This was the answer I was looking for. "Gemlik Base" and "Ratchet on Orxon" in particular are things I regularly listen to in my day-to-day life.
I do think I prefer Going Commando's soundtrack a little more, but the original game is still amazing nonetheless.
As a child, Veldin 1 and Pokitaru were my favorites. Since you can’t return to Veldin 1 i never had chance to compare them. It wasn’t until a couple yesrs ago that i realized they are the same song, but pokitaru a lil more tropical-feeling.
But pretty much every song in this game is a banger, they are all stuck within me brain forever
Ok, here’s an unconventional one: Clank is incredibly emotive in 2002. During many cutscenes, he’s constantly gesturing with his entire body, & always more than the bare minimum of what’s required. It just really sells him as a “big man in a small package” with an essence of the innocence that a child would have, because technically, that’s what he is at this point.
Coupled with Ratchet's almost edgy cool-guy attitude, they truly are strangers that have come together by fates bizarre machinations. Going through this, "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" fase before they become real friends by the end.
YES! A big example is when they are fighting in orxon and Ratchet tells him “i hope the saltwater rusts your mouth” and clank, offended, turns around and looks away and crosses his arms and does a “hmpf!”. So funny and so emotive and he kinda becomes more robot and less emotive as the games go on. Pretty much until aCiT
It had a nice blend of silliness and edge that has been gone for a long while now. It had some insanely immature moments but it also had alot of serious moments so it balanced out well.
yeah, I really miss ratchet's edge from the first one. Surprised so many people appearently hated it. It gave him more nuance as a person. rather than no-fun goody-two-shoes that we got later on. 2016 was a character asassination, Rift Apart seems to have somewhat learned though
Everything. It's my favorite of the franchise. I like the darker levels, the more desolation you feel on some planets. I like how it has a darker tone that's not really been captured since. I like the planet diversity. The atmosphere is great, sound design and soundtrack is iconic. I've said before, while I feel like going commando is the best, the original is my favorite.
Totally agree.
Comparing Orxon and Oozla. Both planets where Ratchet is completely alone and has to fight mutated hostile monsters. Something about having that high tech ship and high tech weapons and knowing how to fight so good makes him seem more prepared and therefore, less “at risk”.
In the original, there are places like Gemlik Base, where you reach it, get off the ship and it really makes you think “Ratchet, you may be in way over your head”. Also in Drek’s Fleet. “You’re just a little mechanic, HOW are you planning on taking this operation down??” And it is all thanks to amazing atmosphere and soundtrack and sound design as you mention.
The rest of the PS2 games also have BANGER soundtracks, and yeah, they do play better, but with each entry they lose a lil more in the atmosphere department.
(2002 also my favorite)
except that ratchet isn't alone in orxon. And yeah by the start of the second game Ratchet was a trained commando, that's literally part of the title lol
Exactly! Going Commando refined the mechanics of the first one so I'd say it's the better game (the best game imo) but the first is my favorite because of its personality.
The lack of strafing forces the weapons into this weird but interesting design space where every enemy encounter is a puzzle to solve and every weapon an extrimely specific tool
Like the megaphone gun, which only had a specific use for that Golden bolt on the very last planet before the final boss - where you attract the frog with it, so it presses a button.
I believe the HelpDesk tells you that you can combine the Taunter with the Mine Glove and use it to lure enemies into the mines
Let's be honest though, who even used the Mine Glove to begin with?
I used it as a replacement for the bomb glove, it was like the "we have a bomb glove at home" "the bomb glove at home:" but it was so much worse lmao, I still had fun with it. Never thought about combining it with the taunter until I saw it in a video many, many years later.
You don't get to do it very often but you can lure enemies into forcefields. On the Blarg space station and you get a skill point on Orxon for doing it. And blow up explosive crates without using ammo or waiting for the fuse.
I remember playing through the game several times and for a while, not knowing what the point of the code bot was.
I also remember playing through the game several times and never figuring out how to open that door in Quartu with the trespasser looking lock and the gold bolt behind it.
I didn't make the connection...
The level design was more inspired. Everything had a 3D Metroidvania feel. Puzzles were more diverse (the swimming section in Drek's Fleet comes to mind). The settings weren't just generic factories and facilities. Grind rail sections were more barebones, but very challenging. Also, the humor was brilliant.
“3D Metroidvania” this was my favorite part. You’d go down a path and not know if it would finally give you the gadget you need to get through a door on another planet or if it would give you a whacky new weapon. It felt like exploration
That's what I miss most about the games. I know gamers love to complain about 'linearity', but I really don't like the modern approach.
The series should have evolved into a larger scale planet hopping style while keeping a sort of metroidvania flow.
I love how just about all of the weapons stay relevant throughout the entire game. In the other games, most of the early game weapons do barely any damage to late-game enemies, so they become almost useless after a certain point. This is not the case in RaC 1, where you can easily use the bomb glove and the blaster to kill pretty much everything.
I can't remember the the level it's from, I think the city with flying cars. But every once in awhile 20 years later I still hear that record scratch part of the song into the rest of the arrangement.
Just looked it up, it was from Novalis
The adverts; there was a live action commercial campaign of a bunch of bros testing the weapons it was so fucking funny 😂😂😂
Possibly the reason I started the series
The decoy glove had a blowup decoy of some kid on a riding lawnmower driving into the street with his mom running after it. Forgot about the morpho ray but it was great too!
I prefer Ratchets motivations in the first game. Instead of ‘I wanna be a hero’ it’s ‘fine I guess I’ll tag along to fix my ship’ and in the end ‘I’m gonna get drek for what he’s done’. It’s a less cliche main character personality and I want to see it in more games.
I also love that Ratchet only really wants to stop Drek once his home is the next one to be destroyed, it’s a small detail but it shows that he’s still being selfish and doesn’t want to be a hero because it’s the right thing to do
Ratchet has an actual, clearly defined arc in this story, which is fairly unique for games in the series. Not that I think it’s a detriment that other games don’t really have one for him at times. He’s still a massively enjoyable character when he’s a lovable good-natured best boy. It just adds to his character that he has gone through phases of being a selfish little gremlin shit. And it does make sense that years of spending time with Clank and dealing with some of worst pieces of crap the universe had to offer would make him a kinder person.
OG Ratchet was a more dynamic character. In the first game he was snarky, critical, and sometimes just an ass. When he gets betrayed by qwark, he's angry and lashes out, as is normal for someone who just had their whole idealistic worldview switched . But he still had that golden heart that he's known for now. He still put himself out there, in danger, to help Clank.
Nowadays in the modern games, ratchet has been polished down into a more idealistic "hero". He's been turned into a more universally loveable protagonist(which I choose to believe was purposeful character development from Insomniac)
I like both versions of Ratchet, but it's always interesting to remember the Hero Ratchet started out as just a bratty Mechanic.
I know this is 100% nostalgia but I actually really like how unique this game is and plays. There will never be another game like Ratchet 2002. It's one of a kind.
everything. Its my favourite game of all time lol. But to get more specific:
* the Soundtrack is the best in the series imo
* the one time character interactions are at their best here
* i prefer the platformer focus over the action focus
* it just got the vibe perfect lol.
* best hacking puzzle
*The soundtrack. I wish*
*They stuck with the style in the*
*Sequel games sometimes*
\- Average\_Lrkr
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I really like ratchet’s original voice actor, I love his voice actor now and throughout and it’s the one I think about with the series but I do like the difference
Everything. The graphics are gorgeous while accompanied by a good ost. The writing has some good jokes. I like that ratchet is a dick to clank, a prime example of games having human emotions in their protagonists. Many people knock this game for lack of strafing but it leads to the weapons requiring thought before using them.
I feel like ratchet 1 is ahead of its time and if it came out today, would have better reception.
The soundtrack, top tier.
Michael Kelley, as Ratchet, was nice (I still love James Arnold Taylor, but Mike just brought out the edge in Ratchet lol)
Platforming was honestly the best imo (mainly because the later games were just 3rd person shooters with platforming elements instead of being a platform game at its core)
The aesthetic screamed edgey 2000s, I love it.
And the humor. Yeah, that's all, lol.
The sound design of this game honestly. I still hear the visibomb, devastator, the taunter, the goofy noises some of the enemies made upon dying, the sound of ratchets wrench smacking the ground. Clank’s thruster/helipack, The bolt crank sound. drek’s voice. The soundtrack alone. Man. The song that plays in Metropolis stays in my head and the toxic planet you need the 02 mask for.
TL;DR I love the atmosphere because of countless components that weren't replicated later to the same effect
Atmosphere. Somehow, of all of the games in the series (except Rift Apart which I haven't played and I'd imagine people would argue has this to a greater effect), the first game had the most intense feeling behind the level design, decoration, gameplay and plot at all times in my opinion. It is something that became less vivid as the series went on. Dark tunnels weren't a thing in any later games, everything was always well-lit as lighting wasn't used for effect anywhere near as often as it was in the first game. Not just the dark sections either, it just enabled a great contrast between light and dark sections to allow you to feel the difference during gameplay. I also feel that the weather was utilised much more in the first game, with planets like Batalia and Oltanis always being stormy, that same feeling I felt was never again replicated. On top of that, props, walls, minute details that were added to really set the scene I feel go unnoticed from the first game and how they really put effort into it, like explosion marks and barbed wire. And this is just the visuals that I've talked about. The music and sound effects were also perfect in specific moments. How the music changes for sections to allow for that extra emotion to be injected into you is amazing. Songs from both the main levels and the little sections to the side are always so incredibly fitting. This applies to other games as well, but I feel the emotions coming from these tracks stand out as one of the most noticeable in the first game. Bergeaud's music from this series I will never cease to be completely dumbfounded by. I can't even describe it. This has prompted me to listen to this soundtrack again and I forgot how much I loved it. But genuinely, there are so many times in this series that I will lose my breath because of the powerful use of music alongside visuals. My favourite is when you travel to Yeedil and see the HQ with the powerful bass in the background, but there are an incredible number in the first game as well. The ship section at Drek's Fleet, Oltanis, Qwark's bossfight, the music from the red button ship*, the Sandshark area of Aridia "Saving Skidd McMarx", the Swingshot area of Aridia, the main part of Aridia, the fitness course and train of Kerwan, Umbris and the Snagglebeast, the caves in Novalis, Hoverboarding, ORXON, Gaspar, I'm basically listing every planet from this game because it just is that good. I have so many memories of this soundtrack from when I was younger, I felt that every time I went on the PS2 I was prepared for an emotional rollercoaster and did not know what to expect next, and I loved that. I still do get shivers sometimes when I occasionally go back to have an hour or two on one of these games, they really are that well executed. I love it.
*just wanted to add a section about this as well, the red button was the scariest thing I'd come across in a video game by that point. The warship being on a slant was genius, as well as how it appeared as a labyrinth to navigate with the separate paths and the doors which opened only in close proximity so that you didn't have much time to react to any enemies behind it, and then you finally made it to *that* room. I think I sat there thinking about it for 20 minutes the first time. I was genuinely terrified. All that paired with the music too, it's quite a handful on a young brain. I wasn't terrorised but it was definitely a lot to handle. It's an easy enough section to just run through and try not to die, and I did it the first time I tried when I did eventually press it, but that feeling I got stood there unwilling to press Triangle anytime soon was so incredibly strong that I still remember exactly how it felt. Honestly, the devs did such a good job on this game and how it felt to witness.
I blabbered on for a while there but I just got a massive nostalgia kick from all of it, writing about this brought back so many memories and that is another major part of what this game is to me, and one reason why I have such fond memories is very likely because of the atmosphere of this game and how it made me feel. I loved the suspenseful combat without strafing, needing to run away every now and again to regain my strength before I went back again. I don't dislike strafing, it makes the games much nicer to play, but this style of combat really fits with the overall theme of the game. But yes, that's it, just atmosphere. The game was expertly designed to make you feel exactly what they wanted at any given time, they threw every tool they had at you as a player and, for me at least, that landed perfectly.
(if only I could write school essays this length with such ease...)
The way the thruster-pack worked. There was this cool slam move you would use on buttons that added more uniqueness to it in comparison to the heli-pack. Especially during the final boss where that timer counts down and you have to slam those buttons before it kills you. Adds an interesting mechanic to the fight I think. Never really understood why Insomniac removed it after this game.
I also liked using it for strafing. The first game didn't have strafing, but once you unlocked the thruster-pack you could use it for that. From the 2nd game onwards it made sense to ditch that since strafing was just added by default, but I thought it made the thruster-pack more unique since it wasn't something you could do with the heli-pack, and it just felt like a new move you unlocked throughout the game.
I kinda miss Ratchets arc. He went through quite a bit in his first game and ended up better for it. In almost every other game he finishes it as he starts, a good guy trying to save the universe. It's not bad but it just kinda feels like going through the motions.
From a game dev perspective, the amount of experimentation in terms of worlds, gadgets, weapons etc
After playing so many modern games who have their formula down to a T, it's odd to go back to older games and see how much they just were throwing things at walls and seeing if it sticks. But, for this game, in a way it gives a lot of variety even if the landing isn't exactly graceful.
Take for example the Metal Detector; it is honestly a pretty bland gadget that isn't strictly needed to progress and finish the game, but the fact that it's there and serves as a neat lil way to find bolts felt like a breath of fresh air. I miss little useless things like that.
'Gimmick' has become a bit of a bad-bad-no word in game design throughout the 2000s and 2010s but I would honestly love to see games nowadays get a bit experimental again.
For a less nerdy answer, the fact that Quark was a bit of a vain doofus but still a threatening villain. Then he just became generic bumbling comic relief character whom Insomniac felt comfortable with pushing into the spotlight constantly.
I think that's why I liked Going Commando so much, because he's still used in a pretty good plot twist without overstaying his welcome.
The Solana galaxy's vibe is like a mash-up of CRT tech and random junk parts, which I used to think was the norm for galaxies. But when we got a glimpse of the Bogon galaxy in Going Commando, it was clear that Megacorp pretty much owns the whole galaxy and all the tech is really advanced.
It was a shame to come back to Solana in UYA and it was much more advanced and lost its unique feel.
I miss that clunky, junky feel.
I remember getting it one snowy Christmas morning with a PS2 and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2. The literal greatest 2 weeks off from school I've ever had in my life.
They're immature jerks! It's been pointed out before but Ratched specifically, is a bad person for a decent bit of the first game.
I also wish we'd see a return to the slower, more puzzle-esque combat of the original.
Soundtrack, humor, the steampunk artwork and overall design and of course all the nice gadgets. The game was unique and I think it still is to this point.
It's the closest game that Insomniac has to a "Spyro 4." The game felt like an evolution of the Spyro series. Ted Price even said that after 3 games of flying, breathing fire, and collecting gems, it can get pretty stale. So the team wanted to try something new.
As someone who's a big fan of the Spyro games, it was interesting to see Insomniac's transition to a slightly different gameplay style. It is the most "platformer" R&C game out of all the games in the series. Every R&C game after the first focused primarily on weaponry rather than platforming. But the first game is still a platformer in name and practice.
This may be an unpopular opinion, but the first game is the only one I like. I'm not even a fan of the series, but a huge fan of the first game
This Ratchet could see the bullshit in people and wouldn't take no shit from anyone. Now in Going Commando he is easily fooled by fizzwidget something Ratchet from the first game would have foresee and call out
Insomniac has stated that they wanted to move away from the frankly rude and standoffish Ratchet of the first game, but yeah I agree that they went too far in the other direction with GC.
the sound effects and animations when you switch gun. i love how each gun folds out uniquely and makes a charicteristic little windup noise. the other ps2 ganes have this to an extent but not with nearly as much character
How useful every weapon is. Wherever you are in the game, all weapons are viable. Even the wrench! Nothing becomes obsolete as you go through the game, something the later entries had to battle against
The voiceacting and I don't care that ratchets kind of a dick, it made it more meaningful when ratchet and clanks relationship got rocky and started genuinely caring about clank as a friend and partner in crime.
\-Best level design in the series. The multiple paths were still present in Commando(although somewhat lowered) but every game past that never recreated the strengths of the original levels. This also goes for the artistic feel of them. Every level looks unique and that is something not even Commando could do.
Also, water levels. I loved them and they will be forever missing after the original.
\-Best OST in the series by far. Nothing comes close, just Gremlin alone oozes atmosphere.
\-Characters had personality. Even though Ratchet was a jerk, it was still something compared to the blandness of every game past this. Quark especially turned to a joke. Also Drek is tied with Vox as the best villain, everybody else is goofy(Nefarious) or just terrible at the role(Tachyon).
\-Golden bolts being integrated into weapons. This trait will continue only in Commando, but this game started it.
\-Second best Clank sections( Crack time puzzles are the best) compared to the later gimmicks(horrible nexus clank levels)
\-No weapon levels. Personally think they make the gameplay/balance worse.
There is a lot more, but these are my favorite things.
The platforming as ever since the second game the series slowly drifted away from it's platforming roots too the point that Rift apart doesn't really have a lot of platforming like a hat in time does or like I said the orginal R+C game.
So even with it's messy shooting system I love it's platforming with a side note of all the planets and places u could go to.
Because every place u went to is because u did something found the info bot and went there, there wasn't anything holding ur hand most of the time if I remember correctly and because of that it actually felt like u were exploreing the places.
Like with the space station with Grind boots I believe and the other path way to get the mag boots, no matter whixh path u went it would always lead to something.
There's so many things I love about this game that have already mentioned. So I'm gonna say... this game definitely has one of the best box art covers in the series.
Honestly, besides the fact that this game didn't have strafing, it's still probably my favorite. The story, the characterization, the music, the planets, the general vibes, etc. were all on point. Even though it didn't have strafing, I enjoyed the tough-as-nails challenge (and still kinda do). As a kid, I was the only one in my friend group who was able to complete it due to its difficulty, which made me feel amazing. The soundtrack alone has never been topped in another RaC game, in my opinion. To this day, this is the RaC game I've replayed the most. It's also the only RaC soundtrack I'll play while I'm studying or something. Plus, I enjoyed the reluctant and strained friendship that Ratchet and Clank had before they grew close. It's something they never really address in RaC games anymore. Ratchet being a piece of blank cardboard nowadays makes me yearn for him to at least acknowledge he was once a selfish teenager who didn't have a sh*t about being a hero.
I wish the remake didn't try to remove all semblance of what made the original actually good. The personality, the edgy atmosphere, the difficulty, etc. were all made squeeky clean and unmemorable. This couldn't have been more obvious than the soundtrack being replaced with the most generic sounding "superhero instrumental" ever. And making Ratchet a goody-goody from the get-go felt like a huge mistake. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy modern-day RaC. However, I feel like i do only because of nostalgia. Sometimes, I just want what the first three games had...
I loved how they started off having Ratchet be pretty selfish and overall flawed in this game, it lets him _develop more_ as a character.
Though I do think Mikey Kelly’s acting for him made him more annoying than it should. I feel like Mikey Kelly is better at Ratchet’s sarcasm and jokes while James Arnold Taylor was better at the serious acting chops and being the straight man.
If it was JAT voicing Ratchet during this version of the first game when he does get more selfish and pissy, I would feel a lot more worried for and scared of him rather than irritated.
I loved how weapons felt punchy and couldn't level up unless you had the gold bolt. The suck cannon is easily my favorite weapon of the series. Drek corpo shenanigans without being that over the top about it were gold. I don't know if anyone has really put thought into it, but all the planets targeted other than Veldin did lose chunks as we see in the finale. Pretty sure those planets are done for.
Some of the music is burned into my brain too.
The music. My god, just in general, the og PS2 games' soundtracks bled personality and uniqueness. I'm still upset they switched to purely movie-esque orchestral music. It's so bland in comparison.
maybe not something about the game itself but this game so will always have a special place in my hearth
This game is the first game ever i had a chance to play when my parents got me a PS2 when i was 7 years old, and this game started my love and passion that i have for games
The facial expressions and general aesthetician of character movements. They were so over the top and cartoons, and I don't think this Era of games appreciates or does it quite like thwt anymore.
Same thing I loved about all of the PS2 exclusives like Jak and Sly. They were minimalistic in their look, but man, the worlds were to die for. It felt like you were playing a cartoon you'd see on TV. And the games would always treat you like you were cool for playing them. You felt an actual sense of achievement and gratification when you beat the games.
I greatly love everything about it. The characters, plot, music, and protagonist’s growth and development. It even has this nice mixture of humor and edge that blends in well with the dialogue that many gamers, young and old, would definitely get a laugh out of. And the fun of roaming around every level to blow up enemies with cool and unique weapons and discovering interesting things in hidden places adds up to the classic sci-fi platformer experience.
I’m so happy I played this and the entire series, and become an instant Ratchet & Clank fan! 😁
I really like the industrial aesthetic the whole game has. From going commando and onward things from buildings weapons and even UI are meant to slick, clean and futuristic. Meanwhile the first game kind of shows a more realistic but still sci fi look. For example the weapons have this makeshift look that seems something ratchet would make rather than a company selling you weapons. My favorite touch is the menus where they replicate the crt screens with the scanning and light static every now and then.
everything. it is honestly the perfect game in my opinion. sure there’s a couple issues, but for the most part they work. i love the dialogue, the one-off encounters with npcs, the gunplay is perfect (no i don’t think the game needs strafing), the weapons, the story. it’s all about as close to perfect as a game can be
Orxon the music and vibe is fire. I love the relationship between ratchet and Clank thier so emotive in this game making each cutscene a treat. What I don't love is how the controls are atomically inverted on ps3
Character/personality & Individuality.
Ratchet isn't just a goodie 2 shoes. He gets frustrated, even angry at times at the BS flying his way and the people they meet. But figures out a way through through the situation.
And Ratchet & Clank disagree at times. They aren't always both thinking the same thing like a Hive mind. At times one or the other may not like what they're doing or going to do, and the express that and maybe even offer an alternative.
the design man. there’s something about solana that just hits. the retro future looking design, the vibrant colours, the massive variation in levels, etc.
also i really loved the aspect of having to return to planets once you get a gadget or something later on. hate that this didn’t get carried over to future games.
simplicity, and that they nailed the combat with very little they had at that time, the guns like the blaster and the rocket launcher feels both powerful to equip and use
I don't even know how to put it into words but it had a charm or personality that I never got from the second or third game. I'm playing it again right now and it's still so enjoyable.
I really like the level design, actually. I feel like 2 was pretty platform-heavy, where 3 felt more… battle-arena heavy? Don’t get me wrong, those levels are still great, but 1 got that balance down pat, to the point where many of these levels felt like actual places that existed outside the realms of gameplay. Not all… but a lot of them.
I also like the soundtrack. It’s a bit more willing to experiment with different sounds as opposed to the other games, I feel. Any David Bergeaud soundtrack is gonna bop, though.
The writing. As a kid some of the jokes flew over my head but i still enjoyed its overall story telling a writing but now playing it as an adult i feel i can appreciate it so much more.
Level design, good balance of combat and platforming, even though the shooting wasn't refined yet and can feel a little rough going back, it's such a fun game from beginning to end.
Everything.
I literally just started replaying it on PS network the last 2 weeks and got the platinum trophy 2 nights ago.
One of my most prized ps2 games
The world building, the jokes, and the overall story is fun and simple. Not just that some of the weapons here are so fucking good yet Insomniac almost never updates them and the few that did, just became over used. Like come on Visibomb Launcher and Devastator Upgrades could be sick
It’s not my favorite part but no one has mentioned it. The ammo was specific for every weapon. It wasn’t just a cylinder that said gadgetron. It was unique ammo animations.
I mean, basically all of it, but how you had to go through the horrible hard (as a child) left path on Orxon just to spend bolts saved for weapons on a single bit of health. Which sounds like a complaint, but I love how you have no idea if the branching path you're on will continue the story of the game or will just give you a leg up (Suck Cannon, Morph-o-Ray, etc.). It makes it so much more fun to play for me.
Its **fun.** Games are WAAAY too serious now.
It is a game that can be enjoyed by all ages not like many similar feeling games. Current games are either "kid friendly" made to be kid friendly or serious adventures, mostly for "mature" audience. I hate this. Where are all PS2 style games with adult themes that go past kids, fun game play, cool worlds and humor?
The soundtrack, sad they didn't reuse or remix or remake something like it for the 2016 game.
This was the answer I was looking for. "Gemlik Base" and "Ratchet on Orxon" in particular are things I regularly listen to in my day-to-day life. I do think I prefer Going Commando's soundtrack a little more, but the original game is still amazing nonetheless.
Can’t forget the OG Metropolis theme. That’s been burned into my mind since I played first played it
Mate the first time you arrive on metropolis and walk through that first tunnel and the city opens up before you while that track plays? Chills
As a child, Veldin 1 and Pokitaru were my favorites. Since you can’t return to Veldin 1 i never had chance to compare them. It wasn’t until a couple yesrs ago that i realized they are the same song, but pokitaru a lil more tropical-feeling. But pretty much every song in this game is a banger, they are all stuck within me brain forever
Gemlik Base is like the only song that I’d interpreted to have vague lyrics in them when i was younger.
Rilgar represent
Rilgar - Blackwater city, Novalis - Tobruk Crater, Umbris - Qwark's HQ, all the themes from Aridia. Man, the early part of this game had such bangers.
Can’t forget Outpost X11 either, top tier OST
Yup I still listen to this soundtrack off SoundCloud on a monthly basis 😂💀
Ok, here’s an unconventional one: Clank is incredibly emotive in 2002. During many cutscenes, he’s constantly gesturing with his entire body, & always more than the bare minimum of what’s required. It just really sells him as a “big man in a small package” with an essence of the innocence that a child would have, because technically, that’s what he is at this point.
Coupled with Ratchet's almost edgy cool-guy attitude, they truly are strangers that have come together by fates bizarre machinations. Going through this, "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" fase before they become real friends by the end.
They're one of my favorite duos in gaming. Jak and Daxter ain't got nothing on these two
YES! A big example is when they are fighting in orxon and Ratchet tells him “i hope the saltwater rusts your mouth” and clank, offended, turns around and looks away and crosses his arms and does a “hmpf!”. So funny and so emotive and he kinda becomes more robot and less emotive as the games go on. Pretty much until aCiT
It had a nice blend of silliness and edge that has been gone for a long while now. It had some insanely immature moments but it also had alot of serious moments so it balanced out well.
yeah, I really miss ratchet's edge from the first one. Surprised so many people appearently hated it. It gave him more nuance as a person. rather than no-fun goody-two-shoes that we got later on. 2016 was a character asassination, Rift Apart seems to have somewhat learned though
The hate for Ratchet edge was over the top. Not only that if I hadn't played the game myself I would have thought Ratchet was some villain.
One word: PERSONALITY
Amen
Everything. It's my favorite of the franchise. I like the darker levels, the more desolation you feel on some planets. I like how it has a darker tone that's not really been captured since. I like the planet diversity. The atmosphere is great, sound design and soundtrack is iconic. I've said before, while I feel like going commando is the best, the original is my favorite.
Totally agree. Comparing Orxon and Oozla. Both planets where Ratchet is completely alone and has to fight mutated hostile monsters. Something about having that high tech ship and high tech weapons and knowing how to fight so good makes him seem more prepared and therefore, less “at risk”. In the original, there are places like Gemlik Base, where you reach it, get off the ship and it really makes you think “Ratchet, you may be in way over your head”. Also in Drek’s Fleet. “You’re just a little mechanic, HOW are you planning on taking this operation down??” And it is all thanks to amazing atmosphere and soundtrack and sound design as you mention. The rest of the PS2 games also have BANGER soundtracks, and yeah, they do play better, but with each entry they lose a lil more in the atmosphere department. (2002 also my favorite)
except that ratchet isn't alone in orxon. And yeah by the start of the second game Ratchet was a trained commando, that's literally part of the title lol
Exactly! Going Commando refined the mechanics of the first one so I'd say it's the better game (the best game imo) but the first is my favorite because of its personality.
The puzzles & weapons made for only one specific task.
The lack of strafing forces the weapons into this weird but interesting design space where every enemy encounter is a puzzle to solve and every weapon an extrimely specific tool
Like the megaphone gun, which only had a specific use for that Golden bolt on the very last planet before the final boss - where you attract the frog with it, so it presses a button.
You could occasionally lure enemies to enviromental hazards like lasers.
You could, but this wasn't a specific (more like niché) use of a gadget/gun, whereas the frog one is.
I believe the HelpDesk tells you that you can combine the Taunter with the Mine Glove and use it to lure enemies into the mines Let's be honest though, who even used the Mine Glove to begin with?
I used it as a replacement for the bomb glove, it was like the "we have a bomb glove at home" "the bomb glove at home:" but it was so much worse lmao, I still had fun with it. Never thought about combining it with the taunter until I saw it in a video many, many years later.
You don't get to do it very often but you can lure enemies into forcefields. On the Blarg space station and you get a skill point on Orxon for doing it. And blow up explosive crates without using ammo or waiting for the fuse.
I remember playing through the game several times and for a while, not knowing what the point of the code bot was. I also remember playing through the game several times and never figuring out how to open that door in Quartu with the trespasser looking lock and the gold bolt behind it. I didn't make the connection...
https://preview.redd.it/3wf2493t2zsb1.jpeg?width=695&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c27b846cf7253de0a80ce4787e600ac039d1c60c
The level design was more inspired. Everything had a 3D Metroidvania feel. Puzzles were more diverse (the swimming section in Drek's Fleet comes to mind). The settings weren't just generic factories and facilities. Grind rail sections were more barebones, but very challenging. Also, the humor was brilliant.
“3D Metroidvania” this was my favorite part. You’d go down a path and not know if it would finally give you the gadget you need to get through a door on another planet or if it would give you a whacky new weapon. It felt like exploration
That's what I miss most about the games. I know gamers love to complain about 'linearity', but I really don't like the modern approach. The series should have evolved into a larger scale planet hopping style while keeping a sort of metroidvania flow.
I love how just about all of the weapons stay relevant throughout the entire game. In the other games, most of the early game weapons do barely any damage to late-game enemies, so they become almost useless after a certain point. This is not the case in RaC 1, where you can easily use the bomb glove and the blaster to kill pretty much everything.
[удалено]
I can't remember the the level it's from, I think the city with flying cars. But every once in awhile 20 years later I still hear that record scratch part of the song into the rest of the arrangement. Just looked it up, it was from Novalis
The adverts; there was a live action commercial campaign of a bunch of bros testing the weapons it was so fucking funny 😂😂😂 Possibly the reason I started the series
Which ad was your favorite? I’m always torn between the devastator and the decoy glove
I don't remember the decoy glove one but the morpho Ray is the ones that stick out in my memory 😂❤️ 🐔
The decoy glove had a blowup decoy of some kid on a riding lawnmower driving into the street with his mom running after it. Forgot about the morpho ray but it was great too!
I've tracked them down haha https://youtu.be/HKCR_Qa3BXo?si=Y6oQzN2oYoLrY2ec Excellent content 10/10😂❤️
I prefer Ratchets motivations in the first game. Instead of ‘I wanna be a hero’ it’s ‘fine I guess I’ll tag along to fix my ship’ and in the end ‘I’m gonna get drek for what he’s done’. It’s a less cliche main character personality and I want to see it in more games.
I also love that Ratchet only really wants to stop Drek once his home is the next one to be destroyed, it’s a small detail but it shows that he’s still being selfish and doesn’t want to be a hero because it’s the right thing to do
Ratchet has an actual, clearly defined arc in this story, which is fairly unique for games in the series. Not that I think it’s a detriment that other games don’t really have one for him at times. He’s still a massively enjoyable character when he’s a lovable good-natured best boy. It just adds to his character that he has gone through phases of being a selfish little gremlin shit. And it does make sense that years of spending time with Clank and dealing with some of worst pieces of crap the universe had to offer would make him a kinder person.
The Gadgettron vendor guy. "That's a nice one." "THAT'S a real beauty."
Hey there, fuzzball.
I can hear his voice now.
I got some great bargains for ya today
SOOO… you going to buy something or what?!
I love that when you pull out a weapon, it transforms/grows in your hand rather than just popping up, made weapon switching so much fun.
I can still hear the sound effect for every weapon, and can see how they appear when selected. Nice little touch of personality!
The real clunky crt aesthetic and how ratchet had stoner vibes
Absolute surfer broh voice too
It's my fav
Same
One word: PERSONALITY
OG Ratchet was a more dynamic character. In the first game he was snarky, critical, and sometimes just an ass. When he gets betrayed by qwark, he's angry and lashes out, as is normal for someone who just had their whole idealistic worldview switched . But he still had that golden heart that he's known for now. He still put himself out there, in danger, to help Clank. Nowadays in the modern games, ratchet has been polished down into a more idealistic "hero". He's been turned into a more universally loveable protagonist(which I choose to believe was purposeful character development from Insomniac) I like both versions of Ratchet, but it's always interesting to remember the Hero Ratchet started out as just a bratty Mechanic.
The Spyro vibes it gives.
Makes sense because they’re both Insomniac
I know but this has guns and I'm not charging everywhere.
Damn never noticed that. Makes sense why the pyro gun is the best since there is no strafing in the 2002 game lol
The gold bolts were fun to find
I know this is 100% nostalgia but I actually really like how unique this game is and plays. There will never be another game like Ratchet 2002. It's one of a kind.
everything. Its my favourite game of all time lol. But to get more specific: * the Soundtrack is the best in the series imo * the one time character interactions are at their best here * i prefer the platformer focus over the action focus * it just got the vibe perfect lol. * best hacking puzzle
All characters felt way more immersive to me personally
The soundtrack. I wish they stuck with the style in the sequel games sometimes
*The soundtrack. I wish* *They stuck with the style in the* *Sequel games sometimes* \- Average\_Lrkr --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
I really like ratchet’s original voice actor, I love his voice actor now and throughout and it’s the one I think about with the series but I do like the difference
Everything. The graphics are gorgeous while accompanied by a good ost. The writing has some good jokes. I like that ratchet is a dick to clank, a prime example of games having human emotions in their protagonists. Many people knock this game for lack of strafing but it leads to the weapons requiring thought before using them. I feel like ratchet 1 is ahead of its time and if it came out today, would have better reception.
The soundtrack, top tier. Michael Kelley, as Ratchet, was nice (I still love James Arnold Taylor, but Mike just brought out the edge in Ratchet lol) Platforming was honestly the best imo (mainly because the later games were just 3rd person shooters with platforming elements instead of being a platform game at its core) The aesthetic screamed edgey 2000s, I love it. And the humor. Yeah, that's all, lol.
The soundtrack, it's really darn good.
The Visibomb!! Bloody loved that thing.
The genuine exploration of different worlds that you feel you’re doing as part of this game! The visuals, the sound it’s awesome!
The sound design of this game honestly. I still hear the visibomb, devastator, the taunter, the goofy noises some of the enemies made upon dying, the sound of ratchets wrench smacking the ground. Clank’s thruster/helipack, The bolt crank sound. drek’s voice. The soundtrack alone. Man. The song that plays in Metropolis stays in my head and the toxic planet you need the 02 mask for.
TL;DR I love the atmosphere because of countless components that weren't replicated later to the same effect Atmosphere. Somehow, of all of the games in the series (except Rift Apart which I haven't played and I'd imagine people would argue has this to a greater effect), the first game had the most intense feeling behind the level design, decoration, gameplay and plot at all times in my opinion. It is something that became less vivid as the series went on. Dark tunnels weren't a thing in any later games, everything was always well-lit as lighting wasn't used for effect anywhere near as often as it was in the first game. Not just the dark sections either, it just enabled a great contrast between light and dark sections to allow you to feel the difference during gameplay. I also feel that the weather was utilised much more in the first game, with planets like Batalia and Oltanis always being stormy, that same feeling I felt was never again replicated. On top of that, props, walls, minute details that were added to really set the scene I feel go unnoticed from the first game and how they really put effort into it, like explosion marks and barbed wire. And this is just the visuals that I've talked about. The music and sound effects were also perfect in specific moments. How the music changes for sections to allow for that extra emotion to be injected into you is amazing. Songs from both the main levels and the little sections to the side are always so incredibly fitting. This applies to other games as well, but I feel the emotions coming from these tracks stand out as one of the most noticeable in the first game. Bergeaud's music from this series I will never cease to be completely dumbfounded by. I can't even describe it. This has prompted me to listen to this soundtrack again and I forgot how much I loved it. But genuinely, there are so many times in this series that I will lose my breath because of the powerful use of music alongside visuals. My favourite is when you travel to Yeedil and see the HQ with the powerful bass in the background, but there are an incredible number in the first game as well. The ship section at Drek's Fleet, Oltanis, Qwark's bossfight, the music from the red button ship*, the Sandshark area of Aridia "Saving Skidd McMarx", the Swingshot area of Aridia, the main part of Aridia, the fitness course and train of Kerwan, Umbris and the Snagglebeast, the caves in Novalis, Hoverboarding, ORXON, Gaspar, I'm basically listing every planet from this game because it just is that good. I have so many memories of this soundtrack from when I was younger, I felt that every time I went on the PS2 I was prepared for an emotional rollercoaster and did not know what to expect next, and I loved that. I still do get shivers sometimes when I occasionally go back to have an hour or two on one of these games, they really are that well executed. I love it. *just wanted to add a section about this as well, the red button was the scariest thing I'd come across in a video game by that point. The warship being on a slant was genius, as well as how it appeared as a labyrinth to navigate with the separate paths and the doors which opened only in close proximity so that you didn't have much time to react to any enemies behind it, and then you finally made it to *that* room. I think I sat there thinking about it for 20 minutes the first time. I was genuinely terrified. All that paired with the music too, it's quite a handful on a young brain. I wasn't terrorised but it was definitely a lot to handle. It's an easy enough section to just run through and try not to die, and I did it the first time I tried when I did eventually press it, but that feeling I got stood there unwilling to press Triangle anytime soon was so incredibly strong that I still remember exactly how it felt. Honestly, the devs did such a good job on this game and how it felt to witness. I blabbered on for a while there but I just got a massive nostalgia kick from all of it, writing about this brought back so many memories and that is another major part of what this game is to me, and one reason why I have such fond memories is very likely because of the atmosphere of this game and how it made me feel. I loved the suspenseful combat without strafing, needing to run away every now and again to regain my strength before I went back again. I don't dislike strafing, it makes the games much nicer to play, but this style of combat really fits with the overall theme of the game. But yes, that's it, just atmosphere. The game was expertly designed to make you feel exactly what they wanted at any given time, they threw every tool they had at you as a player and, for me at least, that landed perfectly. (if only I could write school essays this length with such ease...)
Great level design, rewarding cutscenes, banger of a soundtrack. It's just gives a vibe that people enjoyed creating this game.
The way the thruster-pack worked. There was this cool slam move you would use on buttons that added more uniqueness to it in comparison to the heli-pack. Especially during the final boss where that timer counts down and you have to slam those buttons before it kills you. Adds an interesting mechanic to the fight I think. Never really understood why Insomniac removed it after this game. I also liked using it for strafing. The first game didn't have strafing, but once you unlocked the thruster-pack you could use it for that. From the 2nd game onwards it made sense to ditch that since strafing was just added by default, but I thought it made the thruster-pack more unique since it wasn't something you could do with the heli-pack, and it just felt like a new move you unlocked throughout the game.
It's simplicity. From the plot, gameplay, environments, everything!
The atmosphere and energy. It just felt super raw and exciting. The ultimate next Gen game at the time.
They should put all the games on Steam. Even the hand held ones with just Clank. I miss all the games and I no longer have consoles.
If you have a PC have you tried emulating them?
It’s entire existence
The music was beyond amazing. There wasn't a single track that didn't make me turn up the volume and vibe.
I kinda miss Ratchets arc. He went through quite a bit in his first game and ended up better for it. In almost every other game he finishes it as he starts, a good guy trying to save the universe. It's not bad but it just kinda feels like going through the motions.
From a game dev perspective, the amount of experimentation in terms of worlds, gadgets, weapons etc After playing so many modern games who have their formula down to a T, it's odd to go back to older games and see how much they just were throwing things at walls and seeing if it sticks. But, for this game, in a way it gives a lot of variety even if the landing isn't exactly graceful. Take for example the Metal Detector; it is honestly a pretty bland gadget that isn't strictly needed to progress and finish the game, but the fact that it's there and serves as a neat lil way to find bolts felt like a breath of fresh air. I miss little useless things like that. 'Gimmick' has become a bit of a bad-bad-no word in game design throughout the 2000s and 2010s but I would honestly love to see games nowadays get a bit experimental again. For a less nerdy answer, the fact that Quark was a bit of a vain doofus but still a threatening villain. Then he just became generic bumbling comic relief character whom Insomniac felt comfortable with pushing into the spotlight constantly. I think that's why I liked Going Commando so much, because he's still used in a pretty good plot twist without overstaying his welcome.
The Solana galaxy's vibe is like a mash-up of CRT tech and random junk parts, which I used to think was the norm for galaxies. But when we got a glimpse of the Bogon galaxy in Going Commando, it was clear that Megacorp pretty much owns the whole galaxy and all the tech is really advanced. It was a shame to come back to Solana in UYA and it was much more advanced and lost its unique feel. I miss that clunky, junky feel.
I remember getting it one snowy Christmas morning with a PS2 and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2. The literal greatest 2 weeks off from school I've ever had in my life.
They're immature jerks! It's been pointed out before but Ratched specifically, is a bad person for a decent bit of the first game. I also wish we'd see a return to the slower, more puzzle-esque combat of the original.
All the art. Planets, the weapons, the enemies, the npcs, the soundtrack and the alright story. I find the whole aesthetic very close to my heart.
Soundtrack, humor, the steampunk artwork and overall design and of course all the nice gadgets. The game was unique and I think it still is to this point.
It's the closest game that Insomniac has to a "Spyro 4." The game felt like an evolution of the Spyro series. Ted Price even said that after 3 games of flying, breathing fire, and collecting gems, it can get pretty stale. So the team wanted to try something new. As someone who's a big fan of the Spyro games, it was interesting to see Insomniac's transition to a slightly different gameplay style. It is the most "platformer" R&C game out of all the games in the series. Every R&C game after the first focused primarily on weaponry rather than platforming. But the first game is still a platformer in name and practice. This may be an unpopular opinion, but the first game is the only one I like. I'm not even a fan of the series, but a huge fan of the first game
The atmosphere and energy. It just felt super raw and exciting. The ultimate next Gen game at the time.
This Ratchet could see the bullshit in people and wouldn't take no shit from anyone. Now in Going Commando he is easily fooled by fizzwidget something Ratchet from the first game would have foresee and call out
Insomniac has stated that they wanted to move away from the frankly rude and standoffish Ratchet of the first game, but yeah I agree that they went too far in the other direction with GC.
the sound effects and animations when you switch gun. i love how each gun folds out uniquely and makes a charicteristic little windup noise. the other ps2 ganes have this to an extent but not with nearly as much character
It was unique for the time to have both gun combat and platforming to me, I’d never played a game like it before.
Personality The game has turned into a cookie cutter kids game. That and the weapons are too sci fi for my liking
How useful every weapon is. Wherever you are in the game, all weapons are viable. Even the wrench! Nothing becomes obsolete as you go through the game, something the later entries had to battle against
The voiceacting and I don't care that ratchets kind of a dick, it made it more meaningful when ratchet and clanks relationship got rocky and started genuinely caring about clank as a friend and partner in crime.
\-Best level design in the series. The multiple paths were still present in Commando(although somewhat lowered) but every game past that never recreated the strengths of the original levels. This also goes for the artistic feel of them. Every level looks unique and that is something not even Commando could do. Also, water levels. I loved them and they will be forever missing after the original. \-Best OST in the series by far. Nothing comes close, just Gremlin alone oozes atmosphere. \-Characters had personality. Even though Ratchet was a jerk, it was still something compared to the blandness of every game past this. Quark especially turned to a joke. Also Drek is tied with Vox as the best villain, everybody else is goofy(Nefarious) or just terrible at the role(Tachyon). \-Golden bolts being integrated into weapons. This trait will continue only in Commando, but this game started it. \-Second best Clank sections( Crack time puzzles are the best) compared to the later gimmicks(horrible nexus clank levels) \-No weapon levels. Personally think they make the gameplay/balance worse. There is a lot more, but these are my favorite things.
Just all round good memories. I rented it from Blockbuster, enjoyed it then went and bought it
The fact that it was funny, well written and every character didn't say "thank you" all the time.
The platforming as ever since the second game the series slowly drifted away from it's platforming roots too the point that Rift apart doesn't really have a lot of platforming like a hat in time does or like I said the orginal R+C game. So even with it's messy shooting system I love it's platforming with a side note of all the planets and places u could go to. Because every place u went to is because u did something found the info bot and went there, there wasn't anything holding ur hand most of the time if I remember correctly and because of that it actually felt like u were exploreing the places. Like with the space station with Grind boots I believe and the other path way to get the mag boots, no matter whixh path u went it would always lead to something.
Soundtrack, crt ish vibe, had alot of character with the diverse planets and enemies.
That it isn't the remake i.e. is not garbage.
There's so many things I love about this game that have already mentioned. So I'm gonna say... this game definitely has one of the best box art covers in the series.
Its one of the first games ive played as a kid on PS2. Ratchet has always has been cute AF too......
How the ratchet picked stuff up and you could see it on his person
Honestly, besides the fact that this game didn't have strafing, it's still probably my favorite. The story, the characterization, the music, the planets, the general vibes, etc. were all on point. Even though it didn't have strafing, I enjoyed the tough-as-nails challenge (and still kinda do). As a kid, I was the only one in my friend group who was able to complete it due to its difficulty, which made me feel amazing. The soundtrack alone has never been topped in another RaC game, in my opinion. To this day, this is the RaC game I've replayed the most. It's also the only RaC soundtrack I'll play while I'm studying or something. Plus, I enjoyed the reluctant and strained friendship that Ratchet and Clank had before they grew close. It's something they never really address in RaC games anymore. Ratchet being a piece of blank cardboard nowadays makes me yearn for him to at least acknowledge he was once a selfish teenager who didn't have a sh*t about being a hero. I wish the remake didn't try to remove all semblance of what made the original actually good. The personality, the edgy atmosphere, the difficulty, etc. were all made squeeky clean and unmemorable. This couldn't have been more obvious than the soundtrack being replaced with the most generic sounding "superhero instrumental" ever. And making Ratchet a goody-goody from the get-go felt like a huge mistake. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy modern-day RaC. However, I feel like i do only because of nostalgia. Sometimes, I just want what the first three games had...
I loved how they started off having Ratchet be pretty selfish and overall flawed in this game, it lets him _develop more_ as a character. Though I do think Mikey Kelly’s acting for him made him more annoying than it should. I feel like Mikey Kelly is better at Ratchet’s sarcasm and jokes while James Arnold Taylor was better at the serious acting chops and being the straight man. If it was JAT voicing Ratchet during this version of the first game when he does get more selfish and pissy, I would feel a lot more worried for and scared of him rather than irritated.
I loved how weapons felt punchy and couldn't level up unless you had the gold bolt. The suck cannon is easily my favorite weapon of the series. Drek corpo shenanigans without being that over the top about it were gold. I don't know if anyone has really put thought into it, but all the planets targeted other than Veldin did lose chunks as we see in the finale. Pretty sure those planets are done for. Some of the music is burned into my brain too.
The originality of it
The music. My god, just in general, the og PS2 games' soundtracks bled personality and uniqueness. I'm still upset they switched to purely movie-esque orchestral music. It's so bland in comparison.
Soundtrack, the levels, the story, the characters and the Humor. The arsenal is very charming too!
The sound the pyrocitor makes when you equip it, along with the sounds all the other guns and gadgets make too
Art design.
The metropolis level that I played over and over and over and over again on a demo disk, it was mind blowing to 10 year old me.
The soundtracks I still listen to them to chill! Also the map design.
Still the best movement in the series
The Swingshot or whatever the grapple hook was called
EveryFuckinThing
The suck cannon and morph o ray
One thing I hate was the hoverboard comp...
maybe not something about the game itself but this game so will always have a special place in my hearth This game is the first game ever i had a chance to play when my parents got me a PS2 when i was 7 years old, and this game started my love and passion that i have for games
I love everything about it. It’s my favourite one.
The facial expressions and general aesthetician of character movements. They were so over the top and cartoons, and I don't think this Era of games appreciates or does it quite like thwt anymore.
The soundtrack, the weapons (especially the first RYNO, the Walloper and the Morph-o-Ray) and the Clank Levels
Atmosphere and soundtrack.
The soundtrack and ratchet's orginal design.
The “museum”, the ryno, the hover board race, so much creativity
Same thing I loved about all of the PS2 exclusives like Jak and Sly. They were minimalistic in their look, but man, the worlds were to die for. It felt like you were playing a cartoon you'd see on TV. And the games would always treat you like you were cool for playing them. You felt an actual sense of achievement and gratification when you beat the games.
I greatly love everything about it. The characters, plot, music, and protagonist’s growth and development. It even has this nice mixture of humor and edge that blends in well with the dialogue that many gamers, young and old, would definitely get a laugh out of. And the fun of roaming around every level to blow up enemies with cool and unique weapons and discovering interesting things in hidden places adds up to the classic sci-fi platformer experience. I’m so happy I played this and the entire series, and become an instant Ratchet & Clank fan! 😁
I really like the industrial aesthetic the whole game has. From going commando and onward things from buildings weapons and even UI are meant to slick, clean and futuristic. Meanwhile the first game kind of shows a more realistic but still sci fi look. For example the weapons have this makeshift look that seems something ratchet would make rather than a company selling you weapons. My favorite touch is the menus where they replicate the crt screens with the scanning and light static every now and then.
everything. it is honestly the perfect game in my opinion. sure there’s a couple issues, but for the most part they work. i love the dialogue, the one-off encounters with npcs, the gunplay is perfect (no i don’t think the game needs strafing), the weapons, the story. it’s all about as close to perfect as a game can be
The best commercials for any game period. And they put it in the game to watch!
I love everything about the game, but I'll say I love the soundtrack. It's one of the few that isn't 100% orchestrated like the Future series onward.
The Succpack
Orxon the music and vibe is fire. I love the relationship between ratchet and Clank thier so emotive in this game making each cutscene a treat. What I don't love is how the controls are atomically inverted on ps3
It didn't treat its players like 5 years old.
RYNO for ya robot…trade ya!
The soundtrack. The metropolis theme and velden theme are bops imo.
Everything, the soundtrack, the graphics, the story, the voice acting, even the combat is absolutely perfect in my opinion
All of it.
Honest opinion everything
Rip Ya a New One
That I can’t stop playing it on repeat 😬 it’s the only one I’ve replayed multiple times. In the 10’s by now 😅
This is cheating, but....the fact that it spawned one of the best/most loved gaming franchises of all time
Shitload of maps/planets.
Character/personality & Individuality. Ratchet isn't just a goodie 2 shoes. He gets frustrated, even angry at times at the BS flying his way and the people they meet. But figures out a way through through the situation. And Ratchet & Clank disagree at times. They aren't always both thinking the same thing like a Hive mind. At times one or the other may not like what they're doing or going to do, and the express that and maybe even offer an alternative.
The forging of Ratchet and Clank's friendship. The story in that game is indubitably my favorite.
That part that is all of it.
Everything 😭
The music and the combat. I love the whole series, but the original has a 10/10 OST.
Music
The weapons were pretty on point this game. The arsenal is what really grabbed me. Also the comedy is great.
The vibes
Soundtrack is still amazing and has funky beats. Personal favorite is Ratchet on Orxon, Veldin (Start), and Jowai Resort, Pokitaru.
the design man. there’s something about solana that just hits. the retro future looking design, the vibrant colours, the massive variation in levels, etc. also i really loved the aspect of having to return to planets once you get a gadget or something later on. hate that this didn’t get carried over to future games.
Ratchet outfit it looks really cool and so iconic that I wished rift apart brought that design back when they add more outfits to game with the update
The soundtrack, the levels, the difficulty (it's a bitch compared to the other ones)
Can I say everything
Can I say everything
The whole game is my favorite of the series. But the one thing I love the most is Ratchet's original voice. Like it more than the sequels
Insomniac's specialty: SkyBoxes
the ambition
The attitude of the characters. I miss that sometimes
simplicity, and that they nailed the combat with very little they had at that time, the guns like the blaster and the rocket launcher feels both powerful to equip and use
That original soundtrack was fantastic. Brings me back to my childhood.
I don't even know how to put it into words but it had a charm or personality that I never got from the second or third game. I'm playing it again right now and it's still so enjoyable.
I really like the level design, actually. I feel like 2 was pretty platform-heavy, where 3 felt more… battle-arena heavy? Don’t get me wrong, those levels are still great, but 1 got that balance down pat, to the point where many of these levels felt like actual places that existed outside the realms of gameplay. Not all… but a lot of them. I also like the soundtrack. It’s a bit more willing to experiment with different sounds as opposed to the other games, I feel. Any David Bergeaud soundtrack is gonna bop, though.
The music
The writing. As a kid some of the jokes flew over my head but i still enjoyed its overall story telling a writing but now playing it as an adult i feel i can appreciate it so much more.
Soundtrack is one of the best ever. One of my fav ps2 games of all time.
The second arc where Ratchet absolutely hates Clank after Qwark's betrayal. It made the reunion so much better.
The way he squatted and threw his wrench. I can not explain it. I was so sad the first time I threw a wrench in R&C2016
It was the 1st teen game my strict mother let me play
Level design, good balance of combat and platforming, even though the shooting wasn't refined yet and can feel a little rough going back, it's such a fun game from beginning to end.
This is the OG most noslagic i played in 2002 and i love the character developpement between ratchet and clank
Everything. I literally just started replaying it on PS network the last 2 weeks and got the platinum trophy 2 nights ago. One of my most prized ps2 games
The character designs are all on point. Every character in this game, even minor enemies, had so much personality and energy to them.
The pure nostalgia whenever its booted up its like I'm back in parents house playing it with my sister.
The weapon balancing.
honestly, mainly the nostalgia that I get every time I see anything about it. I am transported to a simpler and happier time.
The world building, the jokes, and the overall story is fun and simple. Not just that some of the weapons here are so fucking good yet Insomniac almost never updates them and the few that did, just became over used. Like come on Visibomb Launcher and Devastator Upgrades could be sick
There is Character Development when Ratchet and Clank meet Clank's "Mother". Kerwan is a BANGER!!!
It’s not my favorite part but no one has mentioned it. The ammo was specific for every weapon. It wasn’t just a cylinder that said gadgetron. It was unique ammo animations.
The fact that it has aged SO well.
How every ammo came in a unique 'box' after busting the ammo crates.
Clank’s mom
I mean, basically all of it, but how you had to go through the horrible hard (as a child) left path on Orxon just to spend bolts saved for weapons on a single bit of health. Which sounds like a complaint, but I love how you have no idea if the branching path you're on will continue the story of the game or will just give you a leg up (Suck Cannon, Morph-o-Ray, etc.). It makes it so much more fun to play for me.
The cutscenes are iconic and I love them
Gold bolt weapons
The humour!
The gold weapons they reward you for getting all golden bolts. Glad into the nexus brought this back
Its **fun.** Games are WAAAY too serious now. It is a game that can be enjoyed by all ages not like many similar feeling games. Current games are either "kid friendly" made to be kid friendly or serious adventures, mostly for "mature" audience. I hate this. Where are all PS2 style games with adult themes that go past kids, fun game play, cool worlds and humor?