Ratchet: Deadlocked – PS2 – Review

Somehow it always comes
down to two of the gaming world’s most influential platform franchises and
almost always these two forces manage to produce great games that have gamers
wondering which one to buy.  This year, though, the Jak series has gone to the
races while the Ratchet series continues to bring us yet another helping of the
same platform gaming joy it established with Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando
and Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, sequels that introduced more elements
that helped shape the series into a fan favorite.  This brings us to Ratchet:
Deadlocked, a brand new addition to the series and one fans should not be
without.

 

At first glance not much
has changed from the first two sequels with, of course, the omission of Clank’s
name in the game’s title.  The reason for this is simple: this game is all about
Ratchet and because of it there’s a lot less jumping platforms and more blasting
away at enemies.  Sure you will miss the little guy, despite that he’s still
very much a presence in the game, but once you get a glance at the events that
befall Ratchet you won’t mind at all. 

 

 

The story begins with
Ratchet’s ship adrift and in need of repair when, abruptly, the ship is taken
over by thugs that have come for Ratchet.  These thugs, you see, work for a
shark-like media mogul who happens to be the creator of a gladiator-styled
reality game show called the DreadZone where the contestants are forced into
huge arenas for a deadly deathmatch.  Having seen the end of Captain Starshield
in one such battle, Ratchet is forced to take his place as a contestant as he
battles not only for his life but for top ranking.

 

Of course, Ratchet isn’t
the only contestant looking for fame and freedom, there’s exterminators like Ace
Hardlight who will make it tough on our favorite hero.  At the start of the
game, Ratchet goes through a qualifying match, reintroducing the game’s tight
controls and his ability to shoot or use his gun as a melee weapon.  It is here
that the game introduces a new element … partners.  You will have two Combat
Bots (who are also quite hilarious) that aide Ratchet during combat.  Ratchet
could later issue commands to them by way of the directional pad (regroup,
perform a task or toss a EMP grenade among other things).  You’ll also be able
to upgrade them with different skins, learn new abilities and purchase better
weapons for them.  They’re a nice addition to the series and are good at
providing much needed back up.

 

 

Like past Ratchet games
there’s platform jumping, although there’s less of that here thanks to the
absence of Clank.  The platform bits are still excellent, though, and aside from
doing the usual swinging and jumping from one platform to the next to avoid
falling into acid Ratchet also gets to pilot various different vehicles.  You’ll
be introduced early in the game to the Landstalker, a sort of mech with guns and
mortar fire.  You’ll later get to pilot hoverbikes, a hovership and (my personal
favorite) the Puma.  All of these things help spice up the game so there’s never
really a dull moment in this game.

 

The DreadZone events are
played by sectors and there are tournaments within these sectors that have their
own mini-game challenges (like the hoverbike race or the Landstalker destruction
derby).  Each locale not only has a contestant you must beat but there’s also
the environment you must deal with as well.  For example, one sector is the home
of a robot graveyard so Ratchet will not only have to battle his main opponent
and his group of support but also robotic zombie that rise from their graves. 
Each tournament has specific tasks you must complete so by the end the game not
only rewards you with points or mods (used to upgrade your own arsenal by way of
your friend Al) but you’ll also make a name for yourself on the Rank-O-Meter
leader board.

 

Deadlocked is a short
single player game, though.  It will seem a lot shorter to those who just want
to zip through the events without competing in the extra challenges this game
throws at you.   Yet the game’s best new qualities is its offline and online
multiplayer modes.  You can play a co-op game with a friend as well as playing
against up to four friends (using a PS2 Multitap).  Online the game runs at a
fairly smooth framerate with up to ten players playing through a Deathmatch,
King of the Hill, Capture the Flag, Juggernaut or Conquest.  With Conquest being
the most unique game mode of the lot, this is the reason you’ll be playing the
game again and again.

 

 

This is also a
good-looking game that, like past games, is filled with colorful backgrounds and
characters.  Ratchet sports new armor and it looks great in the game.  The cut
scenes are like a good animated series come to life and this is what makes the
game not only delightful but enjoyable to look at.  Even the visual effects are
quite dazzling, indeed.  Of course, there’s the game’s humorous scenes that
steal the show.

 

Aside from humor visuals,
the game’s voice acting is once again filled with funny dialogue that’s
performed just as excellently as the first three games in the series.  The
tournament matches have some commentary by a hammy male commentator and his
blood-thirsty co-anchor woman that is just over-the-top hilarious.  The rest of
the game is composed of stellar sound effects tossed in throughout the game. 
The game’s soundtrack is also well done and works well and changes with each
situation.

 

In the end Ratchet:
Deadlocked reminds us why the series remains to be the best platform game on the
PS2.  It might not be a great departure or offer anything uniquely different
from the past games, but it does all the same elements right and will not fail
to keep fans satisfied with is various game modes, humor and online and offline
multiplayer fun.  A Must Buy for any fan of the series or for those looking for
a brilliant platform game for their PS2. 

 


Review Scoring Details for R
atchet:
Deadlocked

 

Gameplay: 9.0
It’s Ratchet in a series of contests
that offer up a serving of platform goodness, vehicle-driving madness and loads
of action.  Our favorite hero still controls just as well as the series’ second
outing and now there’s robotic backup you can issue orders to when the going
gets rough. 

 

Graphics: 9.0
Wonderfully rendered environments
and characters make Deadlocked such a charming game that’s both colorful and
rich with detail.  The visual effects are still as snazzy as ever and the
animated cut scenes are still quite good.

 

Sound: 9.3
The voice acting is still top-notch
and filled with humorous dialogue throughout the game.  The sound effects are
plentiful so play this game with a good sound system.  As for the soundtrack its
gorgeous at times as well as comically cartoonish at some points (such as the
heavy metal riffs that play when you survive a DreadZone event).

 

Difficulty: Medium
Each even has its own difficulty
rating but the majority of the four star events are where the real challenge can
be found.  There are some Exterminators that are harder to defeat such as Ace
Hardlight.  The Vindicator Tournament will have you working hard just to
survive.

 

Concept: 8.9
It’s more Ratchet and less Clank in
this adventure that is somewhat short but sweet and filled with various types of
events.  The races are fun and use of vehicles break up the platform jumping
bits.  There are plenty of extras to unlock such as new skins for your character
and you can upgrade your Combat Bots.  The best addition the series introduced
was its online multiplayer and it’s back.

 

Multiplayer: 9.0
Online (using a Broadband
connection) or offline, the multiplayer modes are not plentiful but they’re good
enough to keep you busy.  You can play co-op with a friend and online you can
use a USB headset or keyboard to communicate with others online.

 

Overall: 8.8
Once again the Ratchet series proves
that too much of a good thing isn’t a bad thing and with more action, mini-games
and more multiplayer fun Ratchet: Deadlocked you can’t go wrong.  Delightfully
fun from start to finish, this is a game fans will love just as much as Going
Commando or Up Your Arsenal.  Buy it right away.