November 4th, 2002 saw the release of Ratchet and Clank, a third-person action/platforming game for the PlayStation 2. The developer behind the title was the relatively-small Insomniac Games, a company mainly known at the time for the well-received Spyro the Dragon series. Ratchet and Clank proved to be a success even through some of its harsher critics, and even before the original title went gold, Ratchet and Clank 2 was greenlit by Sony.

Insomniac Games was able to listen to the criticism for Ratchet and Clank and improve on every noted aspect while still developing the sequel. The end result was Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando, keeping all of the promise and wonder of the first title while instilling the game with everything gamers had asked for.

Ratchet and Clank themselves grew up a little bit from the first title, after having defeated the great evil from the game and becoming good friends with one another. Clank became a bit less sophisticated, remaining intelligent but with a slight sense of humor, and Ratchet dropped his teenage angst-filled demeanor to become an understanding kind of hero. The love/hate relationship from the first was dropped, replaced with a solid foundation for the rest of the game’s characters and backdrops.

The plot kicks off with the duo being recruited for a mission to recover a biological experiment spearheaded by one Abercrombie Fizzwidget. After discovering the odd creature locked up, Ratchet and Clank attempt to return the experiment and are cut short by a thief. Later, the party discovers that the experiment itself was a kind of organic weapon being deployed to several planets, and the thief was attempting to destroy it for the greater good. Angry for being pulled into the catastrophe and for playing part in Fizzwidget’s scheme, the gang sets out to end the threat and put a stop to the evil behind it.

What Ratchet and Clank had done so well was the extremely-tight platforming and action elements. The original had given players the option to use a variety of different weapons, all of which were tailored to suit different enemies and styles of play. Many weapon types returned from the original, along with some that were more like a new vision of the first. Notable entries were the Miniturret glove, allowing players to set up defenses against hordes of foes, as well as the Synthenoids, tiny robots that would fly around the protagonist targeting enemies. Of course, many of the weapons that are now firmly-established fan favorites made an appearance, from cluster bombs, rocket launchers, sniper rifles, remote-controlled weapons and the occasional oddball-type like the Sheepinator.

In a new twist on an old concept, Going Commando allowed weapons to evolve through use, much like players can gain experience to level up. Weapons would change in visual style, firepower, and often the shape and manner of how the payload is delivered. Almost every weapon had some kind of an upgrade, rewarding players who kept a consistent offense.

Other RPG-like elements that made its way into the title were Ratchet’s ability to gain health (or Nanotech), both through experience and hidden items stowed away in random levels. Ratchet could upgrade his armor on top of his ever-growing Nanotech, allowing him to take more and more damage (and also allowing enemies to be much more challenging than they were in the previous entry). The ship Ratchet pilots through space in its Star Fox-esque combat minigame could be also be upgraded.

Differing from the first title, Going Commando gave the option for players to engage in a few side quests, namely the gladiatorial arena where Ratchet could participate in battles to win bolts, the game’s currency. Spherical worlds were also introduced (trumping Super Mario Galaxy by a good four years) in Clank battles, where Clank would stomp around in some kind of futuristic mech-like version of himself.

In listing all of the exciting and fulfilling changes that came with the sequel to Ratchet and Clank, I tend to miss out on what the game is actually all about. Ratchet and Clank as a series is about tight platforming and tense battles, with a comical (and family-friendly) twist that appeals to all ages. Ratchet and Clank is simple enough to be enjoyed by anyone, yet complex enough to satisfy gamers more on the hardcore side of the spectrum. Though Ratchet and Clank was the first of the games, I consider Going Commando to be the true start to what continues to be one of PlayStation’s most recognizable and successful game series.

Title: Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Developer: Insomniac Games Platform(s): PlayStation 2 Release Date: November 11, 2025

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Tags: Clank, Insomniac, Ratchet, Ratchet and Clank

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 7:28 pm and is filed under Editorials, Spawn Kill Favorites. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.