My feelings about this game, especially with regards to the other two, are pretty easy to sum up: I like it quite a bit more than the first game, and quite a bit less than the second.
The whacky, unconventional story and memorable side characters from Going Commando are mostly gone. Up Your Arsenal instead opts for a pretty generic story with plenty of plot holes and mostly re-used characters I didn't even like that much in their first appearances, echoing many of my problems with the first game. Most of the new cast is either totally forgettable or memorable for the wrong reasons. Thank goodness this game brought us Dr. Nefarious and Lawrence, otherwise I'd have nothing positive to say in the writing department.
With that said, Dr. Nefarious is a perfect antagonist for a Ratchet and Clank game: walking a perfect line between being genuinely hilarious and a legitimate threat. His vocal performance is excellent, he has most of the best lines in the game, and his range of motion and animations are very impressive for the PS2 era. Also, Lawrence is underrated. His lines and vocal delivery are also excellent, and the schtick between him and Nefarious is gold: Nefarious wouldn't be the legend he is without his butler.
Still, the quality of the game's humor is very inconsistent, for every genuine laugh, there is a painful groaner, and the humor has a mean-spirited tinge I really don't care for. There are a few character moments that sound good on paper, but the game's conclusion is so rushed, none of them are able to resonate the way they should.
So, I didn't care for the story, characters, or writing. Thankfully, the gameplay is still up to standard. The game has an excellent selection of weapons, strong enemy variety, and an addictive gameplay loop that does its predecessor justice. In addition to satisfying combat in story missions, there is also an addictive arena section, a decent hacking mini-game, and a surprisingly-fun video-game-within-the-video-game that add welcome variety without overstaying their welcomes. With that said, there were a number of curious downgrades: the crystal collection mini-game is much worse due to the lack of visibility and repetitive enemies, most levels lend themselves less to exploration than previous games, and the sheer number of enemy-wave shootout sequences in the game can become tedious after a while. Still a strong gameplay loop, just lacking the polish and variety of Going Commando.
In summary, Up Your Arsenal is a really good podcast game: Strong gameplay with occasional hiccups and weak writing with occasional brilliance. I certainly wouldn't call it Insomniac's best, but I would call is a really fun time.
The whacky, unconventional story and memorable side characters from Going Commando are mostly gone. Up Your Arsenal instead opts for a pretty generic story with plenty of plot holes and mostly re-used characters I didn't even like that much in their first appearances, echoing many of my problems with the first game. Most of the new cast is either totally forgettable or memorable for the wrong reasons. Thank goodness this game brought us Dr. Nefarious and Lawrence, otherwise I'd have nothing positive to say in the writing department.
With that said, Dr. Nefarious is a perfect antagonist for a Ratchet and Clank game: walking a perfect line between being genuinely hilarious and a legitimate threat. His vocal performance is excellent, he has most of the best lines in the game, and his range of motion and animations are very impressive for the PS2 era. Also, Lawrence is underrated. His lines and vocal delivery are also excellent, and the schtick between him and Nefarious is gold: Nefarious wouldn't be the legend he is without his butler.
Still, the quality of the game's humor is very inconsistent, for every genuine laugh, there is a painful groaner, and the humor has a mean-spirited tinge I really don't care for. There are a few character moments that sound good on paper, but the game's conclusion is so rushed, none of them are able to resonate the way they should.
So, I didn't care for the story, characters, or writing. Thankfully, the gameplay is still up to standard. The game has an excellent selection of weapons, strong enemy variety, and an addictive gameplay loop that does its predecessor justice. In addition to satisfying combat in story missions, there is also an addictive arena section, a decent hacking mini-game, and a surprisingly-fun video-game-within-the-video-game that add welcome variety without overstaying their welcomes. With that said, there were a number of curious downgrades: the crystal collection mini-game is much worse due to the lack of visibility and repetitive enemies, most levels lend themselves less to exploration than previous games, and the sheer number of enemy-wave shootout sequences in the game can become tedious after a while. Still a strong gameplay loop, just lacking the polish and variety of Going Commando.
In summary, Up Your Arsenal is a really good podcast game: Strong gameplay with occasional hiccups and weak writing with occasional brilliance. I certainly wouldn't call it Insomniac's best, but I would call is a really fun time.