Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (2003) is the kind of sequel that checks off all the expected improvements-then throws a few curveballs that make you question whether you're having a blast or slowly going mad in space.

Let's give it credit where it's due: mechanically, this game is a big improvement over the first. The addition of strafe controls, a quick-select weapon wheel that pauses the action, and even weapon leveling gives the combat more depth and fluidity. It's a much smoother experience to play-which is good, because the enemies have also leveled up and come at you with way more aggression.

Exploration remains a strength, too. There's still that signature Insomniac creativity in the worlds and level design, and this time we get spherical moon missions, which are a surprising delight. Controlling Giant Clank in those sections was a genuine highlight-just pure, chaotic fun as we fought bosses while punching through buildings. Add in some ship upgrades and aerial dogfights, and it's clear the devs were trying to diversify the experience.

But that's where things start to crack.

To unlock many of these cool features-better weapons, stronger armor, ship mods-you'll need a lot of bolts. And in the case of ship upgrades, you'll also need Raritanium, a secondary currency that adds another grinding layer. So while the systems are there, actually enjoying them requires an investment that borders on tedious. The flying missions, for example, start strong but quickly feel repetitive once you're stuck grinding asteroid belts for upgrade scraps.

The biggest letdown, though, is the story. Where the first game had a clear emotional arc and a satirical edge (eco-capitalist villain destroying planets for profit? Still relevant!), Going Commando mostly feels like a glorified fetch quest. The plot is a repetitive game of cat-and-mouse where Ratchet is always too late to matter, and by the time the "twist" arrives-that Captain Qwark is the villain-it feels less like a reveal and more like a shrug. It doesn't help that Ratchet, who had a flawed and interesting arc in the first game, is now written as a squeaky-clean, one-dimensional hero. If the goal was to make him more likable, the cost was depth.

And while gameplay has improved, the endgame still suffers from a brutal difficulty spike, tedious bosses, and stingy checkpoints. Even with emulator save states, I've had quite my share of rage-quits. There's also an over-reliance on throwing waves of enemies at you instead of offering creative or strategic encounters-especially noticeable in the final boss, who lacks the multi-phase cleverness that made Drek's fight memorable.

Final Verdict: 7/10

Going Commando is a better game than its predecessor, but not a better experience. It delivers on mechanical polish, level variety, and gameplay ambition-but it stumbles in pacing, storytelling, and its tendency to bury its best features behind grind walls.

It's still a game worth playing-especially for fans of the series-but where the first game had soul and subtext, this one trades it in for bigger guns and a longer to-do list.

This video game is a good improvement on the original Rachet & Clank. There are more settings, more challenges, more weapons and more variety. Great fun.

This game was direly renamed in the UK to "Ratchet and Clank 2: Locked and Loaded", but I simply refuse to call it by that. This is a very well put together, humorous game (much like the previous installment) and has tons of neat little things about it and a good element of re-playability. In-jokes, funny dialogue and a few references to other games such as Jak and Daxter give this game a comic edge that keeps you interested. It must be said that the references can only be really appreciated by people that have actually played the games they are spoofing...

The graphics aren't all that different from the last game, in fact it's pretty much the same with a few minor tweaks, but hey, if it ain't broken don't fix it! The idea of you leveling up (like in RPG games) to increase your health was a good move, but even better was the idea to get your weapons to level up to become bigger and better. Other little extras like the arena games, the bike races and the fact that you can import the weapons from the first game make this title all the more enjoyable.

This game is challenging and often frustrating, although not without reward. The ending put me off a little bit - it didn't feel really conclusive enough after all that effort. Take my advice, play the first game before you play this to fully "get it". Then play this. Then get Ratchet and Clank 3 when it comes out.

When I played Ratchet and Clank I didn't think that they would release a second one (this shows how extremely dumb I am as now the whole of Ps2 Europe is waiting with baited breath for Ratchet and Clank:the next generation)But this game did exceptionally well. This game has been advanced well from the previous game with loads more added bonuses. Such as armour, an modified ship and the best thing ever: upgradeable kickass weapons. They may start off as little tools but play them well and you receive a powerful arsenal of weapons.

Clank is playable in this game again but instead of Gadgebots to control you have Microbots. But as an added bonus to make that little more playable you have a hammer bot, a lifter bot and a bridge bot. (I don't think I need to explain what they do.) These make Clank more fun to play when its his turn to have a little piece of the action.

We all loved the hoverboard last year but now we have the Hoverbike with acts the same but gives a different idea. So this does not disappoint.

The story is funny with loads of twists. You keep on playing because you so want to know what happeneds at the end. You might even chuck your controller at the T.V in frustration because some parts are challenging even though I don't advise you to do so as you WILL end up with a huge bill. I am sure that if you play this game you will enjoy this to the very end.

I was searching through the booklet and came across the name "David Kaye," I thought I've seen this name before, so I went here to find out more. After searching Metal Gear Solid and finding out that the Ninja is played by Pinky from Pinky and the Brain and that Liquid Snake was Ryudo in Grandia 2, I searched this game, and there it was: David Kaye as Clank. I clicked on the name and cycled a while to find "Inuyasha" on the list of shows he's been on, I look next to it and it says he's Sesshomaru, I never saw that one coming, same with the Ninja, did anyone else find this odd, or any one else that participated in this game someone you didn't expect?