Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal

[Downhome 0]

http://www.gamefly.com/ads/a.asp?a=game411

 

As of right now this game does have a better overall rating at GameRankings than GTA: SA and Halo 2 right now (ok, yes, Halo 2 only has one review up, but whatever).

 

I've been looking forward to this game ever since I beat the hell out of Going Commando. I did everything possible in that game, and enjoyed playing it over and over again. When it ended though, I wanted more and here we have it. I didn't get it today, no stores around here got it in today, but I'll be picking it up tomorrow if all goes well.

 

I'm shocked that it's getting such great reviews though. I expected it to get great reviews, but not like this. I mean, to put this into perspective, the game is ranked #2 overall at GR second only to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

 

Wow.

 

So if you want a great platformer to get into, be sure to pick this one up. Going Commando is my favorite ever as of right now, but I'm ready for UYA to take that spot pretty soon.

 

Sincerely,

...Downhome...

[AndrewTS 0]

I'm planning to get it soon, because Going Commando was an awesome game that I think pretty clearly and decisively blew Jak II out of the water.

 

However, I have tests and term papers to write, so for my academic sake, I'm not going to buy too many new games just *yet*.

[Guest cpac]

I forgot this game was coming out. So far the reviews from game informer have been perfect. The first two games were great games. This one is supposedly even better combined with multiplayer and online features. The Jak series is not that bad, just a little step below Ratchet and Clank.

[Guest Mr.Negativity]

I'm excited about this game as well. It's crazy how the big three PS2 platformers are being released so close to each other. They could've spread it out more. I do prefer the Jak series but this game has me really excited because of it's inclusion of the multiplayer and online modes.

[AndrewTS 0]

So far the reviews from game informer have been perfect.

Game Informer sucks.

 

A high rating from them doesn't mean a damn thing (9.5 for MK:D ?!?!).

 

However, I think it will be excellent, and play it yourself if you have any doubts.

 

Plus, it has old-school appeal with an excellent 2D platformer game with in as well.

 

I'm excited about this game as well. It's crazy how the big three PS2 platformers are being released so close to each other. They could've spread it out more.

 

Big 3?

 

R&C:UYA, Jak 3, and....?

 

Online features? Rockin'. I'm going to have to annoy some friends into getting it.

[Downhome 0]

Big 3?

 

R&C:UYA, Jak 3, and....?

As far as I'm concerned Sly 2 belongs in that spot. If you haven't ever played the first one, or especially the new one, you don't know what you are missing. I like it better than Jak & Daxter I do believe.

[Downhome 0]

OK guys, I got this game today and I'll post my thoughts on it soon.

[AndrewTS 0]

I wouldn't consider Sly in the big 3 because of sales, popularity, and being one game behind...

 

However, it's much better than J&D and J2. J&D is extremely overrated, despite being hella fun (I collected every item in the game). Jak II is more of the same, with the super-form of Jak being the only major advantage--that and "attitude."

[Downhome 0]

Eh, when I say "Big 3" I'm just talking about which I feel are the best of the best, not sales and all that jazz.

[Guest Mr.Negativity]

Yeah I was talking about Sly as well, and in big 3, I meant quality platformers, not particularly sales wise. I don't think the Sly games are slouches in sales though, as the first one became a greatest hit. I'd definitely reccomend Sly 2 to anyone who enjoys platformers or games in general. It's a blast, the only fault I'd say is that it's a little easy, but that's no biggie. It's only $39.99 at futureshop here in Canada, which is really good for a new game here.

[NoCalMike 0]

Ratchet & Clank has been one of my favorite series of ALL TIME. These games define the word FUN

[Downhome 0]

I know it doesn't mean much of anything, but UYA held off GTA: SA and Halo 2 to remain above them in the overall rankings at GameRankings.com, and is second only to Metroid Prime out of all next generation systems, and is sixth overall.

 

Am I the only one who can't believe that?

[Guest Chris2005]

Hey downhome, sorry to bother but can you please give us a review of the new Ratchet and Clank game. I love the first two as well as Jak and Daxter. How is Jak 3??? I am thinking of getting the Sly Copper games due to the great reviews. Do you have those games and how are they if so?

[Downhome 0]

I own UYA, but I have not even put it into my system as of yet. I also do not have Jak 3, and wont until I finish my current round of games. I DO have Sly 2, and had the first one as well.

 

If you haven't ever tried out the first Sly Cooper game, you owe it to yourself to do so if you love platformers. While the first one is outstanding, Sly 2 is quite a bit better, what with two new playable characters as well as different gameplay aspects. Right now I'm hooked to Sly 2, I've been playing it for days. I even quit playing GTA: SA and SDvsRAW just to reall get into Sly 2.

 

If you don't want to get into the first Sly, that's ok. You can jump right into Sly 2 without having ever played the first game. All you miss out on is a bit of the backstory, and information on the character's relationships with one another. I do say get the first Sly as well though, it's well worth it.

 

As soon as I finish up Sly 2, I'll be getting really into UYA.

[KingPK 0]

I always thought the first Jak was too "kiddie" for me, even though it was really colorful and had tight gameplay. As soon as I put some time into the first Ratchet, I was completely hooked. I'll probably grab Going Commando now that it's a Greatest Hit, and UYA is definitely on my X-Mas list.

 

I loved the first Sly as well, but Ratchet and Clank just tops them all.

[NoCalMike 0]

I was late to these series myself. I bought the original Jak and R&C when they both the greatest hits because I was tired of sports games and/or "spy" games. I just wanted something fun and for $20 a pop, I figured why not give these a chance. I started with Jak and I thought it was excellent, but I have to admit that once I switched to R&C for the first time, I was hooked for life and never went back to Jak until I was done with Ratchet & Clank. For some silly stupid reason that I can't even explain, I never even bought Going Commando, but someone in this thread said it was now part of the greatest hits, so I will pick it up soon and ask for UYA for X-mas.

[AndrewTS 0]

NoCal: I've yet to actually play R&C1, but I can't recommend the latter 2 enough--they're so freakin' fun that even if they're short and kinda easy.

 

I rented Jak 3 and...I hate it.

 

Amount of time actually spent in good ol' fashioned platformer bliss--almost none.

 

Time spent completing annoying arcane tasks because the storyline demanded it--out of 2 hours of play, probably 1 1/2 hours.

 

I enjoyed Jak 2 quite a bit--even though I only rented it, I was only displeased about the anti-grav bikes, which handled far too loosely, and resulted in me continuing over and over, getting far, but often hitting an obstacle and exploding in one hit. At it's heart, the only thing that had really changed with the game structure (the city was more constricting than the many over-world style environments in J&D) and Jak being able to transform.

 

Here, *so far* I'm in a city for seeable future, but I gotta keep doing errands. To become a citizen of a city of wastelanders, you gotta earn your way there...by kicking ass in the battle arena.

 

Problem though: the camera. The camera angle sucks for the battle arena--and you'll constantly be attacked by enemies you couldn't even SEE, because you can't zoom the view out to get a look at the whole thing. If it was just the battle arena, that'd be no problem, but annoying things like hoops you have to hop through for a race will appear *just* far enough to the side that you might miss it due to the camera angle, and other racers have no problem apparently smushing you between the hoop and themselves (I don't get how the holograph hoop would do that, but meh). The semi-warped view of the sides that you had in J&D (where you could see plenty of the sides through distortions is gone. Since you race *a lot*, this can get annoying.

 

"Oh boy, more Precursor crap!" -- Daxter

 

Yeah, that too. J&D suffered from the bane of modern platforming, collect-a-lotta-crap syndrome, and this is kind of similar. However, instead of nabbing power cells, collecting crap is your objective in many of the missions....

 

There's some stone heads in the wasteland city that you pay skull orbs to so you can...try to collect gold Precursor orbs (what good they're for I don't know). Oh, and thanks game, for giving me 20 seconds to nab that gold Precursor orb where you show me the damn orb's POV, but don't actually give me a good idea of where the hell it is. On top of that, Jak is really freakin' slow, and I have to spend half that time getting to an animal to ride so I can have a chance in hell of getting it, and I'm still nowhere near knowing where it is.

 

It's not a hard game, just full of nagging little flaws and with a lot less actual platforming than I'd prefer (maybe they tucked all the platforming portions later into the game...).

 

Oh, you have weapons too! But they kinda suck! Sure, they're great when you're fighting small numbers of enemies--that would be more effectively dispatched with the punch. But when there's groups of enemies...you're better off using the spin attack. Okay, the weapons I have *now* suck and are slow, but maybe they get better.

 

It's kind of like they want to make Jak 3 like Ratchet & Clank, but they suck at it. Oh, remember those tedious circuit-matching mini-games? I've run into something very similar...basically, there's this nucleus-type thing in the center of the screen, and on the top, bottom, and sides are circles "guarding" it, and you have to hit the buttons to destroy the attacking patterns (X, square, circle, triangle) to protect the nucleus...in the *first* time I've found this mini game you had to do it SEVENTY FIVE TIMES...in the first time. So I continued a couple times to try to get past this lousy mini-game. Yes, you get penalized for "misses" or if one of the symbols hits the nucleus.

 

So, I'd had enough of the game--all that item-collecting, racing, and errand-running have turned me off of it.

 

Nice cinemas though.

 

I'd recommend Sly 2 or R&C3 over it by a mile.

[Renegade 0]

Just bumping this thread to say that this has been the only game in my PS2 for the past 2 weeks, and I haven't even tried online mode. From graphics and gameplay to the voice acting and script, it's all top notch.

[NoCalMike 0]

Oh for those that didn't know the 2nd game in the trio "Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando" is now on PS2s greatest hits which means $20

[AndrewTS 0]

I've purchased all three games and I've been currently trying to get *everything* in the first Ratchet and Clank. The gold weapons will still be left after my second time through the game, but once you beat it the first time you can "new game +" your current game. Just got the RYNO (Rip You a New One).

 

I've got something like 37/40 gold bolts on R&C and most of the skill points.

 

I'm doing them in order because the data for previous games can be used for bonus material in the latter games. For example, weapons in the first game can be used on the second, weapons on the second game can be used on the third, and your Gadgetron discount on the first game can be used on the third.

 

Because of my doing them in order, I've hardly nicked UYA, but so far I've completed a couple of intense battles (love your allies calling you sarge...) as I kicked tons of alien ass with my light staff (available via code).

 

Renegade: Is the Suck Cannon useful on UYA? It was good in the first game because you'd commonly face swarms of small enemies and you could take them out easily with it, plus it would collect bolts that were a bit further away.

 

I can't wait to see what Insomniac does next--they've not made a bad game yet. It's cool to see that apparently all the PS2 Power Platformer peeps are cool with each other--Insomniac licensed an engine from Naughty Dog for the first game (plus they have homages like the crates/exploding crates and the picture of J&D in Ratchet's house on the 2nd game), and you can unlock a Sly 2 demo on Going Commando.

[EricMM 0]

The Suck cannon gets incredibly strong later on, and it's cool that you'll never run out of ammo with it.