[Impressions] Ratchet & Clank (2016)

The original Ratchet & Clank from 2002 was one of the first games I've played back on the PS2 era and, because of that, the series holds a special place in my heart. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to play the 2016 remake until now. What do I think of it? I think it is a great reimagining of both the story and the game's presentation. During the first few minutes of the game I could already tell the story was going to be different, though it took a couple of hours until the story fully embraced the deviation. For example, a couple of new characters were introduced right away such as the warbot Victor Von Ion or the fellow Galactic Rangers. Although there were new elements added to the plot, things like the planets you visit in the early hours and what you do there remains largely the same. It's around the middle of the 10 hour-campaign that things start to change both in plot points and the destinations you visit in your journey. On the presentation side of things, while the original looked good for it's time, the remake handles a movie-like quality and graphics throughout the whole adventure like a champ. There's not a single ugly frame in the game even when shooting a dozen of enemies at the same time. One thing that must be noted presentation-wise is the UI: it's simple and minimalist, occupying the least amount of screen space possible so you can focus on the environment and the gameplay. On the gameplay front, the game remains as good as it was if not better. The variety and creativity of the new and revised weapons makes the combat feel fluid and fun. Shooting through waves of enemies and jumping around to find the next collectable or reach your objective retains the fun and interest of "what's in that direction?". The revision to Clank's powers are also a good addition to how you can explore the planets, at least in the ones where the option is available. By managing your fuel, you can freely fly around the planets to find precious gold bots and trading cards. The first is used to unlock extras, which range from simple concept art to cosmetic content, such as changing the currency from bolts to rupees from The Legend of Zelda or changing the color of Ratchet's suit and spaceship. The cards are just another currency you collect in secret areas or by defeating enemies, and when you complete sets of three you unlock gameplay bonuses and weapon variants for Challenge Mode. Oh yeah, the game also includes a Challenge Mode which is its New Game+ mode. I can't speak much of that part since I haven't played it yet, but, as you expect, it's unlocked upon story completion. All in all, what we have here is another high-quality 3D platformer which I can easily recommend to anyone. In short, I think this is what the original game would've been if Insomniac had the hardware available at the time and chose this path for the story. And, even though the game is almost 2 years-old, it still feels like it could be released today and no one would bat an eye. Just one last thing, if you have a PS+ subscription, then you can get the game for free this month!

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