Ratchet & Clank
Overview -
2002 seems like a lifetime ago in the fast-changing world of electronic devices, media and digital entertainment. Fourteen years ago, there was no Facebook, no Twitter, no Steam, no Nintendo (3)DS, no PSP, etc. I can still vividly remember the year, though, for I turned 18 and I bought my first console with my own money - the still awesome Nintendo Gamecube. But fourteen years is a heck of a lot of time for a videogame in itself. And which games are rightly forgotten? Which games still hold up today? 'Ratchet & Clank,' perhaps?
Video Review
The playable areas are huge and drawn-out. The background and locations are lush and gorgeous. At times, I just stood there, idle, with Ratchet to take in the scenery. Little details and touching are right on the money, for example the flying devices in the background as far as the eye can see. Even if the phrase "living cartoon" has been overused in video game critiques, I'd like to use it once more. This is a living, breathing cartoon world that never ceased to amaze me. Quite stunning.
Audio Review
'Ratchet & Clank' features sound design of the highest order (such mastery, such class) and pretty excellent music. There’s dubbing in various languages, including my native Dutch (which I never got to hear, because the PS4 takes the language of the default settings, which is English on my console). Still, a nice treat. In the 90's, when I was a young lad with little to no grasp of the language of Shakespeare, I had to wade and muddle through reams of text in non-Dutch video games. How the times have changed, for the better.
Final Thoughts
This 'Ratchet and Clank' reboot/remake/reimaging/rewhatever is a must, even for vintage fans. The quality of the story and the writing has been amped up considerably, the levels received their own upgrade and feel fresh while retaining their old-time charm. The new cutscenes, straight from the accompanying movie, are gobsmackingly beautiful. This is a reboot done right. Recognizable, yet innovative. Well done, Insomniac! Recommended.