Change is sometimes great. Sometimes, change isn’t so great. Without experimentation though, video games would be trapped in a cycle of repetition and monotony. There are only so many football and first person shooter games that one can play before they begin to realize they have been experiencing the same gameplay year after year. With the newest entry in the Ratchet and Clank series, change appears, but in a more cosmetic form. While most of what you see in previews and screenshots would have you believe the newest game was far more mature and complicated than the previous games, the truth is that this is the same series Ratchet fans know and love, but it decides to stick to a single element: action. While all of the Ratchet and Clank games have been rooted in running and gunning, they all featured a hefty dose of platforming and the typical collectibles that come with the genre brand. Ratchet: Deadlocked aims to rid itself of the hopping and stocking by presenting a structured mission based action game. While this results in a far more mechanical and sometime repetitious experience, the series sticks very closely to its roots, which is apparent the second you take control of Ratchet.  

The first thing one might notice about this newest incarnation of the Ratchet series is that Clank has been removed from the title and as a playable character. This is pretty disappointing and it’s a shame the developers didn’t choose to squeeze his excellent level segments in Deadlocked but he still manages to play a significant role. Instead of being a metal backpack for Ratchet, Clank plays more of a hint giver and mission supervisor. See, Ratchet was kidnapped and forced to enter into Dreadzone, a massively popular gladiator style phenomenon that thrives on the victories and defeats of its stars. Ratchet has little choice but to participate in the games which leaves Clank on the sidelines. The cleverly written story develops in between missions and is just as entertaining as Up Your Arsenal was before it.

Since the game had placed its focus almost entirely on action, you play as Ratchet throughout the game in a third person perspective. Dozens of weapons are available that range from machine guns to oversized rocket launchers. Those are of course the more typical varieties of weapons, as fans of the series know there are some pretty odd devices to be found. Controlling Ratchet is simple. You move him with the analog stick and can target enemies with the weapons and even enter into a first person view for more precise aiming. The controls are as tight as ever and Ratchet’s trusty wrench is back although its weaker compared to previous games. As you use your weapons more and more, they begin to upgrade and dish out more damage and sometimes entirely new effects. This is an interesting almost RPG like element that works perfectly within the mission based structure of the game. The game is generally linear, giving you a few destination choices along the way but most of the time you will be facing mission after mission with little time for air. If you don’t find the ammo you need on the field, you can still purchase ammo and some weapons from the appropriate vendors. Although without Clank, Ratchet controls a squad of robots that listen to his every command. The ability to control the squad adds a welcome element of strategy to each mission. Choosing when to send in the bots or go in yourself with cover close behind is an important decision that you have the ability to make. In most situations, Ratchet can still hold his own and run into any battle emerging victorious, but the team AI is strong enough to be beneficial in some tight spots. Aside from running around on foot, there are several vehicles that can be utilized. The hovercraft and spider like mech are incredibly useful in some missions, but in others their usage can feel forced. Most of the enemies you will encounter in the game are pretty stupid and their difficulty is dictated by how well you can memorize their movements and attacks. Their individual intelligence matters little since you will often be fighting a screen load at a time. While Deadlocked tends to follow a straight line, the adventure will last you a decent stretch of time, even though it feels shorter than the past Ratchet titles.

While there’s replay value found in the various unlockables, the online and splitscreen multiplayer is where the game finds its life. Expanding on the concepts introduced in the Up Your Arsenal multiplayer component, Deadlocked’s multiplayer reinforces the notion that this series was perfect for online play. Modes range from simple deathmatches to large scale team battles. Multiplayer is endowed with some vehicular action just as single player was and overall the online experience is a ride worth taking considering the lack of quality online offerings for the Playstation 2. The splitscreen modes are serviceable as well, but nothing beats experiencing the Ratchet and Clank universe online.

While the gameplay and story have generally remained lighthearted, the visuals presented in Deadlocked do evoke the feeling that this is a more moody and mature entry than before. The colors in most areas feel muted and the environments simply don’t feel as involving as they did before in some cases. This doesn’t change the fact that Deadlocked is still an amazing looking game for the Playstation 2 and that its cut scenes are still of exceptional quality. The framerate is generally consistent, but it does take a hit here and there and its generally acceptable considering how stiffly rooted in intense action the series has become. In the way of sound and music, the soundtrack is appropriate for the game and the voice acting is as excellent as it has been since the start of the series. The game can dig up a few laughs out of you if you let yourself get sucked in. As for sound effects, well if the gun shots and explosions sounded like crap in a game that’s all about the shooting, this would have lost a few points, but luckily the effects are as bombastic as ever. 

Keeping in mind that Clank isn’t playable and the game has taken on a slightly more serious tone, fans of the series should know that this is still an enjoyable and sometimes excellent entry into the popular series. While the clank missions and platforming begins to be missed at certain points in the game, the mission based structure of gameplay allows the game to be played in stomach able portion so that things refrain from becoming too repetitious. As the next generation of gaming looms for Sony, one can only wonder where Insomniac will take their beloved Ratchet and Clank franchise next.