A solid improvement on the first game. Combat is far more bearable now, and i actually felt encouraged to try out different weapons because of the upgrade progressions. Level design is still superb too and kept me lookimg forward to more.
However for all it does better, i still felt frustrated in a few areas. The glider and racing sections particularly felt painful to play, and the ship combat was just so-so. Like with the first game, the last few levels are also a bit of a mess, practically begging the player to spam cheese weapons to win or get smacked with infinite enemies.
I ended up having an experience with better gameplay from the first title, but one that didn't really elevate it to a new height. It's still a great game and shout out to Vimm's Lair for letting jaded PC players like me give these games a go.
However for all it does better, i still felt frustrated in a few areas. The glider and racing sections particularly felt painful to play, and the ship combat was just so-so. Like with the first game, the last few levels are also a bit of a mess, practically begging the player to spam cheese weapons to win or get smacked with infinite enemies.
I ended up having an experience with better gameplay from the first title, but one that didn't really elevate it to a new height. It's still a great game and shout out to Vimm's Lair for letting jaded PC players like me give these games a go.
A solid upgrade over the original, with much more forgiving difficulty curve, largely due to significant improvements to the nanotech health system. Not quite as aesthetically charming or consistent, though.
This is a great sequel. The combat feels way better than in the first game for a few major reasons. The controls are tighter, autoaim is much more forgiving, checkpoints are more frequent, it's challenging but way more fair than the original, everything. Going into this series, I knew that the weapons were a major element. The first game didn't really impress with it's weaponry, whereas this game has a stellar lineup of weapons that are powerful and fun. This game has a much more satisfying sense of progression as well. Killing enemies leads to level ups to increase max hp, there's armor upgrades as well, and best of all... weapons can upgrade. Because of this, even the starter weapons can have utility late into the game. Asides from the unfocused plot and a terribly tedious boss battle, this is a great game that I can easily recommend. I'm excited about eventually playing Ratchet Deadlocked, since I really enjoyed the arena challenges here.
I really enjoyed the first Ratchet & Clank, but Going Commando is a step up in every way possible. What a great sequel!
Playing this game for the first time in 2022, Going Commando is pure opulence. Not since the Metal Gear Solid games have I encountered a game so willing to introduce new gameplay ideas, execute them well, and abandon them immediately for something else. I may be nostalgic for other games I played as a kid, but they only remind me of experiencing a certain type of feeling. Going Commando is the first to recreate that feeling of wondering “what will happen next?” and then being delighted. Going Commando is the type of sequel that treats the first game as a rough draft, refines the elements that worked, and then gives you more of everything while introducing more on top of it, like Pikmin 2 or Kingdom Hearts II.
There are so many small details that differ from the first game which might be considered “patch notes”-level changes today, but are not to be taken for granted for the PS2 era. Having recently played through the Sly Cooper and Jak and Daxter games for the first time, they mindlessly copy and pasted so much between sequels that Ratchet and Clank seriously reconsidered for Going Commando. There is a real focus given to how it feels to control Ratchet, and everything else about the game centers around the question, “is this fun?”
“Is this fun?” could be applied to the entire feel of how the game is paced. Gadgets and movement upgrades that were given out late in the first Ratchet and Clank are standard-issue in Going Commando. Expository cutscenes are concise and a fraction of their counterparts in the first Ratchet and Clank. In-game currency is given out at a much higher rate, encouraging the faster purchase of new weapons. And the assortment of weaponry is excellent.
The first Ratchet and Clank had a healthy variety of weapon types, but any deviation from straight-forward shooting felt like a gimmick. This was mostly because any situation where a rocket launcher could be used trivialized the idea of using anything else. Going Commando has level design that actively encourages you to think of the player character and the enemy positions in 3D space. Heat-seeking missiles are ideal for enemies around tight corners. Remote controlled spider robots are ideal for sneaking past enemy cover or scaling gently curving level geometry. Levels crest in look-outs that make natural sniper spots, or open into flat areas where you need to manage several utility-focused gadgets like shields and turrets to survive waves of enemies. While Ratchet and Clank had me stick to a few standard weapons for most of the game, Going Commando saw me fiddling with my weapon quick-select menu multiple times per planet. There were too many good options that stirred my creativity.
Speaking of the levels, the art direction is great. A mash-up between solar punk, retro-futurism, and early 2000’s cyber grunge aesthetics, each planet has a subtle yet distinct color scheme that still feels like it belongs in the same game world. Each level has unique destructible elements, enemy types, and cosmetic flora and fauna. Although the intended player paths are still mostly linear, the worlds are imagined and realized enough to make exploration feel fun. The variety of level concepts is excellent, taking place in dimension hopping train stations and galactic warehouse distribution centers in addition to natural climates.
I knew the game was special when I landed on the first spherical planetoid level. I don’t know if this is a controversial opinion, but Going Commando’s planetoids make Super Mario Galaxy feel like an interactive art exhibit. Four years prior, here was a game that gave you complete camera control, non-linear exploration, and multi-layered level design within the spherical planetoid levels. And it looked spectacular - I spent a good minute just observing the planetoid’s “map” view. Perhaps its “wow” factor was preserved by having so few planetoid levels in the game, but Mario Galaxy wasn’t the only game present in Going Commando.
That’s right, there are two full Mario Kart courses and multiple Star Fox levels as well. I cannot overstate how impressed I was at the level of depth and variety of challenges created for these environments that, to progress the story, you needed only to spend 5 minutes playing. Each Mario Kart-esque course had multiple shortcuts, strategic item usage, and multiple AI patterns for different difficulties. The Star Fox levels had dogfights and obstacle courses. All of them felt fun to control and were completely optional to dig into, a feat that feels like a miracle given how fast this game was developed.
In my ranking system, 2 stars represents an average, C rank game. I award Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando 4.5 stars as a A+ rank game. It is so fun to play moment to moment, is free of padding, lavish in its extras, and so incredibly focused on function and delight. It feels like a toy box in the best way, brimming with unnoticed consideration for the player experience in the way good design becomes invisible.
As a tangible example, the health indicator in Going Commando surprised me more than once. Where game’s typically have blank spaces in their menus and UI until the player collects X tool or Y upgrade, Going Commando’s health bar gives no indication that it can expand. It starts looking identical to the first game’s “get four hits, Ratchet Dies” system. As you beat enemies, you gain experience, and slowly gain more hit points. Once you gain enough additional hit points, the UI shrinks. In this way, the game hides the fact that Ratchet’s starting 4 hit points can expand up to 80. Each time the UI reconfigured itself, I thought I had reached the new plateau, only to be surprised at how much more game the game was implicitly promising me. It sounds like a small touch, but did an incredible amount towards providing a sense of progression and anticipation.
There’s very little I dislike in Going Commando - even its worst level I find hilarious, especially given its origin story. I like that Ratchet and Clank are friends after the events of the first game. I like that the story was silly without there being an explicit villain more than characters with goals that lead them to slapstick space fights. I still have several games left in the series to try, and hope they build on this game’s strengths. And bring Angela back, she was great.
The game title’s pun is very funny for a sequel where the main character wears more clothes than his last outing.
There are so many small details that differ from the first game which might be considered “patch notes”-level changes today, but are not to be taken for granted for the PS2 era. Having recently played through the Sly Cooper and Jak and Daxter games for the first time, they mindlessly copy and pasted so much between sequels that Ratchet and Clank seriously reconsidered for Going Commando. There is a real focus given to how it feels to control Ratchet, and everything else about the game centers around the question, “is this fun?”
“Is this fun?” could be applied to the entire feel of how the game is paced. Gadgets and movement upgrades that were given out late in the first Ratchet and Clank are standard-issue in Going Commando. Expository cutscenes are concise and a fraction of their counterparts in the first Ratchet and Clank. In-game currency is given out at a much higher rate, encouraging the faster purchase of new weapons. And the assortment of weaponry is excellent.
The first Ratchet and Clank had a healthy variety of weapon types, but any deviation from straight-forward shooting felt like a gimmick. This was mostly because any situation where a rocket launcher could be used trivialized the idea of using anything else. Going Commando has level design that actively encourages you to think of the player character and the enemy positions in 3D space. Heat-seeking missiles are ideal for enemies around tight corners. Remote controlled spider robots are ideal for sneaking past enemy cover or scaling gently curving level geometry. Levels crest in look-outs that make natural sniper spots, or open into flat areas where you need to manage several utility-focused gadgets like shields and turrets to survive waves of enemies. While Ratchet and Clank had me stick to a few standard weapons for most of the game, Going Commando saw me fiddling with my weapon quick-select menu multiple times per planet. There were too many good options that stirred my creativity.
Speaking of the levels, the art direction is great. A mash-up between solar punk, retro-futurism, and early 2000’s cyber grunge aesthetics, each planet has a subtle yet distinct color scheme that still feels like it belongs in the same game world. Each level has unique destructible elements, enemy types, and cosmetic flora and fauna. Although the intended player paths are still mostly linear, the worlds are imagined and realized enough to make exploration feel fun. The variety of level concepts is excellent, taking place in dimension hopping train stations and galactic warehouse distribution centers in addition to natural climates.
I knew the game was special when I landed on the first spherical planetoid level. I don’t know if this is a controversial opinion, but Going Commando’s planetoids make Super Mario Galaxy feel like an interactive art exhibit. Four years prior, here was a game that gave you complete camera control, non-linear exploration, and multi-layered level design within the spherical planetoid levels. And it looked spectacular - I spent a good minute just observing the planetoid’s “map” view. Perhaps its “wow” factor was preserved by having so few planetoid levels in the game, but Mario Galaxy wasn’t the only game present in Going Commando.
That’s right, there are two full Mario Kart courses and multiple Star Fox levels as well. I cannot overstate how impressed I was at the level of depth and variety of challenges created for these environments that, to progress the story, you needed only to spend 5 minutes playing. Each Mario Kart-esque course had multiple shortcuts, strategic item usage, and multiple AI patterns for different difficulties. The Star Fox levels had dogfights and obstacle courses. All of them felt fun to control and were completely optional to dig into, a feat that feels like a miracle given how fast this game was developed.
In my ranking system, 2 stars represents an average, C rank game. I award Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando 4.5 stars as a A+ rank game. It is so fun to play moment to moment, is free of padding, lavish in its extras, and so incredibly focused on function and delight. It feels like a toy box in the best way, brimming with unnoticed consideration for the player experience in the way good design becomes invisible.
As a tangible example, the health indicator in Going Commando surprised me more than once. Where game’s typically have blank spaces in their menus and UI until the player collects X tool or Y upgrade, Going Commando’s health bar gives no indication that it can expand. It starts looking identical to the first game’s “get four hits, Ratchet Dies” system. As you beat enemies, you gain experience, and slowly gain more hit points. Once you gain enough additional hit points, the UI shrinks. In this way, the game hides the fact that Ratchet’s starting 4 hit points can expand up to 80. Each time the UI reconfigured itself, I thought I had reached the new plateau, only to be surprised at how much more game the game was implicitly promising me. It sounds like a small touch, but did an incredible amount towards providing a sense of progression and anticipation.
There’s very little I dislike in Going Commando - even its worst level I find hilarious, especially given its origin story. I like that Ratchet and Clank are friends after the events of the first game. I like that the story was silly without there being an explicit villain more than characters with goals that lead them to slapstick space fights. I still have several games left in the series to try, and hope they build on this game’s strengths. And bring Angela back, she was great.
Ah yes, the "throw as many concepts to the wall and see what sticks" game in the PS2 trilogy. Thankfully, most of the revamps to the gameplay were general improvements that changed the feel of the series forever, but there's also a lot of unnecessary chafe in there mixed in with the new leveling systems. I'm so glad they never brought back Nanotech Boosts, the wonky glider segments that instantly kill you if a stray fart travels in your direction, or the mandatory racing segments after this installment.
Still a mighty fine PS2 game, all things considered - I'm still grading this a very solid 8/10 - but replaying this pretty recently has soured me on the whole "best game in the series" talk this game often gets.
For instance, I love the moment about halfway through the game when you can feel the crunch and the deadlines constrict around this game and the difficulty scaling, level design, and the bosses just get way shittier. Snivelak in particular feels unfinished. Grelbin wasn't so much "designed" as it was "puked out at the last minute". The last boss can literally be sniped to death from a distance if you position yourself near a vendor and don't get close enough to trigger his health bar.
Even the story is affected by this crunch because it sure makes a hard swerve from "Megacorp and unchecked capitalism is evil!" to "Something weird is going on at Megacorp, we gotta investigate the CEO!" about halfway through the game, with the story ending with Ratchet and Angela the Cool Freedom Fighter happily saving Mr. Fizzwidget, the guy that reduced several planets to near-lifeless wastelands in the pursuit of profit.
What about Tabora, Ratchet. What about Tabora.
Still a mighty fine PS2 game, all things considered - I'm still grading this a very solid 8/10 - but replaying this pretty recently has soured me on the whole "best game in the series" talk this game often gets.
For instance, I love the moment about halfway through the game when you can feel the crunch and the deadlines constrict around this game and the difficulty scaling, level design, and the bosses just get way shittier. Snivelak in particular feels unfinished. Grelbin wasn't so much "designed" as it was "puked out at the last minute". The last boss can literally be sniped to death from a distance if you position yourself near a vendor and don't get close enough to trigger his health bar.
Even the story is affected by this crunch because it sure makes a hard swerve from "Megacorp and unchecked capitalism is evil!" to "Something weird is going on at Megacorp, we gotta investigate the CEO!" about halfway through the game, with the story ending with Ratchet and Angela the Cool Freedom Fighter happily saving Mr. Fizzwidget, the guy that reduced several planets to near-lifeless wastelands in the pursuit of profit.
What about Tabora, Ratchet. What about Tabora.
quite literally bigger and better than before. this truly is ratchet and clank "2"
started 8/18/22 7 AM right after beating Jak 1
finished 8/22/22 7:16 pm
the last level was fucking horrendous, the last few levels overall were clearly getting worse, every enemy became extremely bullet spongey towards the end and respawning and it was kinda horrible and Id have to do my best to run past everything instead because it stopped being worth it to kill each enemy, and the only new weapons it would give me to deal with them are very low ammo explosives that I would need to be conservative with because of them each having like 8 or 10 shots. Thankfully i never was forced to run out of them but its not fun needing to hide around a corner and shoot these to deal with them well. Otherwise, i dont know how Im supposed to dodge most shots shooting them straight up with the shotgun (which becomes super weak towards the end) or the lava gun which is very short range, even strafing doesn't seem to do much when enemies shoot you from different angles.
the cutscenes were very good still, the gunplay was super fun before enemies became too bullet spongey and stopped flinching
7/10
finished 8/22/22 7:16 pm
the last level was fucking horrendous, the last few levels overall were clearly getting worse, every enemy became extremely bullet spongey towards the end and respawning and it was kinda horrible and Id have to do my best to run past everything instead because it stopped being worth it to kill each enemy, and the only new weapons it would give me to deal with them are very low ammo explosives that I would need to be conservative with because of them each having like 8 or 10 shots. Thankfully i never was forced to run out of them but its not fun needing to hide around a corner and shoot these to deal with them well. Otherwise, i dont know how Im supposed to dodge most shots shooting them straight up with the shotgun (which becomes super weak towards the end) or the lava gun which is very short range, even strafing doesn't seem to do much when enemies shoot you from different angles.
the cutscenes were very good still, the gunplay was super fun before enemies became too bullet spongey and stopped flinching
7/10
Pros:
R&C 2 gives us more weapons to experiment with, with the game including some of the original ones. The adventure players go through in R&C 2 definitely develops Ratchet and Clank's relationship significantly. I love the ending with Captain Quark and the numerous Jak and Daxter Easter eggs hidden throughout. The jokes and mood of R&C 2 have the same vibe as R&C 1, which I love and hope to keep seeing.
Cons:
Enemies have the same tone and feel monotonous. The worlds are filled to the brim with enemies. The worlds themselves do not feel as alive as in the first game. On top of this, the soundtrack was not as good as I hoped it would be. The overall plot and story felt somewhat like filler. Each time you would complete a world, you would have to spend a lot of the bolts earned on story items, which stops players from being able to buy more weapons and test them out (40k bolts for an item once!). On to my biggest ick now, the difficulty spike. The game starts out nice and simple, being easy. Around 3 hours, the level design of the world felt as if it had no testing (creating very frustrating segments), with very hard courses of countless enemies swarming you with endless rounds of bullets (while also hoping they do not respawn infinitely). The game has improved with checkpoints since R&C 1, but still lacks in that department.
Overall, this was a pretty disappointing sequel with few merits. Most of the time, I was frustrated beyond belief. It felt like Jak II all over again...
R&C 2 gives us more weapons to experiment with, with the game including some of the original ones. The adventure players go through in R&C 2 definitely develops Ratchet and Clank's relationship significantly. I love the ending with Captain Quark and the numerous Jak and Daxter Easter eggs hidden throughout. The jokes and mood of R&C 2 have the same vibe as R&C 1, which I love and hope to keep seeing.
Cons:
Enemies have the same tone and feel monotonous. The worlds are filled to the brim with enemies. The worlds themselves do not feel as alive as in the first game. On top of this, the soundtrack was not as good as I hoped it would be. The overall plot and story felt somewhat like filler. Each time you would complete a world, you would have to spend a lot of the bolts earned on story items, which stops players from being able to buy more weapons and test them out (40k bolts for an item once!). On to my biggest ick now, the difficulty spike. The game starts out nice and simple, being easy. Around 3 hours, the level design of the world felt as if it had no testing (creating very frustrating segments), with very hard courses of countless enemies swarming you with endless rounds of bullets (while also hoping they do not respawn infinitely). The game has improved with checkpoints since R&C 1, but still lacks in that department.
Overall, this was a pretty disappointing sequel with few merits. Most of the time, I was frustrated beyond belief. It felt like Jak II all over again...
honestly a perfect sequel
I mean...it plays better but it's kinda boring. I don't give a shit about the protopet story and Quark is a bad villain.
Still my least favourite of the OG trilogy and remembered why while replaying, skill points like Wrench Ninja 2 made me very angry. So many things can go wrong with it outside of your control, its frustrating.
Weapon scaling in challenge mode is also questionable where you'll only be using like 2 weapons by the end due to damage output
Weapon scaling in challenge mode is also questionable where you'll only be using like 2 weapons by the end due to damage output
Solid Ratchet follow up.
you know when you play a sequel to a game you loved and everything has that specific wonderful "fresh, unfamiliar and tonally different, omg what will happen" sequel feel to it?
that feeling never goes away when i play this game, and i mean this ONLY in the best of ways. i will never tire of this game.
that feeling never goes away when i play this game, and i mean this ONLY in the best of ways. i will never tire of this game.
Whenever people talk about the "perfect sequel", in that it manages to improve on the predecessor on every front,this game is always in the conversation for me. Fantastic blend of platforming and gunplay that is out-of-this-world fun every sing time you pick it up,and a huge amount of mechanics that range from generally passable to outstanding additions,like the Arenas;and none of them outstay their welcome,really.
I could replay this one endlessly,and I'd still feel like the starry-eyed child that played it for the first time as a kid. Pure magic.
Now if only Insomniac learned how to end their own stories,this game would be at least decent. 2/10.
I could replay this one endlessly,and I'd still feel like the starry-eyed child that played it for the first time as a kid. Pure magic.
Now if only Insomniac learned how to end their own stories,this game would be at least decent. 2/10.
The story isn’t as good as the original, but the gameplay is leagues ahead of it.
Still the best.
As a guy who thinks the first R&C doesn't hold up very well, I think this one holds up spectacularly. Going Commando fixed every single problem I had with the first game and installed so many of the franchise hallmarks that are still present in the series today. I'll give the first game credit for creating the formula. But, if you ask me, this game deserves credit for perfecting it and putting these games on the map.
The controls are much better: I can finally strafe! The banal weapon selection from the first game was overhauled into an amazing selection of creative weapons that became more addicting to use due to the weapon upgrade system which would be featured in every game in the series henceforth. There is great gameplay variety as well: I can play the racing, arena, and crystal collection sections for hours(and I do): It is very impressive how this game adds so much variety without shattering the core gameplay loop in an obtrusive way. The fact that they are optional is objectively good, but I'd play them all anyway. After all, with 100% completion as excellent as this it is no trouble to get every clever skill point or devilishly-hidden platinum bolt leading up to the excellent hidden museum reward.
To be fair, the writing hasn't much improved unless you count all of it. Going Commando has a really fun, unique story that doesn't remind me of any other video game narrative, and it is the only game in the series not to use the exact same structure of, 'lengthy, contrived series of events to hunt down an obvious bad guy in an inefficient way.' The game is filled with quirky humor and memorable characters. The charm in this game is palpable, Ratchet is no-longer the worst main character ever, and the game features Ratchet's first, and easily best, love interest. Seriously, I never got over the series writing her out after this installment. I'm not too hopeful, but I'd love to see her again.
My problems with the game are very minor: I really like most of the optional content, but I wasn't crazy about the dogfights or the giant Clank sections; Most boss fights are very easy and basic; And the fact that the development became rushed near the end does show. The final few levels are weaker and the conclusion is rushed. But, honestly, who cares? This game is amazing.
In fact, much of this adulation may sound familiar to another Insomniac Game I bent over backwards to praise. The wonderful side-characters, the excellent 100% completion, the fantastic level design with the captivating worlds and quirky charm? To me, this game is the closest Insomniac has ever gotten to recapturing the original Spyro 2. I see so much of that game in this one. And, while I don't like Going Commando quite as much, it is another game I wouldn't have wanted to grow up without.
I don't know if this series will ever reach these same heights again. But, as long as I have this game to come back to, that's fine with me.
But seriously. Bring Angela back! #SaveAngela
As a guy who thinks the first R&C doesn't hold up very well, I think this one holds up spectacularly. Going Commando fixed every single problem I had with the first game and installed so many of the franchise hallmarks that are still present in the series today. I'll give the first game credit for creating the formula. But, if you ask me, this game deserves credit for perfecting it and putting these games on the map.
The controls are much better: I can finally strafe! The banal weapon selection from the first game was overhauled into an amazing selection of creative weapons that became more addicting to use due to the weapon upgrade system which would be featured in every game in the series henceforth. There is great gameplay variety as well: I can play the racing, arena, and crystal collection sections for hours(and I do): It is very impressive how this game adds so much variety without shattering the core gameplay loop in an obtrusive way. The fact that they are optional is objectively good, but I'd play them all anyway. After all, with 100% completion as excellent as this it is no trouble to get every clever skill point or devilishly-hidden platinum bolt leading up to the excellent hidden museum reward.
To be fair, the writing hasn't much improved unless you count all of it. Going Commando has a really fun, unique story that doesn't remind me of any other video game narrative, and it is the only game in the series not to use the exact same structure of, 'lengthy, contrived series of events to hunt down an obvious bad guy in an inefficient way.' The game is filled with quirky humor and memorable characters. The charm in this game is palpable, Ratchet is no-longer the worst main character ever, and the game features Ratchet's first, and easily best, love interest. Seriously, I never got over the series writing her out after this installment. I'm not too hopeful, but I'd love to see her again.
My problems with the game are very minor: I really like most of the optional content, but I wasn't crazy about the dogfights or the giant Clank sections; Most boss fights are very easy and basic; And the fact that the development became rushed near the end does show. The final few levels are weaker and the conclusion is rushed. But, honestly, who cares? This game is amazing.
In fact, much of this adulation may sound familiar to another Insomniac Game I bent over backwards to praise. The wonderful side-characters, the excellent 100% completion, the fantastic level design with the captivating worlds and quirky charm? To me, this game is the closest Insomniac has ever gotten to recapturing the original Spyro 2. I see so much of that game in this one. And, while I don't like Going Commando quite as much, it is another game I wouldn't have wanted to grow up without.
I don't know if this series will ever reach these same heights again. But, as long as I have this game to come back to, that's fine with me.
But seriously. Bring Angela back! #SaveAngela
Weaker plot and characters than the original but much, much better weapons and gunplay. There's also less platforming in favor of more linear shooting, which, eh. That's fine.
It's truly a toss-up, but for me, the first one has the edge over this by a tiny bit, even though you'd probably be right to say it's a "worse game". I liked the original story a lot better.
It's truly a toss-up, but for me, the first one has the edge over this by a tiny bit, even though you'd probably be right to say it's a "worse game". I liked the original story a lot better.
Just a super solid sequel, my only real gripe is that some of the weapons you receive early in the game actually do literally nothing in the later parts of the game, requiring 1/4th of their ammo pool to kill a single medium size enemy.
The perfect sequel? People seem to think so, but I think it's complicated. Ratchet & Clank 2 is a little strange, because it leaned heavily towards explosive combat, much more than the original game. There's still some good platforming stuff, but not nearly as much as the original game. Of course, when I was 13 and played this for the first time, I absolutely adored it over the original. These days, I guess my tastes have gotten more nuanced so there's something about this game in retrospect that doesn't seem right.
The weapon line-up is pretty good, albeit egregious in some of its pricing. I like the encouragement to use each weapon as much as you can in the form of "leveling" them up through kills you confirm with said weapons (although I think collecting exp through damage makes more sense) and some of the bosses are genuinely fun challenges. I like the variety shown throughout in the form of arena challenges, races, and exploration for secret items.
The story also serves as a good continuation between Ratchet and Clank, where it genuinely feels like the two are good friends that work together well. Ratchet now sets his eyes at anyone willing to threaten them, and opinions at the greedy assholes they come across ("Now even the COMPUTERS are charging us?! That's it, this galaxy blows.")
I feel it needs to be said the amount of details in the atmosphere and environment is also a bit lacking compared to the first game. Most of the worlds feel less lived-in, if that makes sense. They likely wanted the production of this to be more straight-forward now that they've established their ground with the first game. This is no longer a "We need to make a good impression for the new generation" project, but a sequel to something that already exists. While I would've loved something that feels like a proper continuation to the original title--gameplaywise--this was still a great sequel jam-packed with explosive fun.
On a bad day, I'd give this 0 stars because of how the lava gun upgrades. Y'all know what I'm talking about.
The weapon line-up is pretty good, albeit egregious in some of its pricing. I like the encouragement to use each weapon as much as you can in the form of "leveling" them up through kills you confirm with said weapons (although I think collecting exp through damage makes more sense) and some of the bosses are genuinely fun challenges. I like the variety shown throughout in the form of arena challenges, races, and exploration for secret items.
The story also serves as a good continuation between Ratchet and Clank, where it genuinely feels like the two are good friends that work together well. Ratchet now sets his eyes at anyone willing to threaten them, and opinions at the greedy assholes they come across ("Now even the COMPUTERS are charging us?! That's it, this galaxy blows.")
I feel it needs to be said the amount of details in the atmosphere and environment is also a bit lacking compared to the first game. Most of the worlds feel less lived-in, if that makes sense. They likely wanted the production of this to be more straight-forward now that they've established their ground with the first game. This is no longer a "We need to make a good impression for the new generation" project, but a sequel to something that already exists. While I would've loved something that feels like a proper continuation to the original title--gameplaywise--this was still a great sequel jam-packed with explosive fun.
On a bad day, I'd give this 0 stars because of how the lava gun upgrades. Y'all know what I'm talking about.
Not gonna lie, I'm shocked with how well this one holds up, especially with how jaded I've become on the franchise. Even though I quite enjoyed Rift Apart, I feel like the series has just been doing the same thing for nearly two decades without much intent on growing in any meaningful way. It would stand to reason, then, that my engagement with the title which started the trend towards a more action-focused philosophy would be rough to go back to, especially with how much Insomniac has been able to polish the formula up. And there are certainly areas where Going Commando struggles in comparison to newer entries. My biggest issue is the damage output on certain weapons. For instance, the Blaster in Ratchet & Clank is a useful weapon all the way to the final level. It's always worthwhile to utilize that in your arsenal. However, the Lancer, this game's Blaster equivalent, becomes fairly worthless about halfway through the game, as there will be a number of weapons which deal far more damage in safer ways. These fun early weapons turn into frustrating bloat, as once their effectiveness reaches their limits, they are no longer providing you with the same fun. Most late game weapons tend to function in fairly similar ways, typically by making explosions, and it becomes a bit of a drag knowing that I will essentially have to use my Bouncer, which is not a fun weapon at all, in order to clear rooms productively. Aside from that, Going Commando retains a lot of the clever level design present in the first game. It's not quite as good from a platforming sense, as they do relegate a larger than necessary chunk of the levels to combat encounters rather than platforming challenges, but each of them are good fun to work through. The unfortunate reality is that R&C's combat is very hard to integrate directly with the movement in creative ways. They added a strafe button to make the combat far comfier, but then abused this new resource to make the combat itself far more present to the core of the game. Strafing essentially destroys any coziness of platforming, so you're stuck having to go from fight to fight with an occasional platforming challenge mixed in, but rarely intermingling with one another. This is good and bad, as the combat is awesome, and even when you are in the late-game and unable to express more diversity in your choice of weaponry, Ratchet's combat maneuvers feel silky smooth and satisfying to pull off. I just miss the heavier focus of platforming, since hey, I like jumping and stuff. Wow, I sure am complaining a lot about a game I really enjoyed. I will say this game has a wonderful story. It's absolutely silly as all hell, but it has more of the cynicism I loved in the first game. They almost immediately retconned Angela in order to create a more serious story later down the line, which is fine I suppose. But there are going to be some tonal issues when a franchise that gave one of it's games the subtitle "Going Commando" tries to be taken seriously. Maybe we get there, maybe not. 5/6
Crazy how this game improves on every single thing from the first, well, besides the ost, funky fresh tunes just disappeared for some reason.
Esse último final de semana foi de revisitar grandes jogos que me marcaram. Tirei meu PS2 da caixa, abri meu estojo com os Dvds piratas que comprei na época de ouro do famoso 3 por 10, e consegui ter a mesma sensação que tive quando joguei esse clássico pela primeira vez. Uma verdadeira OP, que segue sendo impecável até os dias atuais.
You can strafe now and the guns are better but they do make you collect 100 crystals in an empty field full of enemies twice, and the story was weak (nobody is playing for the story so who cares).
Better than Ratchet and Mid the original, marginally.
Better than Ratchet and Mid the original, marginally.
A vast improvement over the first game in so many ways, it's so much more fun and enjoyable. Hit points constantly upgrade with the XP system, no longer limited to only 8 hits, you get armor that can decrease damage, and many minigames that award large amounts of bolts are included so it's no longer a necessity to grind via glitches.
Though things like the RYNO 2 and final armor are still massively expensive. I also found the end game to be weaker than Ratchet 1 with a surprisingly abrupt ending after such a huge twist. Space shooting segments were meh too with controls that were just way too twitchy.
Though things like the RYNO 2 and final armor are still massively expensive. I also found the end game to be weaker than Ratchet 1 with a surprisingly abrupt ending after such a huge twist. Space shooting segments were meh too with controls that were just way too twitchy.
This review contains spoilers
As a kid I played the first Ratchet and Clank over and over on my brother's PS2, but never any of its sequels. I have been looking forward to experiencing the rest of the trilogy, similar to how I went through the Sly Cooper trilogy a while back.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this game as much as I had hoped. That is not to say that this is a bad game by any means, its actually very good. To me it just doesn't seem to come together the way the first game did.
I will say the gameplay has been streamlined nicely, and Ratchet feels much better to control. Strafing is a godsend for many enemy encounters. I really liked a lot of the new weapons, especially the Bouncer. Weapon leveling is also a sick addition that made me enjoy using the guns way more.
While the moment to moment gameplay is fun, certain sections can grow very tedious and frustrating. For example, the Thugs-4-Less boss fight was easy but took forever, while Planet Grelbin and its yetis are an absolute pain.
I think my biggest issue in this though is the story. It felt very much like an "and then..." plot, where the next thing happens just so that something can happen. There really isn't anything in the way of character growth or change, Ratchet just goes from being a misinformed errand boy to a correctly informed errand boy. In the first game you really got a sense you were exploring a galaxy, in this several of the worlds feel like they just exist as a level to shoot some guys and get an item in. The first game's story is no magnum opus, but its simple with a well defined character arc and engaging villain. The villain in this game is a last minute twist that leads to a mediocre final boss and the quickest story wrap-up I've ever seen.
These issues don't completely tank the experience, because the story is not the main focus of these games. The big focus is running around and shooting guys, and that hits way more than it misses here. I just can't fully get behind the "perfect evolution of the series" take I've seen. Hopefully Up Your Arsenal can marry the gameplay of Going Commando with a more engaging story akin to the first.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this game as much as I had hoped. That is not to say that this is a bad game by any means, its actually very good. To me it just doesn't seem to come together the way the first game did.
I will say the gameplay has been streamlined nicely, and Ratchet feels much better to control. Strafing is a godsend for many enemy encounters. I really liked a lot of the new weapons, especially the Bouncer. Weapon leveling is also a sick addition that made me enjoy using the guns way more.
While the moment to moment gameplay is fun, certain sections can grow very tedious and frustrating. For example, the Thugs-4-Less boss fight was easy but took forever, while Planet Grelbin and its yetis are an absolute pain.
I think my biggest issue in this though is the story. It felt very much like an "and then..." plot, where the next thing happens just so that something can happen. There really isn't anything in the way of character growth or change, Ratchet just goes from being a misinformed errand boy to a correctly informed errand boy. In the first game you really got a sense you were exploring a galaxy, in this several of the worlds feel like they just exist as a level to shoot some guys and get an item in. The first game's story is no magnum opus, but its simple with a well defined character arc and engaging villain. The villain in this game is a last minute twist that leads to a mediocre final boss and the quickest story wrap-up I've ever seen.
These issues don't completely tank the experience, because the story is not the main focus of these games. The big focus is running around and shooting guys, and that hits way more than it misses here. I just can't fully get behind the "perfect evolution of the series" take I've seen. Hopefully Up Your Arsenal can marry the gameplay of Going Commando with a more engaging story akin to the first.
This was actually the first game in the series I played. At a friends house. Back then it was really fun but holy hell is it forgettable when I play it now.
An excellent sequel that improves upon some of the rough edges of its predecessor. The leveling system gives a lot of incentive to try out the different weapons. There's a lot more content that I put a lot of hours into that I felt the need to complete everything. Lastly, the Insomniac Museum is one of the greatest Easter Eggs in video game history.
"An Explosively Great Sequel"
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando is a textbook example of how to improve a game in nearly every aspect, and it is even more impressive because it was completed in less than a year. The visuals are crisper, the weapons chunkier, and the combat reinvented in order to shift this game more towards the direction of being a third-person shooter. New guns, planets, a better combat system, upgrade system, and clever and humorous writing all combine to build upon a great game and make it excellent.
The plot picks up a few months after our heroes rescued the Solana Galaxy, and they seem pretty...bored? With no time to waste, they are (literally) transported into a new, action-packed adventure in the Bogon Galaxy, and the player takes hold of Ratchet as he is tasked with retrieving an experiment known as the "Protopet" for a company known as Megacorp. You'll meet Abercrombie Fizzwidget, the goofy and strange CEO of this new company, and you'll join Ratchet and Clank as they explore a new galaxy in order to solve the mystery of the disappearance behind the Protopet.
Right off the bat, the combat is immediately smoother than the first title. The ability to strafe and lock-on (only for upgrade guns) is extremely useful for targeting enemies, and no more will the player be running in circles having to struggle with targeting enemies as in the first title. Additionally, weapons are much more suited for all ranges of combat, something which was lacking in the first title. In the original, combat was more tactical and required a slower pace and smarter weapon usage, but not all guns felt useful or applicable in each combat situation. This title cleanly shifts the series into a third-person shooter, something I prefer more to the original's tighter focus on platforming and exploration. I wont lie, the exploration in the first game is better than in this title, but I would take the massively improved combat over a slight dip in exploration any day for this series in particular.
As for the story, it is very humorous and satirical. While narrative cohesion and character development does slow down with this title, I find the increased satirical commentary and wacky characters to fill that gap quite nicely. Characters and locations have a great look to them and look very crisp in the remaster, though there is a smaller emphasis on color scale and art direction for each one (leading to a few planets that feel a bit more "samey" than the first). Overall though, a fun story with great characters and writing.
I enjoyed the increased emphasis on upgrades and a longer game length too. It gives the player something extra to do throughout a playthrough, and Challenge Mode is even more rewarding this time around. Though I have played it in the past, I will update this review when I replay it sometime in the future (once I play through the entire series again).
The soundtrack is still pretty killer, and has a stronger action-emphasis compared to the moodier tracks of the first title. There are some side activities as well which I found to be a bit of a mixed bag. I enjoyed the arena challenges the most, found the space fighter segments to be "alright", and personally found the races to be not that great. The issue in some of these activities is balance, and there are some cheap tactics the AI uses in order to get the upper hand on the player. Another flaw I found with this title is some of the difficulty spikes throughout the game. The initial weapons in Ratchet's arsenal don't quite scale that well in later levels, and the weapons you are left with can occasionally feel a bit weird during some combat sequences. This was most apparent in the planet Grelbin, where the yetis and snow hydras feel tanky and deal massive damage. These sections are sometimes not required, though it did hamper my enjoyment and left something to be desired.
Overall, this title is a fantastic sequel and a great iteration of the franchise moving forward. I think the side content could have been cleaned up a bit more, and some of the difficulty smoothed out to provide a less frustrating experience at times, but it is a near-perfect enhancement of the original game. Some character development is lost (natural for characters who now get along compared to the first game), and a bit of the charm for exploration and worldbuilding is reduced as well, but this is a Recommend from me and an absolute must-play for fans of the first game as well as action, shooter, and platforming fans alike. The question remains - will the third title break the barrier and showcase Insomniac Games' ability to craft a masterpiece? Only time will tell...
Final Verdict: 9/10 (Excellent)
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando is a textbook example of how to improve a game in nearly every aspect, and it is even more impressive because it was completed in less than a year. The visuals are crisper, the weapons chunkier, and the combat reinvented in order to shift this game more towards the direction of being a third-person shooter. New guns, planets, a better combat system, upgrade system, and clever and humorous writing all combine to build upon a great game and make it excellent.
The plot picks up a few months after our heroes rescued the Solana Galaxy, and they seem pretty...bored? With no time to waste, they are (literally) transported into a new, action-packed adventure in the Bogon Galaxy, and the player takes hold of Ratchet as he is tasked with retrieving an experiment known as the "Protopet" for a company known as Megacorp. You'll meet Abercrombie Fizzwidget, the goofy and strange CEO of this new company, and you'll join Ratchet and Clank as they explore a new galaxy in order to solve the mystery of the disappearance behind the Protopet.
Right off the bat, the combat is immediately smoother than the first title. The ability to strafe and lock-on (only for upgrade guns) is extremely useful for targeting enemies, and no more will the player be running in circles having to struggle with targeting enemies as in the first title. Additionally, weapons are much more suited for all ranges of combat, something which was lacking in the first title. In the original, combat was more tactical and required a slower pace and smarter weapon usage, but not all guns felt useful or applicable in each combat situation. This title cleanly shifts the series into a third-person shooter, something I prefer more to the original's tighter focus on platforming and exploration. I wont lie, the exploration in the first game is better than in this title, but I would take the massively improved combat over a slight dip in exploration any day for this series in particular.
As for the story, it is very humorous and satirical. While narrative cohesion and character development does slow down with this title, I find the increased satirical commentary and wacky characters to fill that gap quite nicely. Characters and locations have a great look to them and look very crisp in the remaster, though there is a smaller emphasis on color scale and art direction for each one (leading to a few planets that feel a bit more "samey" than the first). Overall though, a fun story with great characters and writing.
I enjoyed the increased emphasis on upgrades and a longer game length too. It gives the player something extra to do throughout a playthrough, and Challenge Mode is even more rewarding this time around. Though I have played it in the past, I will update this review when I replay it sometime in the future (once I play through the entire series again).
The soundtrack is still pretty killer, and has a stronger action-emphasis compared to the moodier tracks of the first title. There are some side activities as well which I found to be a bit of a mixed bag. I enjoyed the arena challenges the most, found the space fighter segments to be "alright", and personally found the races to be not that great. The issue in some of these activities is balance, and there are some cheap tactics the AI uses in order to get the upper hand on the player. Another flaw I found with this title is some of the difficulty spikes throughout the game. The initial weapons in Ratchet's arsenal don't quite scale that well in later levels, and the weapons you are left with can occasionally feel a bit weird during some combat sequences. This was most apparent in the planet Grelbin, where the yetis and snow hydras feel tanky and deal massive damage. These sections are sometimes not required, though it did hamper my enjoyment and left something to be desired.
Overall, this title is a fantastic sequel and a great iteration of the franchise moving forward. I think the side content could have been cleaned up a bit more, and some of the difficulty smoothed out to provide a less frustrating experience at times, but it is a near-perfect enhancement of the original game. Some character development is lost (natural for characters who now get along compared to the first game), and a bit of the charm for exploration and worldbuilding is reduced as well, but this is a Recommend from me and an absolute must-play for fans of the first game as well as action, shooter, and platforming fans alike. The question remains - will the third title break the barrier and showcase Insomniac Games' ability to craft a masterpiece? Only time will tell...
Final Verdict: 9/10 (Excellent)
Going Commando fixes the only big flaw that held the first on back. There's now proper strafing mechanics so making every gunfight instantly better, that's not the only improvement to the gameplay. The new weapons can now level up into upgraded versions, making them even stronger and just cooler. Your health can also level up so you can get more health. Other new additions such as the 2 battle colosseums, the 2 hover bike race tracks, charge boots, and armor sets are all great. However, there are 2 new features that are just annoying to play through. The moons and dogfighting. Only the first moon is any good cause the other ones are relegated to giant Clank sections and which are all piss, and the dogfighting is also piss. As well as the story just being not as interesting as the first, with it just Ratchet being a hero for a company. At least it's still funny, and Ratchet is still an interesting character unlike another game that released in 2016. If it weren't for these points hands down Going Commando would be better than first game but I just can't bring myself to put it higher than as it is.