The Ratchet and Clank Collection Review

The Ratchet and Clank Collection is a bundle of the first three games in the Ratchet and Clank series, available on PS3 and PS Vita.


Published: July 14, 2014 9:00 AM /

Reviewed By:


Ratchet and Clank Collection Key Art

Ratchet and Clank are back for the PSVita and you get to take them around their three original adventures. Ratchet and Clank, Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando, and Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal are all combined into one bundle for the PSVita.

Ratchet and Clank Collection - Gameplay

The gameplay of the original Ratchet and Clank games is your typical action-adventure/platforming; you run a bit, you jump a bit, and you attack a bit. You have a variety of different planets that you travel to, each with clear objectives for you to work your way through. Each planet you visit may offer one planet to continue onto, but many also offer more which allows you to break up the progress of the game by having completely different surroundings to choose to go to next. The puzzles of the game are still the same, but they're a fun little brainteaser in between platforming segments.

 

The controls of the game are easy to grasp, and the only minor problem is the thumbstick for the movement can be a little imprecise when you could want a precise turn while running, but you have to turn more for the movement to register in-game. The game takes all of the good points from the original Ratchet and Clank games as well as inheriting some of its negatives, such as unforgiving checkpoints as well as having to grind to collect enough bolts, the currency, to be able to purchase new weapons or more ammo.

The Story begins as Ratchet and Clank first meet as they begin their adventure to find Captain Qwark to help defeat the evil Chairman Drek. The storyline for the Ratchet and Clank games has always been extremely well thought out, but it never takes itself too seriously by mixing in jokes every now and then. Having easy-to-follow maps and missions means that while you are exploring each planet, you're never able to properly lose track of the storyline.

Ratchet and Clank Collection - Graphics

The Ratchet and Clank Collection get a graphical upscale over the original Playstation 2 version of the game by providing an HD touch as well as displaying the game in widescreen as opposed to the original 4:3. This breaths new life into the game as it does what an HD remake should do, not make the game look up to the current standard of games but instead makes the game look as good as you remember it looking. The cutscenes in the game are still only displayed in the original format, sadly, but they don't happen very often, so it's not going to be something that will disrupt your experience too much.

The soundtrack of Ratchet and Clank is still really good, drawing the player into the environment whether you hear the bolts clink as you collect them, the space cars flying around or the chainsaw that an enemy is whirring towards you with. There are some issues where it seems too much on the map is creating sounds, such as monsters or environmental noises the game can't create more noises so audio cues like bolts being collected will not make a sound. This doesn't detract too much from the experience in the grand scheme of things, though.

The Verdict

As a fan of the franchise, this release is a great way to relive my childhood experiences with the Ratchet and Clank franchise, but this is also a way for new fans to try the game. Anyone interested in a good storyline, a fun platforming experience, and a game that doesn't take itself too seriously, then this is worth a buy, the fact that it is so portable just makes it better. This game is currently only available for the PSVita in Europe and there hasn't been a release date announced for a North American Release. Due to the PSVita not being region locked, you can purchase it easily from a different region.

A note to all potential buyers is that the retail version of the game is prone to crash, specifically in Ratchet and Clank 2, when transitioning from one map to another by means other than your regular ship, such as loading zones within the same planet or being moved by another character. The game saves the location of where you are traveling to before it crashes so you can resume without any loss of progress. No word yet from Mass Media Inc, but hopefully, this problem will be resolved shortly. This error does not seem to affect the digital version of the game.


TechRaptor reviewed Ratchet and Clank Collection on PS Vita with a code provided by the publisher. It is also available on PS3. This review was originally published on 07-14-2014. While care has been taken to update the piece to reflect our modern style guidelines, some of the information may be out of date. We've left pieces like this as they were to reflect the original authors' opinions, and for historical context.

Review Summary

8.5
Ratchet and Clank is back again in full force giving seasoned players a nostalgia filled adventure and new players of the game an experience they should thoroughly enjoy. (Review Policy)

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