what Insomniac could’ve done if the brief was just “remake the first game for PS4, add in content that may have been cut, expand on old weapons in the new upgradeable style”. Instead what we got almost reeks of a soulless, corporate cash-in for a film that barely got off the ground (which, yes, I will be discussing at some point).

This review was honestly painful to write in some segments, because for all my criticisms and gripes, I genuinely enjoyed playing through this game. And if it were not for a slightly annoying trophy I am still trying to get, I have got the Platinum trophy for this game, I did everything on offer.

Because it is a Ratchet and Clank game, a franchise incredibly dear to my heart, and it is just sad to see what “re-imagining” the game did to the heart that was in the original. From the footage I have seen so far though, Rifts Apart seems to be a return to form, all we can do is wait and see.

If you are a fan of the franchise and you can find this game cheap enough, I kind of do recommend it as a one-off experience. You will still find some joy to be had in some segments and weapons.

But for me, the ultimate test is if I want to go back to replay this game on a fresh save like I’ve done with so many games previous… and sadly, I don’t think I’ll be revisiting this one for a while yet.