Ratchet: Deadlocked

"A great game"

Ratchet Gladiator (EU)/Ratchet Deadlocked (US) Review

Introduction - The game picks up after Ratchet and Clank Up your Arsenal. Ratchet is now the commander of the Starship Galactica. There is news that someone is kidnapping heroes from all over the universe. Suddenly a crew of bots come on to the Starship and kidnap Ratchet. He is taken to compete in dread zone- a deadly and illegal combat show. (kind of an expanded version of Annihilation Nation from Ratchet and Clank 3). Unlike that previous games Ratchet Deadlocked (AKA Ratchet Gladiator) is based on arena combat, and there is not much platforming.

Gameplay- One of the best features of the games is that you can adjust the difficulty level whenever you load a save file. There are five difficulty levels- couch potato, contestant, gladiator, hero and exterminator (hardest). I found that exterminator is challenging at most times but not so hard that I had to reduce the difficulty level. The controls for Ratchet is good, it is different from previous Ratchet games as now you use the right analogue stick to aim ( however if you played the previous ratchet games, it might take a while to get used to). Controlling the hover ship is more difficult/annoying, especially when you are trying to dodge enemy attacks and then fire back at them (because you constantly have to change the position of your right thumb). But there are no flaws in the controls of the puma. That being said, you can still change the controls from the options menu. Another improvement to the game is that there are more skill points. There are 15 in each planet/level. However most skill points are easily obtained and you get some of them without even trying! An added bonus is that you are told exactly how to get each skill point in the menus (unlike Ratchet and Clank 3 where you are only given the name). The main new feature of Ratchet Deadlocked is co-operative gameplay mode. The storyline is exactly the same as in single player mode. Plus the saves from both co-op and single player modes are compatible so you can start playing with a friend even if you are already half way through the game. You are also given two combat robots that aid you through the challenges by hacking orbs, turning cranks and of course by blasting enemies. These bots replace clank who is now your engineer. There is also no need to push R3 to see a map (you still can, but now there is a useful minimap on the bottom right hand corner of the screen).There is also a new mod system, you can apply alpha and omega mods to your weapons (however not every mod can be equipped to all weapons). Omega mods are bought with bolts which you collect by completing challenges, and you get alpha mods by upgrading your weapons (weapons upgrade when you defeat a certain number of enemies with them, there are 10 levels of upgrade). Just like Ratchet and Clank 3, an online gameplay mode is included. It has improved as now you can play with up to 2 local players (2 players on the same console). Or if you have a slow internet connection, you can still play local multiplayer with up to four players (a "multitap" is needed to play with over 2 people).

Graphics/Sound- There are almost no hitches in graphics. The graphics are more detailed than in previous Ratchet and Clank games. They are very detailed and crisp and they look almost if they were pre-rendered. However as always, the graphics do lag when you fire something like missiles right in front of you and you move during the explosion. The graphics online are just as good. The sound is very realistic and like RC3 it supports "Dolby Digital Prologic 2". During the challenges you hear the entertaining conversations of Dallas and Juanita (the presenters) - they are humorous but can get annoying.

Playtime/Replayability-To me this felt shorter than Ratchet and Clank 3.Like other Ratchet and Clank games there is a challenge mode. You gain access to challenge mode after you finish the game, in challenge mode you play the whole game retaining you stats, skill points, weapons/mods etc. but this time the enemies are stronger. The game takes a few days to complete the first time (if you play around 2-3 hours a day) without completing challenge mode/ getting 100% completion. The inclusion of challenge mode increases replayability. Even after you clock it 100% you still want to compete online to gain the top rank. Or if you have a slow internet connection, you can still play local multiplayer with up to four players.

Final recommendation- This game is definitely worth buying now. This is one of the few games which I bought before it went platinum. If you don't want to play it online, or play it after clocking 100%, I recommend renting it for a week or two- that's plenty of time to clock it. But if you are an action/adventure game fan like me, this is definitely one game that you should add to your collection.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/05/05