Ratchet and Clank – All 4 One, as you’ll find out through this review, is a game that has been crafted by Insomniac to please co-op enthusiasts, while trying hard not to affect the bond it shares with the series’ fans. Whether it succeeds in achieving this feat is a tricky question. The game does well to delight co-op aficionados with some really well thought-out sequences that require joint efforts from partners. But it somehow falls short in providing the amazing gameplay treats that have been the quintessence of all the previous Ratchet and Clank games.
The entire campaign in All 4 One can be played co-op, either online or offline. Once online, you need to search for the episodes where you left off your campaign. It’s here that the filters come in handy to make your searches more specific. The real fun in this title lies not online, but in having someone by your side to shout your guts out at over trivial issues. And yes, it can be played by a single player as well. In such a case, another character pops out to help out in situations that obligatorily require co-op partners.
What’s interesting in the game’s narrative is the fact that it brings together unlikely allies in the form of Captain Qwark and Dr. Nefarious. And this forced friendship does add another dimension to this title. The adventure begins when the ever so hilariously evil Nefarious’ plan to get rid of Ratchet, Clank and Qwark boomerangs on him, forcing the four to clean up the mess in tandem. It is then that the characters are caught by a mysterious machine called Creature Collector and have no idea where they have landed. They now need to escape this place and get back home.
The humorous and cartoonish charm of the Ratchet and Clank series is well maintained by this offering. The comical tidbits that feature so copiously in this game duly perform their tasks of cracking you up from time to time. The cutscenes are extremely well crafted and their funny nature will definitely keep you asking for more. Sadly enough, the characters’ personas which are so outstandingly built by the cutscenes, never manage to transcend into the gameplay elements. While in the game, they just don’t look like their usual selves, which is a disappointment.
The game’s environments are incredibly imaginative and so are the hordes of enemies that make their presence felt from time to time. Talking about graphics, there’s a considerable amount of depth to the visuals presented by Ratchet and Clank – All 4 One. But this depth brings with it a number of bugs that are often likely to come in the way of your gaming sessions. Sometimes the characters get stuck in the environments and occasionally the computer controlled co-op partners become unresponsive.
No game from Insomniac is complete without the usual dose of awesome weapons that are packed in it. In fact, the Resistance and Ratchet and Clank titles have cemented the developer’s image as an industry spearhead when it comes to conceiving innovative weapons. The unique guns in All 4 One can be accessed with the right analog stick, and using them wisely adds that slight strategy element to the game. A gadget named Vac-U is this title’s main highlight, providing players with the ability of tossing their partners in all directions.
A pretty solid reward system forms a part of Ratchet and Clank – All 4 One, with its series popular bolts and other collectible items. These bolts can be redeemed for weapons and upgrades at buying points that appear every once in a while with comical introductions of new weapons. Coming towards the game’s audio and sounds, they’re not what we’d call extraordinary. The SFX seem to go pretty soft on the ears and are mostly unnoticeable. The characters’ chatter during gameplay is annoyingly repetitive and could have been much better.
Playing co-op in All 4 One is a treat, but with four players battling at the same time, it does get a bit confusing to spot your own character on the screen. Its long spanning campaign provides a break from the short affairs that are so unpopular in games that have hit the scene recently. Moreover, once completed, each level can be played again online as well as offline. The ‘All 4 One’ tag in this game’s moniker increases its appeal as Nefarious’ coerced friendship efforts with the team are utterly amusing.
Final Word: Ratchet and Clank – All 4 One is a godsend for those who are madly in love with co-op based titles. Gamers who aren’t co-op fans however, can definitely give this one a miss as the title thrives on that very factor. It kicks in a rather extensive campaign, with each and every level having its own aura which is brought out splendidly by the title’s graphics. Weapons are one of this game’s intense strong points and so are the mirthful cutscenes. But as mentioned above, gameplay is one department where the title underperforms. Keeping all these factors in mind, here’s our score.
Graphics: 9/10
Sounds: 7/10
Environments: 8.5/10
Gameplay: 7.5/10
Replay Value: 8/10
Overall (not an average): 8/10