Through the worlds. ” An old friend is better than two new ones – review addiction

The plot “Through the Worlds” is quite easy to perceive without preliminary preparation, but acquaintance with Ratchet & Clank (2016) will definitely not be superfluous

Parallels (not) intersect

Actually, this is where “Through the Worlds” begins: on the eve of a big celebration, Ratchet complexed and asks Clank’s faithful companion robot if they were released. The question, although mischievous (meta-humor has always been a characteristic feature of the series), is not idle. The last time we met the heroes was in 2016, when the studio Insomniac Games released a remake of the very first part of the cycle. And although in general Ratchet & Clank (2016) was warmly received, some fans blamed the developers for the unnecessary “disney” of the franchise. They say that the characters became somehow overly cute, and jokes for adults disappeared, and the absurd atmosphere in the spirit of Douglas Adams was muted in favor of an epic space opera modeled on Star Wars…

Insomniac Games listened to all this criticism … and threw it into outer space. Stylistically, “Through the Worlds” almost does not differ from its predecessor, is not ashamed of its “mimicry” (and sometimes even flaunts it) and, on the whole, suits even younger students. Only once, when meeting a giant bone dinosaur, Clank does not hold back his emotions – and that strong word is tactfully drowned out.

In a parallel dimension, the heroes will meet many old acquaintances, but in very unexpected ways.

How does the franchise play with such a radical change? She doesn’t even notice them. With the exception of minor animation differences, Ratchet and Rivet are exactly the same in terms of gameplay. They have an identical set of skills, the same characteristics, even a pumping scale – and that one for two. As soon as Ratchet gains access to the jet boots, on the next mission they, as if by magic, materialize at Rivet’s.

From a certain point, even the plot ceases to pretend that the split of the tandem de is a great tragedy. Each hero is busy with his own quest and is not particularly eager to reunite, and there Ratchet finds himself Clank’s “double” – a yellow little archivist nicknamed Keith. But, to the credit of the scriptwriters, they use the castling of heroes to look at old characters in a new way and rummage through their heads. There will be enough neuroses for the whole galaxy: Ratchet is afraid to disappoint his family, Clank blames himself for the incident with the “Measurer”, Rivet has become a cynic after many years of struggle with the emperor, and Keith is burdened by the sins of the past.

With the general playful mood of the game, the plot cutscenes keep the drama quite well – only, alas, emotions do not go beyond the cutscenes. The events of the missions themselves hardly affect the development of the heroes and are built according to the same scheme. Ratchet / Rivet arrives on the planet to find an Important Plot Clue, but before the Clue agrees to cooperate with them, he will have to run around the area and collect resources. As a rule, at this time, some intriguing Chekhov’s gun (a creepy, toothy creature, a giant combat robot, an archive walker, etc.) flashes against the background every now and then, which at the climax shoots out an EXTRAORDINARY plot twist that forces the heroes to look for another solution problems – already on the next planet.

Clank is also sometimes brought to heroism in a special “mental” dimension, solving puzzles and passing a psychotherapy session along the way

Squirrel with minigun

However, the plot has never been a priority for Ratchet & Clank: sometimes you just do not have time to be distracted by dialogues, dodging clots of enemy plasma. In this sense, “Through the Worlds” does not drop the bar set by its predecessors for a second. Skirmishes are fast, noisy and always fun. The main commandment of the franchise – there should always be more weapons than cartridges – the developers have kept intact. In the later stages, the ammunition melts in a matter of seconds, and in the course of a single battle, you can easily exchange a dozen different barrels.

Arsenal “Through the Worlds” – a balanced and moderately funny selection of new weapons, old and old-under-new-names. From the fact that the sniper rifle is now called “Bashkol”, and not “Plazmoboy”, nothing has changed. But new items are often touched by their creativity: “Sprinkler” turns enemies into green sculptures, “Ricochet”, in case of a successful hit, continues to bludgeon the target for a few seconds, and the depressed flying mushroom “Mister Antiload” distracts the enemy with hoarse shouts. Compared to Ratchet & Clank (2016), the new game is sorely lacking the groovitron and ocenator – the best gadgets in the history of the series. But for some reason they left the saw-saw, which was never particularly effective.

The pumping is surprisingly fast: during one mission (that is, in about an hour and a half) it is quite possible to bring your favorite weapons to the maximum level and accumulate resources to buy key upgrades. So it’s time to move on to the next! Developers by hook or by crook motivate players to change tactics, even if at first something seems ridiculous. Do not underestimate the well-coordinated attack of “Anti-load” and biting mini-robots “Agents of Doom” on the boss – especially if you turn it into a graceful bush beforehand.

Hacking computers is also designed as a shooter: the antivirus spider “Glitch” with the habits of an anime girl vigorously shoots malicious programs

“Through the worlds”, in principle, captivates with its variety, and we are talking here not only about weapons: almost every planet declares a new mechanics or type of enemies. The chase on the roofs of a rainy metropolis is replaced by a race on beetles through toxic swamps, an air battle on a dragon picks up the boarding of a pirate schooner, an insane slalom in the mountains is followed by a gloomy horror level in an abandoned laboratory. Even gladiatorial battles – one of the repeated activities – are designed inventively: each of the stages offers its own tasks and restrictions, and not just increases the number of enemies.

It is all the more strange that the developers have not yet fully decided where to attach the main conceptual “feature” of the game – the breaking of realities. Here and there in the locations there are anomalies-teleports, but in fact they only help to move a little faster in space and get to secret nests. Each interaction with portals is strictly linear: in a different setting, they could easily be replaced by banal doors, stairs or hooks. No surreal visions in the spirit “Doctor Strange” or clever riddles by type Portal you will not meet here. The motive of parallel dimensions is fully played out in only one, but extremely effective mechanics. At some levels, you can find special crystals, hitting which will throw the heroes to an alternative version of the same location. A busy laboratory suddenly turns into gloomy, half-sunken catacombs, and a field of cosmic debris into a mining planet on the verge of a cataclysm.

Despite the cartoon style, “Through the Worlds” can be safely called one of the most beautiful games of our time. The skill of the artists is often breathtaking

Perhaps it is at these moments that “Through the Worlds” for the first time truly demonstrates the computing power of the PS5. The instant switching between two huge, strikingly different levels is truly impressive – both visually and in terms of gameplay. And in general, you quickly get used to the lack of regular loads (with the exception of a couple of suspiciously slow elevators). But this is still not enough for a full-fledged next gene. In the course of the passage, every now and then you catch yourself thinking: was it really all the same thing that could not have been implemented on the PS4? Yes, with some compromises and cuts. Yes, with loads. Yes, without “honest” reflections and raytracing – since it catches the eye here only on a couple of three planets. In addition, Insomniac Games ate a dog on optimization: Ratchet & Clank (2016) easily displayed a hundred or two moving objects on the screen, and some locations there were not much inferior in size to the absolute majority of Through the Worlds levels.

This brings us back to our original question: Is the new Ratchet & Clank worth buying a PlayStation 5 for? In all honesty, no. Is it worth taking “Through the Worlds” if you already have a console? Certainly. This is not a revolution and not a future trendsetter of the genre. You will hardly see anything here that you have not seen in previous games in the series, albeit on a smaller scale. But the main thing is that Insomniac Games has once again turned out to be a dynamic, witty game with charming heroes and extremely picturesque landscapes. Simple enough to appeal to kids – and smart enough to captivate adults. And with revolutions we will wait until the next part.

Pleased

• addicting action;
• spectacular design of locations;
• attractive heroes;
• variety of activities;
• balance of fan service and availability.

Upset

• the potential for innovation has not been realized;
• Ratchet and Rivet duplicate each other;
• limited use of faults;
• the script is often marking time.

How we played

In what: the key is provided by the publisher.

On what: PS5.

How many: about 22 hours.

Achievement of the editorial office

“When my friends are with me”

Defeat the boss using only support units and immobilizing weapons.

Verdict

“Ratchet & Clank: Through the Worlds “- the long-awaited return of your favorite franchise, which is not inferior in dynamics and entertainment to the best parts of the cycle. And although the new game clings too tightly to the formula proven over the years, you hardly want to scold it for it. The formula works!