Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando

"You should be hit over the head for not having this game *grabs Omniwrench*"

Ratchet and Clank 1 was an awesome game and I thought that there was no way to improve it but Insomniac comes up with Ratchet and Clank 2 Going Commando (or Locked in Loaded in some countries), which has everything from the first Ratchet and Clank, and more. This is one of the best games I have ever played because it combines so many different elements of gameplay and is implemented perfectly.

Graphics 10/10
The graphics for Ratchet and Clank 2 are extremely good. There are cars, air ships and even dinosaurs flying around randomly that it looks like the environment is alive. And they aren’t just to look at; you can blow them out of the sky and get bolts and other things for doing it.

Story 10/10
The story picks up were it last left off. After the defeat of Supreme Executive Chairman Drek, Ratchet and Clank are left with nothing to blow up or anything to save. But while being interview by the T.V. show, Behind the Hero, they are teleported to the Bogon Galaxy where they meet Ambercrombie Fizzwidget, the Megacorp CEO. You are then given the opportunity to get the experiment that was stolen. Ratchet happily accepts and you then set off to capture the thief and retrieve the experiment.

Sound 9/10
The music for this game is very good. It fit’s the mood of the planet and I always find myself humming along. The sound effects of weapons and explosions are very good too. The voice acting is also very well done. But I didn’t give sound a 10/10 because Ratchet has now got a different voice actor to the first game. The voice actor is the same person who voice acted for Tidus in Final Fantasy X.

Game play 10/10
The game play is excellent. The Giant Clank has been improved, a lot. He can jump much higher, the AI is much smarter and the huge environment you play Giant Clank in, can be turned into a parking lot. Clank in his normal from as also been improved. There are more robots to control and more commands to give. When you play as Ratchet there is a lot more to do. There is Hoverbike Racing. Which is a fast paced race with lots of jumps, speed boosts and weapons to use against other competitors. Then there is the Megacorp Arena. Which is an arena were you can do challenges and fight bosses for large amounts of bolt’s. Then one of the most important part of the game, the weapons. At first they seem small and weak but after using them for a bit they upgrade. Then they do more damage and have more ammo. The RPG part of the game is very good too. Every time you kill and enemy you will gain experience, when you have enough experience you will gain one extra health. It will take a long time get the maximum amount of health because you start off with 4 and you have to go all the way to 80. There is also very space fighting in your ship. It is challenging when you first start it but when you get enough Raratanium you can buy upgrades, such as: Shields, Lasers, Turbo and even a Nuke!

Replay Value 10/10
The replay value is extremely high. First there is the upgrading of weapons, which can take while. You have to upgrade the weapon, and then rack up the bolts to buy the next version of the weapon and upgrade it again. Then there are the hover bike races. There are a few different challenges for it that gets progressively harder. The arena, which has a number of different, challenges each one harder then the first. Then there are the 30 Skill Points and 40 Platinum (no more Gold Bolts or gold weapons) bolt’s to get. Then you can buy Illegal mod’s for your weapons.

Secret’s 10/10
There are a lot of unlockable. There are two commercials, two, two player mini games, and the ‘Making of’ video if you have the Going Commando version and a lot. The best unlockable is the Insomniac Museum. It has the testing tower where you can see what the highest angle Ratchet can walk up, how he can jump and a few other things. Then there is the Museum section that shows what has been deleted from the game and things that just didn’t make the cut. The reason I think this is the best unlockable is because I have never seen it before in any other game.

Final Score 10/10
Ratchet and Clank 2 is the best platformer you while find for quite a while. It blends in a number of elements and is done perfectly. If you like the first Ratchet and Clank you will love this one. This game is a must. Ii will be one of the best games you will buy.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/18/04