10/06 Update: Since we no longer write for the Edmond Sun, this section is temporarily housing our podcast links for our iTunes feed. All of the columns are in the archives menu if you feel like exploring.

These columns (as well as the 'releases') come from weekly content that we write for the Edmond Sun, out of Edmond, OK (though we live in Chicago). This page contains the archives for said column, many of which are in their pre-published, unedited state. Some titles and editing by Brendan Sinclair.

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Truly a must-buy
Friday, September 10, 2004

I'm here this week to tell you, on faith alone, to leave your comfy reading seat right now, and go and buy Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando for the Playstation 2. A recent inductee of Sony's Greatest Hits program (when a game has been out at least nine months and has sold 400,000+ copies), it's now only $20, and being one of the best games this generation, it's a better time than ever to make it a part of your personal collection. Sure, I could sit here and tell you to spend your $20 on a more unique, more innovative game that NEEDS your support, such as the upcoming ball-rolling puzzle game Katamari Damashi, or the re-released Rez, an amazing rhythmic shooter of sorts that went vastly underappreciated the first time around. And certainly, those games do need your support; unless we reward innovation, the industry and the art form will never advance. That being said, this column is about Ratchet & Clank; there are some games that combine all the elements of their inspirations so well, and take such full advantage of power and design, that they deserve our attention no matter how derisive they may seem at first - so keep reading.

Few games get the basics down well enough where it becomes a joy just to run around aimlessly. Nintendo pioneered this during the N64's lifetime, with games such as Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, that just felt right. It's a tactile response that you can't really explain, but know within seconds of playing a game. While the Resident Evil series has always represented some of the best game design in the business in some respects, the basic controls have always felt clunky and counterintuitive, making the game less accessible than it should be. Again, it's hard to describe, but any gamer will know what I'm talking about. Ratchet & Clank is the first game that I've played this generation where everything just feels perfect. The character controls beautifully in your hands, the camera always knows where to go (and is easily moved if you disagree), and no matter how complex the action gets, changing your enemy into a chicken is just a few simple button presses away. In a game with this much to do, this many places to go, and this many gadgets to guide and weapons to wield, elegant controls and camera work go a long way toward making it the enthralling experience that it is.

Speaking of lots to do, I can't express how varied this game is throughout. While the majority of the levels have you controlling Ratchet on foot, wandering around the various stunning worlds with a massive arsenal at your disposal, there are a TON of other things to do as well. You'll control a group of tiny worker robots to pass puzzles, you'll have spaceship battles beyond those of most exclusively aerial games, you'll crush buildings and aliens alike on fully spherical planets as a massive version of your sidekick Clank, you'll man mounted guns to fend off hordes of creatures and/or aircraft, you'll slide down rails like an intergalactic Tony Hawk, you'll dig for crystals in an otherworldly desert, you'll fights all sorts of massive beasts and crowds of creatures in various arena battles, and much, much, much more. The game could contain nothing but basic planet exploration and it would easily succeed as a very fun game, but by including every possible clever or entertaining idea they could muster up, Insomniac have created a truly spectacular game that you could play many times over and never tire of.

When the game was being advertised late last year, the main selling point seemed to be on the vast array of weapons and gadgets at your disposal. While there certainly are a lot of them (30+), it's how well each one is incorporated into the game that makes them so noteworthy. While some gadgets are certainly required to advance at various points in the game, for the most part it's up to you. Not only that, but every weapon has it's place - even in the last level of the game, I found myself switching between almost every gun from room to room. The more you use a weapon, the more it evolves, too. Each one has two stages of 'evolution' (Gravity Bomb turns into Mini-Nuke, etc.), which really motivates you to wield them all as much as possible. By the time you face the final boss, you'll need literally every bullet in every gun you have to win (and then some).

Though I could go on praising the game for several more pages and for countless different reasons, something must be said for the level look and design as well. There are few companies who have truly harnessed the power of the PS2, but Insomniac are definitely among the ranks of those who've mastered it. One of the most visually arresting games you will see, anywhere, it owes as much to it's art direction and colorful design as it does it's utterly complete grasp of current technologies. Reminiscent of Metroid Prime of all things, not only in it's expressive texture work and character models but in the sensation of finding a new gadget or weapon - when it happens, you know that you just made new areas of previous levels accessible, only here, the backtracking is optional (and much quicker). And you'll need all the help you can get, even if some weapons are optional: one particularly challenging level ends with a boss fight of enormous proportions - you hop rooftop to rooftop manning laser cannons (or running between your massive foe's feet at ground level) as your robotic nemesis stomps towards you, towering several buildings tall.

When it comes down to it, this is one of the few big-name games I have no qualms about trying my best to sell. Obviously enough people have invested in it to make it popular franchise on the system (which will no doubt continue with it's upcoming sequel, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal), but anyone who hasn't checked it out yet is really doing themselves an injustice. It's one of the most well-designed, more entertaining games you will ever play. Most platform games end up falling into one of two categories: ones that get all of the basics down, but don't have enough creativity to keep them afloat (Jak II, in my opinion, even though it was still fun), or ones that strive for variety and unique design, when they don't quite have a handle on the basics (Maximo, Sly Cooper). Thankfully, Ratchet & Clank excels in both areas. It's not just for kids either, not by a longshot - while the character design might through you off initially, the dialogue is clever and the story is engaging. There are a lot of great games coming out in the next couple of months, and a lot of great $20 ones at that. Do me a personal favor and get this game, even if it's your entire gaming budget for the year. You won't be let down in the least.

- Nick


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