TGS 2015: Ratchet & Clank are Ready for Their Close-ups - Preview
by VGChartz Staff , posted on 20 September 2015 / 5,121 Views
Ratchet & Clank as a series has seen better days. After a number of lesser spin-offs (All 4 One, Full Frontal Assault) and smaller scale titles (Into the Nexus) the series looks to right its listing course with the most traditional release since 2009’s well-received A Crack in Time. Ratchet & Clank (PS4) is a reimagining of the duo’s original adventure and also a tie-in with the theatrical motion picture of the same name which is set for release next year.
Insomniac Games is using this as an opportunity to improve the original game with all of the refinements and better weapons found in newer titles whilst also ushering in a new level of graphical fidelity made possible by a new generation of console hardware. And if my hands-on experience at the Tokyo Game Show this year is anything to go by it's shaping up to be a proper return to the series’ roots.
The demo began on the train section from Aleero city. The first thing that pops out are the amazing, near-CGI quality visuals. The HUD and other on-screen data is kept to a minimum, giving you a full view of the gorgeously animated action taking place on the screen. At 1080p and 30 FPS the colors are incredibly lush and vivid. The explosion and particle effects are particularly well done.
Veterans of the series should be able to pick up and play the game no problem. The combat is the familiar mix of Wrench-based melee attacks and a wide variety of weapons ranging from the kooky to the devastating (and sometimes both). The platforming controls remain tight and easy to master. In this particular part of the game you have to use a grappling device to swing between the moving train cars, with you objective being to stop the train from transporting dangerous explosives and other materials to the Hall of Heroes. The action features a lot of moving parts, including flying enemy turrets, tentacles sprouting from the ground, and the chaos of unloading cargo by blowing it to pieces.
The next section of the demo was a boss battle against a Blargian Snagglebeast on a volcanic planet. During this level Ratchet came equipped with a much larger arsenal. I used the reliable Mr. Zurkon, who assists in blasting away enemies complete with a side-serving of sass. There is also the always-funny Groovitron, which stops enemies in their tracks by forcing them to dance along to a disco rhythm. The most exciting new weapon is the Pixelizer, which transforms enemies into crude-looking pixel art from the early days of gaming, the likes of which would be seen crawling around the stages of Wolfenstein 3D or Duke Nukem. This works for enemies both big and small and the contrast it creates with the cutting edge 3D graphics highlights the exuberant and playful nature of the game.
As for the Snagglebeast, I steadily depleted its health by firing at it with Combuster and powerful Predator Launcher while strafing to avoid its powerful ground pounds. Intermittently the beast would fall into the nearby lava, re-emerging angrier and unleashing a horde of smaller enemies to attack. I dispatched these using the large blast radius of the Fusion Bombs and the steady intense flames of the Pyrocitor. Occasionally geysers of lava would erupt from the ground beneath Ratchet’s feet, causing significant damage unless avoided. Meanwhile, the boss kept attacking by either charging directly at me or unleashing a furious stream of fire in my direction. After a few minutes of keeping up the attack the beast went down with little trouble.
As an aside, the Japanese voice acting for the game is quite a departure from what someone would expect having grown up alongside the English voice cast for so long. Ratchet has a high-pitched and nasally voice similar to that of a young boy in a typical anime series but Captain Qwark’s booming baritone manages to convey his pompous narcissism despite the language barrier.
This was a short but satisfying glimpse into the duo’s next outing which will take us back to their epic beginnings. The only downside was that it all felt a tad too familiar. Just because this is a remake I hope Insomniac does not forget to experiment with new gameplay ideas worthy of such a major release. With their debut on the big screen and PlayStation 4 due early next year, hopefully Ratchet & Clank can achieve new levels of popularity and acclaim.
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I don't know man, I heard on VGC this was just a low budget rehash of a decades old forgotten IP that's just made as a crappy movie tie-in that will sell horribly and the game will be even worse.
/s
Hyped!!!
No, is not a upscalling of graphics like a lot of PS4/ONE games from OldGen, is a complete reboot of the original Game...
@Qwark, the budget of the game and movie combined was only $40 million according to a couple of sources. Insomniac is just damn good at using every penny of that budget.
Love the /s lel!
In case no one get it, it's Sarcasm XD!
Got to play the train level last week, the gameplay is great and the graphics are amazing.
So that's what NX games going to look like, anyway I started with the future triology so for me this game is practically New and I am going to buy it. For everyone who claims it's a cheap remake it's one of the best looking cartoon games out there.
Anyone who says this is a cheap remake clearly has no familiarity with the series. Even if you started out on the Future series, I would still recommend playing the first 4 titles through the collection. They weren't as consistent as the future series, but they were still amazing. Plus, I still believe to this day that they had far better weapons than the Future series does. I'm personally very disappointed that Insomniac is still using weapons like the Combustor.
I hope the move does well, but I am really hyped for this game.
I'm more hype for the movie than the game tbh. This and Sly Cooper the Movie would probably become the next big Sony animation along with Hotel Transylvania
This is amazing, probably the only game at the moment that makes me want a PS4 !
