No Clank in the title, no Clank in the gameplay. Ratchet: Deadlocked is a semi-spinoff of the mainline series that ditches the planet-exploring adventure elements to focus solely on the arena-based combat challenges that first appeared in Going Commando. While I don't think this game reaches the heights of the first two, once the gameplay loop settles in it's very addicting and quite the fun time. It's a lot like a 3D bullet hell, where you have to jump-dodge incoming projectiles and use cover to manage the damage you take throughout missions.
This game has perhaps my favorite implementation of the weapon leveling system in the series. The full loadout is very trim even compared to Up Your Arsenal, with only one weapon per use case. Each weapon can be adjusted with mods that add effects like zapping nearby enemies, freezing the one in place, dropping bouncer-bombs off the explosion, and so on. The low amount of ammo per weapon along with large swarms of enemies mean you will often have to switch between multiple weapons for the same purposes, leading to the most strategizing about what to use since R&C1. All weapons upgrade up to level 10, which means even players that favor a set of 3 or so weapons won't max them out until the very end of the game.
Surprisingly, considering the travesty that is this game's cover art, the story is actually one of the best in the series. It balances the team narrative and outwardly jokey nature of 3 along with the irreverent and play-it-straight comedy of 2 by portraying a deathmatch game show that parodies shows like the WWE. I would say the narrators interject a bit too often with bad jokes during gameplay, but it's very much the point so I'd leave it at "it would be better if they halved the frequency of voice lines". Gleeman Vox is a highlight villain, embodying the best elements of Vince McMahon's TV presence while finally living up to the villainy of Chairman Drek to give us a competent and cunning face behind the mayhem for once.
Underlining all that goodness is one of the most jamming soundtracks on the PS2. The electronic-hard rock vibe captures what you would think they were going for with that awful cover art. The visuals are quite nice as well, with color palettes that don't seer through your eyes like the worst levels in 3, though Ratchet's head never seems to fit the gladiator suits he is in whenever the helmet comes off Iron Man style. My last complaint is that since the structure of the game is entirely mission based with no exploration or moments of quiet, there isn't a really big sense of progression as you get to the end, as every single mission in the game ends with the same song and results screen. But aside from that, this is one of the most solid entries in the Ratchet and Clank series.
Just try not to think about the cover art while you are playing.
This game has perhaps my favorite implementation of the weapon leveling system in the series. The full loadout is very trim even compared to Up Your Arsenal, with only one weapon per use case. Each weapon can be adjusted with mods that add effects like zapping nearby enemies, freezing the one in place, dropping bouncer-bombs off the explosion, and so on. The low amount of ammo per weapon along with large swarms of enemies mean you will often have to switch between multiple weapons for the same purposes, leading to the most strategizing about what to use since R&C1. All weapons upgrade up to level 10, which means even players that favor a set of 3 or so weapons won't max them out until the very end of the game.
Surprisingly, considering the travesty that is this game's cover art, the story is actually one of the best in the series. It balances the team narrative and outwardly jokey nature of 3 along with the irreverent and play-it-straight comedy of 2 by portraying a deathmatch game show that parodies shows like the WWE. I would say the narrators interject a bit too often with bad jokes during gameplay, but it's very much the point so I'd leave it at "it would be better if they halved the frequency of voice lines". Gleeman Vox is a highlight villain, embodying the best elements of Vince McMahon's TV presence while finally living up to the villainy of Chairman Drek to give us a competent and cunning face behind the mayhem for once.
Underlining all that goodness is one of the most jamming soundtracks on the PS2. The electronic-hard rock vibe captures what you would think they were going for with that awful cover art. The visuals are quite nice as well, with color palettes that don't seer through your eyes like the worst levels in 3, though Ratchet's head never seems to fit the gladiator suits he is in whenever the helmet comes off Iron Man style. My last complaint is that since the structure of the game is entirely mission based with no exploration or moments of quiet, there isn't a really big sense of progression as you get to the end, as every single mission in the game ends with the same song and results screen. But aside from that, this is one of the most solid entries in the Ratchet and Clank series.
Just try not to think about the cover art while you are playing.