Der Nerdery

My rating: 10/10 all the way.

“Ratchet and Clank” is a 3D shooter video game made for PS2, PSP, and PS3, first released November 4, 2002. All were made by Insomniac Games excluding “Size Matters” and “Secret Agent Clank”, both developed by High Impact Games. This is the first in a series of eight (which I’d say include some of the greatest names in video gamer history, such as Up Your Arsenal and Quest for Booty).

This game begins with Ratchet, a fictional bobcat-like creature called a Lombax, attempting to fix his spaceship on the planet Veldin. Meanwhile, on another planet, Clank (a smaller look-alike of the enemy guard robots seen later) is born via mechanical error. As Clank makes his way out of the factory and toward Veldin, he is hit by one of the rockets from the fighter ships that are trailing him. He crash-lands on the planet’s surface and draws the attention of the wrench-wielding Lombax. Clank tells Ratchet he will start the space ship. In exchange, Ratchet must help him find Captain Qwark, a sold-out superhero, so he can stop Chairman Drek, evil villain extraordinaire, from destroying the Solana galaxy in his attempt to create the perfect planet for his species. Our heroes’ adventure begins as they set off for the first planet.

My favorite parts of this game are the progressive nature of battle and the wide variety of artillery. The first few things that you kill are relatively easy, taking one to two hits with your melee weapon, a wrench. (The wrench is the default weapon due to the Lombax’s handiness with tools.) As you go through the game, the enemy you face become harder and harder to kill. This is a really great aspect that keeps my attention. As for weaponry, you start out with your wrench and Bomb Glove. The Bomb Glove is a thrown, area weapon comparable to a grenade. Then, as the game continues, Gadgetron offers you better, sometimes required weapons. My personal favorite is the Tesla Claw, the last weapon in the game. Also, through progression, “gadgets” are introduced. Some of these you have to have to continue through the levels, such as the “Swingshot”, the “Hydroplacer”, and the “Trespasser”. These help you get to high places, underwater places, help you crack codes to get through a locked door, etcetera. There are also gadgets that aren’t necessary but are handy, such as the “Gadgetron PDA” that makes it so you can purchase ammo anywhere (which I find pretty handy when I’m fighting bosses and I run out of my favorite ammo). The only problem with this is the slight price increase for the convenience. Those are just a few examples; there are actually many weapons and gadgets (another plus of the game, in my opinion).

Gold bolts are special, hidden bolts that may seem useless at first. But, when you beat the game for the first time, you have the option of buying gold weapons with these and some regular bolts. The gold weapons are usually more powerful and have a larger explosion radius. I’d say they are definitely worth the time it takes the hunt down the hard-to-find gold bolts!

This game has so much to offer that it’s hard to find the words for everything in store. I have played this numerous times (so much my wife is begging me to ‘please play something else!’) and yet every time I play, I still love it like no other. This is in my top three favorite games, and I would highly recommend it for any gamer.