An incredible disappointment to a very big fan of Ratchet and Clank.
Gameplay: Ratchet and Clank is probably best known for its meticulous and ridiculously fun gameplay. After taking a dab in the shooter genre with Gladiator, the gameplay continuously kept improving from Tools of Destruction, before giving us the innovative Clank time mechanics and more in A Crack In Time. Where does that lead up to in R&C A4O?
You basically get a similar experience for the most part that you got in the previous games; you bought and upgraded bizarre weapons, you solved puzzles and leapt across bottomless pits, and you used as many gadgets as you could possibly handle. It's all here in Ratchet and Clank: A4O, but it doesn't do it quite as well as it did in the previous games. The camera angle continuously struggles to keep with you and your buddies, for instance. It'll be jerking all over the place, and you'll be unable to focus on your objective simply because you cannot get to it. Even as the AI characters will be busying doing something else that they happen to believe is more important than the situation or objective at present.
The controls also infuriate you time after time. You'll often clear a gap and then suddenly slip off for no apparent reason. Other annoying quirks like getting the aim and select weapon analog sticks confused are more plentiful than they should, and will most likely turn you off after a short while.
Never the less, the gameplay is as fun you'd expect it to be, and with the classic bolts, creates and more, A4O does at least do the franchise dignity by supplying us with enjoyable gameplay and co-op craziness. Now that you're able to play with a total of four people you'll have action and carnage a plenty as you all rush to the bolts or rescue a friend from a close shave with a razor saw. As expected, many puzzles and bosses can only be beaten with steady co-operation from all four players. The sense of victory achieved from pure teamwork is well worth the effort in every instance. Having a few buddies over or playing with other gaming dweebs online is a blast. The clunky controls are slightly less noticeable in co-op, which is a great thing as there are enough problems playing co-op as it is thanks to the jerky camera angles.
Thankfully for previous entries in the series brushes with glitches have been kept to a minimal. All 4 One has obviously decided to make up for it, as the glitches are worse than they should be at any rate. You'll regularly die expectedly; the enemies will be un-killable or certain section nigh-on impossible unless done with fewer or less people. The Ratchet and Clank franchise has built itself on tight controls and ridiculously fun gameplay; and whilst it still has that the game feels as if it's been rushed and dumbbed down.
Ratchet and Clank: A4O's gameplay is close enough to the core to remind us of its origin, but simultaneously it's too far to match up to any other previous installment on any scale. The glitches are also more than annoyance, but you can get by for a good amount of the time.
Single-Player:
Our two heroes can never seem to catch a break, can they? From stopping Dr. Nefarious' plan to turn the universe's inhabitants into robots and being held hostage by an organization baying for blood, to running from a certain Cragmite and racing against time, Ratchet and Clank have always had their more than fair share of action and adventure in a (mostly) light-hearted universe. The stories were always comical and intriguing, particularly A Crack In Time which possessed the most powerful and awe-inspiring stories ever created by Insomniac Games. Plenty of replay value and goodies always kept you coming back for more through the fantastic campaign.
So what went wrong this time?
Ratchet and Clank have finally decided to retire from playing the roles as heroes, but the universe has other plans for them. Captain Qwark and Dr. Nefarious are also thrown into the confusion as the four are marooned in foreign territory and struggle to find a way back home. Now, as if this didn't sound tacky enough as the four work together to get home they come across Ephemeris the Creature Collector and have to save the universe once again. This sounds the standard procedure for Ratchet and Clank, but in truth it's anything but. The story gets no form of attention or care of any sort. You wouldn't be able to care less about our heroes or what they're getting up to this time. There's nothing to hold your interest or imagination. You'll trudge through the levels continuously without even noticing them slip through your fingers, and then you'll come to the end of the single-player in near to no time at all with a story that is underwhelming simple and poorly constructed.
Even the level design is simple and straight forward. You'll clear gaps, fire your guns, solve simple puzzles and plod along with barely anything holding your interest. It's tragic that Insomniac had to soil the franchises reputation for their lengthy and enjoyable single-player campaigns. Instead they give us the complete polar opposite. Avoid like verenal disease.
Multiplayer:
If there's one area where R&C A4O shines the most it's in the co-op without a doubt. Solving puzzles, leaping across gaps and exchanging insults with three other buddies is a pure blast. It's enough reason to play the game alone; not that there's many other reasons at all that this.
As enjoyable as it may be – the server issues cause a severe headache. Constant lobby crashes, excruciatingly long loading times, connection errors and more will send you into an occasional fit. Even when you've created the lobby the game will freeze suddenly when someone wants to join. You'll be unable to exit out as they attempt to join the lobby, and then in the end they won't end up joining. Even finding a lobby that isn't full can prove to be a challenge, and for some reason people seem to be fighting over Ratchet – which cuts down the available lobbies even more so.
But when you do happen to find a lobby that you can have a game in – or get three friends to share with the tiny couch with at home, you'll enjoy the co-op even more so. Firing your guns rapidly together to create an explosive effect and working together with each of your unique abilities is somewhat similar to LittleBigPlanet, albeit a much timid version.
The multiplayer is enjoyable, explosive and will get a few good laughs out of you. The many problems with match making and alike will frustrate you, but for the worst part it's worth putting up with it until the end.
Presentation:
Rich and deep colours inspired the artistic visuals behind R&C A4O, as well as a silky smooth framerate and very rare moments of slow-down or texture pop-in. They aren't as smooth as R&C ACiT, nor are they as technically outstanding, but they do a fine job regardless.
The soundtrack is designed by Boris Salchow, the same mind behind the works of ACiT's soundtrack. Comical and light-hearted tunes occupy your mind as you play through the game; though it's noticeably less brilliant than ACiT's. The audio design is above average at best, neither being particularly poor nor fantastic.
Closing thoughts:
Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One shows us exactly what happens when you turn a series into something that is the complete polar opposite of the previous games. It's almost as if Insomniac Games wanted to disappoint their fanbase. A4O doesn't feel like a feel Ratchet and Clank game, and if it weren't for the title name the game would be called back off the shelves. The comical humour and enjoyable co-op do ease the pain of seeing this franchise hit rock bottom, but maybe this is just another lesson learned; and our creative designers at Insomniac have humbly released their mistake and will bring the real franchise and its dignity back.
You got what you deserved Insomniac.