Review: Ratchet and Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal (PS2)

Graphics- 9.5/10
Sound- 9.5/10
Gameplay- 10/10
Replay Value- 10/10
Overall- 10/10

Ratchet and Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal is the best game in the series from Insomniac. They took what worked well from the previous game, and added multiplayer, both split-screen and online, to create a very fun adventure that shouldn't be missed.

If you've read my reviews for the first two games, you'll notice that I am a huge fan of the Ratchet and Clank series. And after the second one, I was very excited to see what would be in store in the next edition. And, even with such high expectations, those expectations were met. No, exceeded. This game throws you right in the action and never lets you out. There is never a dull moment in this game. And because of this, this game is a little harder than Going Commando. I think this is because the developers were assuming if you are playing this one, you have played the one or both of the previous two, so you know what you are doing. Also, as a side note, this game is making me incredibly excited for Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (the next game in the series, coming out on PS3 later this year, if you didn't know).

Up Your Arsenal looks about the same as Going Commando, as in there are no huge graphical upgrades, but this definitely isn't a bad thing. The universe that Insomniac has created is vast and brings the game to life. And so does the sound. The weapon sound effects are fantastic and unique, and the background music is creative and fits well in this universe. The graphics aren't perfect, though, as there are some minor clipping issues, especially with big head mode. On the plus side, however, they have fixed the camera problems from the previous game. Also, even when the screen is loaded with enemies, there is no lag to speak of, which is quite an accomplishment for a later-gen PS2 game. Plus, the developers added in a new control scheme, called Lock-Strafe mode. Although it took a little getting used to, it paid off because it is very useful.

This game is shorter than the previous one, and about as long as the first, maybe a little longer. Because of this, you can finish the story in a weekend (which I have actually done). But I said story for a reason. There is so much to do in this game that it would be impossible to finish 100% in one weekend. The weapon upgrading is back in this version, but now you can upgrade your weapons to eight different versions (five in first run-through, three in challenge mode), as opposed to only three in Going Commando. Also, titanium bolts (gold bolts in Ratchet and Clank 1, platinum bolts in Ratchet and Clank 2) are back, and instead of using them for weapon upgrades as in the first two, they are used to by skins for Ratchet during the game. Gameplay with Clank is just about gone, as you will only use him three or four times throughout the whole game. I was rather disappointed with this move, as the Clank sections are often the most creative gameplay-wise in the whole game.

The thing that sets Up Your Arsenal apart from the previous two games was the addition of multiplayer. There are three different game modes: deathmatch, capture the flag, and siege, where there are two teams trying to destroy each other's base. The game is fun to play with your friends in split-screen, but really shines online. The online system worked very well. The only bad part was that stats could be somewhat manipulated and the ranking system was a little finicky at times. Other than that, though, the system was very solid for Insomniac's first attempt at online. By the way, I have checked, and even though this game was released in 2004, and a sequel (Ratchet: Deadlocked) has come out, people are still playing this game online. This game is amazing and you should buy this game if you are looking for a fun, and funny, adventure.

Pros: Somehow better than Ratchet and Clank 2, online multiplayer, funny, controls.
Cons: Some clipping issues, (almost) no playing as Clank.

Review: Eric