Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando

When first offered the chance to review a demo copy of Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, the RPGC Staff was rightfully hesitant. The first game had been marketed successfully and played as a true 3D Platformer. Fortunately for me, we decided to take Sony up on its offer. However, having never played the original, I can give no backdrop for story or setting or even compare the sequel to the original.

First off, it plays as a 3D Platformer. It has a few RPG elements in it. As more enemies are killed, Ratchet does gain experience until he finally gains another unit of health. In addition to that, as weapons are used more, they level up. Each weapon has two forms, the initial weapon and an upgraded, better version. For example, the Gravity Bomb levels up into a Mini Nuke, a bomb with a larger blast radius.

Graphics:

The graphics in R&C: GC are simply superb. The demo retains a cartoony feel without having to resort to cel-shading. I was startled by the use of bright colors as most games seem to shirk bright, exciting visuals in exchange for overly realistic models. However, the bright colors are not so over the top that they do not work; they are used in good proportions with the metallic backdrop. The enemies in the demo, ranging only from robotic dog like creatures to android spider people to lizard men, are all very creative in design. Ratchet himself moves fluidly with no sign of graphical hiccups.

Sound and Music:

In the demo, there is an unfortunate lack of music. Some could be heard, but it either wasn't loud or enough or inspiring enough to fit into the action oriented gameplay. The sound effects, however, were very appropriate. Each weapon had its own distinctive sound to go along with its function, and background noise could be used to determine if a creature was lurking out of sight around the corner. There was no voice acting available save for the announcer in the battle arena who, as would be expected, blurted out quips during fights depending on how you were doing. Surprisingly, I found myself wanting more announcer quips, a desire generally not found due to bad or annoying announcers.

Controls:

The controls were very responsive and easy to use as should be expected in what basically amounts to a 3D Platformer. Jumping could be performed at a moments notice, and weapon use could not be easier. The only problem with the controls can be switching between weapons while in heavy combat or even controlling the camera, but the mini-world levels are executed unexpectedly well. It's hard to find a game that can actually let you run over a true sphere and do it well. The racing mini-game sports superb handling, so there's no complaint with its controls at all.

Gameplay:

In the demo, three distinctive types of stages were found. One is a racing game. It plays well for a racing mini-game and possesses many race types, mostly just unlocking weapons for the racer to use in limited quantities (minigun, electric wave, bombs, and shield to protect the racer). Along the way, shortcuts can be found to try and get ahead of the rest of the pack as well as turbo boosts to, well, boost the speed of your racer.

A battle arena can be found in which additional bolts can be found to purchase newer and better weapons. Basically, it's just a bunch of mini-missions such as defeat 15 waves of monsters or a boss. This mode is ideal for leveling up weapons to their second form.

The third mode is the main adventure mode. You run around the stage completing various tasks such as reach a car to take you to another stage or unlock the battle arena. It can be challenging in some areas which is a welcome change. There's not much else to say as any 3D Platformer possesses basically the same standard mode.

Overall:

If R&C: GC plays just as the demo, it will be almost flawless. Almost. There are a few complaints, as noted in the camera and lack of music. There are a few glitches, the only notable one being that Battle Arena bosses don't always die when they're down to no health left. Aside from that, the demo plays very well.

~Megaman984