Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando/Ratchet & Clank 2: Locked and Loaded (PS2, 2003)
Graphics-8 Sound-7.5 Control-7 Challenge-7/6.5* Story-6
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-7/6* Fun-7.5 Originality-6
Overall Score-7.5
*Last level and boss (only had two armor upgrades)
+
Platform Adventure-style gameplay (buy movement upgrades/tools that let you progress and backtrack to explore more of previous levels (sometimes you'll go back to a previously visited level to progress), partially open ended levels, upgradeable lifebar and weapons+armor here (the weapon and lifebar upgrade from killing enemies (each one has an individual progress bar) while armor upgrades are bought on at a time at a few points spread across the whole game), besides upgrading weapons once you can mod them twice for camera lock-on and added acid or lightning effects to their shots with the large bolts found in the levels, can also mod the ship after a few levels for additional weapons+upgraded boost+faster lock-on+upgraded shield and default weapons)
Adds regular on-foot strafing
Shops (buy weapons, ammo and tools)
Various new weapons (some cool ones: chopper blades ricochet and are semi-homing, homing missiles, flying robot mascots, placeable miniturrets, spiderbot - controllable bombs+used to go into some vents to hit switches, lava beam (like lava toothpaste) though it's more situational, ). The weapons from R&C1 also carry over to a shop on planet 4 if you have a memory card save from the first game (have to re-buy them though)
Some interesting new gadgets (tractor beam - move certain obstacles and enemies to create new paths or unlock doors, thermatron - melt ice and freeze water, hyperspace warp system - random teleport during space flight combat, levitator/jetpack however it's too limited in use - doesn't recharge unless you stand on a certain pad, hypnomatic - take over certain enemies (ends up similar to the spiderbots though except they can jump)) and old ones like the grapple beam/swingshot return
Various shortcuts leading back from detours (either to the beginning of the level or around the middle/crossroads point; generally teleporters) and some detours loop back to the middle
Item drop magnet (can also throw the wrench like a boomerang at bolts to pick them up; could've been stronger but can be upgraded in the late-game)
Moves list in the help menu
New mini-games and challenges (some mandatory and some optional; some good: battle arena challenges on planet 2 (only the first challenge is mandatory?) and 10/Joba, hoverbike racing on two planets (similar to hoverboard racing in the prequel); some decent: electrolyzer hacking mini-game (rotate a number of switches to allow laser beams to pass), ; some OK - mandatory space flight combat in-between some planets, exploring and drilling for ore in the hover vehicle in the desert; some meh: glider segment near the desert (decent in the facility area), infiltrator hacking mini-game)
Some other interesting level gimmicks (Mario Galaxy-like mini-planet segment on planet 2 (4 years prior) with super jump pads as well as later on during the giant clank mech duel, cylindrical second battle arena, vents for the spiderbots, )
Zoomable map (2D, top down) which marks visited points of interest and what you've explored - not big bolts though?. Can also browse previously visited planets on the map menu
Mission/quest log (slow scrolling text though)
Voiced tutorial messages that don't interrupt gameplay and can be stopped (can also review these messages in the help menu)
Partially destructible environment (generally rewarded with more money)
Some good humour (parody, consumerism and greedy corporatism satire) and some decent (slapstick)
Very good animation (including a lot of background animation like planes flying around in cityscapes) and voice acting
Some good bosses (battle arena robot, angela/the thief on the first ice planet)
Regain the heli-pack and thruster pack+swingshot and grind boots all on planet 3 here (double jump (higher than the somersault) and long jump/air dash+somewhat higher somersault+high jump (same height as the heli-pack's double jump)/swing at certain points/grind on rails)
Mostly skippable cutscenes
Hidden items and rooms (some breakable walls)
Visit Ratchet's apartment at one point
Some decent puzzles (timing-based, water level altering, box stacking with the crane for one big bolt, switch puzzles involving the gadgebots - similar to Landstalker or FF Adventure)
Enemies can accidentally hit each other when attacking
Get a hydro-pack for swimming faster before the first underwater segment here
Don't fall off a ledge if doing a combo right near the edge (can't hold a button to not jump off when moving on small platforms though which would've been more useful)
Context sensitive auto-equipping of some gear (magneboots, hydro pack, grind boots, O2 helmet)
Can knock enemies into pits (and still get the money) and exploding boxes
The villain sometimes appears during level exploration (planet 6 train ride)
Pretty good twist to the story in the mid-game (you're apparently working for the bad guy - no moral nuance to him or who you thought was the villain though as he's just deceptive and the other guy (who's actually a gal) acts like a terrorist and kidnaps clank instead of trying to convince you about Megacorp, the heroes are also too naive about what they see in the video before being betrayed though)
Achievements of sorts (skill points - unlocks an epilogue cutscene?) - learning how to get them is mostly trial & error though
Some scripted events during levels (train ride, sudden reinforcements, megacorps guided tour) - somewhat fewer than in the prequel though
Some memorable characters (Qwark, Angela, Fizzwidget)
A few sequence breaking possibilities (part of intro level by breaking a window, first half of planet boldan (jump off of rails), can climb certain obstacles and walls with high jumps and mashing jump?, more with glitches)
+/-
More linear structure (get to choose between two levels/planets at a time for a few levels after an intro level and 2 planets are beaten (better to do planet 3 before 4 though as only one of three paths in the latter will be available with your current gadgets), after the fourth planet the level progression becomes linear up until planet 10/Joba - gets linear again at planet Tonado and until planet grelbin though it is possible to exit a couple of planets before finishing them to progress and come back later (optional; gets linear again after that for the last level/yeedil which is basically linear as well), levels themselves are more open-ended with one or more branching paths each - seems they have one less per level than in the prequel though, can choose between about 4 challenges at a time in the battle arenas, first ice planet level and snivelak are basically linear)
Save anywhere however you start at the beginning of the segment when loading (four slots - shows time taken, current planet and current money)
Pretty frequent checkpoints (no lives system) and collecting+upgrading progress is kept - placed ammo sometimes respawns but used up ammo doesn't reset when dying
More cutscenes mid-levels
Aim assist and lock-on for most ranged weapons (without camera lock-on) - when a weapon is modded you do get a camera lock-on but can't switch targets while locking on
The somersault double jump doesn't register if you jump after you start falling and doesn't increase jump height if used at the top of a regular jump
Auto-grab ledges (can fall back down though)
Zoomable map however you can't zoom out until you see the whole level
Would've been cool if the tractor beam worked on more enemies+obstacles and you could control the length of it with the second stick
Can't throw the wrench while jumping
Can't move while crouching
Mostly ammo-based weapons besides the default wrench (buy ammo at shops or find it in boxes) and the walloper (a glove that you do a powerful but short dash attack with)
Rips some ideas from other games (Crash Bandicoot - stacked item container boxes with some exploding ones in the mix - here you still get the items if you hit an exploding box near others though so there's not puzzle aspect to it, Ninja Gaiden/Mario 64 - opposite walls to wall jump upwards at, Earthworm Jim 2/Banjo Kazooie - mascot in the backpack who adds to your moveset, rail grinding - jsr/tony hawk/sonic, exploding barrels - Doom?)
No dodge roll or sprinting moves - there is a long jump and air dash though
Can't make the camera not snap back after yawing it/moving it vertically in TP view
Can't hit exploding boxes or enemies with the swingshot
Can't move while throwing chopper blades (can do it while firing other weapons and can jump while doing it)
Some delay when switching between a wrench attack and a sub weapon attack
No lock-on when throwing the wrench and its range is pretty short (an upgraded version is given to you in the mid-game however it only increases damage)
Collectathon elements (1-6k bolts at some points to progress and 10 crystals to get your ship back - not a problem, 10k to progress at the facility area and 20k at planet Joba+40k in the late-game - can be a problem if you bought an expensive weapon beforehand, 20+ raritanium to mod your ship for a certain level - a bit tedious, 20k for the qwark action figure - optional magnet upgrade) - have to grind for the best gear and the second HP upgrade as well as find the large bolts to mod your weapons
No difficulty options however you can unlock a challenge mode where you can upgrade your weapons even further (this costs a lot of money however and though it adds a kill chain multiplier it's not enough to avoid grinding)
Get a couple of extra chances to jump out of hazardous liquids that you fall into however this only works early on (some later ones make you bounce out of them but it's not consistent about when this happens and difficulty curve-wise doesn't progress smoothly)
No time limit underwater here (start with a mask)
Shooting neutral vehicles away from the main path is encouraged (rewards you with money)
No health or ammo drops from enemies
Can hit NPCs but nothing happens
Can't attack while underwater
Upgrading weapons doesn't add to their functionality - just increases damage and visual spectacle
The game tends to forget about certain gadgets for a couple of levels to come back to them later - with large and open-ended levels it becomes more apparent and it would've been cool if you could sometimes use either one gadget or another to progress
Some fetch quests
The charge boots are gained after finding the desert planet (plenty of dead space in the desert area) - exploring it as soon as you find it is much slower and once you have them+the gravity boots you can access a hover vehicle placed on a pedestal here which also lets you mine for raritanium (used for ship mods)
Spiderbots can't jump nor climb
The game doesn't pause while switching weapons during the flight combat segments
Fewer spatial awareness challenges in the exploration and parts where the game teases you with an unreachable height (see Spyro) besides if you're going for the big bolts
Can tackle enemies with the mining vehicle but it does no damage (can use the flying robot mascots though)
Somewhat few boss fights
The map being in 2D occasionally makes it harder to find your way around (rare though)
The unupgraded sheepinator becomes too weak in the late-game
One unkillable enemy type (big fish)
No stealth segments
Can't play as Angela
Can't eventually buy ammo from anywhere here
New game+ of sorts (restart with collected weapons and money) - but not gadgets so the game doesn't open up more
The tactical/escort elements when playing as Clank are somewhat more advanced here (build bridges and lift blocks with certain bots) but also fewer and don't really develop much over the course of the game
-
Various control/interface issues (confusing 2D radar during the space flight combat segments, low missile rate of fire during the space flight combat segments, no mini-map, unreliable lock-on when strafing and shooting - as soon as you move a bit too much to either side Ratchet stops aiming at the enemy, moving near walls tends to screw up your strafing, somewhat slow right stick camera rotation even on "fast" and the quick turn doesn't work as it should if you didn't turn 45+ degrees before pressing it - also no active camera option (see Spyro), if using the wrench while strafing you still attack to the sides when moving left or right, the camera doesn't automatically readjust if strafing after turning even if you turn around completely - instead the strafing adjusts to the current camera position, no button config (can't map shooting to a shoulder button - rotating the view with the right stick while shooting with circle is clunky), slow scrolling text in menus which can't be sped up, when going into FP view the camera doesn't adjust to the direction Ratchet is facing, can't skip dialogue on a per sentence or paragraph basis - only skip the whole conversation, can't use quick turn while ledge grabbing or melee attacking, some guns auto-aim straight upwards if you're next to a wall or other big obstacle, L2 or R2 could've been mapped to actual quick selecting of a quick select item - still have to go into a menu and pause the game to select another weapon or gadget (or the swingshot and other tools could've been mappable to a shoulder button or there could've been an additional 8 slot quick select menu mapped to one of them), no jump height control when side- or backflipping and the jumps have little horizontal range, the dynamo gadget (switch triggering) doesn't work if you're not seeing a reticle even if you clearly are facing a switch, slow shimmying, chopper blades don't fly straight ahead unless you're aiming in FP mode or locking onto an enemy, the chopper blades are thrown above the aiming reticle when aiming in FP mode, can't back- or side flip in quick succession when crouching, weird how some enemies get knocked back too much from each wrench hit to hit them efficiently with a 3-hit combo - some can even shoot in-between your hits because the stun is so short+some enemy attacks override your jump attack with the wrench (all this makes melee combat less efficient), weirdly slow map system during the jam the arrays mission and it also turns the sound off while viewed, can't quick turn the camera in mid-air, can't put the camera behind you when standing in front of a wall and sometimes can't rotate the camera when near a wall - should've made the object transparent or shown your char's silhouette through it when doing this instead, the map screen doesn't remember your position when closing it, some minor unskippable cutscenes, the mod descriptions sometimes say that all weapons are affected when it's not the case, kinda slow forward movement when glide jumping, can't change direction during or cancel a long jump or air dash, can't perform a jump attack with the wrench after doing a double jump or longer jump with the helicopter blades (can do it if you started hovering afterwards though), can't cancel out of an attack animation, the level select menu doesn't wrap around and you have to check each one with a button press to see if there are missions left rather than it displaying as you select a planet+it doesn't show if there are bolts left on a particular planet (only how many you've found), can't air dash in mid-air - only from ground level across pits, can't air dash up gentle slopes, kinda slow aiming in FP mode (including when manning turrets), kinda slow aiming with the wrench while crouching, can't use the camera quick turn while swimming, climbing ladders doesn't flow as well as it could, can't quick turn the camera while jumping (rather annoying as giant clank), can't steer for the first couple of seconds when activating the rocket boots+can't cancel this initial dash which is also rather long, discovered hidden paths aren't filled in on the auto-map - mapper item found near the end reveals them without having to find them which isn't optimal (the green marker for secret areas and big bolts also disappear if you move near them), the camera lock-on (modded weapons) requires an enemy to be on screen to activate so even if you're looking straight at an enemy right behind the camera it won't lock-on and adjust the camera, limited jump and aiming controls as giant clank, can't see which weapons are out of ammo in the quick select menu)
Some trial & error (some melee enemies can hit you during a melee attack animation, can't see what an ammo drop of something you have a full stock of is (good that you don't pick up something you have max ammo of though), weird how you can't attack the big fish on planet 5/notak even when it's clearly sticking out of the water, no item explanations for the wing mods for the ship - these and the nose mods are actually just cosmetic, no yes/no prompt before the giant clank segment, getting the life upgrade in the facility area - glider segment (also tedious as you have to go through it back and forth if you miss it), infiltrator hacking mini-game, finding some of the big bolts - one is found in a crevice during the hoverbike race for example and another behind a wall with no visual clue that you can also only blow up by taking over an enemy on top of a statue, can't fire the sheepinator weapon while jumping, the second grinding rail segment - also one-way, some weapons reach shorter than it looks like)
Invisible walls here and there+various parts off the main path where it looks like you can walk but can't and the game is sometimes inconsistent about what you can grab onto (gets pretty bad about the first on planet boldan which also has a pointless hidden path on the backside of a building leading nowhere)
Barrel roll (used in the ship during space flight combat) seems useless and the booster doesn't recharge fast enough - you're almost a sitting duck when not boosting
Some tedious aspects (drawn out turret segment boss fight on snivelak, not enough missile ammo given in the deep space disposal ship segment and you have to mod your ship at this point to progress (also can't mod it to just increase missile capacity), can't sell back or refund weapons or ammo, some dead space and minor backtracking (on planet 3 you have to backtrack into the path leading up to the swingshot and grind boots as you find those near the end of the path while the swing+grind path is around the middle of it) - charge boots help though you get them in the late-game, ammo drops don't adjust to what you need at the moment, pointless switch triggering gadget (dynamo), playing as clank still isn't as fun (limited moveset, a bit slower, can't attack in mid-air), some grinding for the weapon upgrades (some upgrade slower than others (minirocket rube and sheepinator are painful) and each one has to be leveled up separately) - you'll want to do this if you want to keep a weapon relevant in the late-game as enemies get tougher, drilling for ore and freezing/melting water could've been a bit faster, kinda slow moving platform segment on planet Joba, can't quickly exit a beaten level when going back for big bolts, can't get the big bolt at the end of one of the Boldan paths until you revisit that planet as you'll trigger a cutscene which puts you in jail on another planet when you get near it - leads to some backtracking here as you didn't get to the teleporter in that room on first visit either, can't heal by entering your ship (entering it and moving to another planet does heal you), too many enemies in the tundra area and it's basically the same area as the desert besides the indoors parts)
Some enemies don't react when other enemies right next to them are shot at from afar and the polar bears on planet grelbin tend to forget about your existence if you just move away from them a bit even if you're shooting at them
Sometimes uneven difficulty (spikes: giant clank mech segments, no ammo refill between arena battles on the second planet - can return later for this one though; dips: spider boss in the second arena, )
Too much of a cutscene focus
The SMG-like segment would've been more interesting if the pressure ramped up as you progressed in it
Easy and not as interesting final boss (fewer phases as well)
Kind of generic and sometimes overdesigned art style overall - some exceptions are Joba and the ice planets as well as the nighttime cityscape and allgon city
Die from flying into walls in the space flight combat segments (can grace them though)
Weird how you can't interact with most NPCs after finishing their quest
"I guess no one needs a hero right now" - in a whole galaxy?
Can't upgrade the R&C1 weapons - they become underpowered in the late-game
Taking over certain robots with the hypnomatic doesn't add much that the spiderbots didn't since you just end up fighting enemies without your weapons and gadgets under a time limit
Dissonance between cutscenes and gameplay at a couple of points - get captured for no reason in two cutscenes in the end-game (just regular guards)
Enemies get kinda spongy in challenge mode
Bugs:
-Sometimes lose your grip if a platforming you grabbed the ledge of starts moving (emulation issue?)
-At one point my gravity boots didn't register on planet Boldan so I fell off a skyscraper
-The spiderbots sometimes can't trigger floor switches later on that they could trigger earlier in the game
-Lock-on doesn't quite work on the sea monsters in the tundra area
-Enemy health bars sometimes don't update properly if joined by the flying robot mascots
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-7/6* Fun-7.5 Originality-6
Overall Score-7.5
*Last level and boss (only had two armor upgrades)
+
Platform Adventure-style gameplay (buy movement upgrades/tools that let you progress and backtrack to explore more of previous levels (sometimes you'll go back to a previously visited level to progress), partially open ended levels, upgradeable lifebar and weapons+armor here (the weapon and lifebar upgrade from killing enemies (each one has an individual progress bar) while armor upgrades are bought on at a time at a few points spread across the whole game), besides upgrading weapons once you can mod them twice for camera lock-on and added acid or lightning effects to their shots with the large bolts found in the levels, can also mod the ship after a few levels for additional weapons+upgraded boost+faster lock-on+upgraded shield and default weapons)
Adds regular on-foot strafing
Shops (buy weapons, ammo and tools)
Various new weapons (some cool ones: chopper blades ricochet and are semi-homing, homing missiles, flying robot mascots, placeable miniturrets, spiderbot - controllable bombs+used to go into some vents to hit switches, lava beam (like lava toothpaste) though it's more situational, ). The weapons from R&C1 also carry over to a shop on planet 4 if you have a memory card save from the first game (have to re-buy them though)
Some interesting new gadgets (tractor beam - move certain obstacles and enemies to create new paths or unlock doors, thermatron - melt ice and freeze water, hyperspace warp system - random teleport during space flight combat, levitator/jetpack however it's too limited in use - doesn't recharge unless you stand on a certain pad, hypnomatic - take over certain enemies (ends up similar to the spiderbots though except they can jump)) and old ones like the grapple beam/swingshot return
Various shortcuts leading back from detours (either to the beginning of the level or around the middle/crossroads point; generally teleporters) and some detours loop back to the middle
Item drop magnet (can also throw the wrench like a boomerang at bolts to pick them up; could've been stronger but can be upgraded in the late-game)
Moves list in the help menu
New mini-games and challenges (some mandatory and some optional; some good: battle arena challenges on planet 2 (only the first challenge is mandatory?) and 10/Joba, hoverbike racing on two planets (similar to hoverboard racing in the prequel); some decent: electrolyzer hacking mini-game (rotate a number of switches to allow laser beams to pass), ; some OK - mandatory space flight combat in-between some planets, exploring and drilling for ore in the hover vehicle in the desert; some meh: glider segment near the desert (decent in the facility area), infiltrator hacking mini-game)
Some other interesting level gimmicks (Mario Galaxy-like mini-planet segment on planet 2 (4 years prior) with super jump pads as well as later on during the giant clank mech duel, cylindrical second battle arena, vents for the spiderbots, )
Zoomable map (2D, top down) which marks visited points of interest and what you've explored - not big bolts though?. Can also browse previously visited planets on the map menu
Mission/quest log (slow scrolling text though)
Voiced tutorial messages that don't interrupt gameplay and can be stopped (can also review these messages in the help menu)
Partially destructible environment (generally rewarded with more money)
Some good humour (parody, consumerism and greedy corporatism satire) and some decent (slapstick)
Very good animation (including a lot of background animation like planes flying around in cityscapes) and voice acting
Some good bosses (battle arena robot, angela/the thief on the first ice planet)
Regain the heli-pack and thruster pack+swingshot and grind boots all on planet 3 here (double jump (higher than the somersault) and long jump/air dash+somewhat higher somersault+high jump (same height as the heli-pack's double jump)/swing at certain points/grind on rails)
Mostly skippable cutscenes
Hidden items and rooms (some breakable walls)
Visit Ratchet's apartment at one point
Some decent puzzles (timing-based, water level altering, box stacking with the crane for one big bolt, switch puzzles involving the gadgebots - similar to Landstalker or FF Adventure)
Enemies can accidentally hit each other when attacking
Get a hydro-pack for swimming faster before the first underwater segment here
Don't fall off a ledge if doing a combo right near the edge (can't hold a button to not jump off when moving on small platforms though which would've been more useful)
Context sensitive auto-equipping of some gear (magneboots, hydro pack, grind boots, O2 helmet)
Can knock enemies into pits (and still get the money) and exploding boxes
The villain sometimes appears during level exploration (planet 6 train ride)
Pretty good twist to the story in the mid-game (you're apparently working for the bad guy - no moral nuance to him or who you thought was the villain though as he's just deceptive and the other guy (who's actually a gal) acts like a terrorist and kidnaps clank instead of trying to convince you about Megacorp, the heroes are also too naive about what they see in the video before being betrayed though)
Achievements of sorts (skill points - unlocks an epilogue cutscene?) - learning how to get them is mostly trial & error though
Some scripted events during levels (train ride, sudden reinforcements, megacorps guided tour) - somewhat fewer than in the prequel though
Some memorable characters (Qwark, Angela, Fizzwidget)
A few sequence breaking possibilities (part of intro level by breaking a window, first half of planet boldan (jump off of rails), can climb certain obstacles and walls with high jumps and mashing jump?, more with glitches)
+/-
More linear structure (get to choose between two levels/planets at a time for a few levels after an intro level and 2 planets are beaten (better to do planet 3 before 4 though as only one of three paths in the latter will be available with your current gadgets), after the fourth planet the level progression becomes linear up until planet 10/Joba - gets linear again at planet Tonado and until planet grelbin though it is possible to exit a couple of planets before finishing them to progress and come back later (optional; gets linear again after that for the last level/yeedil which is basically linear as well), levels themselves are more open-ended with one or more branching paths each - seems they have one less per level than in the prequel though, can choose between about 4 challenges at a time in the battle arenas, first ice planet level and snivelak are basically linear)
Save anywhere however you start at the beginning of the segment when loading (four slots - shows time taken, current planet and current money)
Pretty frequent checkpoints (no lives system) and collecting+upgrading progress is kept - placed ammo sometimes respawns but used up ammo doesn't reset when dying
More cutscenes mid-levels
Aim assist and lock-on for most ranged weapons (without camera lock-on) - when a weapon is modded you do get a camera lock-on but can't switch targets while locking on
The somersault double jump doesn't register if you jump after you start falling and doesn't increase jump height if used at the top of a regular jump
Auto-grab ledges (can fall back down though)
Zoomable map however you can't zoom out until you see the whole level
Would've been cool if the tractor beam worked on more enemies+obstacles and you could control the length of it with the second stick
Can't throw the wrench while jumping
Can't move while crouching
Mostly ammo-based weapons besides the default wrench (buy ammo at shops or find it in boxes) and the walloper (a glove that you do a powerful but short dash attack with)
Rips some ideas from other games (Crash Bandicoot - stacked item container boxes with some exploding ones in the mix - here you still get the items if you hit an exploding box near others though so there's not puzzle aspect to it, Ninja Gaiden/Mario 64 - opposite walls to wall jump upwards at, Earthworm Jim 2/Banjo Kazooie - mascot in the backpack who adds to your moveset, rail grinding - jsr/tony hawk/sonic, exploding barrels - Doom?)
No dodge roll or sprinting moves - there is a long jump and air dash though
Can't make the camera not snap back after yawing it/moving it vertically in TP view
Can't hit exploding boxes or enemies with the swingshot
Can't move while throwing chopper blades (can do it while firing other weapons and can jump while doing it)
Some delay when switching between a wrench attack and a sub weapon attack
No lock-on when throwing the wrench and its range is pretty short (an upgraded version is given to you in the mid-game however it only increases damage)
Collectathon elements (1-6k bolts at some points to progress and 10 crystals to get your ship back - not a problem, 10k to progress at the facility area and 20k at planet Joba+40k in the late-game - can be a problem if you bought an expensive weapon beforehand, 20+ raritanium to mod your ship for a certain level - a bit tedious, 20k for the qwark action figure - optional magnet upgrade) - have to grind for the best gear and the second HP upgrade as well as find the large bolts to mod your weapons
No difficulty options however you can unlock a challenge mode where you can upgrade your weapons even further (this costs a lot of money however and though it adds a kill chain multiplier it's not enough to avoid grinding)
Get a couple of extra chances to jump out of hazardous liquids that you fall into however this only works early on (some later ones make you bounce out of them but it's not consistent about when this happens and difficulty curve-wise doesn't progress smoothly)
No time limit underwater here (start with a mask)
Shooting neutral vehicles away from the main path is encouraged (rewards you with money)
No health or ammo drops from enemies
Can hit NPCs but nothing happens
Can't attack while underwater
Upgrading weapons doesn't add to their functionality - just increases damage and visual spectacle
The game tends to forget about certain gadgets for a couple of levels to come back to them later - with large and open-ended levels it becomes more apparent and it would've been cool if you could sometimes use either one gadget or another to progress
Some fetch quests
The charge boots are gained after finding the desert planet (plenty of dead space in the desert area) - exploring it as soon as you find it is much slower and once you have them+the gravity boots you can access a hover vehicle placed on a pedestal here which also lets you mine for raritanium (used for ship mods)
Spiderbots can't jump nor climb
The game doesn't pause while switching weapons during the flight combat segments
Fewer spatial awareness challenges in the exploration and parts where the game teases you with an unreachable height (see Spyro) besides if you're going for the big bolts
Can tackle enemies with the mining vehicle but it does no damage (can use the flying robot mascots though)
Somewhat few boss fights
The map being in 2D occasionally makes it harder to find your way around (rare though)
The unupgraded sheepinator becomes too weak in the late-game
One unkillable enemy type (big fish)
No stealth segments
Can't play as Angela
Can't eventually buy ammo from anywhere here
New game+ of sorts (restart with collected weapons and money) - but not gadgets so the game doesn't open up more
The tactical/escort elements when playing as Clank are somewhat more advanced here (build bridges and lift blocks with certain bots) but also fewer and don't really develop much over the course of the game
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Various control/interface issues (confusing 2D radar during the space flight combat segments, low missile rate of fire during the space flight combat segments, no mini-map, unreliable lock-on when strafing and shooting - as soon as you move a bit too much to either side Ratchet stops aiming at the enemy, moving near walls tends to screw up your strafing, somewhat slow right stick camera rotation even on "fast" and the quick turn doesn't work as it should if you didn't turn 45+ degrees before pressing it - also no active camera option (see Spyro), if using the wrench while strafing you still attack to the sides when moving left or right, the camera doesn't automatically readjust if strafing after turning even if you turn around completely - instead the strafing adjusts to the current camera position, no button config (can't map shooting to a shoulder button - rotating the view with the right stick while shooting with circle is clunky), slow scrolling text in menus which can't be sped up, when going into FP view the camera doesn't adjust to the direction Ratchet is facing, can't skip dialogue on a per sentence or paragraph basis - only skip the whole conversation, can't use quick turn while ledge grabbing or melee attacking, some guns auto-aim straight upwards if you're next to a wall or other big obstacle, L2 or R2 could've been mapped to actual quick selecting of a quick select item - still have to go into a menu and pause the game to select another weapon or gadget (or the swingshot and other tools could've been mappable to a shoulder button or there could've been an additional 8 slot quick select menu mapped to one of them), no jump height control when side- or backflipping and the jumps have little horizontal range, the dynamo gadget (switch triggering) doesn't work if you're not seeing a reticle even if you clearly are facing a switch, slow shimmying, chopper blades don't fly straight ahead unless you're aiming in FP mode or locking onto an enemy, the chopper blades are thrown above the aiming reticle when aiming in FP mode, can't back- or side flip in quick succession when crouching, weird how some enemies get knocked back too much from each wrench hit to hit them efficiently with a 3-hit combo - some can even shoot in-between your hits because the stun is so short+some enemy attacks override your jump attack with the wrench (all this makes melee combat less efficient), weirdly slow map system during the jam the arrays mission and it also turns the sound off while viewed, can't quick turn the camera in mid-air, can't put the camera behind you when standing in front of a wall and sometimes can't rotate the camera when near a wall - should've made the object transparent or shown your char's silhouette through it when doing this instead, the map screen doesn't remember your position when closing it, some minor unskippable cutscenes, the mod descriptions sometimes say that all weapons are affected when it's not the case, kinda slow forward movement when glide jumping, can't change direction during or cancel a long jump or air dash, can't perform a jump attack with the wrench after doing a double jump or longer jump with the helicopter blades (can do it if you started hovering afterwards though), can't cancel out of an attack animation, the level select menu doesn't wrap around and you have to check each one with a button press to see if there are missions left rather than it displaying as you select a planet+it doesn't show if there are bolts left on a particular planet (only how many you've found), can't air dash in mid-air - only from ground level across pits, can't air dash up gentle slopes, kinda slow aiming in FP mode (including when manning turrets), kinda slow aiming with the wrench while crouching, can't use the camera quick turn while swimming, climbing ladders doesn't flow as well as it could, can't quick turn the camera while jumping (rather annoying as giant clank), can't steer for the first couple of seconds when activating the rocket boots+can't cancel this initial dash which is also rather long, discovered hidden paths aren't filled in on the auto-map - mapper item found near the end reveals them without having to find them which isn't optimal (the green marker for secret areas and big bolts also disappear if you move near them), the camera lock-on (modded weapons) requires an enemy to be on screen to activate so even if you're looking straight at an enemy right behind the camera it won't lock-on and adjust the camera, limited jump and aiming controls as giant clank, can't see which weapons are out of ammo in the quick select menu)
Some trial & error (some melee enemies can hit you during a melee attack animation, can't see what an ammo drop of something you have a full stock of is (good that you don't pick up something you have max ammo of though), weird how you can't attack the big fish on planet 5/notak even when it's clearly sticking out of the water, no item explanations for the wing mods for the ship - these and the nose mods are actually just cosmetic, no yes/no prompt before the giant clank segment, getting the life upgrade in the facility area - glider segment (also tedious as you have to go through it back and forth if you miss it), infiltrator hacking mini-game, finding some of the big bolts - one is found in a crevice during the hoverbike race for example and another behind a wall with no visual clue that you can also only blow up by taking over an enemy on top of a statue, can't fire the sheepinator weapon while jumping, the second grinding rail segment - also one-way, some weapons reach shorter than it looks like)
Invisible walls here and there+various parts off the main path where it looks like you can walk but can't and the game is sometimes inconsistent about what you can grab onto (gets pretty bad about the first on planet boldan which also has a pointless hidden path on the backside of a building leading nowhere)
Barrel roll (used in the ship during space flight combat) seems useless and the booster doesn't recharge fast enough - you're almost a sitting duck when not boosting
Some tedious aspects (drawn out turret segment boss fight on snivelak, not enough missile ammo given in the deep space disposal ship segment and you have to mod your ship at this point to progress (also can't mod it to just increase missile capacity), can't sell back or refund weapons or ammo, some dead space and minor backtracking (on planet 3 you have to backtrack into the path leading up to the swingshot and grind boots as you find those near the end of the path while the swing+grind path is around the middle of it) - charge boots help though you get them in the late-game, ammo drops don't adjust to what you need at the moment, pointless switch triggering gadget (dynamo), playing as clank still isn't as fun (limited moveset, a bit slower, can't attack in mid-air), some grinding for the weapon upgrades (some upgrade slower than others (minirocket rube and sheepinator are painful) and each one has to be leveled up separately) - you'll want to do this if you want to keep a weapon relevant in the late-game as enemies get tougher, drilling for ore and freezing/melting water could've been a bit faster, kinda slow moving platform segment on planet Joba, can't quickly exit a beaten level when going back for big bolts, can't get the big bolt at the end of one of the Boldan paths until you revisit that planet as you'll trigger a cutscene which puts you in jail on another planet when you get near it - leads to some backtracking here as you didn't get to the teleporter in that room on first visit either, can't heal by entering your ship (entering it and moving to another planet does heal you), too many enemies in the tundra area and it's basically the same area as the desert besides the indoors parts)
Some enemies don't react when other enemies right next to them are shot at from afar and the polar bears on planet grelbin tend to forget about your existence if you just move away from them a bit even if you're shooting at them
Sometimes uneven difficulty (spikes: giant clank mech segments, no ammo refill between arena battles on the second planet - can return later for this one though; dips: spider boss in the second arena, )
Too much of a cutscene focus
The SMG-like segment would've been more interesting if the pressure ramped up as you progressed in it
Easy and not as interesting final boss (fewer phases as well)
Kind of generic and sometimes overdesigned art style overall - some exceptions are Joba and the ice planets as well as the nighttime cityscape and allgon city
Die from flying into walls in the space flight combat segments (can grace them though)
Weird how you can't interact with most NPCs after finishing their quest
"I guess no one needs a hero right now" - in a whole galaxy?
Can't upgrade the R&C1 weapons - they become underpowered in the late-game
Taking over certain robots with the hypnomatic doesn't add much that the spiderbots didn't since you just end up fighting enemies without your weapons and gadgets under a time limit
Dissonance between cutscenes and gameplay at a couple of points - get captured for no reason in two cutscenes in the end-game (just regular guards)
Enemies get kinda spongy in challenge mode
Bugs:
-Sometimes lose your grip if a platforming you grabbed the ledge of starts moving (emulation issue?)
-At one point my gravity boots didn't register on planet Boldan so I fell off a skyscraper
-The spiderbots sometimes can't trigger floor switches later on that they could trigger earlier in the game
-Lock-on doesn't quite work on the sea monsters in the tundra area
-Enemy health bars sometimes don't update properly if joined by the flying robot mascots