When I revisited the main line R&C games, I was convinced my least favorite would either be the first game or the 2016 remake... HOWEVER:
Dreadlocked was appropriately dreadful to play. The side characters were all either completely forgettable or actively frustrating; the levels are banal, repetitive, and washed-out; the story is relentlessly downbeat and unpleasant but still has the occasional tone-killing joke; and any sense of exploration or puzzle-solving from the previous games is completely gone. The weapon selection is a big step down from the previous two games, and the only new weapon I particularly liked was the flail: I don't even remember the rest. The villain is just Chairman Drek without any of the charm or charisma. Ace Hardlight, the game's only potentially-interesting new character doesn't get enough screen time to leave an impression, and his actions don't always make sense in context. This is a really bad game.
True, the game still has R&C's trademark strong gameplay, even if it is watered down and unvaried compared to previous games. There were a few strong character moments, and I did count three funny moments (two were at the end). The gameplay is still adequate whenever the game isn't glitching or crashing. And, as stated previously, the flail is really fun to use. So, is all that enough for me to recommend this game? Oh, hell no.
Dreadlocked is the purest example of a bad Ratchet and Clank game: tone problems, no variety, taking itself too seriously, bad side-characters, and having no sense of wonder or fun. This game makes me feel bad that I complained about any of the games in the original trilogy: If there's one reason to be glad I played Dreadlocked, it made me appreciate those games more. Still, if that's the best thing I can say about Dreadlocked, then I have no problem calling it my least favorite in the series.
Dreadlocked was appropriately dreadful to play. The side characters were all either completely forgettable or actively frustrating; the levels are banal, repetitive, and washed-out; the story is relentlessly downbeat and unpleasant but still has the occasional tone-killing joke; and any sense of exploration or puzzle-solving from the previous games is completely gone. The weapon selection is a big step down from the previous two games, and the only new weapon I particularly liked was the flail: I don't even remember the rest. The villain is just Chairman Drek without any of the charm or charisma. Ace Hardlight, the game's only potentially-interesting new character doesn't get enough screen time to leave an impression, and his actions don't always make sense in context. This is a really bad game.
True, the game still has R&C's trademark strong gameplay, even if it is watered down and unvaried compared to previous games. There were a few strong character moments, and I did count three funny moments (two were at the end). The gameplay is still adequate whenever the game isn't glitching or crashing. And, as stated previously, the flail is really fun to use. So, is all that enough for me to recommend this game? Oh, hell no.
Dreadlocked is the purest example of a bad Ratchet and Clank game: tone problems, no variety, taking itself too seriously, bad side-characters, and having no sense of wonder or fun. This game makes me feel bad that I complained about any of the games in the original trilogy: If there's one reason to be glad I played Dreadlocked, it made me appreciate those games more. Still, if that's the best thing I can say about Dreadlocked, then I have no problem calling it my least favorite in the series.