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Ratchet & Clank All 4 One
The latest Ratchet & Clank game on the PS3
moves away from its classic arcade roots and lands in the arena of
multiplayer gaming. At its core, Ratchet & Clank All 4 One is a
multiplayer arcade platformer that allows gamers to join up with other
gamers as they take on a variety of different enemies in the game, use
vehicles and solve puzzles together.
Although the game does support
single-player (AI joins in when real players are not available), it has
been designed for up to three other players with support for local and
online play. Best of all, the game uses a drop-in-system which means
players can come and go as they like which does makes things more enjoyable. However,
there is a price to be paid for all this multiplayer enjoyment!
Unfortunately Ratchet & Clank All 4 One is
a little "ratchety" when it comes to the camera work in multiplayer due
to the fixed nature of this system. With the fixed camera and like other
multiplayer arcade games, it does cause a little bit of havoc,
especially when your
character is on the edges of the screen that does hamper the controls.
Whether you're in combat or about to fall off a ledge, this is the
problem.
Although this effects the gameplay, you just need to be aware
of this limitation and fortunately with its ratchety camera angles,
there is still something fun about the gameplay and even though you may
get quite frustrated with countless deaths caused by others, younger
gamers will definitely enjoy this new instalment of the series.
Storywise, Ratchet & Clank All 4 One is full of humour, especially when
it brings together Ratchet, his sidekick Clank, the Captain Kirk-esq and
bumbling idiot Captain Quark and last but not least, Dr. Nefarious, a
Ratchet & Clank villain from past instalments.
I also loved the
banter between these characters, especially with Ratchet and his former
nemesis Dr. Nefarious with some great one-liners and jabs at each other.
Captain Quark who has been elected as President is the fall guy
here with many jokes revolving around him and will bring a smile to your
face. It's very funny.
Enemies are quite assorted in the game as
you shoot your way to the next gaming area and what is cool about the
multiplayer aspect is that you really need to team up to take out
certain bosses and enemies.
The targeting system works, however at
times, the auto-lock will select the wrong enemies that do make for some
annoying quick fixes from the player. Weapons can also be upgraded by
collecting bolts, a staple of the Ratchet and Clank series and by
visiting kiosks, this is where you purchase ammunition and power-ups.
There is also a new weapon called the Blitzer which basically transforms
you into an alien or human bullet and does add an element of strategy to
the gameplay. Apart from walking, running and fighting, there are a
variety of vehicles that you can jump into that create a fast paced
action scenario as you dodge blades and fly around with jetpacks for
example. Sony should once again be commended on a very sturdy arcade
game.
Graphics/Audio
Graphically, Ratchet & Clank All 4 One is
nothing special for an arcade and appears a little stock standard as
opposed to something spectacular or unique. It seems that the developers
have rested on their laurels for this current instalment as everything
looks a little Spartan, especially with the clearness of high definition
TV's.
The soundtrack is reminiscent of previous Ratchet & Clank games
that have this great arcade feel to it, filled with excitement and
adventure. Add in a variety of arcade sound effects and some amusing
voice acting and this game comes together rather well. The only issue
with the voice acting is that at times, some of the characters
one-liners are repeated a little too often.
Final Level
In the end, Ratchet & Clank All 4 One may not be the best game in the
series but it does offer some unique and mostly entertaining multiplayer
fun as you blast enemies away into the ether... more specifically spare
parts. It's great how the
developers have changed the character dynamics in the game, especially
with the inclusion of villain turned "good guy", Dr. Nefarious and of
course the loveable idiot, Captain Quark. Even with its sometimes
ratchety gameplay, Ratchet & Clank All 4 One is still a good arcade game
that will keep younger and some older gamers quite busy. Check it out if
you loved the previous games! |
