E3 2003: Ratchet & Clank 2 Hands-On

Full gameplay impressions from Insomniac's gorgeous Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando. New screens and vids included.

Well lookie what we have here, just a mere few months after the release of Insomniac's original Ratchet & Clank we're presented with a sequel. Such a thing isn't usually a good sign - it gives the impression that developers rushed a title just to cash in on it, without bothering to refine the gameplay. Fortunately the E3 build of Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando played pretty well and was sporting some pretty solid graphics and character designs to remove any initial fears about its quality.

The fact that the game was a bit on the well-polished-demo side indicates that the game has been in the development oven for quite some time, maybe while they were putting the finishing touches on the original and getting ready to release it. Or they probably started the sequel right after releasing the original.

Personally I haven't played much of the original R&C, so I approached this latest installment with peaked curiosity. Playable in the upstairs portion of Sony's booth, we took the game for a spin and found it to be quite a fun-looking and playing game with all sorts of cool weapon attacks, weapon upgrade system, and other gizmos.

As before, R&C2 is a 3D action-platformer set in a futuristic world where your character acquires hi-tech weapons and gadgets while exploring the 3D world and solving puzzles - as well as battling all types of enemies so that your fancy guns don't go to waste.

You'll explore 20 levels which are all "one and a half times bigger than the original" according to one of the 'reps' at the booth. Your weapons can be upgraded as you progress throughout the adventure. According to Sony, there will be over 18 weapons that can be obtained, most of which can be upgraded to perform even more devastating damage to any enemy characters dumb enough to want a closer look down the barrel of your gun. Unfortunately the weapons only have a single upgrade route, so once they're upgraded once, they can't be upgraded to another level.

Along with the cool weapon upgrade system, Going Commando contains a few new options that players of the original had on their wish lists. This time around you can take part in some optional games that reward your weapons and life bar will experience points. You take part in cool Arena battles and dish out some punishment on these giant mechanized beasts. Battling some of these giant behemoths is pretty fun as they'll keep you moving around almost non-stop while trying to get those well placed shots in. I've always loved battling giant bosses in games and Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando is certainly no exception in that area.

The graphics of the game appeared to be a bit similar in style to the original with its dark futuristic settings and backdrops, although so far I preferred the ones from the original. I liked the cool zapping effects from some of the souped up weapons and enjoyed the cool animations from some of the giant combatants in the arena. The framerate was also pretty solid and didn't dip at all while playing and blasting away at all the enemies on-screen.

The game looks good and plays just as well. And with all the cool features being stuffed into it to provide it with plenty of depth, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando should certainly thrill fans of the original and well as capture plenty of new fans.

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando should see a November release for both the U.S. and Europe. Stay tuned for lots of coverage in the meantime.

Joseph Jackson
Staff Writer, Kikizo Games