Like a super-shooter mega-challenge that just starts to run out of speed.

User Rating: 7.5 | Ratchet: Deadlocked PS2
Good old R&C, the perfect innovators that turned the platformer into more than what it was has begun to shift its focus. Ratchet &... well, mostly just himself has returned for a one man's outing. This game is quite a departure from the series so far, gone are adventuring, simple tasks like turning bolts, most forms of jumping, and worst of all... Clank. What does that mean? ACTION!!! gauntlet like, fast, rail shooting, vehicle commanding, time trials, and most importantly; weapons that are gonna leave one nasty mark on all those unfortunate, buggy critters we call enemies. As you can tell, insomniac has tried to ramsack this game with loads and loads of gunning action and gives up allot doing so. All the elements that gave the action some breathing space before have been torn off; clanks gadgetry is out the window, there is no hacking game to open doors, just activate some nodes while surviving the enemies and it opens, no swimming, no exploring sections to the side just straightforward action with a very direct route that ends up being repetitious.

I know what you're thinking; I just trashed this game but gave it a 7.5, well that's the biggest problem taken out in one fowl swoop, its mostly smooth sailing from here. Any side task seems to be handled by two hovering robot friends which can be powered up plentifully for turning bolts, activating nodes, providing firepower, etc. It's a good way to at least not remove material but also keep it organized. As you may have expected the repetitious gameplay is also really fun; combining robots, vehicles, wave enemy attacks and out of this world guns produces lots of great, ferocious moments. The plotline has Ratchet and his less to be remembered in this installment mate, Clank being overrun by Vox corporation troops. Vox hosts gladiator styled battles in which superheroes from across the galaxy rather, unwillingly end up fighting in violent locations. If they survive they get to continue and face off against other champion competitors. Ratchet gets a very similar deal except that if he wins, he can leave. The whole story unfolds mostly how someone would expect and as always features much humor.

The game is also awfully polished up (everything works how its intended) with expectedly better audio, AI, and graphics since last year. If a complaint exists here, there isn't as many character cameos from past entries as here but there still are some including that very evil minded robot dominator with his butler.

To put it best, this year's entry isn't as memorable as past ones; its a disconnected experience that takes away allot from what our heroes really are. Guns and online may produce great things, but a hero with no identity will be forgotten in the ages. It's short, repetitious, and rather uninspired, it sure does pack allot of action, but whether that makes a game a purchase or rental is a tough call.