A phenomenal achievement, Insomniac's Ratchet & Clank laid a strong foundation with its staggering variety/action
Super Mario 64 revolutionized platformers by successfully bringing the genre into three dimensions, and during the Nintendo 64 and Playstation generation, more than several excellent platforming series were birthed. Rare's titles (Banjo Kazooie, Conker's Bad Fur Day, etc…) dominated on the Nintendo 64, but Sony's Playstation became home to Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot and Insomniac's Spyro the Dragon. The latter series' first entry was recognized as the first fully three dimensional platformer on Sony's system. The Spyro series added more layers with each new entry, and with the trilogy's final game, it reached a magnificent crescendo.
Needless to say many were eager to see where Insomniac would venture after handing the Spyro franchise over to Vivendi Universal. The purple dragon had been pushed to his limits, and if Insomniac was going to maintain its high respectability, it would need to create a franchise that soared beyond the standard jump affair, though the Spyro trilogy was fantastic. In 2002, Insomniac introduced the inaugural entry in the now critically acclaimed, decade old franchise on the at-the-time young Playstation 2: Ratchet & Clank. Not only was it the beginning of a new era for the beloved developer, but the Lombax and tiny robot's first adventure was an innovative mark on the genre at whole, for it remarkably combined third-person shooter and action elements with a variety of exciting gameplay twists and fun, simple platforming.
On his home planet Veldin, repairing his space ship, a young lombax named Ratchet goes to inspect a nearby crash. With his handy wrench in hand, Ratchet investigates the fallen vessel and finds a small robot whom he eventually calls "Clank". A reject, Clank was supposed to be manufactured as a giant killing machine on planet Quartu on the evil chairman Drek's assembly line. Clank, mistakenly created with some autonomy and even a sense of morality, escapes Quartu, knowing that Drek is intent on destroying every other planet after stealing chunks of land and resources to mend into his own, self-made world.
Clank shows Ratchet an info bot in hopes of stirring some righteous indignation in the furry creature, but Ratchet does not quite understand the implications of the info bot's message. Clank does, however, offer to start Ratchet's ship in return for his help. Eventually, the two find themselves on a quest that is far bigger than they imagined. Ratchet is immature and reluctant-he becomes at odds with Clank after discovering the dangers that he was being lead into; but he is perhaps most angry at the fact that he is spending his precious time on matters that are supposedly none of his business.
Despite the seemingly grandiose plot, one must only play Ratchet & Clank for under an hour to see that the game should not be taken too seriously. The tension between the two heroes can be felt, especially with Ratchet's stabbing insults and Clank's undermining sarcasm, but it is cloaked in humor that could be found in an edgy Cartoon Network show. Good character development gives the storyline good value, even if it feels a bit forced and sudden at points.
The Ratchet and Clank Collection which features the original trilogy in high definition, is coming soon for the Playstation 3, but the original, especially in retrospect, is still a graphical beauty. Character animations were fluid like a three dimensional animated feature (of a lower quality), and the cities on the planets that Ratchet and Clank visit are scenic beauties: flying cars zip through the air, destroyed buildings burn and emit smoke in the distance, and robotic interpretations of nature are like vivid pictures. And, of course, there are explosions.
Ratchet and Clank has been described by some as an action-platformer, and that is an accurate description. For a twelve to fourteen hour adventure, the amount of weapons and gadgets that you can enjoy is staggering. Ratchet starts with his wrench which he can use to perform a three-hit combo, but he can eventually accumulate weapons for an arsenal full of destruction. There is a blaster gun, flame-thrower, missile launcher, mines, and more complex devices such as the Glove of Doom which you can use to toss a small ball on the ground that hatches a few tiny robots who chew on your foes to death.
Aside from a couple of small tasks which can only be completed as Clank alone, the small robot rides on Ratchet's back like a backpack for much of the adventure's duration. Clank, to the jealousy of his furry friend, receives a number of upgrades himself: a heli-pack that allows the heroic duo to float to platforms from great distances and perform long jumps, a jetpack with similar but more excellent functions, and a water-jetpack upgrade, among others.
For the most part, using the weapons is a lot of fun, but some are not very intuitive. The game's camera is the main culprit of this problem. It is controlled manually, and the speed in which it turns can be set to fast, but even then it has a hard time keeping up with Ratchet in the heat of battle. When enemies are swarming Ratchet from behind, you may be forced to take some blind shots and hope for the best. You can also use weapons in first person view, but you have to hold L1, with Ratchet standing still, and move the aiming cursor (which is a bit flimsy) all while hoping your foes do not hit you out of first person mode. Combat wise, this is the game's biggest weakness, but despite this one noticeable flaw, destroying foes and seeing all of the explosions is immensely satisfying.
Ratchet & Clank's music maintains the title's futuristic feel. Mostly an electronic fair, many of the tunes sound like tamed techno or jazzed up house music. Bleeps, zaps, and booms are constantly heard throughout, providing fitting sound effects that further solidify the title's identity. It is a game that manages to impress with its diversity and pace. By the end of the game the duo will have traveled to over one dozen different planets. Each planet has two or more routes to explore and more than several objectives to tackle; by completing these tasks you are rewarded with a new weapon, gadget, or infobot that will give you the coordinates to the next planet. You rarely stay on one planet for more than an hour, unless you want to collect the hidden Gold Bolts.
Due to toxic atmospheres, Clank has to leave Ratchet behind in the ship and explore certain areas on his own. A strategic element is added in these escapades as Clank can command a group of friendly robots to help him fight enemies. There are other similar pace changing missions, and Insomniac does not overkill these ideas. Beyond all of the aforementioned positive attributes, there are surprises aplenty in Ratchet & Clank. The superb presentation and spot-on voice acting is also worthy of recognition. With bundles of gadgets to buy with the bolts you earn by killing enemies and hidden items to collect, Ratchet & Clank is a superb achievement in a myriad of ways.
Those who do not have a Playstation 3 to buy the upcoming HD collection of the original trilogy, but a Playstation 2, should find this one on Amazon and experience one of the console's greatest platformers, the original in one of gaming's most adored series.