Developer: Insomniac Games & Idol Minds
Platform: PS3
Rating: 7+
Genre: 3D Platformer / Shooter

So yet again it is time to review a HD remake collection for the PS3, this time it's Ratchet and Clank, a 3D platforming trilogy originally released on the PS2. For those who have never played the series before, this is an excellent bargain as it is three highly regarded games for the price of one (so long as you don’t mind only slightly upgraded PS2 graphics). For those who have played the series before, you get sharper graphics and some trophies ... and that’s pretty much it. It is, therefore, ironic that the 10th anniversary collection should be far less appealing for existing fans than to newcomers.

The main playable character is Ratchet, a lombax (some sort of weird Anthropomorphic alien creature), who is initially armed only with a spanner to whack enemies but soon upgrades to have an arsenal including grenades and alien tech guns as the game progresses. Joining him is Clank, a robot partner with a firmer grasp on the importance and dangers of the missions that await them. Together you explore levels to find enough currency to buy new weapons / ammo, complete missions and find new objectives to help out the NPCs. After my time with the HD release of Jak and Dexter (a similar game series but one I originally preferred) and from my time with the All-4-One multiplayer game (which I was quite underwhelmed with), I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked replaying these game and particularly its main characters. Ratchet is not without his faults here but the games (particularly the first one) do at least acknowledge and incorporate this and I had a lot more fun reliving this experiences than I did from the recent multiplayer game (where I quickly refused to allow the original main character to be used due to how much he annoyed me). From a game series now celebrating its tenth anniversary, there will be no real surprises but the levels are well designed and enjoyable to explore, even if I found that cut scenes could sometimes be too frequent and the camera still left a lot to be desired, particularly in boss fights.

In addition to the single player mode, there is also a multiplayer option in the third entry. It offers all the basics needed but I found I could not find an open match for a good portion of the time. Additionally, as a re-release, I would also have preferred a few extra options / game modes for existing fans. Put simply this is a good remake of a game series but does not offer enough for long term fans.

If you played all three before, there is probably little point getting this game unless you have an incredibly strong desire to relive the experience and a low tolerance for games that cannot be displayed on a HD screen. For those who have not played any of the games, or at least not all of them, this is a slightly dated game series but one with undeniable quality. Three games for one is a bargain although you probably will need a break between each entry or you become bored with the gameplay. The nearest competitor to this is the re-release of Jak and Dexter and I found myself having far more fun here but please Sony: more new games, less HD remakes. Apart from Okami obviously!

Rent of Buy: Buy
Graphics: 3/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Replay: 3/5
Overall: 4/5

Reviewed By: Jack Gallagher