Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando Preview

By Ricardo Torres, GameSpotPosted Sep 15, 2003 4:13 pm PT

We take the sequel to Sony and Insomniac's platformer for a spin.

Southern California-based developer Insomniac Games is currently hard at work on a follow-up to its PlayStation 2 platformer Ratchet & Clank. The game was released last November and garnered some well-deserved praise for its polished gameplay and impressive visuals. The upcoming sequel, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, is slated to hit shelves roughly a year after the original game was released. If you think Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando is a quickly churned out rehash of the original game, you're wrong. Insomniac has gone ahead and created a new adventure that contains some impressive original content and some slick refinements over the first version's gameplay. We had the chance to try our hand at a preview version of the game and have come away impressed. Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando retains the tight mechanics of its predecessor but has its own unique feel.

Ratchet & Clank are back, and this time they're "going commando."

The game's story picks up a short time after the events of the last game and checks in with the dynamic duo as their 15 minutes of fame is coming to a close. The game opens with the pair being interviewed by a television show similar to both E!'s "Where are they now?" and VH1's "Behind the Music." As you'd expect, given the amount of free time on their hands, Ratchet & Clank have been doing a whole lot of nothing and appear destined for obscurity. Of course, this all changes when the pair is contacted by Abercrombie Fizzwidget, the eccentric CEO of Mega Corp, a vast company based in the nearby Bogon galaxy. Fizzwidget is stressing over the recent theft of one of Mega Corp's experimental projects, the proto pet. To make matters worse, the proto pet's loss has the potential to do more than damage Mega Corp's bottom line for this fiscal quarter: The experimental critter can apparently cause damage of galactic proportions if it's misused. While this is what gets Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando's plot moving, as they start digging around, you come to discover there's a lot more going on when it comes to the proto pet and Mega Corp.

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando retains the tight mechanics of its predecessor but has its own unique feel.

You start the game as Ratchet, as he heads out to check on the proto pet at Fizzwidget's urging. This introductory segment of the game, which serves as a basic refresher for fans of the previous game or a tutorial for newcomers, is fairly straightforward. You explore a massive airship and deal death to a variety of security robots, some of whom have brand-new arsenals of weapons. The core gameplay remains roughly the same. You still journey to different locations, explore areas, solve puzzles, fight hordes of enemies, buy weapons, get gadgets, and engage in some new minigame-style action. The only familiar thing on hand--when you begin going through the airship--is Ratchet's trusty wrench, which can be used as a melee weapon or a projectile weapon as in the original game. You notice some new gameplay elements in the form of two meters. One is above your selected weapon, and the other briefly appears in the center of the screen. The meters are part of a newly implemented RPG-style experience system that rewards you with experience for using a weapon and defeating enemies. As you take out enemies, Ratchet earns experience. When you earn a set amount, your health increases. The system is similar for weapons. You earn experience every time you use a specific weapon, and once you've earned enough, the weapon automatically upgrades. You'll find 19 new weapons in the game, 18 of which can be upgraded by gaining experience. The upgrades are more than just simple increases in power, though. In most cases, the weapon changes into something completely new. For example, the lava gun spews out a stream of fiery lava, but once it's been upgraded, it becomes the meteor gun, which fires a hail of fiery rocks. Fans of the original game will be pleased to know that some of the weapons from the first game return, thanks to the presence of a lone gadgetron vendor whom thorough players may come across in their travels. If you have a save from the original Ratchet & Clank on your memory card, the weapons are free. If you don't, you have to buy them. In addition to the new arsenal of weapons, Ratchet also sports some sleek commando gear. You can find four different types of armor in your adventures, and each one increases the amount of punishment Ratchet can take.

prev

1 Comments

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando Quick Links

Summary | Reviews | News | Previews & Features | Images | Videos | Answers | Hints & Cheats | Forum | Check Prices

advertisement
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando Boxshot Enlarge the boxshot
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando

Game Stats

Full Game Details »Close

Games you may like…

Users who looked at content for this game also looked at these games.

See More Similar Games
advertisement