Ratchet & Clank - Megathread

[Scream Aim Fire]

give the PS2 trilogy a try.

Play/emulate the 4 PS2 games in order.

I think I'll give the PS2 games a shot when I get the chance; unfortunately, my actual PS2 stopped working, so emulation it is. Might try to grab them on PS3, though given that old system is kinda falling apart as well, it'll be a little touch-and-go.

As for the others... I'll just have to see what's available. I admit, I was the most curious about Rift Apart as I've heard a decent chunk about it on my end, but I'll certainly be giving the others a solid look. Thanks!

 

[Fluff]

The first one is good; it has tank controls but the game is built around that so it still evens out to a fun experience. If you don't like Up Your Arsenal, you can skip it. Try not to skip Deadlocked, its shorter than the other games and I found it took a little while for you to 'get it' and enjoy it a lot..

Pretty much agree with everything you said, but the first game doesn't have tank controls. You just can't strafe.

So, as someone who's never really gave the game series a shot, do you guys think the R&C series is worth giving a shot these days? I was wondering if it was worth getting into the series now; I heard that Rift Apart was popular with fags and furries, but other than that I'm basically blind.

Also wanna double down what everyone else said: emulate or get original copies of the PS2 games if you can. The PS3 remaster is awful.

 

[The Last Stand]

Might try to grab them on PS3, though given that old system is kinda falling apart as well, it'll be a little touch-and-go.

The PS3 Ratchet & Clanks, there's a Future trilogy of titles that go through an origin story, mature epic for the R&C canon. I say trilogy as there's Tools of Destruction, Quest for Booty (PSN, disc only in Europe) and A Crack in Time to close out that saga. You don't necessarily need the PS2 trilogy to follow through with the Future trilogy, but it would help to know who everybody is and why.

I'd say the Future trilogy is a third person shooter with platforming elements.

 

[The Early 2000s]

Good video on Going Commando's soundtrack. His channel also has a vid on the first game's OST.

 

[The Last Stand]

Okay, I didn't know that the Life of Pie TV pilot was made around 2016. Context: the movie and movie tie-in game released in 2016.

Rift Apart seems like Insomniac wanted to address the story gripes that 2016 had as an apology to those disappointed with 2016's poor writing compared to the originals.

 

[Oilspill Battery]

The lava gun/nitroglycerin gun will always be my favorite.

You might say a super-soaker that shoots lava is dumb and goofy but I have yet to see another game make one.

Bioshock chemical thrower has a gun that shots napalm, nitrogen and whatever the fuck the electrical mode shots.

 

[The Last Stand]

Go immediately to A Crack in Time - try your best to ignore the plot because it's dogshit, the gameplay holds up. Into the Nexus is alright but runs like fucking dogshit so be warned.

For Christmas, I went to the mall. Guess what I found? A complete copy of Into the Nexus for $25. I believe the included code of Quest of Booty has long expired. If so, then I'd need to import it, which would be a bitch on my wallet.

So, now I have physical copies of Tools of Destruction, A Crack in Time, and Into the Nexus.

 

[The Early 2000s]

I believe the included code of Quest of Booty has long expired. If so, then I'd need to import it, which would be a bitch on my wallet.

I don't think it's a matter of the code expiring but whether it's already used. I'd try it anyways.

 

[The Last Stand]

I don't think it's a matter of the code expiring but whether it's already used. I'd try it anyways.

I would imagine the resell value for PS3 R&C games are fairly high.

Example, the average resell value for Into the Nexus is around $25 from just the disk and CiB for $30-35. Tools of Destruction and A Crack in Time resell for $10-13 (loose, complete) and $12-14, respectively.

I guess because Into the Nexus was one of the last first party PS3 titles, there weren't as many copies that were manufactured or printed.

 

[The Last Stand]

There's a multiplayer focused Ratchet & Clank mobile game in closed beta testing: Ranger Rumble.

It looks to be a PvP arena/hero shooters with typical R&C traits: rail grinding, weapon upgrading, standard platforming.

Of course, it's currently only available in select countries, I don't know why mobile games restrict themselves like that. Looks too "cute" for Ratchet & Clank and too abrasive as a mobile game with its monetization. I would see myself playing out of curiosity, then dropping it within a month or so.

 

[DeadwastePrime]

i played rift apart early last year. i liked it

 

[Takayuki Yagami]

There's a multiplayer focused Ratchet & Clank mobile game in closed beta testing: Ranger Rumble.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=AlblXRS14Mg
It looks to be a PvP arena/hero shooters with typical R&C traits: rail grinding, weapon upgrading, standard platforming.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=YfVCoZnPS_8
Of course, it's currently only available in select countries, I don't know why mobile games restrict themselves like that. Looks too "cute" for Ratchet & Clank and too abrasive as a mobile game with its monetization. I would see myself playing out of curiosity, then dropping it within a month or so.

It’s probably the best we’ll get with Insomniac being the marvelslop developer now.

 

[Basic Blond Boy]

Of course, it's currently only available in select countries, I don't know why mobile games restrict themselves like that.

They are testing servers, so they are starting with smaller pools of clients to work out kinks before expanding. Restricting yourself to insignificant countries allows for small test pools and prevents overloading/bad press from larger countries like America.

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

Having a multiplayer game based on the series is a no brainer but making it a mobile game really sucks all the action.

 

[The Last Stand]

Having a multiplayer game based on the series is a no brainer but making it a mobile game really sucks all the action.

I know multiplayer started from Up Your Arsenal and continued into Deadlocked and Size Matters.

How many R&C fans then knew of its multiplayer inclusion?

Anyway, I'm watching a SomecallmeJohnny retrospective of the PS2 Ratchet & Clanks. He's best known for his Sonic retrospectives.

Side note, at the time of those uploads, he's never played Sony platformers.

 

[KingofSomething]

I know multiplayer started from Up Your Arsenal and continued into Deadlocked and Size Matters.

I didn't care for the multiplayer in Up Your Arsenal. It wasn't that good and took away dev time for the main game. Also didn't help that clearly shoved in just because online multiplayer was the big thing to be included in your game at the time. Deadlocked had a solid multiplayer mode from what I heard, sadly didn't know anyone who also played Deadlocked at the time.

 

[Kane Lives]

Deadlocked had a solid multiplayer mode from what I heard, sadly didn't know anyone who also played Deadlocked at the time.

Deadlocked was perfectly playable on split screen. Was what me and my brother did back in the day. Unless you meant the MP, then yeah. No idea who actually played MP on PS2 at the time, beyond the usual FFXI guys who seemed like a myth tbh.

 

[The Last Stand]

Deadlocked was perfectly playable on split screen. Was what me and my brother did back in the day. Unless you meant the MP, then yeah. No idea who actually played MP on PS2 at the time, beyond the usual FFXI guys who seemed like a myth tbh.

Deadlocked came at the right time, even accounting for Insomniac’s tight development times. Halo was rising in popularity, so take arena based combat and center the game around that. Up Your Arsenal refined the action gameplay down pat, so the rest soon followed.

I actually liked how they minimized platforming to focus on its shooting.

 

[The Last Stand]

Rewatching Ratchet & Clank cutscenes made me realize how the reimagining completely missed the mark of what made the original trilogy charming and beloved from their characters. Recall that the trilogy was written on the fly by programmers and art designers in Insomniac. Yet, each planet has different NPCs and interactions that gives life to the galaxy.

Bathos, that's the term I'm looking for. It's where there are serious stakes within a plot or character arc, but the media still incorporates humor without either element clashing against each other. I do think the trilogy handles that technique quite well, especially given the experience of its writing team. I could sense how evil Drek is, while still laughing at the in-universe jabs against consumerism or Ratchet's teenage like angst despite the looming threat from Drek.

 

[KingofSomething]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=gx_pWZkeO20
Rewatching Ratchet & Clank cutscenes made me realize how the reimagining completely missed the mark of what made the original trilogy charming and beloved from their characters. Recall that the trilogy was written on the fly by programmers and art designers in Insomniac. Yet, each planet has different NPCs and interactions that gives life to the galaxy.

Bathos, that's the term I'm looking for. It's where there are serious stakes within a plot or character arc, but the media still incorporates humor without either element clashing against each other. I do think the trilogy handles that technique quite well, especially given the experience of its writing team. I could sense how evil Drek is, while still laughing at the in-universe jabs against consumerism or Ratchet's teenage like angst despite the looming threat from Drek.

The problem is that the 2016 version sanitized the hell out the original game, Ratchet and Clank are immediately on good terms, Ratchet wants to a hero, instead of a snarky kid jumping at the chance to explore and all of the NPC's are safe quirky. Critics said Ratchet was apparently too mean, but it makes for a great character arc in the midpoint where he's raging at being betrayed by Quark and taking it out on Clank just to straighten up once he becomes aware of the scope of the damage Drek was actually causing.