Ratchet & Clank have, over the past 6 years, become one of Sony and
Playstation's cornerstone franchises. Playing the original, for the
first time to completion, it's very easy to see why. The game has all
the qualities that a gamer should love about platforming and it throws
more than a few new curve balls at the player that only enhance the
experience.
The positives are many and deep. The graphics and sound are still
impressive to this day. R&C have charm and charisma, the worlds are
varied, well designed, and flow nicely as new weapons and gadgets are
rolled out throughout the game. The soundtrack only adds to it's
fun-loving charm.
The gameplay is also silky smooth with no hiccups or anything
resembling a cheap death. It's also extremely fun to collect and buy
the weapons and gadgets throughout the game's journey. Most aren't
immediately effective, and some are under used, but ALL come in handy
at one time or another.
As for the curve balls they come in the way of gadgets that add depth to
gameplay and seem to be handed out at just the right moments. Hover
Boards that add a racing element (which is an enjoyable game all by
itself), Grind Boots that add a rail grinding element, an O2 Helmet
that adds underwater levels, and Magna Boots (my personal favorite).
Magna Boots really add a quality to this game that truly justifies 3D
gaming. Adding the element of walking on walls and ceilings gives the
game a genuine sense of playing in 3D space and is really the hallmark
of this game (IMO).
If I had to give the game any negatives I'd have to give it two small
marks for storyline and menu layout. The storyline, while pretty
entertaining, really isn't that original. Intergalactic corporation is
buying, polluting, and destroying plants. R&C must try and stop
him. Sort of like if a cartoon Bill Gates could build a fleet of space
ships and Jay & Silent Bob were compelled to stop him. Nothing
really special in the end.
The menu scheme is just one that I found tedious at times. It offers a
"Quick Select" option that gives you the opportunity to quickly select
a hand full of weapons by holding down the triangle button. While nice,
and effective, as the arsenal grows it's becomes overwhelmed by not
having enough slot in the Quick Select menu. I really wished the game
would just open a quick select with all weapons available and reduce
the sense of having to micro manage the inventory. It's a very small
nit to pick, but it is there.
Two VERY small negatives aside, the game is solid, top to bottom. Funny
enough for advanced gamers (overshadowing the relative ease of
completion) and easy enough for novices to pick up and play. Fun,
funny, charming, and FUN to play. You won't miss the $20 it will take
to bring this one home.
+Great world and level design
+Fun and funny weapons and arsenal
+Solid controls
-Unoriginal storyline
-Eventually cumbersome weapons menu
