Take a walk down memory lane with the latest from the Ratchet & Clank series. Opening new doors for the average Gamer all the while keeping it's classic charm.
Firstly, I want to state than I am a Newcomer to the Ratchet and Clank series and thus nostalgia is not a factor here so expect a fair review. Ratchet and Clank is an action adventure game recently released on the PS4. It’s set in a beautiful and colourful universe with many interesting worlds to visit, each stunning and visually impressive in a host of different ways. Each world boasting different environments which the player explores through vehicles, swimming flying, jumping and running . It’s clear that a lot of work has gone into making each world feel different and unique, and with unique worlds come unique characters, such as Captain Qwark; a goofy bonehead who also happens to narrate the story. It’s also worth mentioning that how the player interacts with the world around them also influences how Qwark describes the story which I found quite funny. All of this centred around a fun and entertaining story, which I won’t get into because I don’t want to spoil anything.
Gameplay
One of the things I found to be the most fun was the sheer number of weapons you get to fight your enemies with. From a flamethrower to a disco ball that forces enemies to stop attacking you and to start dancing, (honestly it’s worth playing just for that) and each enemy dances differently. It’s clear that fun was the main focus of this game and it’s nice to see a developer with that in mind.
There are also some levels where you play as clank, these levels strip you of your weapons as well as some of your abilities, these levels tend to be very puzzle-orientated which I found to be quite entertaining. They’re challenging but not so challenging that you’d be browsing the internet for a walk-through.
That’s not to say that the game is without its issues, the clank levels can get a little repetitive, the trespasser mini game can get a bit frustrating later in the game and that goes for the rail grinding on one of the later levels as well. You find yourself trying to hop from rail to rail to avoid oncoming trains only to be killed and put right back to the start simply because the game didn’t register the direction you wished to jump which left you bouncing on the spot like a knob. Also on certain levels you can be surrounded by enemies who will be firing at you and you’ll be firing back which fills the screen with so much particle effects it is impossible to see until your dead.
Opinion
All in all, even with the few issues I had with the game I still recommend it, it’s beautiful, charming and overall it’s just fun to play. With a run-time of about 15 hours, it’s well worth your time and I feel has a lot of replay value as well, I know I won’t rest until I get all the gold bolts.
