Ratchet: Deadlocked

"Less platforming equals less fun, but there still is fun to be had."

Since its debut on the Playstation 2, the Ratchet and Clank series has been a staple in the many platformers for the system. Cleverly designed by the folks at Insomniac Games, Ratchet and Clank seamlessly blended solid platforming and action-packed weapons combat. After three excellent games, Ratchet and Clank return in a surprisingly different game, Ratchet: Deadlocked, with less platforming and more chaotic combat. Does this change help or hurt Ratchet: Deadlocked?

Graphics 8/10

As with the past games, Ratchet: Deadlocked brings some solid graphics. Character designs, especially Ratchet and Clank themselves, are brilliantly articulated and full of solid animations and good actions. The other characters are also well-designed, each having some unique quirk to bring some variety to the game. Level design is also good, although some of the levels can seem too alike. A little more variety in the levels, at least concerning weather and atmosphere, would've been appreciated. Weapon and vehicle designs are as good as ever. The explosive madness of the B-6 Obliterator, the glowing wall of the Holoshield, each weapon is solid and cosmetically detailed, despite the occasional slowdown. Vehicles are incredibly clever, bringing the classic Ratchet and Clank charm to the frantic shooting. The giant spider tank the Landstalker stomps around with power, and the Hoverbikes are fast and smooth to ride. The graphics of Ratchet: Deadlocked remain solid, despite the few problems they have.

Audio 9/10

James Arnold Taylor returns voicing the hero Ratchet, as does David Kaye as Clank. Both continue to do a superb job of voicing their respective heroes. The rest of the voice acting is also well done. Each character's voice is supported by some stellar writing, from Vox's sinister laugh to the robot teammates' little battle quips. Ratchet: Deadlocked has the same hilarious dialogue and excellent voice acting that the last ones had. In-game music is pretty simple: solid techno and action themes. Nothing too special. Weapon sounds are excellent. Hearing a B-6 nail a group of enemies is nothing short of exhilarating. Each weapon has some incredible audio for each upgrade and mod. Audio remains a high mark in this series.

Gameplay 8/10

Ratchet and Clank begin their adventure recovering from their last intergalactic crisis. They are then captured by TV tycoon Gleeman Vox and are forced to participate in his Dreadzone gladiator-style battles. Trapped by collars that will explode if they disagree, Ratchet and his buddies are forced into the dangers of fighting other gladiators and earning their freedom from Dreadzone. The story is filled with satire and parodies reality TV every chance it gets, making a pretty funny story.

In Ratchet: Deadlocked, you play as only Ratchet. Clank mostly sits out giving you info this time around. Controls are tweaked to this new concept of action gameplay. There are three different control setups for gameplay: Third Person, First Person, and Lock On Strafe. Third Person will be familiar to anyone who played past Ratchet and Clank games, with X being jump, circle (or R1) to fire weapon, square for wrench, triangle to switch weapons, among others. Surprisingly, I found this setup to be the worst of the three. With so much action going on, hitting a target is much more crucial and the game isn't as lenient this time around. Hitting a target is difficult and you must face the enemy to get a clean shot. First Person is your traditional FPS controls: use the left analog stick to move, right analog stick to aim, the buttons for similar options as Third Person. Insomniac did a good job with the FPS controls; it didn't feel slapped on and actually felt functional in battle. The last control setup is Lock On Strafe, probably the most useful one. Without enemies, the game plays like Third Person, but when enemies arise, the game allows for automatic lock on targeting and strafing. Though you still have to control the camera during lock on, this is a solid setup and doesn't make the game feel too easy or difficult. Finding a control setup to fit your gaming style isn't a problem, as each one has pretty solid functionality and advantages.

A new focus is the new robotic teammates. These hovering havoc-makers follow Ratchet around during his trek across the galaxy. The robots offer simple commands using the D-Pad. For example, pressing Down on the D-Pad will immediately get your robot buddies to regroup next to Ratchet. The robots can hack door locks, deploy EMP blasts to shatter shields, or produce some good ol' coverfire in the tight spots. Actions are context-sensitive, so anytime you're by a door or certain enemy, a simple D-Pad press will do the job. Your robots, however, aren't invincible, but you can revive them quickly and whenever they're out of commission. The overall AI of your teammates is good and helpfully solid. The twosome can also be upgraded with new abilities, such as deploying shields to protect Ratchet or their fellow bot. The simplification of the controls and good AI makes the game much more fun, and doesn't make it feel like one big escort.

Oh, and we cannot forget the weapons. Yes, those machines of mass mutilation return...sort of. The weapon lineup does cover basic procedures, like the Magma Cannon for close range, Fusion Rifle for sniping, the wrench for melee, and more. However, if you look back to past Ratchet and Clank's, you'll find that Deadlocked seems very empty in weapons. Going from over 30 weapons to little over 10 is a step backward in terms of diversity. Don't get me wrong; the weapons combat is still satisfying and visceral, but there should be a bit of variety in taking out waves of enemies. While Insomniac toned down the weapons, one thing they did up the ante on are those clever contraptions known as mods.

Mods have been a key component to Ratchet and Clank for a while, and Insomniac has given Deadlocked a much deeper mod system. There are two types of mods: Alpha and Omega. These mods can be assigned to different weapons, and each mod has a different effect. Alpha Mods tweak the speed, capacity, and auto-aim, among other effects. Multiple Alpha Mods can be equipped to a weapon depending on its level, which you increase by gaining experience and using the weapon. Omega Mods are mods that alter the offensive capabilities of a projectile. The Napalm mod will rain magma over the field, while the Shock mod will shock nearby enemies along with the impact enemy. A weapon can only have one Omega Mod equipped at a time, but they can be equipped to multiple weapons. The depth of the mod system is satisfying and adds a pinch of strategy to the solid action.

With Ratchet under arena arrest, the game focuses around missions and objective-based levels. After arriving onto a planet for the first time, Ratchet and his bot buddies are put into dangerous situations and must complete. You may have to destroy all enemies, face a big boss, destroy towers, the list goes on. This is good, but not all of the mission objectives are as clever and fun as others. Sometimes you may have to face the same boss again, or defeat the same enemies over and over. I would've preferred a bit more diversity in objectives, as doing the same objective again and again doesn't give the game good credit.

Deadlocked expands on Up Your Arsenal's multiplayer by not only beefing up online play, but adding in some co-op for good measure. Ratchet and Clank games have had a pretty challenging difficulty, so bringing a friend along for the ride will allow the gamer to not have to go it alone. The action gameplay works well in both styles of multiplayer, and the experience is solid and enjoyable from both ends of the spectrum.

The platforming has been significantly toned down. Very rarely will you need to time a jump. Deadlocked is strictly focused on action. While the action is extremely fun, it was the seamless integration of both platforming and weapons combat that made Ratchet and Clank so enjoyable. Deadlocked is fun as a shooter, but as far as platforming, it can probably be called the worst in the series. Deadlocked has a lot to offer, but the near-elimination of platforming elements makes the game much less stellar than past installments.

Replay Value 8/10

The story is still short, but the expanded multiplayer easily remedies that problem. Also, the classic Skill Point system returns, offers a massive amount of challenges in the many planets to explore. Optional Dread missions are challenging and more unique than most of the story missions, and overall, Deadlocked has enough unlockables, modes, and humor to keep any action fan satisfied.

Final Verdict 8/10

Ratchet: Deadlocked takes the series in a new direction, hitting some marks and missing others. The solid mod system and incredibly satisfying combat improve upon past installments, but the little amount of platforming fun is a letdown. Also, the lack of solid mission objectives and level varieties keep the game from reaching true excellence. However, a very good multiplayer and single-player save the game. Ratchet: Deadlocked is a very solid action game, bringing in some of the most visceral weapons combat around. Though it has gained unwanted changes since the last installment, Ratchet: Deadlocked has enough good things going for it to be a good purchase.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/06/06