Without fumbling around the topic and causing you to hold you breath, it'd be good to start out with saying that the Ratchet & Clank trilogy in HD is worth a moment of anyone's time so long as they themselves are fans of the classic platformer/lock on shooter genre.
What's been done here hasn't quite been topped (only matched) in the past decade of gaming with Ratchet and Clank still leading the pack in platforming substance and quality and the same holds true to the upgraded visuals and menu interaction.
If you've played Ratchet and Clank before, then you'll know what to expect with this HD reiteration. The games themselves in terms of story, gameplay dynamics and so on have already be reviewed a dozen times before, so this review will be paying close attention to what's new instead of what isn't. So let's dive right in.
Visuals: First off, the games look gorgeous. From the first Ratchet & Clank, to Going Commando, to Up Your Arsenal, there's nothing here that's going to disappoint in terms of graphics. Sure, some of the rough textures and minute polygon details themselves may look a bit outdated, but that's to be expected. These are ten year old games after all. For what has been done to reimagine and polish up the old models and textures, it's been done right and for that there are no complaints.
Another noteworthy mention is the fact that the Up Your Arsenal online servers are still fully functional and up and running. If you were wondering if you'd be able to live out your PS2 glory days once again online, the answer is yes, even if the lackluster online community is more or less non-existent, you should still be able to find a few good games and relive that good old Ratchet and Clank feel.
For those specifically interested in single player only, you'll be happy to find that the campaign has been completely untouched and unaltered, letting nostalgia pave the way through consecutive playthroughs (which are highly encouraged by the games still addictive unlockables).
The platforming adventures of everyone's favorite alien marsupial and his witty robot sidekick are still a solid gem and worthy addition to anyone's collection, unless you already own the originals. Of course if you'd like to have both due to this edition coming with trophies and of course updated visuals, there's no harm in that either.
If there were anything worth complaining about when it comes to the Ratchet & Clank HD Collection it's that the gameplay might feel a bit outdated, but this is expected considered the time frame that we are looking at here. If you are unable to get over this minor hiccup, then you might miss out on one of the PS2's era's greatest achievements in modern platformers right alongside Jak and Daxter and even Crash Bandicoot.
Ratchet & Clank HD Collection comes equipped with the first three games in the series and will run you around $39.99 new. For what it's got, it's definitely worth the asking price.
For more reviews by Dalton, click here!
Comments