Ratchet: Deadlocked

Deadlocked offers probably the best gunplay in the series, not to mention the difficulty options. If there's one thing I don't like about returning to the original trilogy, it's how easy the games have become. That being said, I can't help but feel like this game came out incredibly unfinished. Most of the planets offer a select few challenges that reuse the same map over and over again, completable in under 20 minutes. Kronos being the major deviation from the norm, adding a diverse range of content and depth to Shellshock; (an otherwise faceless antagonist). What's more troubling is that planets start to feel homogenous, as you encounter the same enemy types, (with the occasional addition), while the announcer starts repeating voice lines in conjunction. There's only a handful of bosses here too and none of them were all that memorable, nor did they play much of a role in the narrative. Not that there's much of note there either, even though there was plenty of opportunity to scratch beyond the surface of "capitalism bad".

The game gets a lot better in NG+, where you can play around with alpha mods and reach weapon level 99. Most of these complaints are applicable to the original trilogy as well, I think annual releasing really stunted the franchise's development. Said problem hasn't escaped the Future series either. In fact, it only gets worse from here, with the exception of Crack in Time.

While the game is a significant departure from the first 3 games, I think that's for the best. This game isn't a 3D Platformer (for the most part), instead it's more akin to a 3D Shmup. The movement is so perfect, the control of Ratchet is incredible, while you loose the extra mobility of Clank, the game is designed around this and it works out fine. The Weapon selection is the smallest of any game, but the weapon modification system is incredibly in depth, balancing it out pretty well in my opinion.

When I was a kid I played the games in order of release, so going from the galaxy saving, everyone is going to be a robot and the universe will die type heroism of the first 3 to the gritty, you have a slave collar that explodes, you will fight in these games, you are powerless and each moment is one of survival and challenge is such a breath of fresh air. How can you reach a higher stakes than the whole galaxy becoming inorganic robot slaves? They took a different route, zoomed in a bit. The stakes aren't the whole galaxy, the stakes are your life.

The co-op is amazing. Like one of the greatest co-op games of all time. The full game is beatable co-op and it's honestly so tight here you'd think it was designed to be co-op first. There's also a great area style multiplayer that was pretty intense online back in the day. With the multitap, this is one of the tightest multiplayer Vs games on the PS2, without a doubt.

The soundtrack is the best of the series in my opinion. Honestly ahead of it's time. It's intense, guttural, electronic music that beats and pulsates perfectly with the action and pace of the game.

Gameplay wise it really feels like Doom to me, you're constantly moving, jumping, dodging, flipping, advancing. Staying still is a death sentence even on low difficulties. It has a bullet-hell esque element in many of the missions that make it stand out from the rest of the series. While the maps are smaller, more arena based, they take full advantage of this, pushing the PS2 hardware to it's absolute limit with the enemy and particle count. Frame drops are common but you almost welcome them as they feel like bullet-time, slowing the game down when you become truly overwhelmed.

The game is short, only 6 to 8 hours, but the New Game+ mode is great. The biggest issue I have is that you have to unlock the hardest difficulty, and once you've played the game as much as I have even that difficulty becomes too easy.

This game encapsulates everything I love about PS2 era gaming. Incredibly fun, tight game play, great electronic music, a myriad of cheats, costumes, unlockables, and a deep robust local multiplayer. A must play. I give this my highest recommendation.

Melhor do que eu esperava. Em dado momento, achei até que poderia se tornar um dos meus favoritos da franquia. O sistema de evolução e power-ups das armas combinam para o melhor combate da série até este momento - e precisa ser, dada a quantidade de momentos de tiroteio nesse jogo.

Com o tempo, porém, a estrutura se prova repetitiva demais e as fases, seja pelo design artístico ou de level, pareciam as mesmas. O humor no tom (quase sempre) certo ajuda a trazer um refresco, mas mesmo isso acaba cansando.

The constant evolution of the series led to its 3rd person shooter peak with Ratchet: Deadlocked. The removal of Clank as a sidekick actually opened new avenues for its weapon upgrade system to reach an atomic level. Story was left in the background to emphasize the comedic aspect of its once buried past, with mixed results. But no other shooter of its kind enabled more customization and 'build' options (thanks in large part to alpha and omega mods), and held the most intense, rewarding and gratifying combat scenarios. Despite its low profile in-game, the series' story timeline nevertheless takes a turn for the worst.

The arena minigames are a fine addition to the series as they reflect and refine the series' most celebrated attribute: its combat. This does not mean it should ever become the focal point. Platforming, other asides and the thrill of exploration are also key pieces to Ratchet's puzzle, which Gladiator lacks by design. Combine that with open spaces that makes dodging too easy and you have a very lackluster shooter with admittedly some of the series' best gags.