Released to coincide with the forthcoming movie, Ratchet & Clank could have been a cash grab – a cynical HD reskin of Insomniac Games’s classic action adventure. It could have been churned out fast to capitalise on all the goodwill and publicity surrounding the film. But it isn’t and it wasn’t. It’s great.
As a re-imagining of the original 2002 title, the graphics are the first thing players will notice. The technical possibilities have improved vastly in the last 14 years, so now the levels are filled with extraordinary colour, light and detail. Zoomed-out views at the start of each level and the occasional flying taxi ride allow the creators to show off their intricate world-building, and the effects can be breathtaking. These alien worlds feel huge and – despite the relative lack of NPCs outside of cutscenes – alive, with geographical features or city buildings stretching out into the horizon as airships cruise by overhead.
Despite the increase in graphical fidelity, however, the levels often feel familiar, as the titular duo follow more or less the same path as they did before. Changes to the original story seem likely to arise from the close ties with the film, whether that’s rearranging events to fit better with a typical movie structure or adding female characters to diversify the cast. Players still shouldn’t expect a life-enriching narrative – a plucky feline-alien hero and his cute and comical robot sidekick face over-the-top comic-book villains – but then the characters and their hijinks have always been little more than a vessel for humour.
As seems to be the fashion, many of the jokes are self-referential, like in the introductory cutscene in which sometime friend/foe Captain Qwark discovers the existence of a holo-game based on a holo-film about Ratchet and Clank. They’re not particularly clever, but they’re a nice nod to series fans, and are at least funnier than the occasional joke based on stereotypes like the lovelorn or lonely “nerd”. Qwark’s narration might occasionally elicit a chuckle, especially when the player doesn’t immediately obey, but the funniest moments will arise through play.
The best feature of a Ratchet and Clank game is always the weapons, and this latest is no exception. It’s a straightforward third-person shooter with cartoon violence that encourages a “strafe and shoot” approach, but it’s significantly elevated by the variety of tools on offer. Weapons like the Sheepinator and Mr Zurkon are familiar fan favourites, while the Pixeliser, which transforms enemies into low-res versions of themselves, is new. Limited ammo and experience-based weapon levels encourage you to switch regularly, but all are fun to use in their own way. With a variety of enemy types and their characteristic behaviours, occasional AI stupidity aside, you’ll also develop tactics. A Groovitron is a powerful defence against shielded turrets: the operator can’t shoot you if they’re busy dancing.
Further variety is provided by non-combat sections like traversal by grind rail or jetpack, or the hoverboard races. And occasionally you leave Ratchet behind and navigate a level as Clank, who can punch weak enemies but must run away from large ones, and whose strength is mental (or computational). As Clank, you make progress via puzzles, using Gadgebots to create bridges or power switches that open doors. These sections are only ever gently challenging, just enough to cleanse the palate. Slightly more difficult are the puzzles you must solve to use the Trespasser gadget to open locked doors, which involve rotating rings to shine lasers into the correct outlet, but any that block your route through the main story can be skipped (if you’re happy to sacrifice a trophy).
Levels contain optional detours, like the gold bolts hidden throughout that reward more thorough exploration and make you feel smart for finding them – but your course is still pretty linear. It’s a good length, however, maybe ten hours for those keen to finish and much longer for those interested in upgrading all their weapons, finding all the gold bolts, or collecting the new Holocards, which are found or dropped by enemies and which offer different rewards. Many fans will want to play through the game again in Challenge Mode, a sort of New Game Plus that includes further upgrades for your weapons.
In general, 2016’s Ratchet & Clank is a successful mixture of old and new, improved by the inclusion of features that came in later games in the series, and with a modern polish, but retaining its core of silly fun. No gritty reboots here: enemies may look more impressive but they still repeat daft sound bites, you still smash up crates to collect bolts even if those bolts do have a new-gen sparkle and shine, and it’s still just as fun to turn an enemy into a sheep. This reimagining is a refinement, and will be a great starting point for someone – perhaps off the back of the film – who is new to the series. Hopefully this pleasant diversion will pave the way for a sequel that dares to tell a new story.
Sony; PS4; £30; Pegi rating: 7+
