R&C introduces Ratchet, an animal . . . thing . . .with a knack for mechanical repairs and a dream of leaving his home planet of Veldin via a custom-built space ship. When Ratchet sees another ship crash land off in the distance, he predictably scampers over to check it out. Upon further investigation, he discovers a small, toaster-like robot shot out of the wreckage. The affectionately-named Clank tells Ratchet of an evil corporation called Blarg, whose leader (the conniving, insidious, and overly comical Chairman Drek) has plans to form the perfect planet, using the very best parts of the rest of the planets in the universe. Reluctantly, Ratchet agrees to help Clank, and thus, the protagonist duo is born.

From there, the adventure takes shape, and your goal is set: stop Drek and the Blarg empire at all costs. To do so, you'll find yourself traversing a plethora of diverse planets, each with its own unique atmosphere and cultures. These settings - such as the sprawling metropolis of Kerwan, or the laid-back, island-world of Porkitaru - are all absolutely huge in scope and generally a lot more interesting than the cliché “ice worlds” and “lava worlds” of your average platformer (though R&C has its own variants of them as well).

Once you've set foot on a planet, your goals are clearly outlined from the map screen, making the levels seem quite linear, though you're certainly free to tackle the area how you please. From there, you can jump, swim, fly, and shoot your way through the enemies and obstacles - R&C packs just about any platformer convention you can possibly fathom. With the help of Clank, you can pull of an even wider array of moves, depending on which parts Clank currently has equipped.

And thanks to Insomniac, the levels themselves are an absolute joy to traverse. The level design is just fantastic - dare I say the best I've ever seen in a 3D platformer. Everything is so well thought-out, from the difficulty of each section and the complexity level of the obstacles and puzzles, to the novel, almost brilliant way they've finally done away with the much of the backtracking that usually plagues most titles in the genre. R&C is so polished that you'll actually find yourself thinking, “Damn, I can't believe they took the time to do that!”

Of course, every platformer needs a gimmick, and in R&C's case, there’s not just one gimmick, but around thirty. During the game, you'll come across more than fifteen different weapons, all with their own uses and strategies, from rocket launchers and laser blasters, to the more inventive, like the Morph-O-Ray, which turns grisly foes into chickens. Thrown in with the weapons, are a half-dozen “gadgets,” used to manipulate various puzzle elements found in the game. Obtaining the weapons is a fairly easy task, as you'll use Bolts, one of R&C's very few collectible items to purchase weapons at Gadgetron vendors located near the starting point of each planet. Collecting bolts never feels like a chore though, since bolts are literally strewn everywhere as you explore the planets, found in crates and scattered from fallen enemies.

Almost more impressive than the actual game, R&C graphics are a real wonder. It's a spectacle in itself that this game is even technically possible on the PS2 It just looks fantastic, even when compared to the majority of games on the technically superior Xbox and GameCube. The animation is superbly done, the characters all bounce and bob around with an ungodly fluidity rarely seen, and the facial expressions are quite frankly unmatched by anything else out there right now, painting some really hilarious scenes within the game.

Likewise, the levels themselves also look really, really good. The draw distances are huge (and in case of most planets, even the outer areas of the planet that you can't actually get to are completely polygonal - no single-texture backdrops in this house), and the entire environment is absolutely bustling with life. Insomniac has really captured the outer space theme with the planets as well - dozens upon dozens of space cars fly synchronically overhead, and the buildings and overall flair seem ripped straight out of a more interesting version of The Jetsons. The only minor gripe I can come up with about the graphics is the use of some bland ground textures, though concededly, ground textures aren't among the PS2's strong suits.

On the audio front, R&C performs expectedly well. Though certainly not the most inspired music you're going to find in a game, Ratchet's music is definitely nothing to scoff at. With generally upbeat tunes that go well with the theme, the music does the job, but where the sound department really shines is in the voice acting, which is just phenomenal. Easily some of the best voice acting I've ever heard, the voice work not only makes the characters infinitely more endearing, but pulls off the always-tough task of bringing genuine humor to video games. It's really a joy listening to each and every conversation, and it actually gets you looking forward to the cut scenes.

In the end, Ratchet & Clank proves to be an excellent game, platformer or otherwise, and just further shows that Sony has finally found how to make a top-notch second-party title. Combined with the wonderful game play, amazing graphics and sound, and a truly exceptional amount of polish, R&C is the perfect example of how to take everything good about a genre and make it work.

· · · Andy