Pros:Colourful graphics; Impressive voice acting; Humorous cutscenes.
Cons:Multiplayer needs improvement; Poor game design; Gets repetitive; Little difference between playable characters and their moves.
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (PS3)
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Genre: Action
Price (As of 20-March-2012): Rs 2150 (Letsbuy.com)
After a hiatus of over two years, Ratchet and Clank are in the mood for co-op adventure. In this instalment, our heroes find themselves trapped in an unknown territory. With odd enemies and stranger alliances in store, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One takes the wacky duo on a rollercoaster ride through a twisted world. Previous Ratchet & Clank titles have been straightforward platformers with good single-player action. This time around, there's a twist not only in the storyline but also in the gameplay mechanics. Thanks to the inclusion of a co-op multiplayer component, Insomniac shows just how much fun it is to have a friend by your side.
United We Stand.
Riding Shotgun
It so happens that the evil Dr. Nefarious and Qwark gets a taste of his own medicine as a new villain dubbed Creature Collector emerges. In a quest to save themselves and the rest of the galaxy, Ratchet and Clank team up with Qwark and Dr. Nefarious. That means you can get as many as three friends aboard at any point in the game.
If you're the lone ranger type, the game lets you join hands with online players for a co-op mode. However, this is a bit tricky because some portions in the game call for precise coordination and clear communication. There's really no substitute for having a buddy next to you on the couch. For those with a fetish for single player campaigns, a bot Clank comes handy whenever you need help.
Will The Real Ratchet & Clank Please Stand Up?
You can expect a playtime of around 15 hours of the usual - smashing crates, shooting minions, and wreaking havoc in general. There's very little innovation actually. It seems like the folks over at Insomniac were too busy with the multiplayer component to look at anything else.
This doesn't bode well for the game. The multiplayer action is fun to an extent, but all four characters have similar play styles. Whether you play as Ratchet or Dr. Nefarious, weapons used by all characters remain the same. Weapon upgrades require in-game credits that can be accumulated by smashing crates and killing minions.
As you progress through the title, you realize that there's hardly any need for all four characters to work together. You can complete majority of these tasks with just two players, which is standard for co-op gameplay anyway. My major grouse, however, remains the implementation of the co-op component. In simple terms, I believe it's against the co-op spirit when you're encouraged to steal bolts (credits) and power-ups dropped by the enemies before your co-op budy can. The fact that one of the characters is announced as a winner at the end - depending on the number of bolts earned - fails to bring out the co-operative spirit.
Disappointing Game Design
Inheriting some game design elements from earlier instalments, the title doesn't allow you to change angles using the right analog stick on your DualShock controller. This feels annoying at several occasions, especially while you're trying to unbolt a certain object during co-op play and the screen barely manages to show it.
The linear nature of the game gets monotonous after a few hours. It's one level after another of killing minions, gliding tracks, breaking crates, acquiring bolts, and so on. Though boss fights are good, it takes nothing more than a few blows to put them down.
Bright, Colourful World
Character and level design reflects Insomniac's keen eye for detail and great aesthetic prudence. The colour palette used in this game is vibrant and exciting. The voice acting is equally impressive and it's complemented by well-scripted dialogues. The humour quotient is pretty high in majority the game's cutscenes, which was reason enough to for me to see them through without skipping. Although the background score sounds fine, it isn't exactly cheerful.
Conclusion
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One is a game with high production values, but it does little to bring the same fervour to the franchise as Crack in Time did. It does have its share of impressive additions, but they don't really translate into a fun experience. While the idea to infuse multiplayer fun into a platformer seems like a good idea, the gameplay doesn't really match up to it. This game could have used a lot more polish in that department.
Gameplay And Design: 3/5
Graphics: 4/5
Sound: 4/5
Mojo: 2.5/5
Overall Rating: 3/5
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Genre: Action
Price (As of 20-March-2012): Rs 2150 (Letsbuy.com)
After a hiatus of over two years, Ratchet and Clank are in the mood for co-op adventure. In this instalment, our heroes find themselves trapped in an unknown territory. With odd enemies and stranger alliances in store, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One takes the wacky duo on a rollercoaster ride through a twisted world. Previous Ratchet & Clank titles have been straightforward platformers with good single-player action. This time around, there's a twist not only in the storyline but also in the gameplay mechanics. Thanks to the inclusion of a co-op multiplayer component, Insomniac shows just how much fun it is to have a friend by your side.
United We Stand.
Riding Shotgun
It so happens that the evil Dr. Nefarious and Qwark gets a taste of his own medicine as a new villain dubbed Creature Collector emerges. In a quest to save themselves and the rest of the galaxy, Ratchet and Clank team up with Qwark and Dr. Nefarious. That means you can get as many as three friends aboard at any point in the game.
If you're the lone ranger type, the game lets you join hands with online players for a co-op mode. However, this is a bit tricky because some portions in the game call for precise coordination and clear communication. There's really no substitute for having a buddy next to you on the couch. For those with a fetish for single player campaigns, a bot Clank comes handy whenever you need help.Will The Real Ratchet & Clank Please Stand Up?
You can expect a playtime of around 15 hours of the usual - smashing crates, shooting minions, and wreaking havoc in general. There's very little innovation actually. It seems like the folks over at Insomniac were too busy with the multiplayer component to look at anything else.
This doesn't bode well for the game. The multiplayer action is fun to an extent, but all four characters have similar play styles. Whether you play as Ratchet or Dr. Nefarious, weapons used by all characters remain the same. Weapon upgrades require in-game credits that can be accumulated by smashing crates and killing minions.As you progress through the title, you realize that there's hardly any need for all four characters to work together. You can complete majority of these tasks with just two players, which is standard for co-op gameplay anyway. My major grouse, however, remains the implementation of the co-op component. In simple terms, I believe it's against the co-op spirit when you're encouraged to steal bolts (credits) and power-ups dropped by the enemies before your co-op budy can. The fact that one of the characters is announced as a winner at the end - depending on the number of bolts earned - fails to bring out the co-operative spirit.
Disappointing Game Design
Inheriting some game design elements from earlier instalments, the title doesn't allow you to change angles using the right analog stick on your DualShock controller. This feels annoying at several occasions, especially while you're trying to unbolt a certain object during co-op play and the screen barely manages to show it.The linear nature of the game gets monotonous after a few hours. It's one level after another of killing minions, gliding tracks, breaking crates, acquiring bolts, and so on. Though boss fights are good, it takes nothing more than a few blows to put them down.
Bright, Colourful World
Character and level design reflects Insomniac's keen eye for detail and great aesthetic prudence. The colour palette used in this game is vibrant and exciting. The voice acting is equally impressive and it's complemented by well-scripted dialogues. The humour quotient is pretty high in majority the game's cutscenes, which was reason enough to for me to see them through without skipping. Although the background score sounds fine, it isn't exactly cheerful.Conclusion
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One is a game with high production values, but it does little to bring the same fervour to the franchise as Crack in Time did. It does have its share of impressive additions, but they don't really translate into a fun experience. While the idea to infuse multiplayer fun into a platformer seems like a good idea, the gameplay doesn't really match up to it. This game could have used a lot more polish in that department.
Gameplay And Design: 3/5
Graphics: 4/5
Sound: 4/5
Mojo: 2.5/5
Overall Rating: 3/5
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