IdyotAko 18 years 8 months ago wrote:

Took me some time, but I finally finished this one... although I'm far from done playing this baby. You'll know why as I talk about it below.

Synopsis:
Ratchet and Clank was enjoying a little downtime until suddenly, they are attacked by Emperor Tachyon and his army. Ratchet also finds out that the fact that he was the only surviving Lombax was actually not true. As the pair travels the galaxy, they get closer and closer to the truth all the while trying to defeat Tachyon. Will they succeed and will Ratchet learn about his past and find his kind?

Storyline:
I'll be first to admit... I haven't played any of the older Ratchet and Clank games, but I know how the story and writing for these games are like. And this one is no different. The great thing about this is you don't have to play the older games to get into the story for this one (although, it would be a little bonus). The storyline may sound a little cliche, but as I played through it, I could tell that there is more to what's happening. The writing was done with a lot of care, and it gave the whole thing a fairly cinematic experience. All the dialog is great and the pacing of the story is just right. This type of storytelling is a definite plus nowadays.
GRADE: A

Sound:
Tied in with the great story, the voice acting was superb! Each character showcased their own personality just from the voices alone which made each of them completely unique from one another. The lines as well were delivered so well, it was like watching a movie. The background sounds were also well done as every ship, creature or even collapsing structure can be heard and identifiable. The music is also good, but some of them seems a little out of place for the stage, but I think it's just me being nit-picky... although I can't help but chuckle every time I let loose a Groovatron.
GRADE: A-

Graphics:
This game looks absolutely absurd! So much detail was placed in the creation of every aspect of the game. The characters, the background, the stages, the weapons, etc., everything was made with extreme detail in mind. The stages are a sight to behold as you can just look around and marvel at the craftmanship of the game's creators. Every character has their own unique set of motion and they move very fluid (especially evident when you use the Groovatron on enemies). All the weapons in the game have their own identifiable sprite, so you know what you are using when you use them (and you will be using them... trust me...). All is not perfect, though, as there are occasions where there are graphical glitches and collision detection issues that occur. These do happen fairly rarely (although, I did get myself stuck in more than one occasion due to these problems). But these little issues is very minor when compared to the whole package that is the amazing graphics.
GRADE: A

Gameplay:
This is platforming at its best. Again, the developers definitely put their hearts and soul in this game... and I am very very grateful to them for that. Each and every aspect of the gameplay is such a joy to do (yes, even the spaceship portions, which a lot of critics didn't really enjoy that much). Apparently, they went back to the basics for this one, and I am happy that they did. Using the different weapons is a blast (uhhh... no pun intended... but seems to work as a pun anyways... hehehe...) although there will be times you'll be relying on only a handful of them (Personally, my favorite is the Toxic Swarmer... but I haven't used the RYNO yet, so we'll see). The puzzles and other parts that uses the Sixaxis was not necessary, but was implemented in a way that made it seem that the Sixaxis was made to be played with the game. Some puzzles can be fairly confusing, but can be solved fairly easily once you figure out what to do. Also, the developers did say something about the removal of the multi-player aspect of the game, but I didn't really care for it so I never missed it. Also, once completing the game, it unlocks a Challenge Mode which enables you to play a harder version of the game, but you get to use all the weapons and items you have acquired from the first go. Additional unlockables can be attained by doing the Challenge mode, so replayability is very high.
GRADE: A+

FINAL VERDICT:
I'm notorious for not being able to finish games, and to be able to complete this one and still want to play it is a testament to how well made this game is. Great gameplay, eye-popping graphics and intriguing story makes this one a must own. If there was a reason to own a PS3... this game will make that decision very very easy. Now if you'll excuse me... I've got some Gold Bolts to find.
FINAL GRADE: A