Ratchet & Clank - PlayStation 4 Reviews
Features
- A new Ratchet & Clank adventure based on the movie (based on the 2002 PS2 game)
- A deeper version of the origin story, with over an hour of cinematics, including footage from the feature film
- All-new visuals showcase the power of the PlayStation 4
- Collect a massive arsenal including new weapons and fan-favorites from across the entire series
- Several new planets, new and updated gameplay segments, all-new flight sequences, all-new Clank gameplay, and all-new boss battles
Product Description
Play the game, based on the movie, based on the game! Ratchet &
Clank (PS4) is a new game based on elements from the original Ratchet
& Clank (PS2). Developed alongside the major motion CG-animated
picture coming to theatres in 2016, Ratchet & Clank (PS4) marks the
PlayStation 4 debut of PlayStation's greatest heroes. Join Ratchet,
Clank, Captain Qwark and new friends as they battle to save the Solana
Galaxy from the evil Chairman Drek. With an hour of new cinematics
(including footage from the film), Ratchet & Clank (PS4) takes a
deeper look at the characters' origin stories and modernizes the
original gameplay. Explore the galaxy in a game that features new
planets, new and updated gameplay segments, all-new bosses, all-new
Clank gameplay, all-new flight sequences, and much more --- with
completely new visuals built to demonstrate the power of the PS4! Battle
your enemies with an out-of-this-world arsenal, including new weapons
and fan-favorite tools of destruction from the Ratchet & Clank
Future series. From the brand new Pixelizer (which transforms enemies
into explosive 8-bit pixels) to franchise favorites like the
dance-party-inducing Groovitron and wise-cracking robotic bodyguard Mr.
Zurkon, Ratchet & Clank's arsenal has never been better. Help
Ratchet and Clank save the galaxy for the first time, again, exclusively
on PlayStation 4!
Customer Reviews
By Gabe on April 12, 2016
Platform for Display: PlayStation 4
Verified Purchase
Insomniac's reboot of their most cherished franchise does not
disappoint. Whether you're a returning fan who has faithfully followed
the series for 15 years, or a newcomer who enjoys platformers, you're
sure to be delighted with this latest effort.
For those of us who grew up loving these Lombax adventures, this is everything we could have hoped for. All the things that make Ratchet and Clank so enjoyable are present, but executed at an extraordinarily high level. This is a game with character, a game with soul, and a game with peerless mechanics. Although the story has been slightly tweaked from the original, I feel all the revisions were made for the better, and they improve the development of the characters. Needless to say, the gameplay is also vastly improved, benefiting from the past 15 years of advancements that Insomniac has made, perfecting their platforming formula. There is nothing quite as satisfying as engaging in the twitch-style strafing action, amassing huge quantities of bolts while collecting and leveling up your hilarious arsenal of goofy weapons.
And what would a Ratchet and Clank game be without the visuals, which bring the amazing planets, space ships, aliens, robots, and various creatures to life? This reboot is the best looking Ratchet game by miles (which is saying something), and quite possibly the best looking console game I've ever seen. Although the art styles are completely different, I would argue that it looks as good (if not better) than this generation's heaviest hitters, like The Order and Until Dawn. It's a feast for the eyes, but more importantly - it's sustenance for your Lombax soul!
The icing on the cake is that this game is oddly priced well below standard retail. At $39, it's quite possibly the best investment in the solar system!
For those of us who grew up loving these Lombax adventures, this is everything we could have hoped for. All the things that make Ratchet and Clank so enjoyable are present, but executed at an extraordinarily high level. This is a game with character, a game with soul, and a game with peerless mechanics. Although the story has been slightly tweaked from the original, I feel all the revisions were made for the better, and they improve the development of the characters. Needless to say, the gameplay is also vastly improved, benefiting from the past 15 years of advancements that Insomniac has made, perfecting their platforming formula. There is nothing quite as satisfying as engaging in the twitch-style strafing action, amassing huge quantities of bolts while collecting and leveling up your hilarious arsenal of goofy weapons.
And what would a Ratchet and Clank game be without the visuals, which bring the amazing planets, space ships, aliens, robots, and various creatures to life? This reboot is the best looking Ratchet game by miles (which is saying something), and quite possibly the best looking console game I've ever seen. Although the art styles are completely different, I would argue that it looks as good (if not better) than this generation's heaviest hitters, like The Order and Until Dawn. It's a feast for the eyes, but more importantly - it's sustenance for your Lombax soul!
The icing on the cake is that this game is oddly priced well below standard retail. At $39, it's quite possibly the best investment in the solar system!
By Crank on April 12, 2016
Platform for Display: PlayStation 4
Ratchet and Clank has
finally arrived on PS4. Some thought Insomniac might never get the
property again, and we didn't know even if they wanted to have it after
making so many games for Sony. But the two are back together and the
game is basically amazing. Write one up for the best platformer/action
game in years.
Insomniac has tuned their engine quite a bit from Sunset Overdrive on Xbox One, and this game is sure a looker, even for PC enthusiasts such as myself. Better yet, the gameplay is the ultimate refinement of the previous entries, culminating in a series apex, and the story memorable enough to be more than worthy for an origin tale and remake. I say remake because this game basically qualifies as one. It’s that good.
Way back in November of 2002 Insomniac gave us the first game on PS2. It was a great game for its time, but is clearly lacking compared to its sequels, which still look okay today and can be played in the HD collection on PS3. The actual PS3 games were very good as well, though they do show a lot of age in the IQ department. At any rate it’s been quite a while since we had a main entry game in this franchise.
The hilarious Captain Qwark narrates a consistent narrative, if somewhat disjointed at times, with the likes of everyone you knew back in 2002 and more. Insomniac have added some characters and basically remade the entire game on the foundation of the original. Cutscenes are gorgeous and well animated, and some scenes from the movie seemlessly play throughout your journey. The whole enterprise of the going back to the first game with a film and console release seems to have been a very good plan, as the game is inventive and rewarding in all aspects and ties in well with the film it seems. Both are probably helpful in understanding the totality of the adventure. For me I at times wish the game was more thorough in its story, but for what is there the game does it right.
The guns of course must return. And your OmniWrench 8000 is always at your side. You have old favs like Mr. Zurkon and the Sheepinator along with RYNO and Glove of Doom to match new weapons like the Pixelizer. All of them are pretty intricate and worth upgrading. The upgrade systems from the sequels are somewhat translated into the first game, making it that much better in all aspects of gameplay. Maxing each new weapon is a lot of fun. Just seeing all your weapons transform is worth the effort of a playthrough. Replay value remains high here, as there are plenty of collectibles like Trading Cards and Gold Bolts that you will need on the NG+. A few good puzzles to solve along with hoverboarding and air battles round out some of the fun. I found most of the content to be appealing and worth the investment in time.
Not only that but the controls are smooth and responsive. I immediately got the hang of Ratchet's gunplay, and you can use auto-aim or choose to leave it off. Major improvements to the action manifest in the constant explosion of multifluous enemies that animate better than ever. They have really solid designs this time around. The ridiculously sexy magnetic bolts have honestly never been this fun to collect either. The animation on them and the sounds are amazing for such a small element of the game.Though levels can be sometimes a bit shorter than you might expect, this game is one of the prettiest games released on PC or PS4.
From Novalis to Rilgar to Orxon you will find that Insomniac has outdone themselves on not only recreating the original in HD but besting it in every way. The foliage, the explosions, the cities; it all looks pretty damn great. This engine blows the PS3 counterpart that Insomniac used for A Crack in Time out of this world. No joke. This is quality work here that far and away actually makes you feel like you are playing in their world. The PS
While the game runs only at 30FPS, it's solid and the motion blur is fantastic, helping ameliorate some of the chaos of lower framerates. I cannot technically say too much in the negative light about this game. It is clearly a polished release and well worth the very fair price of 40$. Textures and lighting are some of the best seen on PS4. If it had downsampling and spiffier effects we are talking actual late 90s Pixar quality graphic standards in real time.
Furthermore, colors pop everywhere. The resolution of detail is so much more nuanced and lively than the PS3 games. The old HD collections look like antiques. A Crack In Time looks positively aged and forgotten compared to what we have here. And that is a very good thing. The battles get hectic, and traversing the terrain to progress for upgrades and storyline has never felt more involving precisely because of the atmosphere maintained by high-resolution textures and lighting.
While it doesn't have as many options for sound and gameplay as something like Uncharted, I found the sound mix to be pretty good, after a couple adjustments, through a Denon receiver and Beyerdynamic headphones. They could stand to patch some of the leveling I think. But it's easily the most accomplished of any of their games besides maybe Resistance 3. Ratchet's universe is fully realized and voiced, and the actors have a competent script to work with. Organic sounds of each planet are thoroughly covered and implemented well. The weapons all have a nice pop to them, especially if you have some decent sound equipment.
The whole experience is about 12-30 hours depending on your playstyle and rate of completion. I recommend starting on hard right away if you are an experienced gamer. The AI is also much improved from the originals, though, some may find the game a bit easy in certain parts. I think altogether it is very balanced and rewarding, leaving few faults for this newest iteration. For 40 dollars you cannot go wrong.
In the end, Ratchet and Clank on PS4 stands as the best game in the series, and it's a rousing comeback victory for Insomniac. A well-deserved success that should be played by any fan of action and platform games. Do yourself a favor and check it out, if only just for the pleasure of seeing Ratchet and the cast in all their animated glory. A pleasure to play with the family or alone, and the adventure is made all the more immersive and endearing because of the detailed and lush world Insomniac have basically perfected for this outing. Outstanding work.
Insomniac has tuned their engine quite a bit from Sunset Overdrive on Xbox One, and this game is sure a looker, even for PC enthusiasts such as myself. Better yet, the gameplay is the ultimate refinement of the previous entries, culminating in a series apex, and the story memorable enough to be more than worthy for an origin tale and remake. I say remake because this game basically qualifies as one. It’s that good.
Way back in November of 2002 Insomniac gave us the first game on PS2. It was a great game for its time, but is clearly lacking compared to its sequels, which still look okay today and can be played in the HD collection on PS3. The actual PS3 games were very good as well, though they do show a lot of age in the IQ department. At any rate it’s been quite a while since we had a main entry game in this franchise.
The hilarious Captain Qwark narrates a consistent narrative, if somewhat disjointed at times, with the likes of everyone you knew back in 2002 and more. Insomniac have added some characters and basically remade the entire game on the foundation of the original. Cutscenes are gorgeous and well animated, and some scenes from the movie seemlessly play throughout your journey. The whole enterprise of the going back to the first game with a film and console release seems to have been a very good plan, as the game is inventive and rewarding in all aspects and ties in well with the film it seems. Both are probably helpful in understanding the totality of the adventure. For me I at times wish the game was more thorough in its story, but for what is there the game does it right.
The guns of course must return. And your OmniWrench 8000 is always at your side. You have old favs like Mr. Zurkon and the Sheepinator along with RYNO and Glove of Doom to match new weapons like the Pixelizer. All of them are pretty intricate and worth upgrading. The upgrade systems from the sequels are somewhat translated into the first game, making it that much better in all aspects of gameplay. Maxing each new weapon is a lot of fun. Just seeing all your weapons transform is worth the effort of a playthrough. Replay value remains high here, as there are plenty of collectibles like Trading Cards and Gold Bolts that you will need on the NG+. A few good puzzles to solve along with hoverboarding and air battles round out some of the fun. I found most of the content to be appealing and worth the investment in time.
Not only that but the controls are smooth and responsive. I immediately got the hang of Ratchet's gunplay, and you can use auto-aim or choose to leave it off. Major improvements to the action manifest in the constant explosion of multifluous enemies that animate better than ever. They have really solid designs this time around. The ridiculously sexy magnetic bolts have honestly never been this fun to collect either. The animation on them and the sounds are amazing for such a small element of the game.Though levels can be sometimes a bit shorter than you might expect, this game is one of the prettiest games released on PC or PS4.
From Novalis to Rilgar to Orxon you will find that Insomniac has outdone themselves on not only recreating the original in HD but besting it in every way. The foliage, the explosions, the cities; it all looks pretty damn great. This engine blows the PS3 counterpart that Insomniac used for A Crack in Time out of this world. No joke. This is quality work here that far and away actually makes you feel like you are playing in their world. The PS
While the game runs only at 30FPS, it's solid and the motion blur is fantastic, helping ameliorate some of the chaos of lower framerates. I cannot technically say too much in the negative light about this game. It is clearly a polished release and well worth the very fair price of 40$. Textures and lighting are some of the best seen on PS4. If it had downsampling and spiffier effects we are talking actual late 90s Pixar quality graphic standards in real time.
Furthermore, colors pop everywhere. The resolution of detail is so much more nuanced and lively than the PS3 games. The old HD collections look like antiques. A Crack In Time looks positively aged and forgotten compared to what we have here. And that is a very good thing. The battles get hectic, and traversing the terrain to progress for upgrades and storyline has never felt more involving precisely because of the atmosphere maintained by high-resolution textures and lighting.
While it doesn't have as many options for sound and gameplay as something like Uncharted, I found the sound mix to be pretty good, after a couple adjustments, through a Denon receiver and Beyerdynamic headphones. They could stand to patch some of the leveling I think. But it's easily the most accomplished of any of their games besides maybe Resistance 3. Ratchet's universe is fully realized and voiced, and the actors have a competent script to work with. Organic sounds of each planet are thoroughly covered and implemented well. The weapons all have a nice pop to them, especially if you have some decent sound equipment.
The whole experience is about 12-30 hours depending on your playstyle and rate of completion. I recommend starting on hard right away if you are an experienced gamer. The AI is also much improved from the originals, though, some may find the game a bit easy in certain parts. I think altogether it is very balanced and rewarding, leaving few faults for this newest iteration. For 40 dollars you cannot go wrong.
In the end, Ratchet and Clank on PS4 stands as the best game in the series, and it's a rousing comeback victory for Insomniac. A well-deserved success that should be played by any fan of action and platform games. Do yourself a favor and check it out, if only just for the pleasure of seeing Ratchet and the cast in all their animated glory. A pleasure to play with the family or alone, and the adventure is made all the more immersive and endearing because of the detailed and lush world Insomniac have basically perfected for this outing. Outstanding work.
