my favorite Rachet and Clank innuendo title is actually one of the comic spinoffs that managed to be titled 'Multiple Organisms'. Nothing will ever top that.
Good call on the "Alister is what Ratchet could have been without Clanks influence" I think I heard somewhere that the devs had confirmed that was exactly what Alister was, a dark mirror to Ratchet's hard years of growth and learning.
Years? Boy was more or less pretty stand-up from the end of the first game. Hell, most of the first game too. He just got a little angry when his most trusted ally pushed him into a deathtrap even as he was audibly leery of it. Before then he was perfectly helpful.
A lot of that was for his own personal gain, though. He didn't start helping Clank because it was the right thing to do until much later in the game. He was a product of the galaxy he came from, cynical and in it for himself, and coupled with being alone and isolated. It took a fresh perspective from Clank to change that.
I wouldn't call pre-betrayal ratchet cynical. Oh he's a bit of a snarker sure, and he did, in fact, have his own dreams about exploring the galaxy, but his entire "gain" was just GO SOMEWHERE at the beginning. He doesn't care where. Save the galaxy? Sure. Sounds fun. That's the opposite of cynicism. That's textbook wide-eyed idealistic space explorer.
Alister was also a good foil for Orvus and vice versa. It's best shown in their parallel quotes, "The universe has a cruel/great sense of humor." Alister's regret and bitterness towards his past drove him to desperation and darkness, while Orvus kept thinking about the future, and was always positive even when things were bad.
Sometimes it's a childish game, sometimes it's a gem, sometimes it would be a gem if it didn't treat us like children. This series is a rollercoaster of respect.
@@MexicanGan-Q I dunno man, a large part of the reason I adored the PS2 games as a kid was because they didn't exactly treat me like a kid. They didn't have to baby me with spell-it-all-out exposition or assume I wouldn't get crass humour or wouldn't connect with a cynical protagonist or expect that I needed some melodramatic, grandiose story to be attached to the game. I agree that a kids game is allowed to be a kids game, but the originals were just as much kids games (well, teen rated but you get the point) and they didn't have to pander and simplify everything to do so and that's what I felt was missing to a degree from the PS3 era. And then there's the reboot, dear god the reboot.
Guys, let's be honest, the Ratchet and Clank game dosen't take themselves too serious most of time, not even the future trilogy (which is probably the most serious)
The og trilogy was mwah but I can see his scores kind of slip into what they are now all the way back in UYA focusing more on a more action game feel which was probably intended considering the game. I do cherish his deeper cuts though and think the first games ost compliments the feel of the original. Lots of underground influences that shine off brilliantly for its more cynical tone.
About Azimuth not seeing Ratchet as a hero from other galaxies or a TV star in Dreadzone, wouldn't it make sense that he never knew? I mean, Azimuth was in hiding on an isolated junk planet, after all. I could buy that we never knew if he was isolated from the rest of that galaxy, let alone the universe
Yeah, I could kind of see that... I wish they would explain it some way... I don't think this explanation makes sense either when we consider that Alister couldn't have been that isolated. He was searching for the Great Clock, wasn't he? Kinda requires that you poke your nose outside of that planet. And also, I would think he would have to receive the news that Tachyon was defeated. Did they even talk about how Ratchet did it? Either it should have been surprise for him that Tachyon is gone, or he should have searched for Ratchet after that.
The way the devs brought Solana and Bogon elements into the Future Saga with the museum and Thugs4Less was honestly terrible. It’s about as weird as they could have made it. Now I have to wonder to what extent they’re going to break things with Rift Apart.
@@OcteractSG I’m gonna be honest, I checked out of this series shortly after A Crack in Time came out, and I’ve only become more and more apathetic about the series ever since Gaming Brit’s videos started coming out about 2 years ago. I can’t say I really care that much anymore tbh
But even then there’s a limit to that suspension of disbelief. Alister had a working ship and was known in his sector as a rebel Lombax by Vorselon, that Terachnoid in Axiom City knew Azimuth as well and Axiom city looked like a high tech place. It’d be weird that he didn’t hear about the Lombax who beat Tachyon in Polaris or something that I’m sure the news would have covered. Even if he didn’t hear or watch Dreadzone.
8:51 "...but it still feels too isolated from the core combat to really mix up the experience substantially." Seems like a running theme with this series's problems.
+Carl Bloke The problem is that the original ps2 games improved the combat substantially: R&C 2 added upgradeable weapons, R&C 3 added even more levels before the "special level that changes the weapon's mechanics" and Dreadlocked/Gladiator scrapped all the excess weapons in favor of "one weapon of a kind, 10 levels, and a lot of customization". At this point you'd expect combat to be one ofthe main focus of the games. Everything else has to tie in smoothly or else it feels detached, artificial, and you get this moment where you raise your eyebrow as you suddenly disconnect from the immersion.
You have definitely become one of my favourite RUclips game critics over the past year. You tend to go against the grain more often than not, but it never feels like you're being edgy, rather you always come off as genuine and that separates you from lots of critics who more or less recycle the same talking points. I don't go to in depth critique videos to have someone validate my opinion, I come here to gain more perspective and hear OTHER and NEW viewpoints. And for that you never disappoint.
Ratchet & Clank : A Crack In Time in one of my favourite games and still, I enjoyed this video. Your style of tackling issues and subjects in a video game is so efficient and open-minded. That is why I'll keep watching your videos.
I love Crack in Time from a gemplay standpoint. It's a favourite of mine. Heck, whenever a new Ratchet comes out, including Nexus and 2016, I tend to buy it on release and consume it inside that first week. It's rare for games to grab me like that. That said, I absolutely get where you're coming from. From the PS3 onwards the games become a little more stereotypical, they verge on summer blockbuster and that definitely causes the series to sacrifice a lot of its charm and identity. I suspect there's a senior project manager or ten obsessed with focus testing and tracking Disney Pixar tropes that are designing by committee and over-riding the actual creatives. It might actually be interesting to look into who left and joined the team and when. See if there's an old guard and new guard and whether those changes in staff correlate with the change in approach.
SJ Webster I need to replace my old PS3 to a PS3 Slim. It only has 40 GB and no Backwards Capability, making it the weakest PS3 model, if there aren’t any PS3 20 GB. Plus it’s really loud. The Ratchet and Clank Series never disappoints me. The gameplay is the same, but never boring because there are lots of weapons and replay value. But I need a new PS3 to really enjoy games.
@@carlbloke8797 There's a commentor from TheGamingBritShow's Ratchet and Clank 2016's video who said he was one of the programmers of the OG game, hope that helps a bit.
I like Dr. Nefarious as a character on his own, design and personality wise, but I'm realizing that he does kind of stick out in terms of the rest of the the series. Call me crazy but I actually think Courtney Gears could have made a pretty good main villain on her own. Hear me out, I know the series has already touched on the whole "celebrity idolization" aspect with quark but I think Courtney could have taken it in a different enough direction. She was manufactured, built from the ground up to be a worshiped celebrity, the game even takes a few jabs at how she doesn't have any real talent of her own, that she's only where she is because she was designed to be that way from the very beginning. I feel like that concept has enough meat to be "main villain" material for a cartoon animal action platformer video game, as well as enough satire potential. I'm pretty sure that was the whole idea of the character in the first place, but I fell like they could have gone farther with it. It could work well as a parallel for how most child stars turn out. Being engulfed by that whole Hollywood, celebrity culture from such an early age, the time that basically ends us shaping and molding your outlook on the rest of your life, can be potentially damaging. A machine designed for the most vapid reasons possible, with only one goal in mind... to move up in the world. It could be fun maybe even a little sad to see her own limited reality crumble around when she feels humiliated and defeated by the heroes. Or maybe she does work better as a minor joke villain, idk.
That would be so cool and I see where you're coming from. Courtney Gears could've been made into a side villain. Like maybe she wants to make a comeback after her career went down in shambles. She could've had a malfunction that caused her to have a bit of a freakout (parallel that to what happened to Britney Spears circa 2005) and then trying to make a music comeback or hey, she could try a new career like acting or something lol
Tbh Ratchet and Clank had really good villians throughout the serious. Drek..... Crazed Quark & those pets... Courtney Gears........... Dr. Nefarious & Lawerence.... All the opponents who stood out in Deadlocked...... The host of Deadlocked...... Otto & Luna..... (Size Matters) Klunk from Secret Agent Clank.... Ratchet and the Warden. (From when he was framed and jailed) Then ya got Taychaan and tehe cragmites....(best villain with a backstory connected to Ratchet) Cant forget the Pirate too (Think hs name is Captain Slag) Then he comes back or his henchman do from TOD into Quest for Booty........ The monster and prisoner from into the Nexud..(Kinda lame) Last but definitely not least........ Allister and a rebooted Dr. Nefarious. (The guy who they defeated and actuallly made them heroes for taking him out) Theres also plenty of side villains.... Like the Thug 4 Less and Ratchet clones........
Oh, I like that. Maybe her plan would involve a weaponised music device that hypnotized people. And after her defeat, the technology fell into the hands of Gadgetron/Grummelnet who used it to create the Groovitron. A little background world building.
Reason why music in CiT mostly was well pretty meh, is because QfB was last game with David Bergeaud as composer. Bergeaud was composer since first game.
Salchow's music is nice to listen to on its own, but the lack of intense layering is empty compared to the other games. Metal Future (Groovitron track) was my favorite track from CiT because it had some of that layering.
I think I like this design for Ratchet best overall. The games after this have made him look more cutesy IMO. Also, I find it odd that they introduced Talwyn in the Future saga only to leave her out of the final entry in that saga. I kinda liked Talwyn and wanted her arc to finish.
Dzzy123 Well there's technically Enter the Nexus that acts somewhat of an epilogue for the future series and she shows up there. Can't say if her story arc was finished but I can say it's a decent self-contained story overall.
MexicanJesus Like I said. It was decent in my eyes but could have been better, mostly on the character focus part. Yeah, she could have been given more to do. Instead of being a catalyst for 'drama'.
I would've liked Ratchet's design in this game if he didn't have those toothpick legs. Facially, he looked great and it's easily his best face out of all the games (imo) but his body just looked so jarring with those toothpicks. Like with all the running and jumping he does, he should be "thicc" down there by this time in the game whereas with the legs he had in this game, it looks like they'd snap the moment he landed a high jump. But yeah, I really didn't like where they went with his design in All 4 One and Full Frontal Assault. I was mixed with Nexus and I actually did find his 2016 reboot design adorable, too much so that I couldn't hate it lol And I agree. It was supposed to be implied that Talwyn was Ratchet's girlfriend (I think?) so the fact they left her out was just awful. She deserved to be there for the ending. It was already bad enough when we got this treatment with Angela and Sasha.
The hoverboots were such a huge step forward for me, they just feel so smooth and seamless, and yeah it'd be cool to be able to shoot at the same time (something I'd have looked forward to in a sequel, if not for Into the Nexus), but they're so lightweight and easy to use and satisfying, along with the ease of use of the wrench in this game, its almost hard for me to go back to other Ratchet and Clank games' movement systems, sometimes. Too bad Nexus severely limited and gutted their viability, essentially ruining what was easily the best new mechanic in the Future Series, for me.
Honestly feels like they can't get the hoverboots right at all after this game. No matter which one it was, both full frontal and into the nexus just made them very rigid for some bizarre reason and they never felt as good to mess around with after this game.
It's because they removed the afterburner. FFA and ITN lock the Hoverboots at one speed that you instantly transition into and they are only used for moving faster.
I have to disagree here - while the hoverboots work brilliantly for some of the platforming challenges and the obstacle course from their introduction - they feel a bit too sluggish and stiff when jumping on the ground or accurately trying to manoeuvre in smallish areas (which are common in the linear levels), its especially bad when your hoverboots hit a ledge from straight on and Ratchet won't ledge grab as a result, it feels terrible and like a down-grade in every way. Into the Nexus, by contrast - allows more controlled mobility and a more fluid use. Shooting off a hoverboot ramp, then transitioning into a hover with the jetpack or the helipack for a boosted stretch jump just feels great. I can also turn the camera away if I want and still control them effectively.
Agreed. The hoverboots had to be one of the best inclusions into the series. They're tricky at first but when you get used to them, you just don't want to turn them off lol Great sense of movement speed and versatile with turning, it was a win/win.
Plus, I think if A Crack in Time were to be the final game of the franchise, Nefarious being one of the final bosses is a good move seeing how he represents the wacky high jinks of the PS2 era whereas Azimuth definitely represents the more cerebral tones of the PS3 titles. With Nefarious’s references to prior events (mentions his Biobliterator, Courtney Gears, etc.) tying it together in an adequate way IMO.
I'm impressed with your viewpoints of R&C, most fans I know tend to be more easy on the games that brought them so much joy, you however have this tenacity to push for more. I also hope to learn more from your experience with these Ratchet games along with other longstanding franchises, I've grown to enjoy listening to the opinions of individuals rather than streamlined reviews that are cranked out by folks I don't really understand.
Anyone else remember how they mentioned Angela on the radio? SO MUCH FOR RATCHET BEING THE ONLY LOMBAX AROUND HUH?? Seriously, just have her be around and stop with the Girl of the Game stuff they did for a while. Just let them be happy damn it.
A lot of the series's lore issues could have been avoided if Insomniac hadn't been so wishy-washy with Angela. Could've killed her off-screen or confirmed she was never a Lombax. Not like Ratchet seemed to see her as one.
Nefarious’s plan wasn’t to make a universe where every villain wins... He want’s to reverse time and make up every mistake he has done.. including losing to the duo in UYA... so it has something to do with turning squishes into robots.
Well if he did go back in time and fix all his mistakes, he would infact create a universe where ratchet and clank always lose, which is what he's referring to. He's basically projecting a god complex at being able to control time at that point. His immediate motive is to get revenge on R&C. I mean, the entire character is a cliche of comic book villains so him having a cheesey motive for what he's doing isn't really that out of place. His racism motive didn't even make sense in UYA either and it's never addressed as to why he hates organics when he technically was one.
@@Skitskl33 The explanation given in the game is Qwark bullied him in their biology class, so he always hated biology and this would later become associated with his preference for robots over other organics culminating in him turning into one. Cliche or not, the problem is unlike well-written Antagonists like Drek, Vox, Ace, and Azimuth, his character doesn’t tie into the narrative of the games well.
Into the Nexus was disappointing. Full Frontal Assault at least tried something new, despite how underwhelming it was. Why would anyone play Ratchet & Clank: Ground Zeroes at this point?
The only bad part of QfB were the pirates, which I already grew to hate from Tools. The rest was a really nice distraction and I had some semblances of R&C1gasms for whatever's worth.
Ratchet and Clank A Crack in Time - 2009 "Female Lombaxes Don't Have tails" Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart - 2021 RIVET - a female Lombax with a tail Come on Insomniac, is there no Ratchet and Clank expert in your staff to check your own series continuity, you guys are worse than D&D from Game of Thrones(not really though)
I just realized, this series could have the DMC5 revival. With the reboot being praised by critic but hated by fans, and years later a sequal to this universe is announced. Is it naive optomism? Maybe
No matter what anyone says, A Crack in Time will remain the best Ratchet & Clank game I've played. The dynamic and exquisite storytelling, unique and new gameplay dynamics, and a story in which real stakes are placed really just resonates with me. There's not another Ratchet & Clank game I'll ever play like it.
Thank you for mentioning the forgotten gem that is Sheep, Dog n' Wolf on the PSOne! You gave me another good reason as to why you are one of my favourite game critics on RUclips!
A crack in time is my favorite one just because of the epic feeling the story and the scenario gave me while playing. Moreover there were so much awesome ideas in it... And i loved the space radio :D
Coming back to this video years later, it is funny they say female lombax’s do not have tales yet in Rift Apart, the new game that will soon be coming out at the time of this comment, the new character Rivet has tale. God, the Lombax lore cannot stay consistent in this series lol it is about as consistent as Ratchets love life 🤣
the Future series definitely extended to what i hate about the remake and where the tone of the series is now, but it was still cool to see a continued plot move forward across multiple games, and it was appropriate to have it dwell in both Ratchet and Clank's pasts, as the original games didn't do that. They don't live up to the PS2 era of the series, but still are fun full fledged Ratchet and Clank games to me
Just going to type up some thoughts as I go. So this comment will be edited. - I hate the whole “what a coincidence” argument whenever it is brought up in reference to the new histories of the characters. First, Ratchet being the last Lombax doesn’t change his status as a nobody who came from a backwater planet. It’s not like he has some prophecy associated with him or something. Second, Orvus sent Clank to where he was needed most, to experience the world before he was needed as a new caretaker. Orvus creating him makes more sense at least than a “defect” looking like an entirely different robot from the rest of the warbots on the assembly line. And three, the defective warbot meeting with someone who needs a robotic ignition system was already “convenient” in the first place. - I don’t get your point about Nefarious. He’s always been a hammy villain, that’s why people love him. And his plan (which by the way, would include ensuring he succeeds in the third game) is not the main focus at all. That’s why he’s not the final boss, because the developers knew that his conflict wasn’t the main one. Nefarious existed in this game to act as the villain while the tensions rose between Ratchet and Allister, and to make it more shocking when Allister becomes the villain when you thought the game was over. Also, Nefarious does comment on Clank being a sidekick to Ratchet (another callback to the third game) which ties into the main story of this game with Clank having to choose between the life he was made for and the life he made himself. - In your part about the level design and concepts, you seem to be forgetting a few things. First of all, the majority of Ratchet’s levels, even early-game, involve time to some extent. Whether it be navigating a platforming challenge that constantly moves forwards and backwards in time, or playing through a level entirely set in the past which culminates in you giving Nefarious an injury that suddenly afflicts him in the future. And second, I don’t even know what you’re trying to say with the Clank stuff. You say that the time puzzles are cool, while the combat and planet fixing are not. And you say that it would be better if the time puzzles were the focus. Well...they were! Clank’s main gameplay is the time puzzle mechanic. The combat and planet fixing are superfluous actions that serve to break up the main gameplay style, the time puzzles. I don’t understand why you’re saying those *aren’t* the focus. - I don’t think Qwark stands out as out of place. Yes, the overarching story of this game is serious, but there is still plenty of humor wrapped up with the package. To go back to my Nefarious point, the writers of this game clearly saw the potential issues with including Qwark in a serious story, because, notice, Qwark is not present in any of the actual serious story beats. Qwark is regulated almost entirely to the Nefarious storyline, and it is a good choice, as those two have history. Qwark’s big moment comes right before the fight with Nefarious, and then he isn’t mentioned again until the credits. If Qwark were maybe shown gasping comedically when Ratchet died, I might’ve agreed with you. But I think the handling of Qwark in the storyline is more of an indication of the writers knowing what they’re doing rather than desperately trying to mash a comedic character into a serious story. - The 2016 reboot is as much an insult to the future series as it is the classic games. And I think you saying that the reboot is the culmination of what the future series tried shows a fundamental refusal to look at the future games fully. The reboot did not try to tell anywhere near a complex story, and the only thing it shares with the future series is some weapon selection. Aaaaaand I’m done with the video.
Chaos Xeloc I didn’t like the video, no. Why? Because of all the criticisms I listed. Assume that any complaint I didn’t directly go against is something I either agree with or didn’t feel the need to comment on.
well i disagree with some things you said -Ratchet being the last of his race doesn't take away any of his accomplishments away from him, but revealing in ToD how innovative the Lombaxes were and how they stopped an evil race, and how that was something they were known for, to me it felt like, by mentioning his entire race like that, his acomplishments were credited to his genes rather than his adventures with clank and how those changed him. And Clank being put there by Orvus himself is a nice theory, but it isn't mentioned at all that that was orvus's plan. You just say it could have been. -earlier levels do include mechanics that play with time, though those sections are simple, some platforming and stuff, nothing out of the ordinary, it simply looks different thought it is not.around halfway through the game you do go back in time and injure Nefarious, which is what TGB mentionts, but those include ratchets actions in the past making a difference in the present, seeing the same level under two different conditions, was simply something new. but that is just my opinion.
I think Ratchet lost it's edge with the 3rd game. Despite being considered the best in the series by many fans, I felt this is when it began to become the thing it was making fun of
Agreed, in fact I think the third game is where the "consumerism-criticism" of the first two games was basically dropped almost completely. I actually think that 3 is very weak in terms of every single facet of story-telling and gameplay, when compared to either the first two games, or the future saga (I'm not counting the unimportant smaller games like quest for booty, into the nexus, etc...) In terms of gameplay, it's basically the same as the second game, but much more linear. It also has the objectively worst weapon in the entire series, the holoshield glove, a weapon that serves absolutely no purpose, given that you get the superior shield charger later on, is a complete shit-show to level up, bogs down the player to a single spot, almost instantly vanishes, and prevents the player from shooting the enemy to begin with. It basically reduces the player to a sitting duck, which also means you WILL get hit, as there is no indication when the shield will dissapear, guaranteeing getting hit in a split second after it's removal. So freaking useless. I like that the game adds customizable options for the spaceship, but it's limited to cosmetics only. Still, that's better than absolutely nothing at all, which was the case for ToD and aCiT. Other than that, the story is just ridiculous. Dr: Nefarious has this cliché insane evil plan that serves no purpose for the greater world-building of the series. He's just "a" villain, nothing more. A funny one, with a great sarcastic sidekick (whose motives for supporting nefarious are strangely vague and a little contradictory), but not one serving a purpose for the characters. (This was also a problem in the second game, which in my opinion in fact has the weakest "villain" and final bossfight of all the games.) I would have much preferred if aCiT didn't re-use Nefarious at all, he's basically comic relief and nothing more.
@tailz with a z, Ratchet lost it's edge in the 3rd game? It's the contrary actually, it only got more edgier with the grittier tone, even more adult humour and the cursin', it was pushin' boundaries further, how do you think that came of Deadlocked? I think you might be lost, the Sonic videos are the other way.
16:37: Into the Nexus wasn’t an experimental title. It’s the epilogue to the future series. Sure, it’s small but not as small as Quest for Booty and the gameplay is mostly the same. It does take a nosedive in terms of storytelling, but it’s mediocre enough to qualify as a part of the future series. Your next review could be centred on it. Also, please try to review the PSP titles, especially Secret Agent Clank. It isn’t great but at least it tried to do something different.
Here's the thing: he didn't skip Quest for Booty. In the spirit of the game being so short, Charlie's criticism on that was so brief you probably missed the entire video.
Someone should make an awesone Ratchet and Clank fan-game like AM2R. I think fans like yourself with great writing and clear passion would be able to make a game that felt "more like a real Ratchet and Clank game" than the latest R&C titles. It'd have to be hidden from Sony, though... >_
Hey Congrats on the 100K Subscribers dude! You've become one of my favorite youtuber that i watch religiously, keep on posting quality contents! Love ya!
I was really lost story wise when I played this game, but the game does to an alright job filling you in. Up until crack in time I had only played the PS2 games so it was a weird tonal shift for me. I still quite like it for more nostalgic reasons tho
Just when I sit there going "Hmm, I really need something to watch that's fun to just listen to even", you're always ready to deliver what I need lately. Loving this video schedule!
One thing that's always confused me is why Azimuth and Ratchet just ask Clank to get Sigmund to just synthesize a time portal on Fastoon. WHY HASN'T THIS BEEN TALKED ABOUT?
Even though I agree that the main series had a lot of problems after Deadlocked I still enjoy playing the games. I played through the original through to Into the Nexus earlier this year and I enjoyed them all just about equally. The games each have an individual charm to them that keeps me coming back, whether it’s the fun and more smoothened gameplay of the future series or the satirical comedic plot of the originals that compliments the actual gameplay I still enjoy all the games, even if some of them have some dodgy stories.
lmfao that music section was so painful to listen to, i even remember being disappointed with crack in time’s music as a kid. r&c 1’s soundtrack is such a masterpiece man
kinda surprised you didn't bring up the plot point of alister being "oh hey let's totally trust this obviously-evil dude from the very same obviously evil alien race with our technology even though ratchet's father said we shouldn't" which pretty much sparked the whole reasons why the lombaxes are pretty much gone now
I've always assumed Ratchet just didn't know what a female Lombax would look like. I mean, Angela doesn't have a tail, she's TWICE his height and she's much clumsier than he is- to an almost genetic degree.
@Ruthless Attitude Entertainment I honestly don't see how he would see that. Why wouldn't he assume the female of his species would look remotely similar to him? Literally the only similarity is the fur pattern and colour
I have to say, Crack in Time was my entry point to the Ratchet and Clank games, and is still my favorite game in the series. I went into this video wanting to disagree, but you bring up some valid points. Left a like.
I'm very curious to see you do maybe a video on Into the Nexus, since that dialed back the whole "saviors of the universe" and went more into the series old humor, even discussing its relatively short length and the new clank sections.
This is my personal favourite ratchet game, however I think you’re spot on with these criticisms. The story is probably my favourite of the franchise, the aesthetics are very appealing, this game has my personal favourite line up of weapons and the gameplay and control is as great as it always has been. I probably feel this way because this was my first ratchet game, however after playing almost every ratchet game released as of now, I still adore this game. Really enjoying this small series you’re doing, can’t wait for the video on into the nexus ^-^
I know. It always made me mad how Super Mario Galaxy got a lot of praise for its rotating planets when Ratchet & Clank has been doing that since Going Commando.
I know you said you were gonna do a retrospect on the jak series but wat about sly cooper. Mostly im talking about thieves in time. I feel it got treated just like the reboot of ratchet and clank with dumbing down the story for little kids.
all sly cooper thieves in time really needed was a heavy rewrite of the plot so you got to know more about the villains plan and back story across the worlds, and build up the black knights story
I will lose my shit if he does a video on Jak and Daxter. It just be too good to be true. The precursor legacy is my favorite video game of all time and the trilogy as a whole is among my top 3 trilogies of all time.
I think all of this was a fair assessment of the game, I especially liked how you hammered in the whole Angela Cross mess. I seriously don't understand why they didn't just bring her back. What do the creators have against Angela? She was a fan favorite and considering the game got into the lore of the Lombaxes, this would've been the perfect time to bring her back and regroup with Ratchet and meet Alister as well. Aside from that, the game really was a mixed bag. The story was trying to be bigger than it should've been. I too don't like how they complicated Clank's whole being making him become some magical entity. Like no? Why couldn't he just have been a simple robot who was defected who turned into a hero? It's much more interesting than him being relegated to somewhat of a messiah and losing his uniqueness as a character in the process.. Even when I first played the game, this "revelation" still irked me and I wished they hadn't had gone that direction. I didn't mind Nefarious coming back for the game as I liked seeing him interact with the Valkyries but I definitely do see where you're coming from. He was no where near as dynamic or threatening like he was in Up Your Arsenal and it felt like he was stuck in just for fan-service because tonally, there was no reason for him to be in this particular game. And man, so agree on the music. It's not that the music is bad but it's just SO GENERIC AND BASIC sounding. Had the original 4 games didn't have such stylized, memorable music, I wouldn't be bothered by this but that's just not the case and while the radio songs were fun, they only make up like 2/5 of the soundtrack. I seriously hope that if we get any other R&C games, they go back to the way they used to compose music making it sound more dynamic and stylized as opposed to generic atmospheric scores that are in so many games these days. And while I'm on the presentation side of things, while I love the way Ratchet's face was rendered in this game, I really didn't like how they rendered his bodily anatomy with those toothpick thin legs. I mean damn, with all the running and platforming he does, he should be THICC by now LOL But no seriously, it was just such a jarring look and I would've preferred they kept some mass on him like he had in Tools of Destruction. I get they wanted to make him more cartoony looking and they succeeded but it's just not a look I personally was into. Gameplay-wise, it's been awhile since I've played but I remember being quite engaged with it. The hoverboots were a little tricky at first but when you get used to them, they are quite fun but that's just my opinion of course. I plan on reviewing this game someday soon so I'll probably talk more about it then. Anyway. Despite the mixed bag this game was when it came to the inner workings, I still feel like it's one of the best R&C games ever made. It had a crap ton of content to keep the player busy, stunning visuals (even if some of them looked a bit distracting or jarring at times), and while the story had a few hiccups, it was still just as engaging as any other game. That said, I do respect your opinion and I enjoyed this video a lot. Nicely done :D
Let’s face it, you can’t have and “anti commercialism” plot when you’re a company trying to turn a somewhat cute and funny first party character into a potential mascot. If you haven’t noticed in more recent kids movies, how they try to shy away from big evil corporation villain to just the one ceo type bad guy. “See Ratchet fans! Companies aren’t evil oligarchs jacking up prices. We provide things! Please buy our shit.” I can’t help but think this more epic Ratchet series was both trying to make him more marketable like Mario or Sonic and trying to steer the series away from poking fun at commercialism because Sony said so.
I don't like that they changed the look of the characters between PS2 and PS3. Ratchet got pointier nose and bigger cheeks, I think they also shrunk his head, eyes, hands and feet to be more proportional. They made him "cuter" and I hate it. Also Quarks f*cking nose... He's not supposed to have a nose, that's what I always thought while playing the originals, he just looks weird with one. And what's up with all characters being shiny.. I also don't like that characters that should have empty glowing eyes suddenly got "human" eyes with irises and pupils, like Drek in the reboot.
I want insomniac to see your videos so badly. You have pointed out literally every flaw since 2005, from the un Necessary humor, that is just the worst, to the played out unfunny Zurkon dialogue , the obscene amount of people talking as you play the game, the bland soundtrack, all of that. The only thing I partially disagree on is that I love the armors you get through out the game (except the god awful armor in the 2016 reboot) I just wish all the previous armors were available as skins. I really do hope that insomniac games makes the next game decent.
The composer for R&C is David Bergeaud, from the first game to Quest for Booty. Boris Salchow, the guy who did Crack In Time's OST, doesn't really have a resume of games that have good soundtracks.
It's sad because it's like Boris Salchow's compositions are bad or anything but he had tough shoes to fill for David Bergeaud as he composed some of the best music the game had and unfortunately, Boris' compositions lacked the memorability that David's work on the games had.
I personally would still say that this game is my favorite game of the series with Tools as my 2nd favorite but there were so many things you've included in these videos that have had a really huge impact on my view of the series. I honestly hope you'll one day make another hour long video on this series again because the one you made on the reboot had a bunch of opinions and points that I would easily agree on!
The massive coincidence of Clank meeting Ratchet has a small argument to it 'cause of the whole 'keeps time together' thing of the Clock. Presumably, if it could make a stable Wormhole to the past, it would be able to view the future. And since Orvus chose where Clank was to be built after he was born (it's complicated), he put Clank in the place where he would get the most help on his journey back to the Clock.
I know it's a year later but hell, I just finally saw this video. I agree, this is how I've always viewed it. It could still be seen as a detraction, but I honestly don't mind it. I think it's a neat idea, and way worse things happen in sci-fi/fantasy storylines.
@@the_leftbehind2414 Same. Something I think a lot of people make the mistake of is believing that Ratchet is some sort of chosen one and that Clank's soul being a Zoni ruins the idea of him being a noble defect of Drek's robots. However, all it really does is offer explainations, whether they be concrete or implied. Ratchet wasn't chosen for anything. His dad just pulled a Jor-El to save his son when they couldn't get through the dimensional portal and as far away from Tacyon as possible. Everytime a door opens is because of his heritage, as any other Lombax could access their secrets. However, Ratchet is one of the few Lombaxes left in his dimension and the only one actively looking into his past. Meanwhile, the only thing that changes Clank's beginning by having the soul of a Zoni is that it offer an explanation of his construction. It's possible that the Zoni soul modified the conveyer belt to produce a robotic zoni, hence Clank different design from the machines of war.
The problem I have with this games plot was that Alaster was so ham fisted for this "gritty I'll do whatever it takes" guy that after LITERALLY THE FIRST HALF A LEVEL with him, I had the entire plot of what would happen and how so it lost alot of the punch.
You forgot to note that ACiT also lacks enemy variety. there are like only 4 enemy races throughout the whole game while in Going Commando there is at least one new species in every planet
About the reboot game I will say let's all agree it's not cannon and move on. As for the Tools and Crack in Time I feel that all the story plot holes could easily be filled with clever origin stories for Ratchet and Clank's parents. I would love to pitch a story idea to Insomniac studios about a great inventor working for a mighty corporation forced to resign his position and travel the universe as a freelance trader or mercenary. Meeting different races and building inventions that helped make their lives easier on harsh and unforgiving planets; even being commissioned by Orvis to help build the Great Clock. This traveler would then find himself witnessing the destruction of Fastoon and coming to the Lombax's aid only to be too late. He would escape from the doomed planet with only two Lombax children at his side, a little girl named Angela as well as a little baby boy without a name. The traveler would decide to take the children far beyond Tachyon's reach and raise them in safety naming the young boy Ratchet. However danger would find them years later as the planet they would live upon came under siege forcing the traveler to separate his children and send them to places unknown as he stays behind to end this threat once and for all. Angela would be sent to the Gadgetron corporation while Ratchet, as still a young boy, would be sent to Veldin to be taken in by old friends of the traveler. Satisfied with wiping clean any trace of clues leading to the locations of the two Lombaxes as well as the forces sent by Tachyon, the traveler would sit upon the ground staring into the setting suns... as the planet is destroyed around him. Now wouldn't that be a great backdrop into a new Ratchet and Clank video game?
Great critique; loved how you didn't just point out stuff that was "bad" but made suggestions on how to fully explore the game's potential. Though, A Crack in Time will likely always remain my favorite entry, with Going Commando and Deadlocked not too far behind.
Crack in Time was my favorite in the entire series basically because of all the positives aspects you highlighted. Those optional spheroid segments and Clanks time puzzles were a delight. It also cant be said enough how the hover boots and ratchet throwing improved the flow of moving around. Two things i cant believe you didnt mention though was the amazing deep space jazz radio stations when talking about the music and the Japanese delinquent costume
I actually quite liked a crack in time but there was always something off about it compared to the originals. The gameplay seemed fun so i didnt understand it until i saw these two videos. The gameplay itself was fine, it was the narrative and theme that had changed.
Lot of food for thought in this video. I enjoyed the Future games, but you have made some great points about what the games used to be like and how they've lost some of that charm. Keep up the great work!
You know, with the whole "Clank is actually a time lord created by a god thing," you actually could explain the improbability of him also just happening to meet the "chosen one last of his race." Perhaps Orvus intentionally created and guided Clank to escape the robot factory and crash on Veldin? It's still a retcon when you factor in the original trilogy, but not impossible I feel.
it is truly sad how the focus of game design nowadays shifts so much towards the boring ambience noises and totally generic cinema marvel bullsh** music, sucking all the character out of games.
fun fact the time anomalies are on the planets ratchet visits.. and going there actually lets you get gold bolts you couldn't before after clank fixes the anomalies.
@3:40 I don't see how Dr. Nefarious became/is the fan favourite villan, every scene he is in is cringe. Chairman Drek felt like he was legitimate threat and competent (OG game), while Dr. Nefarious is the stereotypical bumbling villain trope from kid's TV shows. Plus a bunch of over the top screaming and comedic silliness aimed at the 10 years old and under group. If they could have retconned or forgotten anybody, he would have been the best choice.
I like Nefarious in 3 but I personally think Drek and the guy from deadlocked are probably the best villains in the series, Nefarious was really only good in 3 and ACIT after that he became a joke and really bland, it’s sad to see in Rift Apart they made him even worse in the trailer, god that game looks horrible.
Seeing The Drek Bossight Segment From The Original Game Again Hurts My Soul... GODDAMN YOU INSOMNIAC YOU CANT JUST TAKE DREK AWAY AND REPLACE HIM WITH A NEFFY BOSSFIGHT (Also triggered because in R&C 3 Lore, NEFFY should have been a robot by this point in the reboot)
"Why do you have a double-wrench? Is that like a lombax thing?" Well, think about it. Weren't lombaxes master-mechanics? Heck even Ratchet used his wrench to help build things in the PS2 games. But that's really all I have to say.
Yeah the point of the original games was that his wrench was just a tool he used regularly for his mechanic duties. He used it as a weapon because, well, it's a big club/mace, why not? That just gives Ratchet more character as a guy who improvises his weaponry, and gets by with junk, tools and laborer-style equipment. With the future saga, they wanted to make it seem as if the "wrench-shape" was part of Lombax culture. Which....is weird...but ok. The question then is: how exactly did Ratchet grow attached to his "wrench"? Was that just a collosal cosmic co-incidence? Was his wrench a family heirloom? If so, was he aware of it? Did he just become a mechanic because it was in his genes rather than out of personal, individual interest?(which is much more interesting imo than "lol u belong to a race of mechanics I guess, idk") Did he ever get a replacement wrench? We know he throws his old one away the moment he finds a better one, so it's not exactly out of the realm of possibility. If so, did he throw away the only thing his father may have given him when he sent Ratchet to Solana? That's dark. Also, if this is the case, why doesn't Angela Cross have a wrench? Is she ANOTHER lucky survivor of the lombax genocide? ALSO: what the hell happened to his cool looking wrench of the third game? All of a sudden, Ratchet just has his boring old mechanic wrench in ToD...Just another retconn thing I guess. In short, it's just one big retconn plothole that takes away a lot of what made Ratchet stand out as an individual. Now he's just a cookie cutter copy of his equally brave, strong, intelligent, galaxy-saving, genetically superior mechanic race of mary sue mechanics.
@@RedFloyd469 Oh, your comment helps me realise what he meant by “Also, why do you have a double wrench? Is that like a lombax thing?” Nooooow it makes sense to me.
Even though this is my favourite game in the series, I do agree with some of your issues with this game. Honest I think was a pretty neat entry into series because it had thing that I had want in the series since Ratchet and Clank 2 (definitely the second best in my opinion), and you cannot deny there is some sick moments in the game. As an overall game I think R&C2 is still the best one but I think I prefer this game over that because it roids out the gameplay kind of like R&C dreadlock.
It would definitely be interesting to see you talk about Into The Nexus, since it's the epilogue of the Future series. Generally I thought the callbacks were nice but the gameplay and controls were a bit too restrictive. Just noticeably less than previous entries
Still wish this game could have gotten away with calling itself "Clock Blockers" like they originally planned.
Just like All 4 One should have gotten away with being called "4Play".
The replacement sounds better to me, and still works as a decent innuendo.
my favorite Rachet and Clank innuendo title is actually one of the comic spinoffs that managed to be titled 'Multiple Organisms'.
Nothing will ever top that.
Luigi Anderson I think all 4 one was originally gonna have that name
I think Clock Blockers sounds stupid, like a cheesy reality show.
Good call on the "Alister is what Ratchet could have been without Clanks influence" I think I heard somewhere that the devs had confirmed that was exactly what Alister was, a dark mirror to Ratchet's hard years of growth and learning.
Yeah I felt that came through enough in subtext, personally.
Years? Boy was more or less pretty stand-up from the end of the first game. Hell, most of the first game too. He just got a little angry when his most trusted ally pushed him into a deathtrap even as he was audibly leery of it. Before then he was perfectly helpful.
A lot of that was for his own personal gain, though. He didn't start helping Clank because it was the right thing to do until much later in the game. He was a product of the galaxy he came from, cynical and in it for himself, and coupled with being alone and isolated. It took a fresh perspective from Clank to change that.
I wouldn't call pre-betrayal ratchet cynical. Oh he's a bit of a snarker sure, and he did, in fact, have his own dreams about exploring the galaxy, but his entire "gain" was just GO SOMEWHERE at the beginning. He doesn't care where. Save the galaxy? Sure. Sounds fun. That's the opposite of cynicism. That's textbook wide-eyed idealistic space explorer.
Alister was also a good foil for Orvus and vice versa. It's best shown in their parallel quotes, "The universe has a cruel/great sense of humor." Alister's regret and bitterness towards his past drove him to desperation and darkness, while Orvus kept thinking about the future, and was always positive even when things were bad.
Sometimes it's a childish game, sometimes it's a gem, sometimes it would be a gem if it didn't treat us like children. This series is a rollercoaster of respect.
Stop The Laughter Sometimes, a kids game is allowed to be a kids game
Yep
@@MexicanGan-Q I dunno man, a large part of the reason I adored the PS2 games as a kid was because they didn't exactly treat me like a kid. They didn't have to baby me with spell-it-all-out exposition or assume I wouldn't get crass humour or wouldn't connect with a cynical protagonist or expect that I needed some melodramatic, grandiose story to be attached to the game. I agree that a kids game is allowed to be a kids game, but the originals were just as much kids games (well, teen rated but you get the point) and they didn't have to pander and simplify everything to do so and that's what I felt was missing to a degree from the PS3 era. And then there's the reboot, dear god the reboot.
Guys, let's be honest, the Ratchet and Clank game dosen't take themselves too serious most of time, not even the future trilogy (which is probably the most serious)
@Cynical Joker Deadlocked is the only ratchet and clank game that managed to keep the teen rating
Never shut up about the music my man, you are the only one with a platform I’ve ever heard extolling the greatness of David Bergauds soundtracks.
Rift Apart seriously needs to bring David Berguad back
The og trilogy was mwah but I can see his scores kind of slip into what they are now all the way back in UYA focusing more on a more action game feel which was probably intended considering the game. I do cherish his deeper cuts though and think the first games ost compliments the feel of the original. Lots of underground influences that shine off brilliantly for its more cynical tone.
@@jamesross2279agreed. There especially should be more funk.
I bet Charlie could convince me i'm gay if he made made a 20 minute video about it.
Quade Burleigh
Why do you need convincing on an irrefutable statement?
I've got a folder full of 20 minute videos that would convince you you're gay x
"U gay now" [20 minutes of Devil May Cry music]
JK Rowling only needs one tweet
Just one look at Ratchet is enough to convince me I am full on gay lmao
About Azimuth not seeing Ratchet as a hero from other galaxies or a TV star in Dreadzone, wouldn't it make sense that he never knew? I mean, Azimuth was in hiding on an isolated junk planet, after all. I could buy that we never knew if he was isolated from the rest of that galaxy, let alone the universe
Yeah, I could kind of see that... I wish they would explain it some way...
I don't think this explanation makes sense either when we consider that Alister couldn't have been that isolated. He was searching for the Great Clock, wasn't he? Kinda requires that you poke your nose outside of that planet.
And also, I would think he would have to receive the news that Tachyon was defeated. Did they even talk about how Ratchet did it? Either it should have been surprise for him that Tachyon is gone, or he should have searched for Ratchet after that.
The way the devs brought Solana and Bogon elements into the Future Saga with the museum and Thugs4Less was honestly terrible. It’s about as weird as they could have made it. Now I have to wonder to what extent they’re going to break things with Rift Apart.
@@OcteractSG I’m gonna be honest, I checked out of this series shortly after A Crack in Time came out, and I’ve only become more and more apathetic about the series ever since Gaming Brit’s videos started coming out about 2 years ago. I can’t say I really care that much anymore tbh
@@ShadowTheHedgehogCZ exactly
But even then there’s a limit to that suspension of disbelief. Alister had a working ship and was known in his sector as a rebel Lombax by Vorselon, that Terachnoid in Axiom City knew Azimuth as well and Axiom city looked like a high tech place. It’d be weird that he didn’t hear about the Lombax who beat Tachyon in Polaris or something that I’m sure the news would have covered. Even if he didn’t hear or watch Dreadzone.
8:51 "...but it still feels too isolated from the core combat to really mix up the experience substantially."
Seems like a running theme with this series's problems.
Carl Bloke Typically sequels to games do things differently? And people did do that with Mario, it was when New Super Mario Bros got old.
+Carl Bloke The problem is that the original ps2 games improved the combat substantially: R&C 2 added upgradeable weapons, R&C 3 added even more levels before the "special level that changes the weapon's mechanics" and Dreadlocked/Gladiator scrapped all the excess weapons in favor of "one weapon of a kind, 10 levels, and a lot of customization".
At this point you'd expect combat to be one ofthe main focus of the games. Everything else has to tie in smoothly or else it feels detached, artificial, and you get this moment where you raise your eyebrow as you suddenly disconnect from the immersion.
@@migueeeelet yeah that’s a fair point
You have definitely become one of my favourite RUclips game critics over the past year. You tend to go against the grain more often than not, but it never feels like you're being edgy, rather you always come off as genuine and that separates you from lots of critics who more or less recycle the same talking points.
I don't go to in depth critique videos to have someone validate my opinion, I come here to gain more perspective and hear OTHER and NEW viewpoints. And for that you never disappoint.
Ratchet & Clank : A Crack In Time in one of my favourite games and still, I enjoyed this video. Your style of tackling issues and subjects in a video game is so efficient and open-minded. That is why I'll keep watching your videos.
I love Crack in Time from a gemplay standpoint. It's a favourite of mine. Heck, whenever a new Ratchet comes out, including Nexus and 2016, I tend to buy it on release and consume it inside that first week. It's rare for games to grab me like that. That said, I absolutely get where you're coming from.
From the PS3 onwards the games become a little more stereotypical, they verge on summer blockbuster and that definitely causes the series to sacrifice a lot of its charm and identity. I suspect there's a senior project manager or ten obsessed with focus testing and tracking Disney Pixar tropes that are designing by committee and over-riding the actual creatives. It might actually be interesting to look into who left and joined the team and when. See if there's an old guard and new guard and whether those changes in staff correlate with the change in approach.
SJ Webster I need to replace my old PS3 to a PS3 Slim. It only has 40 GB and no Backwards Capability, making it the weakest PS3 model, if there aren’t any PS3 20 GB. Plus it’s really loud. The Ratchet and Clank Series never disappoints me. The gameplay is the same, but never boring because there are lots of weapons and replay value. But I need a new PS3 to really enjoy games.
SJ Webster
considering what I've heard abut sonic team over the years, you might be on to something there.
the120cxx Sonic Team?
Edit: oh, I get it.
I completely agree. I really hope there’s some dissertation from the old devs about the development of the Future series
@@carlbloke8797 There's a commentor from TheGamingBritShow's Ratchet and Clank 2016's video who said he was one of the programmers of the OG game, hope that helps a bit.
I like Dr. Nefarious as a character on his own, design and personality wise, but I'm realizing that he does kind of stick out in terms of the rest of the the series. Call me crazy but I actually think Courtney Gears could have made a pretty good main villain on her own.
Hear me out, I know the series has already touched on the whole "celebrity idolization" aspect with quark but I think Courtney could have taken it in a different enough direction.
She was manufactured, built from the ground up to be a worshiped celebrity, the game even takes a few jabs at how she doesn't have any real talent of her own, that she's only where she is because she was designed to be that way from the very beginning. I feel like that concept has enough meat to be "main villain" material for a cartoon animal action platformer video game, as well as enough satire potential.
I'm pretty sure that was the whole idea of the character in the first place, but I fell like they could have gone farther with it. It could work well as a parallel for how most child stars turn out. Being engulfed by that whole Hollywood, celebrity culture from such an early age, the time that basically ends us shaping and molding your outlook on the rest of your life, can be potentially damaging.
A machine designed for the most vapid reasons possible, with only one goal in mind... to move up in the world. It could be fun maybe even a little sad to see her own limited reality crumble around when she feels humiliated and defeated by the heroes.
Or maybe she does work better as a minor joke villain, idk.
EdgyBoyJoe why is this such an amazing idea
That would be so cool and I see where you're coming from. Courtney Gears could've been made into a side villain. Like maybe she wants to make a comeback after her career went down in shambles. She could've had a malfunction that caused her to have a bit of a freakout (parallel that to what happened to Britney Spears circa 2005) and then trying to make a music comeback or hey, she could try a new career like acting or something lol
EdgyBoyJoe the thing is Courtney Gears was meant to be a blantant parody of Britney Spears who wasn’t relevant in the public eye by this point
Tbh Ratchet and Clank had really good villians throughout the serious.
Drek.....
Crazed Quark & those pets...
Courtney Gears...........
Dr. Nefarious & Lawerence....
All the opponents who stood out in Deadlocked......
The host of Deadlocked......
Otto & Luna..... (Size Matters)
Klunk from Secret Agent Clank....
Ratchet and the Warden. (From when he was framed and jailed)
Then ya got Taychaan and tehe cragmites....(best villain with a backstory connected to Ratchet)
Cant forget the Pirate too (Think hs name is Captain Slag)
Then he comes back or his henchman do from TOD into Quest for Booty........
The monster and prisoner from into the Nexud..(Kinda lame)
Last but definitely not least........
Allister and a rebooted Dr. Nefarious. (The guy who they defeated and actuallly made them heroes for taking him out)
Theres also plenty of side villains.... Like the Thug 4 Less and Ratchet clones........
Oh, I like that.
Maybe her plan would involve a weaponised music device that hypnotized people.
And after her defeat, the technology fell into the hands of Gadgetron/Grummelnet who used it to create the Groovitron. A little background world building.
Reason why music in CiT mostly was well pretty meh, is because QfB was last game with David Bergeaud as composer.
Bergeaud was composer since first game.
Yeah I thought Boris Salchow's music was good too, just not as good as Bergeaud's.
but, but, there are some Paul Hardcastle music in that game !
Salchow's music is nice to listen to on its own, but the lack of intense layering is empty compared to the other games. Metal Future (Groovitron track) was my favorite track from CiT because it had some of that layering.
even in tools it sucked
I think I like this design for Ratchet best overall. The games after this have made him look more cutesy IMO.
Also, I find it odd that they introduced Talwyn in the Future saga only to leave her out of the final entry in that saga. I kinda liked Talwyn and wanted her arc to finish.
Dzzy123 Well there's technically Enter the Nexus that acts somewhat of an epilogue for the future series and she shows up there. Can't say if her story arc was finished but I can say it's a decent self-contained story overall.
WonderingSoul it wasn't really - she was a pretty wasted inclusion.
MexicanJesus Like I said. It was decent in my eyes but could have been better, mostly on the character focus part. Yeah, she could have been given more to do. Instead of being a catalyst for 'drama'.
I would've liked Ratchet's design in this game if he didn't have those toothpick legs. Facially, he looked great and it's easily his best face out of all the games (imo) but his body just looked so jarring with those toothpicks. Like with all the running and jumping he does, he should be "thicc" down there by this time in the game whereas with the legs he had in this game, it looks like they'd snap the moment he landed a high jump. But yeah, I really didn't like where they went with his design in All 4 One and Full Frontal Assault. I was mixed with Nexus and I actually did find his 2016 reboot design adorable, too much so that I couldn't hate it lol
And I agree. It was supposed to be implied that Talwyn was Ratchet's girlfriend (I think?) so the fact they left her out was just awful. She deserved to be there for the ending. It was already bad enough when we got this treatment with Angela and Sasha.
Rift Apart
Ah, another installment in the "I love this Ratchet game, but man, it's actually all kinda true" series has arrived!
Yeah 😞
"Female lombaxes don't have tails"
>Rivet
Cue the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" theme.
The hoverboots were such a huge step forward for me, they just feel so smooth and seamless, and yeah it'd be cool to be able to shoot at the same time (something I'd have looked forward to in a sequel, if not for Into the Nexus), but they're so lightweight and easy to use and satisfying, along with the ease of use of the wrench in this game, its almost hard for me to go back to other Ratchet and Clank games' movement systems, sometimes.
Too bad Nexus severely limited and gutted their viability, essentially ruining what was easily the best new mechanic in the Future Series, for me.
Honestly feels like they can't get the hoverboots right at all after this game. No matter which one it was, both full frontal and into the nexus just made them very rigid for some bizarre reason and they never felt as good to mess around with after this game.
It's because they removed the afterburner. FFA and ITN lock the Hoverboots at one speed that you instantly transition into and they are only used for moving faster.
I have to disagree here - while the hoverboots work brilliantly for some of the platforming challenges and the obstacle course from their introduction - they feel a bit too sluggish and stiff when jumping on the ground or accurately trying to manoeuvre in smallish areas (which are common in the linear levels), its especially bad when your hoverboots hit a ledge from straight on and Ratchet won't ledge grab as a result, it feels terrible and like a down-grade in every way.
Into the Nexus, by contrast - allows more controlled mobility and a more fluid use. Shooting off a hoverboot ramp, then transitioning into a hover with the jetpack or the helipack for a boosted stretch jump just feels great. I can also turn the camera away if I want and still control them effectively.
Agreed. The hoverboots had to be one of the best inclusions into the series. They're tricky at first but when you get used to them, you just don't want to turn them off lol Great sense of movement speed and versatile with turning, it was a win/win.
megasoniczxx in ffa they were better than nexus
"A Crack in Time" will always be my favorite Ratchet and Clank game.
Same
Yea same I grew up with it seeing im only 11
Have you played the original trilogy and gladiator?
@@amoniousbt1110 i played all of them and crack in time is still number 1 to me
@@mattpkc34xx Me too. Played all the PS2 games, and really like them, but “A Crack in Time” (and the Future games in general) is my favourite.
Knowing that you have played Sheep, Dog N' Wolf, please, I beg of you. Make a video on that game.
I actually think Dr. Nefarious hogging the spotlight away from Alister was a great move, since it made Alister's betrayal seem all the more shocking
I would have Hoped Allister would have Survived and They gave him a Redemption Arc
Plus, I think if A Crack in Time were to be the final game of the franchise, Nefarious being one of the final bosses is a good move seeing how he represents the wacky high jinks of the PS2 era whereas Azimuth definitely represents the more cerebral tones of the PS3 titles. With Nefarious’s references to prior events (mentions his Biobliterator, Courtney Gears, etc.) tying it together in an adequate way IMO.
@@dirtyfighters7751That's fair.
it was obvious
"female lombaxes dont have tail"
rivet has
insomniac should reconsider their garbage writers
they even had to backpeddle on the fact female lombaxes don't have tails in rift apart. so they retconned their retcon of their retcon
I'm impressed with your viewpoints of R&C, most fans I know tend to be more easy on the games that brought them so much joy, you however have this tenacity to push for more.
I also hope to learn more from your experience with these Ratchet games along with other longstanding franchises, I've grown to enjoy listening to the opinions of individuals rather than streamlined reviews that are cranked out by folks I don't really understand.
@korrok LOL no it isn't the second game it's the best period
@korrok he liked deadlocked as well
@korrok "this game is objectively the best if you forget about all the things that suck about it" fucking spotless logic there my guy
@korrok He is more positive on this game than The Golden Bolt was.
I find crack in time looks so ugly, but ratchets design for his face looks the best it's ever been
Well at least the furry community got something out of it
ever since ratchet started wearing shirts i’ve gotten nothing out of these
seriously tho’ what do you mean
Correct! I have a Lombax sona and I’m not ashamed.
"The name's Ratchet"
Damn straight you're ratchet, put a shirt on you hooligan!
Degenerates
@@Kelpo45 Todd ...
Anyone else spend as much of their playtime as they could jamming to Pirate Radio?
The commentary on that channel was hilarious
Anyone else remember how they mentioned Angela on the radio?
SO MUCH FOR RATCHET BEING THE ONLY LOMBAX AROUND HUH??
Seriously, just have her be around and stop with the Girl of the Game stuff they did for a while. Just let them be happy damn it.
A lot of the series's lore issues could have been avoided if Insomniac hadn't been so wishy-washy with Angela. Could've killed her off-screen or confirmed she was never a Lombax. Not like Ratchet seemed to see her as one.
Nefarious’s plan wasn’t to make a universe where every villain wins... He want’s to reverse time and make up every mistake he has done.. including losing to the duo in UYA... so it has something to do with turning squishes into robots.
And he also immediately back stabs all of his organic allies as soon as he thinks he has control of the Clock.
Except that is literally what he said his plan was word for word, “a new universe is created in which the heroes always lose”.
Nefarious does absolutely say that he wants a universe in which every villain "gets a do-over". It's as dumb as it sounds.
Well if he did go back in time and fix all his mistakes, he would infact create a universe where ratchet and clank always lose, which is what he's referring to. He's basically projecting a god complex at being able to control time at that point. His immediate motive is to get revenge on R&C.
I mean, the entire character is a cliche of comic book villains so him having a cheesey motive for what he's doing isn't really that out of place. His racism motive didn't even make sense in UYA either and it's never addressed as to why he hates organics when he technically was one.
@@Skitskl33 The explanation given in the game is Qwark bullied him in their biology class, so he always hated biology and this would later become associated with his preference for robots over other organics culminating in him turning into one. Cliche or not, the problem is unlike well-written Antagonists like Drek, Vox, Ace, and Azimuth, his character doesn’t tie into the narrative of the games well.
Quest for Booty is the most pointless game in the series.
Don't @ me.
mariokarter13 That and Into The Nexus
The fact that neither of you said Full Frontal Assault confuses me.
No the Reboot is.
Into the Nexus was disappointing.
Full Frontal Assault at least tried something new, despite how underwhelming it was.
Why would anyone play Ratchet & Clank: Ground Zeroes at this point?
The only bad part of QfB were the pirates, which I already grew to hate from Tools. The rest was a really nice distraction and I had some semblances of R&C1gasms for whatever's worth.
Ratchet and Clank A Crack in Time - 2009 "Female Lombaxes Don't Have tails"
Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart - 2021 RIVET - a female Lombax with a tail
Come on Insomniac, is there no Ratchet and Clank expert in your staff to check your own series continuity, you guys are worse than D&D from Game of Thrones(not really though)
Alternate universe, alternate evolution. Maybe in her universe, males don't have tails.
I just realized, this series could have the DMC5 revival. With the reboot being praised by critic but hated by fans, and years later a sequal to this universe is announced. Is it naive optomism? Maybe
See you in four years then, I guess.
Well, let's hope Rift Apart will deliver now.
@@gustavoduarte3507 rift apart, and those time portals in acit are so similar, the concept of warping atleast,
@@IIIISai Do we even know how Rift Apart fits in the timeline? Is it after ACiT? Is it following the reboot? New universe?
@@SkandiTV I think it's after I to the nexus, but I may be wrong, it's exciting though, I guess we will just have to wait and see
so no quest for booty?
stupid sku Maybe he's gonna cover that & Into the Nexus in one video in the future since they're short games.
@@chillplayer1234 and they're pointless
this was a great episode, i love watching the videos that you make and hope that there will be more to come in the future
Legitamate Toaster I hope he covers the other games including spin-offs like Secret Agent Clank.
that would be cool, when i was younger i enjoyed Secret Agent clank, although i have only played all the PS2 ratchet and clank games
The first R&C game for PS2 will always be my favorite
same
In regards to the soundtrack, this was the first game where series mainstay David Bergeaud didn't do the soundtrack and it shows.
No matter what anyone says, A Crack in Time will remain the best Ratchet & Clank game I've played. The dynamic and exquisite storytelling, unique and new gameplay dynamics, and a story in which real stakes are placed really just resonates with me. There's not another Ratchet & Clank game I'll ever play like it.
Gotta agree there, Crack and Time just hit home for me in nearly every aspect.
"I've played" ruined the entire impact of this comment.
Thats nostalgia dude
Noting worng with that
agreed
Thank you for mentioning the forgotten gem that is Sheep, Dog n' Wolf on the PSOne! You gave me another good reason as to why you are one of my favourite game critics on RUclips!
Jeez I love all of these videos so much. If Charlie will just keep making videos about all the series I love then I will die a happy man!
A crack in time is my favorite one just because of the epic feeling the story and the scenario gave me while playing. Moreover there were so much awesome ideas in it...
And i loved the space radio :D
Be honest, you only liked "Pirate Radio". The other three are pointless. (Deep Space Jams does have some great songs every now and again, though.)
13:31
Rivet: Allow me to introduce myself.
Rivet is from another dimension entirely so maybe female lombaxes have tails in that universe
Alternate universe, alternate evolution. Maybe in her universe, males don't have tails.
R&C needs to steer away from disney influence, i hope that the upcoming game listened to fans and is not aiming to appeal to kids mostly
Rift Apart is going to be written by Sam Maggs. Expect the story to be worse than the Future games.
Oof then you won’t like Rift Apart, it’s basically Ratchet 2016 all over again, they learned nothing from the criticism and just doubled down on it.
Into the Nexus was like a pseudo finale for the Future Series
I'd love to hear a video about it
Coming back to this video years later, it is funny they say female lombax’s do not have tales yet in Rift Apart, the new game that will soon be coming out at the time of this comment, the new character Rivet has tale. God, the Lombax lore cannot stay consistent in this series lol it is about as consistent as Ratchets love life 🤣
Alternate universe, alternate evolution. Maybe in her universe, males don't have tails.
It's more inconsistent than Ben 10.
Edit: If you didn't get the reference, The Sequels.
@@GoodNeutralEvilChaos If you're doing the writer's job for him/ her, then the writer isn't doing his/ her job correctly.
@@FMK03 well this is common with alternate realities. But I agree they should have brought it up.
the Future series definitely extended to what i hate about the remake and where the tone of the series is now, but it was still cool to see a continued plot move forward across multiple games, and it was appropriate to have it dwell in both Ratchet and Clank's pasts, as the original games didn't do that. They don't live up to the PS2 era of the series, but still are fun full fledged Ratchet and Clank games to me
Companies fail us. Artists make the game. (and programers)
Just going to type up some thoughts as I go. So this comment will be edited.
- I hate the whole “what a coincidence” argument whenever it is brought up in reference to the new histories of the characters. First, Ratchet being the last Lombax doesn’t change his status as a nobody who came from a backwater planet. It’s not like he has some prophecy associated with him or something. Second, Orvus sent Clank to where he was needed most, to experience the world before he was needed as a new caretaker. Orvus creating him makes more sense at least than a “defect” looking like an entirely different robot from the rest of the warbots on the assembly line. And three, the defective warbot meeting with someone who needs a robotic ignition system was already “convenient” in the first place.
- I don’t get your point about Nefarious. He’s always been a hammy villain, that’s why people love him. And his plan (which by the way, would include ensuring he succeeds in the third game) is not the main focus at all. That’s why he’s not the final boss, because the developers knew that his conflict wasn’t the main one. Nefarious existed in this game to act as the villain while the tensions rose between Ratchet and Allister, and to make it more shocking when Allister becomes the villain when you thought the game was over. Also, Nefarious does comment on Clank being a sidekick to Ratchet (another callback to the third game) which ties into the main story of this game with Clank having to choose between the life he was made for and the life he made himself.
- In your part about the level design and concepts, you seem to be forgetting a few things. First of all, the majority of Ratchet’s levels, even early-game, involve time to some extent. Whether it be navigating a platforming challenge that constantly moves forwards and backwards in time, or playing through a level entirely set in the past which culminates in you giving Nefarious an injury that suddenly afflicts him in the future. And second, I don’t even know what you’re trying to say with the Clank stuff. You say that the time puzzles are cool, while the combat and planet fixing are not. And you say that it would be better if the time puzzles were the focus. Well...they were! Clank’s main gameplay is the time puzzle mechanic. The combat and planet fixing are superfluous actions that serve to break up the main gameplay style, the time puzzles. I don’t understand why you’re saying those *aren’t* the focus.
- I don’t think Qwark stands out as out of place. Yes, the overarching story of this game is serious, but there is still plenty of humor wrapped up with the package. To go back to my Nefarious point, the writers of this game clearly saw the potential issues with including Qwark in a serious story, because, notice, Qwark is not present in any of the actual serious story beats. Qwark is regulated almost entirely to the Nefarious storyline, and it is a good choice, as those two have history. Qwark’s big moment comes right before the fight with Nefarious, and then he isn’t mentioned again until the credits. If Qwark were maybe shown gasping comedically when Ratchet died, I might’ve agreed with you. But I think the handling of Qwark in the storyline is more of an indication of the writers knowing what they’re doing rather than desperately trying to mash a comedic character into a serious story.
- The 2016 reboot is as much an insult to the future series as it is the classic games. And I think you saying that the reboot is the culmination of what the future series tried shows a fundamental refusal to look at the future games fully. The reboot did not try to tell anywhere near a complex story, and the only thing it shares with the future series is some weapon selection.
Aaaaaand I’m done with the video.
I agree wholeheartedly with this comment. I was in the process of typing something similar but this comment is perfect
You couldn't be bothered to agree with anything he said? Only criticisms? Did you even like the video?
Chaos Xeloc I didn’t like the video, no. Why? Because of all the criticisms I listed. Assume that any complaint I didn’t directly go against is something I either agree with or didn’t feel the need to comment on.
well i disagree with some things you said
-Ratchet being the last of his race doesn't take away any of his accomplishments away from him, but revealing in ToD how innovative the Lombaxes were and how they stopped an evil race, and how that was something they were known for, to me it felt like, by mentioning his entire race like that, his acomplishments were credited to his genes rather than his adventures with clank and how those changed him. And Clank being put there by Orvus himself is a nice theory, but it isn't mentioned at all that that was orvus's plan. You just say it could have been.
-earlier levels do include mechanics that play with time, though those sections are simple, some platforming and stuff, nothing out of the ordinary, it simply looks different thought it is not.around halfway through the game you do go back in time and injure Nefarious, which is what TGB mentionts, but those include ratchets actions in the past making a difference in the present, seeing the same level under two different conditions, was simply something new.
but that is just my opinion.
heja361 orvus does say he put clank in the factory
I think Ratchet lost it's edge with the 3rd game. Despite being considered the best in the series by many fans, I felt this is when it began to become the thing it was making fun of
If you ask me gladiator is edgy enough, if only for the commentary made by anyone but ratchet himself
Agreed, in fact I think the third game is where the "consumerism-criticism" of the first two games was basically dropped almost completely.
I actually think that 3 is very weak in terms of every single facet of story-telling and gameplay, when compared to either the first two games, or the future saga (I'm not counting the unimportant smaller games like quest for booty, into the nexus, etc...)
In terms of gameplay, it's basically the same as the second game, but much more linear. It also has the objectively worst weapon in the entire series, the holoshield glove, a weapon that serves absolutely no purpose, given that you get the superior shield charger later on, is a complete shit-show to level up, bogs down the player to a single spot, almost instantly vanishes, and prevents the player from shooting the enemy to begin with. It basically reduces the player to a sitting duck, which also means you WILL get hit, as there is no indication when the shield will dissapear, guaranteeing getting hit in a split second after it's removal. So freaking useless.
I like that the game adds customizable options for the spaceship, but it's limited to cosmetics only. Still, that's better than absolutely nothing at all, which was the case for ToD and aCiT.
Other than that, the story is just ridiculous. Dr: Nefarious has this cliché insane evil plan that serves no purpose for the greater world-building of the series. He's just "a" villain, nothing more. A funny one, with a great sarcastic sidekick (whose motives for supporting nefarious are strangely vague and a little contradictory), but not one serving a purpose for the characters. (This was also a problem in the second game, which in my opinion in fact has the weakest "villain" and final bossfight of all the games.)
I would have much preferred if aCiT didn't re-use Nefarious at all, he's basically comic relief and nothing more.
@@RedFloyd469 What was wrong with Qwark from Going Commando?
@tailz with a z, Ratchet lost it's edge in the 3rd game? It's the contrary actually, it only got more edgier with the grittier tone, even more adult humour and the cursin', it was pushin' boundaries further, how do you think that came of Deadlocked? I think you might be lost, the Sonic videos are the other way.
16:37: Into the Nexus wasn’t an experimental title. It’s the epilogue to the future series. Sure, it’s small but not as small as Quest for Booty and the gameplay is mostly the same. It does take a nosedive in terms of storytelling, but it’s mediocre enough to qualify as a part of the future series. Your next review could be centred on it.
Also, please try to review the PSP titles, especially Secret Agent Clank. It isn’t great but at least it tried to do something different.
Here's the thing: he didn't skip Quest for Booty. In the spirit of the game being so short, Charlie's criticism on that was so brief you probably missed the entire video.
Someone should make an awesone Ratchet and Clank fan-game like AM2R. I think fans like yourself with great writing and clear passion would be able to make a game that felt "more like a real Ratchet and Clank game" than the latest R&C titles. It'd have to be hidden from Sony, though... >_
Hey Congrats on the 100K Subscribers dude! You've become one of my favorite youtuber that i watch religiously, keep on posting quality contents! Love ya!
I was really lost story wise when I played this game, but the game does to an alright job filling you in. Up until crack in time I had only played the PS2 games so it was a weird tonal shift for me. I still quite like it for more nostalgic reasons tho
Oh yeah, that's a massive jump in tones. Without "Tools of Destruction", "A Crack in Time" simply doesn't make any sense.
Just when I sit there going "Hmm, I really need something to watch that's fun to just listen to even", you're always ready to deliver what I need lately. Loving this video schedule!
One thing that's always confused me is why Azimuth and Ratchet just ask Clank to get Sigmund to just synthesize a time portal on Fastoon. WHY HASN'T THIS BEEN TALKED ABOUT?
LMAO they said female lombaxes don't have tails but now we have rivet in rift apart with a tail
Alternate universe, alternate evolution. Maybe in her universe, males don't have tails.
Even though I agree that the main series had a lot of problems after Deadlocked I still enjoy playing the games. I played through the original through to Into the Nexus earlier this year and I enjoyed them all just about equally.
The games each have an individual charm to them that keeps me coming back, whether it’s the fun and more smoothened gameplay of the future series or the satirical comedic plot of the originals that compliments the actual gameplay I still enjoy all the games, even if some of them have some dodgy stories.
lmfao that music section was so painful to listen to, i even remember being disappointed with crack in time’s music as a kid. r&c 1’s soundtrack is such a masterpiece man
kinda surprised you didn't bring up the plot point of alister being "oh hey let's totally trust this obviously-evil dude from the very same obviously evil alien race with our technology even though ratchet's father said we shouldn't" which pretty much sparked the whole reasons why the lombaxes are pretty much gone now
I've always assumed Ratchet just didn't know what a female Lombax would look like.
I mean, Angela doesn't have a tail, she's TWICE his height and she's much clumsier than he is- to an almost genetic degree.
Plus, we also have Sasha, so there's other species that resemble Lombaxes too
@Ruthless Attitude Entertainment I honestly don't see how he would see that.
Why wouldn't he assume the female of his species would look remotely similar to him?
Literally the only similarity is the fur pattern and colour
One could assume the reason Angela is so clumsy is because she lost her tail. I mean the tail is there for something
@@cornishdinosaurthat literally should be enough for Ratchet to know she’s another lombax
I have to say, Crack in Time was my entry point to the Ratchet and Clank games, and is still my favorite game in the series. I went into this video wanting to disagree, but you bring up some valid points. Left a like.
Mit Whit Gaming To be fair, you’ll definitely like it way more if you haven’t played the originals before
I'm very curious to see you do maybe a video on Into the Nexus, since that dialed back the whole "saviors of the universe" and went more into the series old humor, even discussing its relatively short length and the new clank sections.
This is my personal favourite ratchet game, however I think you’re spot on with these criticisms. The story is probably my favourite of the franchise, the aesthetics are very appealing, this game has my personal favourite line up of weapons and the gameplay and control is as great as it always has been. I probably feel this way because this was my first ratchet game, however after playing almost every ratchet game released as of now, I still adore this game.
Really enjoying this small series you’re doing, can’t wait for the video on into the nexus ^-^
Nintendo "lowkey" steals a lot of stuff and gets away with it lol
8:20
I know. It always made me mad how Super Mario Galaxy got a lot of praise for its rotating planets when Ratchet & Clank has been doing that since Going Commando.
Nintendo fanboys love over exaggerating everything Nintendo does thats why lol
yep @both
MattTheHuman you cant say “over exaggerating” because thats double. Its like saying “hot fire” or “wet rain”
GamerSlyRatchet1
Well, technically we had rotating planets since Yoshi's Island.
I know you said you were gonna do a retrospect on the jak series but wat about sly cooper. Mostly im talking about thieves in time. I feel it got treated just like the reboot of ratchet and clank with dumbing down the story for little kids.
all sly cooper thieves in time really needed was a heavy rewrite of the plot so you got to know more about the villains plan and back story across the worlds, and build up the black knights story
Well yea
coolcat2994 that was obvious see kids in the early were edgier every ting was
coolcat2994 now days its different
I will lose my shit if he does a video on Jak and Daxter. It just be too good to be true. The precursor legacy is my favorite video game of all time and the trilogy as a whole is among my top 3 trilogies of all time.
I think all of this was a fair assessment of the game, I especially liked how you hammered in the whole Angela Cross mess. I seriously don't understand why they didn't just bring her back. What do the creators have against Angela? She was a fan favorite and considering the game got into the lore of the Lombaxes, this would've been the perfect time to bring her back and regroup with Ratchet and meet Alister as well.
Aside from that, the game really was a mixed bag. The story was trying to be bigger than it should've been. I too don't like how they complicated Clank's whole being making him become some magical entity. Like no? Why couldn't he just have been a simple robot who was defected who turned into a hero? It's much more interesting than him being relegated to somewhat of a messiah and losing his uniqueness as a character in the process.. Even when I first played the game, this "revelation" still irked me and I wished they hadn't had gone that direction.
I didn't mind Nefarious coming back for the game as I liked seeing him interact with the Valkyries but I definitely do see where you're coming from. He was no where near as dynamic or threatening like he was in Up Your Arsenal and it felt like he was stuck in just for fan-service because tonally, there was no reason for him to be in this particular game.
And man, so agree on the music. It's not that the music is bad but it's just SO GENERIC AND BASIC sounding. Had the original 4 games didn't have such stylized, memorable music, I wouldn't be bothered by this but that's just not the case and while the radio songs were fun, they only make up like 2/5 of the soundtrack. I seriously hope that if we get any other R&C games, they go back to the way they used to compose music making it sound more dynamic and stylized as opposed to generic atmospheric scores that are in so many games these days.
And while I'm on the presentation side of things, while I love the way Ratchet's face was rendered in this game, I really didn't like how they rendered his bodily anatomy with those toothpick thin legs. I mean damn, with all the running and platforming he does, he should be THICC by now LOL But no seriously, it was just such a jarring look and I would've preferred they kept some mass on him like he had in Tools of Destruction. I get they wanted to make him more cartoony looking and they succeeded but it's just not a look I personally was into.
Gameplay-wise, it's been awhile since I've played but I remember being quite engaged with it. The hoverboots were a little tricky at first but when you get used to them, they are quite fun but that's just my opinion of course. I plan on reviewing this game someday soon so I'll probably talk more about it then.
Anyway. Despite the mixed bag this game was when it came to the inner workings, I still feel like it's one of the best R&C games ever made. It had a crap ton of content to keep the player busy, stunning visuals (even if some of them looked a bit distracting or jarring at times), and while the story had a few hiccups, it was still just as engaging as any other game. That said, I do respect your opinion and I enjoyed this video a lot. Nicely done :D
13:31 Then they retconned the retcon of the retcon by giving Rivet a tail
Alternate universe, alternate evolution. Maybe in her universe, males don't have tails.
They went from poking fun at faceless corporate consumerism to being a product of faceless corporate consumerism.
they've always been a product of faceless corporate consumerism...
Let’s face it, you can’t have and “anti commercialism” plot when you’re a company trying to turn a somewhat cute and funny first party character into a potential mascot. If you haven’t noticed in more recent kids movies, how they try to shy away from big evil corporation villain to just the one ceo type bad guy. “See Ratchet fans! Companies aren’t evil oligarchs jacking up prices. We provide things! Please buy our shit.”
I can’t help but think this more epic Ratchet series was both trying to make him more marketable like Mario or Sonic and trying to steer the series away from poking fun at commercialism because Sony said so.
It sucks because Crack in Time is by far the best looking Ratchet and Clank game.
Playing crack in time rn for the first time. Im so incredibly bored, partly because the music is so ass
Rift Apart has some similarities to this one. Interested in your thoughts on that one
Well......
Rift Apart is nowhere near as good as A Crack in Time IMO.
I don't like that they changed the look of the characters between PS2 and PS3. Ratchet got pointier nose and bigger cheeks, I think they also shrunk his head, eyes, hands and feet to be more proportional. They made him "cuter" and I hate it. Also Quarks f*cking nose... He's not supposed to have a nose, that's what I always thought while playing the originals, he just looks weird with one. And what's up with all characters being shiny.. I also don't like that characters that should have empty glowing eyes suddenly got "human" eyes with irises and pupils, like Drek in the reboot.
I want insomniac to see your videos so badly. You have pointed out literally every flaw since 2005, from the un Necessary humor, that is just the worst, to the played out unfunny Zurkon dialogue , the obscene amount of people talking as you play the game, the bland soundtrack, all of that. The only thing I partially disagree on is that I love the armors you get through out the game (except the god awful armor in the 2016 reboot) I just wish all the previous armors were available as skins. I really do hope that insomniac games makes the next game decent.
insomniacway ZURKON? MEMEEEEEEEEES!
The composer for R&C is David Bergeaud, from the first game to Quest for Booty. Boris Salchow, the guy who did Crack In Time's OST, doesn't really have a resume of games that have good soundtracks.
It's sad because it's like Boris Salchow's compositions are bad or anything but he had tough shoes to fill for David Bergeaud as he composed some of the best music the game had and unfortunately, Boris' compositions lacked the memorability that David's work on the games had.
I personally would still say that this game is my favorite game of the series with Tools as my 2nd favorite but there were so many things you've included in these videos that have had a really huge impact on my view of the series. I honestly hope you'll one day make another hour long video on this series again because the one you made on the reboot had a bunch of opinions and points that I would easily agree on!
The massive coincidence of Clank meeting Ratchet has a small argument to it 'cause of the whole 'keeps time together' thing of the Clock. Presumably, if it could make a stable Wormhole to the past, it would be able to view the future. And since Orvus chose where Clank was to be built after he was born (it's complicated), he put Clank in the place where he would get the most help on his journey back to the Clock.
I know it's a year later but hell, I just finally saw this video. I agree, this is how I've always viewed it. It could still be seen as a detraction, but I honestly don't mind it. I think it's a neat idea, and way worse things happen in sci-fi/fantasy storylines.
@@the_leftbehind2414 Same. Something I think a lot of people make the mistake of is believing that Ratchet is some sort of chosen one and that Clank's soul being a Zoni ruins the idea of him being a noble defect of Drek's robots. However, all it really does is offer explainations, whether they be concrete or implied. Ratchet wasn't chosen for anything. His dad just pulled a Jor-El to save his son when they couldn't get through the dimensional portal and as far away from Tacyon as possible. Everytime a door opens is because of his heritage, as any other Lombax could access their secrets. However, Ratchet is one of the few Lombaxes left in his dimension and the only one actively looking into his past. Meanwhile, the only thing that changes Clank's beginning by having the soul of a Zoni is that it offer an explanation of his construction. It's possible that the Zoni soul modified the conveyer belt to produce a robotic zoni, hence Clank different design from the machines of war.
The plot of this game can be summarized like this: Azimuth walks up to Clank and says "Hey bro, nice clock".
The problem I have with this games plot was that Alaster was so ham fisted for this "gritty I'll do whatever it takes" guy that after LITERALLY THE FIRST HALF A LEVEL with him, I had the entire plot of what would happen and how so it lost alot of the punch.
You forgot to note that ACiT also lacks enemy variety. there are like only 4 enemy races throughout the whole game while in Going Commando there is at least one new species in every planet
Yeah, this sucked major lombax balls
@@alluke234 and golden bolts
I think Nintendo did copy a bit of R&C because Ratchet and Clank is pretty huge in Japan.
Roll Brand Fortnite also stole from Ratchet and Clank
@@Jackrabbit7 like what? I'm asking because I don't really play that game.
Roll Brand The dancing bomb glove
Ratchet 2&3 spherical worlds before Mario Galaxy, Wrench throw before Cappy in Odyssey, Crack in Time before Skyward Sword. Happens many times.
Yes, Crack in Time was the first game ever to have a boomerang-like item. Nintendo totally copied Ratchet with the hat throw.
Suprised you haven't done a Sly trilogy review yet
About the reboot game I will say let's all agree it's not cannon and move on. As for the Tools and Crack in Time I feel that all the story plot holes could easily be filled with clever origin stories for Ratchet and Clank's parents. I would love to pitch a story idea to Insomniac studios about a great inventor working for a mighty corporation forced to resign his position and travel the universe as a freelance trader or mercenary. Meeting different races and building inventions that helped make their lives easier on harsh and unforgiving planets; even being commissioned by Orvis to help build the Great Clock. This traveler would then find himself witnessing the destruction of Fastoon and coming to the Lombax's aid only to be too late. He would escape from the doomed planet with only two Lombax children at his side, a little girl named Angela as well as a little baby boy without a name. The traveler would decide to take the children far beyond Tachyon's reach and raise them in safety naming the young boy Ratchet. However danger would find them years later as the planet they would live upon came under siege forcing the traveler to separate his children and send them to places unknown as he stays behind to end this threat once and for all. Angela would be sent to the Gadgetron corporation while Ratchet, as still a young boy, would be sent to Veldin to be taken in by old friends of the traveler. Satisfied with wiping clean any trace of clues leading to the locations of the two Lombaxes as well as the forces sent by Tachyon, the traveler would sit upon the ground staring into the setting suns... as the planet is destroyed around him.
Now wouldn't that be a great backdrop into a new Ratchet and Clank video game?
Great critique; loved how you didn't just point out stuff that was "bad" but made suggestions on how to fully explore the game's potential. Though, A Crack in Time will likely always remain my favorite entry, with Going Commando and Deadlocked not too far behind.
This is as epic as Ratchet will ever get unfortunately
Crack in Time was my favorite in the entire series basically because of all the positives aspects you highlighted. Those optional spheroid segments and Clanks time puzzles were a delight. It also cant be said enough how the hover boots and ratchet throwing improved the flow of moving around. Two things i cant believe you didnt mention though was the amazing deep space jazz radio stations when talking about the music and the Japanese delinquent costume
I actually quite liked a crack in time but there was always something off about it compared to the originals. The gameplay seemed fun so i didnt understand it until i saw these two videos. The gameplay itself was fine, it was the narrative and theme that had changed.
leigonlord l It’s definitely the best in the future series
Lot of food for thought in this video. I enjoyed the Future games, but you have made some great points about what the games used to be like and how they've lost some of that charm. Keep up the great work!
You know, with the whole "Clank is actually a time lord created by a god thing," you actually could explain the improbability of him also just happening to meet the "chosen one last of his race." Perhaps Orvus intentionally created and guided Clank to escape the robot factory and crash on Veldin? It's still a retcon when you factor in the original trilogy, but not impossible I feel.
it is truly sad how the focus of game design nowadays shifts so much towards the boring ambience noises and totally generic cinema marvel bullsh** music, sucking all the character out of games.
fun fact the time anomalies are on the planets ratchet visits.. and going there actually lets you get gold bolts you couldn't before after clank fixes the anomalies.
@3:40 I don't see how Dr. Nefarious became/is the fan favourite villan, every scene he is in is cringe. Chairman Drek felt like he was legitimate threat and competent (OG game), while Dr. Nefarious is the stereotypical bumbling villain trope from kid's TV shows. Plus a bunch of over the top screaming and comedic silliness aimed at the 10 years old and under group.
If they could have retconned or forgotten anybody, he would have been the best choice.
I like Nefarious in 3 but I personally think Drek and the guy from deadlocked are probably the best villains in the series, Nefarious was really only good in 3 and ACIT after that he became a joke and really bland, it’s sad to see in Rift Apart they made him even worse in the trailer, god that game looks horrible.
Seeing The Drek Bossight Segment From The Original Game Again Hurts My Soul...
GODDAMN YOU INSOMNIAC YOU CANT JUST TAKE DREK AWAY AND REPLACE HIM WITH A NEFFY BOSSFIGHT (Also triggered because in R&C 3 Lore, NEFFY should have been a robot by this point in the reboot)
"Why do you have a double-wrench? Is that like a lombax thing?"
Well, think about it. Weren't lombaxes master-mechanics? Heck even Ratchet used his wrench to help build things in the PS2 games. But that's really all I have to say.
Yeah the point of the original games was that his wrench was just a tool he used regularly for his mechanic duties. He used it as a weapon because, well, it's a big club/mace, why not? That just gives Ratchet more character as a guy who improvises his weaponry, and gets by with junk, tools and laborer-style equipment.
With the future saga, they wanted to make it seem as if the "wrench-shape" was part of Lombax culture. Which....is weird...but ok. The question then is: how exactly did Ratchet grow attached to his "wrench"? Was that just a collosal cosmic co-incidence? Was his wrench a family heirloom? If so, was he aware of it? Did he just become a mechanic because it was in his genes rather than out of personal, individual interest?(which is much more interesting imo than "lol u belong to a race of mechanics I guess, idk") Did he ever get a replacement wrench? We know he throws his old one away the moment he finds a better one, so it's not exactly out of the realm of possibility. If so, did he throw away the only thing his father may have given him when he sent Ratchet to Solana? That's dark. Also, if this is the case, why doesn't Angela Cross have a wrench? Is she ANOTHER lucky survivor of the lombax genocide?
ALSO: what the hell happened to his cool looking wrench of the third game? All of a sudden, Ratchet just has his boring old mechanic wrench in ToD...Just another retconn thing I guess.
In short, it's just one big retconn plothole that takes away a lot of what made Ratchet stand out as an individual. Now he's just a cookie cutter copy of his equally brave, strong, intelligent, galaxy-saving, genetically superior mechanic race of mary sue mechanics.
@@RedFloyd469 Oh, your comment helps me realise what he meant by “Also, why do you have a double wrench? Is that like a lombax thing?” Nooooow it makes sense to me.
Dear God, PLEASE review Sheep Dog and Wolf, thought everyone else forgot it ;)
It was called Sheep Raider here in the US.
It's like comparing classic Simpsons with modern Simpsons
Even though this is my favourite game in the series, I do agree with some of your issues with this game. Honest I think was a pretty neat entry into series because it had thing that I had want in the series since Ratchet and Clank 2 (definitely the second best in my opinion), and you cannot deny there is some sick moments in the game. As an overall game I think R&C2 is still the best one but I think I prefer this game over that because it roids out the gameplay kind of like R&C dreadlock.
They really had to mention female Lombax's don't have tails? Now Rivet is gonna need more retconning.
Alternate universe, alternate evolution. Maybe in her universe, males don't have tails.
It would definitely be interesting to see you talk about Into The Nexus, since it's the epilogue of the Future series. Generally I thought the callbacks were nice but the gameplay and controls were a bit too restrictive. Just noticeably less than previous entries