Every huge scale adventure has a beginning, and after months of checking out various sections of Ratchet’s latest adventure we got to check out the start of the game.
The game begins with President Quark accepting an award that should have gone to Ratchet and Clank. Naturally, Doctor Nefarious crashes the party and unleashes a gigantic space monster loose. The creature creates a wake of destruction throughout Luminopolis, consuming the vast energy flowing through the city. The cast of colorful characters have no choice but to band together and take down the beast.
The early stage familiarizes players with the game’s basic mechanics, meaning everyone gradually gets used to the basics of platforming and working together. One of the first obstacles the four must overcome together is hitting switches simultaneously, but this soon turns into more complicated tasks such as working together to steer a flying taxi. Obstacles pop up along the city skyscrapers as players move around the hover car to steer it left and right. One jerk can cause grief for the whole team by steering the taxi into oncoming traffic, but if the three others counter his weight they can democratically negate the shenanigans.
After the gigantic monster bats the taxi out of the sky, the four protagonists land on a big pipe below. In familiar Ratchet & Clank fashion, they proceed to grind on this tube throughout the city. Players dodge electrical fields and fight for position in order to collect all the bolts at the bottom of the grind. This introductory level concludes with the team buying their first weapon, the combustor.
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One is shaping up to be a must have for PS3 owners itching for local or online co-op action. I’m looking forward to continuing past this first level when the game arrives on PlayStation 3 on October 18.