I know there are gamers out there who see this trend of HD rereleases of old games as just a money grab by the developers. I personally see it as a chance for younger gamers and older ones who just missed out to be able to play some of the great games of the time. Reasonably priced and gorgeous looking, how can you not grab 2 or 3 games for almost half the price of what some sell for now a days. For me, I love the Ratchet and Clank series but got into it way late. I only had the chance to play the first one before the PS3 ones came out. I tried finding the older ones but that became a little difficult. So when I heard the HD collection was coming out, I had to grab it and see what I missed. And I did miss out, because this is a great platforming series.
Ratchet and Clank revolve around a Lombax (bipedal cat like creature) and a robot pairing up Banjo Kazooie to usually save the galaxy or stop some evildoer from being a jerk. What is a simple concept is bombarded with clever humor, fun platforming, and awesomely creative guns. The HD collection includes the original Ratchet and Clank, Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando, and Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, all great games when released. But does the gameplay hold up over time. Absolutely! Insomniac, the developers, found a simplistic yet fun filled formula to creating great platforming. There are tons of secret areas throughout the series that will keep you coming back and replaying levels again and again to collect every secret, every golden bolt, and tons and tons of bolts to buy the awesome R.Y.N.O. (Rip Ya a New One), this series BFG.
Speaking of guns, this series sports some of the most creative and ingenious guns I’ve ever seen in video games. The first game has some creative guns but it’s in Going Commando where they find their groove in creating guns that we then see throughout the series. Throwing out a disco ball to make all the enemies dance and then turning them into chickens never gets old.
The stories themselves are good as well. Voice acting is top notch and the humor is spot on. Captain Quark is always bringing the laughs. These games hold up very well and in HD the look gorgeous. Running a smooth 60 fps, the action is smooth and crisp. There are a few issues with the HD upgrade though. In game looks superb, but the pre-rendered cut scenes definitely show there age. This issue is most apparent in the first game but by the third one it’s looking close to the first PS3 Ratchet and Clank. I have come across some slow down in frame rate when absolutely everything is exploding but it wasn’t that prevalent. And lastly, having three games that spanned across a few years on one disc can make repetition a problem at time. However these complaints are small and non-deal breakers.
Ratchet and Clank is a great series with over 10 years of games in its catalog. The HD remake is great both gameplay wise and in presentation. If you missed the boat during the Playstation 2 era, now is your chance to play these great games. Ratchet and Clank HD Collection gets a 4.5 out of 5.
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