Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando

"And God Said Unto Ratchet: "Thou Shall Blow Crap Up""

And Ratchet said: "I'm sorry, could you please speak up? I'm having trouble hearing you over this racket. You see, I'm blowing the crap out of enemies with all the latest thermonuclear devices from MegaCorp!"

Man, how far platforming games have come. Once, long ago, to defeat an enemy all you had to do was jump on his head. Now, you have to shoot him with a handheld nuclear bomb launcher so you'll take out some of his bad guy friends along with him. Although Ratchet & Clank Going Commando can hardly be called a true platformer. It feels like more of a shooter with platformer elements than anything else. The only thing, the platforming elements are some the zaniest segments in videogame history. One minute, you'll be flying through the bowels of a huge city, the next you'll be running down the side of a building trading fire with guardian robots. So, you take awesome shooting controls, awesome platforming controls, and throw in some RPG-like leveling up. What do you get? A whole lot of fun.

In the first game, Ratchet & Clank saved their galaxy from an evil corporation. In this one, work has slowed down considerably, and as Ratchet suggests "I guess no one needs a hero." Cue Abercrombie Fizzwidget, the CEO of MegaCorp, which produces all sorts of appliances. Oh, and weapons. Lots of weapons. Fizzwidget sees Ratchet & Clank on a TV show, and knows right away that they would be perfect to track down a thief who has stolen a recent project. He transports them both to his own galaxy, and Ratchet readily agrees to take up the job. After being trained in top secret classes, adventure number two is ready to begin.

The controls have actually improved since the first game. A necessity to any shooting game, Ratchet can now strafe. It's remarkably easy to do, and can even make the platforming segments a little easier. The main object of the game is to destroy stuff. That's right, if it moves, it dies. Some FPS games don't have this much glorious destruction and chaos. Some guns have an auto-lock feature, some you'll have to be content to just spray an area for thirty seconds without aiming at anything in particular. Some have a blast radius for hurling grenades, nuclear bombs, what have you. Some turn your enemies into sheep. Ha ha, take that! Of course, if you think you're good enough (you're not), you can go through the game using nothing but Ratchet's wrench, which is always useful for when the enemies get a little too close for comfort. His melee game isn't nearly as exciting as Jak's, but that's because you're supposed to be shooting your foes. Shoot! If you shoot them enough, and kill enough enemies, the gun will transform into a higher powered form. That's right, the Sheepinator will eventually make the sheep explode, and the Heavy Bouncer will fill your screen with more explosions than you can count. The guns are incredible. Not sure if I got that point across. And you'll need these guns, because this game presents a decent challenge later in the game. You may think the guns seem over the top now, but just wait until you're surrounded. The guns will seem perfectly reasonable within the context of the game. But don't worry, as you kill enemies, Ratchet will gain experience. This eventually will build his health meter way up. Higher than pretty much anything you'd ever thought you'd see in a platformer. Shooter. Whatever.

Of course, you'll also be able to use some truly awesome gadgets. The tractor beam can be used to move around pillars to be able to access higher areas. You can also use it to slingshot stuff and blow things up. Aw, yeah. The dynamo activates machinery, oftentimes platforms, making for some very cool jumping sequences. I prefer the swingshot, which works just like a grappling hook. It's always fun to swing down into the fray. Clank himself is a gadget, allowing Ratchet to get an extra boost in his jumps, and can also be used as a full levitator in some parts. He can even grow large at some parts, and you can wreak more havoc than ever as Giant Clank. Buildings in your way? Just punch through them. At certain points in the game, you'll be thrust into a dogfight in space. These areas are the games weakest points, although they can still be fun. The controls are fairly basic, and controlling the ship is easy enough, but sometimes it just seems like filler. Luckily, you can also upgrade your ship, allowing you to purchase some weapons and shields than make fights a lot quicker. Due to it's nature, the game requires a lot less skill than you might think. Sure, you've got to be quick on our toes, but if you switch to the right weapon, you can trounce just about any enemy with ease. Even later in the game, despite the fact that the enemies hit harder, you can still defeat them using the same tactics you've used all game. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but as long as you keep upgrading your guns, you don't really have to become any "better" at the game.

The graphics have been touched up a little as well. The worlds are a little bigger, and they're all better looking. Smog pollutes most of the city planets, the characters move incredibly well and the fight scenes are an inspiration. An inspiration to see just how much crap you can blow up at once and see how much on screen chaos you can cause. I thought the explosions were something in the first game, they're even more now. Much of the environments can be destroyed as well, which can lead to a very interactive battle. It's very cool to come into a certain area, outnumbered 20-1 and wipe the floor with them in 20 seconds. Destruction and chaos is what this engine does best. And it does it all without stuttering once. The voices are enthusiastic, one of the best parts about this game. It is funny, but doesn't have anywhere near the level of wit that Jak & Daxter has. The music is fairly good, with lots of sci-fi stuff. It's never overly tense, and fits the cartoon feel of the game quite well.

In your first playthrough, there's no way you're going to be able to everything this game has to offer. There are tons of guns and armors to buy, as well as hidden challenges, and secrets to find. There are two arena's in the game, with several challenges that will test your mettle and your trigger finger. Some of these challenges feel like small missions in themselves, like fighting through 60 rounds to face an insanely awesome boss. Plus, once you beat the game, you can start a new game with all your guns in a challenge mode so things don't get boring. If you decide to only play it once, please promise me you'll save up enough bolts to buy the RYNO II. You won't regret it. You won't regret buying this game either. It doesn't have the wit or platforming complexities as Jak, but it doesn't claim too. The weapons are the true star of the game. Blowing crap up is what you have to do, everything else is secondary. And to top it all off, the game is much, much better than the original. It is much smoother, much more fluid and much more destructive. Now that I've played this game, I'm very excited to play the third one. Anyway, R&2:GC is one of the best games for the PS2. A must buy for anyone who loves games.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/28/05