Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando

"One of the best platformers ever made!"

Starting Off
Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando is the sequel to the hit platformer Ratchet and Clank. Definitely one of my favorite games, and in a minute or two you will see why.

Story 9.5/10
Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando details the exploits of our heroes, Ratchet and Clank. This takes place after the previous game, in which a man from another galaxy named Mr. Fizzwidget sees a TV show about them and decides that they are the ones to help him with his problem, so he instantly transports them to his galaxy where he tells them about a top-secret project that was stolen from him, and he needs them to get it back. The story is incredibly funny and backed by more incredibly funny cinemas.

Gameplay 10/10
The gameplay is, obviously, where the game shines. It uniquely blends a combination of mini-games, puzzle-solving, and shooting to give us a very, very great platformer. When you are playing the game, there is a staggering amount of things that you can do. For instance, you can strafe, flip, crouch, roll, and spin, all the while shooting. There are 24 weapons, not to mention gadgets, all of which can be upgraded with use. For instance, when you kill an enemy, the bar below the gun begins to fill, and when it id full there is a cutscene showing the weapon become larger, stronger, and better. This adds a tremendous amount of replay value. There are also a number of different planets, all of which are unique and beautiful. For instance, in one level you'll be grinding along train rails over a large river, and in another you'll be trekking across arctic tundra, fighting snow monsters. Each world also has a host of destroyable objects, ranging form light to trashcans to clothes to windows, you'd be surprised at how much you can break in this game. You'll be going back to different levels, also - for instance, you'll find a pair of boots that let you walk upside down and you'll now be able to go somewhere that you weren't able to before. One problem I have with the main portion of the game is that after a while, you get an incredibly large amount of health, but an attack can take away as many as 40 health bars. You can, however, buy armor, so I won't fault the game for this. Another thing that adds a surprising level of depth to the game is the amount of extras. There are 30 skill points you can obtain by doing random things, from getting three bars in a slot machine to defeating a boss without taking damage. After you get a certan amount of skill points, you can unlock things like new costumes, and a number of other things I don't want to give away. You can also get plasma bolts, items that allow you to buy black-market upgrades for your weapons. One problem that I have, however, is that the game will force you to buy the occasional action figure or TV transmission in order to progress through the game. I don't have to much of a problem with that, but they can cost in between 20,000 to 40,000 bolts, which seems really pointless. Yet another thing that will keep you coming back are the minigames. There is Racing, Space Combat, Giant Robot Battles, and arena challenges that will take you a long time to beat. The only one of these that I have a problem with is the Giant Robot portion. These aren't really that much fun, and can be very, very hard. Luckily, you only have to do it once, so I won't fault the game for it. The space combat is also deeper than at first glance, as you can seriously upgrade your ship with nukes, lasers, and really cool paint jobs.

Graphics 9/10
These graphics are great. There are huge levels, all intricately designed, and every time you change planets you get a cool cinema of your suped-up ship flying through space. The only minus here is that the camera can sometimes get screwed up. For instance, You'll be in an elevator and the camera will get stuck outside the elevator, so on and so forth. Otherwise, top-notch.

Sound 9/10
The sound in GC is awesome. there is a great soundtrack with a mix of techno and instrumental. The music during the space battles are exceptionally great. The sound effects are great too, with a different sound for every gun and action in the game. Voice acting is very nice also.

Final Score 9/10
This game is not perfect, so it does not get a ten, but it comes pretty close. I can't say anything other than what I've already written, but this is yet another superb platformer by Insomniac. Will they ever stop? I hope not. In summary: Buy it and buy it now.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/17/04