The latest Ratchet and Clank installment is a game that I asked for because I felt I should–as a PS3 owner–have. I have never played any of the previous games, and I am not even that much of a fan of platformers. However, after spending every waking moment of the last two days playing Ratchet, I can safely say that this game kicks ass.
The game is beautiful. Granted, as Aegies pointed out to me, it has plenty of places where it has lower res textures, but it comes together as a whole quite well. The game plays to the system’s strengths, creating a world that graphically looks somewhere between a Pixar movie and a PS2 game. And, as far as the cut scenes are concerned, they look just like a Pixar movie, complete with awesome dialog and quirky characters.
I know that Ratchet games are deeply based on the weapons system, but as a newcomer to the series I have to say that it really does have some of the coolest weapons I have seen in a game in a long time. This is partially due to the fact that the setting of the game allows the designers to create whatever crazy weapon comes to mind, but goes to show that the creators still know how to make fun weapons and items.
The pacing of the game is also something I really enjoy. Players can complete levels in a relatively short span of time, do side tasks even in shorter periods of time, and there is no “lives” system. No matter how many times you die, Ratchet is pretty forgiving.
The bottom line is that every PS3 owner should go out and buy this game (and while you’re at it, pick up Uncharted as well). Wipe the dust off that beast, it’s time to get your reality synthesizer working.
Chufmoney
P.S.- if someone from Sony or Insomniac reads this: will you please just let Insomniac create a middle ware engine for the PS3 already?