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Playstation 2 : Ratchet & Clank Reviews

Gas Gauge: 81
Gas Gauge 81
Below are user reviews of Ratchet & Clank and on the right are links to professionally written reviews. The summary of review scores shows the distribution of scores given by the professional reviewers for Ratchet & Clank. Column height indicates the number of reviews with a score within the range shown at the bottom of the column. Higher scores (columns further towards the right) are better.

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ReviewsScore
Game Spot 90
Game FAQs
CVG 80
IGN 92
GameSpy 60
GameZone 90
Game Revolution 75
1UP 80






User Reviews (1 - 11 of 222)

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My first review on Amazon- be nice

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 48 / 49
Date: February 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I myself happen to be a casual gamer who from time to time will buy a game that looks good. I first rented R&C to see if it was worth a look and it turned out to be a really fun game.

Ratchet and Clank is essentially just another platformer, but it's a truly exceptional platformer. Ratchet is a fun character to use, he can whack enemies and various objects with his wrench or use a nice diverse amount of weapons that you obtain along the way. Gameplay for the most part ramps up from easy to difficult keeping that frustration in check, not to mention that you have infinite lives. The gameplay itself is fun with paths branching into different areas on each planet you explore. Environments and graphics are well rendered and creative and the varied enemies will ensure that you'll test out the best possibilities for each weapon.

All of this could describe several platformers but R&C one-ups them all by having some of the best voice-over work I've heard on a video game. From Ratchet's cocky attitude to Drek's villainous banter, it gives the proceedings a true cartoonish feel. The animation is nice and fluid with some truly hilarious cutscenes in between missions. Even the story, with its take on another villain trying to be ruler, has a different spin than normal. Drek's homeworld is dying so he's having other planets mined and destroyed to compensate.

Of course it would be remiss to omit the faults in the game. The one thing I really wish they could have fixed was the awkward switching of weapons. 80% of the time it won't really be a problem. But then when you need to bring out the swingshot or metal detector, for example, you need to go to a subscreen and choose it. Also a problem is when you're under fire, you can't pause and switch weapons. Really annoying! There are some control issues too. Narrow platforms can be hard to traverse sometimes. It's especially noticable when you're using the magnetic boots. Although I am surprised the camera isn't a major problem. Just hit the L1 button and it lines up behind you. There's no problems with getting disoriented either since you can access the map to see where you are and where you need to go.

For the avid gamer, there's also hidden golden bolts to find in each level. I've only been able to find a few on my own (such is the curse of the casual gamer), but it gives anyone looking for more challenges even more to do.

I highly recommend Ratchet and Clank for anyone looking for a fun platformer. It may not be the most innovative game out there, but it's a highly polished and stylish one.

OMG! Super fun!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 39 / 40
Date: December 13, 2002
Author: Amazon User

So this game looks like a cutesy cartoon game right?

WRONG!

This is one of the most sophisticated platform games I have ever seen, and I have been a gamer for a long time. It is a true testament to the power of the Playstation 2 that this game was created!

You play Ratchet, an interstellar grease monkey (fox-cat-furry thing) who meets the lovable and uptight robot, Clank. Clank enlists his help to save the solar system in exchange for starting up Ratchet's spaceship (which is quickly demolished). I guess Ratchet was really bored with his provincial life, because he and Clank head off throughout the galaxy in various ships collecting one of the widest assortment of weapons and gadgets I have ever seen (over 35!). They blast robots and monsters into oblivion and fight valiantly against the imperialist evildoers of the universe. The story itself is really great with fun characters, high quality animation and good solid performances!

Then there is the gameplay! Can you say PERFECT? There is this amazing learning curve that you go through when playing the game. You start off with just two weapons and simple controls. As time wears on, you get more and more gadgets and more and more movement possibilities. The world starts to blossom open, with new areas becoming available that you never would have thought of. It is so much fun.

Three words: Chicken Morphing Gun. Nuff Said.

The game is a masterful execution of what a Playstation 2 game should be. This is one you are going to want to spend some time with. It will quickly become like an old friend!

HIGHLY RECCOMENDED!

The best game to hit the PS2, ever.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 21
Date: November 06, 2002
Author: Amazon User

After a day playing, this is easily the best game I've played on PS2. Fun platform action, incredible graphics and lots of shooting. I've not had this much fun since Spyro on the Playstation.

The controls are great and have been tuned to perfection - Ratchet can jump and somersault with ease as he takes out the bad guys.

The story is well written and the dialogue between the characters is a hoot - Look out for captain Qwark!

Ratchet kicks Jak & Daxter and Sly where it hurts and laughs as he does it. The insomniac folk (of Spyro fame) have done it again. If this isn't game of the year, I'll eat my hat. If you buy just one PS2 game this year (or ever!) make it this one.

Great Story, Awesome graphics, what more could you ask for?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 17 / 17
Date: November 10, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Full Story:

Set in a futuristic world filled with spaceships, robots and high-tech gadgets, Ratchet and Clank moves from planet to planet across a vast solar system. Ratchet lives on an abandoned backwater planet and dreams of someday striking out on a magnificent space adventure. Closer to the center of the galaxy, Chairman Drek rules a polluted planet, Orxon, inhabited by an ugly race called the Blarg. He too has dreams, but his concern is conquest and domination. Tired of his polluted world, Chairman Drek comes up with the ultimate solution – to build a new planet using the best parts from many of the other worlds in the galaxy. If he can’t convince the inhabitants to part with a few thousand hectares of their worlds, the army of robots and Blarg warriors can eliminate any resistance.

In one of the factories creating Chairman Drek’s evil armies, a computer glitch creates a small but smart robot – Clank. Learning about the Chairman Drek’s plans, Clank flees the factory seeking help, but his ship is shot down over Ratchet’s homeworld. Forced together by circumstance, Ratchet and Clank blast off from planet to planet through an extraordinary sci-fi universe. The unlikely pals encounter imaginative characters, acquire a plethora of weapons and gadgets, and blow up everything in their path, as they uncover more of the Chairman Drek’s plan.

Features:

* Developed and created by Insomniac Games, this is an all-new action-adventure platformer, available exclusively for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. This superstar development team includes Mark Cerny of Cerny Games who has been heavily involved with Ratchet and Clank from the beginning of the project.

* The player can acquire over 35 different weapons and gadgets in the game. Each has a unique function and the game is structured so that the acquisition of these items is spread out evenly over the player's entire experience.

* Ratchet has one of the most comprehensive sets of moves of any character on any platform. Ratchet can perform more than 20 standard moves and as the player begins to acquire the many gadgets in the game, the number of moves Ratchet can perform will grow astronomically.

* Weapons, weapons and more weapons! The game offers more than 35 weapons and gadgets that the player can acquire and equip. Each ultra-destructive weapon, while easy to use, has a different function and allows players to devise their own strategies when taking on hordes of enemies.

* The game's economic system requires gamers to frequently purchase gadgets infobots (clues to new levels) , weapons and their respective ammunition Players have the option to spend their time collecting money to build up their inventory of weapons to eliminate the tougher enemies, or they can plow ahead with a minimal weapon selection, facing a more difficult time as they advance to later levels. Players can earn money by destroying enemies, searching their surroundings and solving puzzles.

* Gamers can accessorize all of the weapons and gadgets obtained throughout the game by accessing the inventory screen to build up Ratchet with hand, head and foot gadgets.

* A "quick select" menu allows players to select weapons quickly or view their ammo counts without having to go back to the inventory screen.

* The combat system is easy to comprehend - there are a lot of enemies to shoot, most of them are fairly easy to destroy with the right weapon, and most importantly all of the weapons are fun to use. Because of the variety of weapons available, there is an immense depth to the enemy gameplay within the levels.

* The science fiction theming that permeates the game sets it apart from all other action-adventures. Travel from planet to planet in Ratchet's space ship, exploring a huge variety of environments, challenges, and alien atmospheres. Use futuristic, high-tech devices, battle intelligent robots and blow up everything with your ultra-modern weapons.

* A variety of fun, action-filled minigames provide players with immense gameplay variety - not only can the player play as Clank, but Ratchet can use vehicles that he finds throughout the game

*Breathtakingly enormous environments unlike anything else on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Each planet is filled with life, movement, energy and full interaction that will keep players mesmerized for hours.

Rip the galaxy a new one - indeed!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 15
Date: December 22, 2002
Author: Amazon User

These guys put other characters such as Mario, Sonic, Spyro, Jak & Daxter, Sly Cooper, and Crash Bandicoot to shame! I don't usually play role-playing games with these kinds of characters, because they are geared towards a younger audience. However Ratchet & Clank seems to be geared towards all audiences!

The graphics are superb! Just click on the Ratchet & Clank PS2 box up top to see some screenshots, and you'll know what I'm talking about. There are so many details with the characters, and background traffic for each planet. In addition, the storyline is fantastic and funny! It knocked my socks off! The enemy robots are quite amazing, such as a robot dog that barks and starts chasing you.

There are so many weapons and gadgets that you aqcuire during the gameplay. These guys at Insomniac have some imagination! The weapons and gadgets are so much fun! Here are a few weapons that I have aqcuired so far (and I'm sure there's still many more):

1) Bomb Glove: Toss bombs at enemies at close or medium range with this glove.
2) Pyrocitter: A flamethrower.
3) Blaster: A gun that fires rapidly.
4) Glove of doom: (This is by far my favorite weapon!) The glove throws doom eggs which hatch into four agents of doom. These guys track down and destroy nearby enemies. You literally see these little guys running around sniffing the ground and searching for enemies. Once they see an enemy, they start running towards it with an evil grin and laugh! Then they devour the enemy up!
5) Suck canon: (Another great weapon!) Suck small enemies and convert them into explosive projectiles!

There are cool gadgets too, such as a heli-pak which allows you to jump higher, and glide. It looks really great, when you see Clank's hands turn into two little propellers, while the main propeller extends from his head!

As with other role-playing games, you collect stuff as you are running around the planets. This is also another aspect of the game that seems ingenious. You're running around collecting nuts and bolts. When you destroy an enemy, you collect a couple of extra nuts and bolts. Hit lamp posts as you are running down a street and collect nuts and bolts from them too! You use these nuts and bolts to buy the cool weapons and gadgets, and ammo!

Finally, Ratchet is equipped with a default weapon, which is a wrench. This is a magnetic wrench which attracts the nuts and bolts that you collect. You can also toss this wrench and have it return to you, such as a boomerang! When Ratchet's health gets low, his ears fold down and we can see a tired look on his face. Another great example of the detailed graphics in this game! Definitely spend your money on this one! It's not some game for kids alone!

Fun for me and my kids!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 13
Date: December 10, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Ratchet & Clank is by far the best game for content and playability that I have seen yet for the PS2. I have such a great time with this one. It is truly revolutionary! I finally feel that my kids will be challenged and entertained by a game that I love. They did a great job with this one!

I am a very particular mom when it comes to game violence. But, all of the violence in the game was cartoon violence, reminding me of old bugs bunny cartoons. The animation, too, was in a classic and smooth style!

You play Ratchet, a catlike mammal that befriends a tiny robot named Clank. You must then save the solar system from an evil corporation that is stealing parts of planets to replace their own overly polluted world. Ratchet and Clank must then speed around the galaxy finding items and taking on the invading robot hordes that are laying waste to all the planets. (the message behind this is nice!)

The adventure is smooth paced and at a comfortable difficulty level for both kids and teens. It's just madcap fun for higher-level gamers. There are tons of powerups and weapons. The game is massive, with countless worlds too explore. The cut scenes actually add to the gaming experience, rather than take you out of it. The animation in these is superb, with fantastic acting.

Overall, this is a must have! It will make a great gift for any kid in your family! They will not be bored and neither will you.

Ratchet and Clank Rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 15
Date: January 02, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I got this game for Christmas. It was awsome!! I only played it for 2 days though, because my friend came over and wanted to play his file. I was a little bit farther then him,so I guided him up to the point that I was at. We passed the controller alot. Now we only have two more planets to beat, then we beat the game. The levels range from tropical planets to planets with blizzards. Space stations to Half deystroyed planets. Thier are over 36 wepons and gadgets put together. Here is a list of some of my favorites
WEPONS
1. Morph-a-ray (chicken gun)
2. Suck cannon (sucks up small enimies and turns them into bombs)
3. Glove of Doom (realeases small clanks that blows up enimies)
4. Visibomb(a rocket you can steer from long distances into enemies)
5. Walloper(a punching glove that kill almost any enemy in one hit)
6. Tesla claw(a claw that shoots out a line of electricity form a long distance)
GADGETS
1. Grindboots(allows you to grind on rails)
2. Swing shot(a laser beam that grabs on to ceartain hooks so you swing around like Spiderman)
3. Hydrodisplacer(removes and puts water in pools)
4. Metal Detector(picks up bolts(money)from the ground)
5. O2 helment(allows you to breath under water without running out of air)
6. Magneboots(allows you to stick to ceartain peices of metal and walk across them)

In the game Ratchet and Clank start to hate each other but then they becom freinds again. This game is very Challenging, but HIGHLY RECCOMEND this game for those 7 and older.

fun as hell

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 14
Date: November 27, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I am not a big fan of platform games because they are usually too repetitive, with the same enemies on each level. Rachet and Clank is a whole new level of platform games. Not since GTA 3 has there been such a revolution of gameplay for a genre. In the next year the market is going to be flooded with platform games that try to copy the gameplay of this game. From the moment I put the game into my PS2, I have not turned it off. In fact it is on right now as I write this review. The levels are just beautifully designed, there are 36 different weapons to choose from plus the wrench that you start with(this is not your daddy's platform game), there are different enemies on each level, the difficulty of the game increases as you play, you get to choose which levels you get to go to and it is recommended since you will need a certain gadget from one level to complete another level, when you return to a level the difficulty increases slighty, you play as two different characters( mostly rachet), you can upgrade Clank(the robot) to turn him from a tiny robot to a giagantic killing machine, there is actually an entralling storyline(unlike most platform games), and there is so much more that I could mention but if you have read this far and have decided not to buy this game then you should sell you PS2 and all your video games and buy a book or watch some T.V. because you are not a true gamer. Go buy a Game Cube and play some childish games like Super Mario Party because you don't deserve to hold a PS2 controller if you can't get into Rachet and Clank. This is one of the best games ever and is even better than GTA Vice City because Rachet and Clank is the most original game since the first Grand Theft Auto on the first Playstation. Why are still reading this? You need to go out buy this game or put this in your shopping cart and buy it later so you can say that you own one of the greatest games ever, and you will being saying that from the moment you begin playing this game. You will be telling your grandchildren about this game. BUY IT NOW OR REGRET IT FOREVER!

Looks like one of the top 5 games out this year!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: November 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

First, the 'T' rating HAD to come from the sheer number of weapons and their counterparts in real life. After all, you have a glove that thows bombs, a rocket launcher, a blaster, a flame thrower-- all of which have real life counterparts, namely a grenade, a bazooka, an UZI, and duh, a flame thrower! Something tells me that Insomniac couldn't get the ESRP to slap an 'E' rating on it if they wanted to, and I'm not certain they did! After all, this game is not aimed at the 'Spyro' crowd, but rather at the kids who played the original Spyro who are now a little older and itching for something a little more edgy.

That's not to say that R&C won't be something that little kids would enjoy (quite the contrary) or that adults wouldn't enjoy R&C as well. I'm looking forward to finding out what strange weapons and gadgets are hidden throughout the game. It also looks like a decently long game, which is something that has been sorely missing in the latest batch of platformers to hit the shelves. As a fan of both platformers and shooters, I eagerly await its arrival!

Who is Mario again?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: October 08, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Just before I started playing Ratchet and Clank, a friend of mine borrowed my memory card. I figured I would just play a level or two and then stop, so that I wouldn't have to redo too much of the game. I ended up playing for a few hours and leaving the game on until I got my memory card back, playing every time I got the chance. Luckily the power didn't go out, though I wouldn't have minded replaying most of Ratchet and Clank, that's how good it is.

The controls are flawless. It is relatively easy to master the many different ways to get around in Ratchet and Clank, including various propellor and jet-assisted jumping, magnet boots, grinding on rails, and flying spaceships. The weapon selection system is genious, providing a quick select system for your eight favorite weapons/gadgets, and a menu that you go into to select your weapons, pausing the game.

The learning curve of Ratchet and Clank is nearly flawless. The first few levels teach the fundamentals and encourage mastery. As the levels progress, there is very little frustration while not making anything too easy. When I went back to the earlier levels I could not believe that I had found them challenging earlier.

Where Ratchet and Clank truly shines is in the variety. The levels are wonderfully designed so that nothing ever feels repetitive. Grinding rails, walking upside down, turning evil robots into mindless chickens, rocket jumping over thousand foot cliffs; it's all blended perfectly to create an experience unlike any other. It just might be perfect.

If you give Ratchet and Clank a chance, it just might make you forget you ever liked Mario. And at twenty bucks, how can you afford not to?


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