Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando (PS2)

I played this after playing the 2016 remake for the PS4 and the Rift Apart sequel for the PS5.

It's in many ways terrific and impressive. In scope, variety, and complexity it is not substantially inferior to the PS4 and PS5 titles, proof of both the PS2's abilities and the endurance of the Ratchet and Clank formula, which has numerous tricks up its sleeves. What are "levels" in other 3D action platformers here become "planets", and the conceit works very well. But that in itself would have been entertaining yet forgettable were it not for the gameplay, focused on a diverse weapon system. Each weapon is entirely different from the others, and it's very fun to try them all and find out which combinations work best in different circumstances. Add to this many fleshed-out mini-games to introduce pace changes, as well as wacky and funny characters, and you got yourself a delightful and cartoonish space adventure.

That said, 15 years have brought with them a welcome bump in quality. Going Commando suffers from inconsistent difficulty jumps, a few very frustrating platforming sequences and boss fights, and, well, the story, characters, and cutscenes are amateurish when compared to the lush reboot. This is not a criticism of the PS2 hardware, but rather a testament to the increase in industry standards and expectations. There's no doubt that the PS2 could handle a "demake" of the reboot that would be just as fun.

In conclusion, there are some serious rough spots here, but if you enjoy the formula then you'll surely have fun with this title.