Journey of Revisiting PlayStation 2: Ratchet and Clank (2002)

I've been gaming my whole life since I was four years old. Now, at 37, there hasn't been a single day where I haven't seen something gaming-related, gaming is my life.

Every year, I tackle a system from the past, whether it's the NES, SNES, SEGA systems, Dreamcast, etc.

Last year, I upgraded my PC with one of those x3d CPUs to see if they were as good at emulation as people said, and indeed they are.

With PCSX2 updated, my computer upgraded, and an HDD full of all those games I had no chance to play in my youth due to money constraints or availability, the first game I picked from a list of 63 games was Ratchet and Clank.

Back in the day, I had little interest in platformers, being more into shooters or slashers, so this game flew under my radar. Then I noticed there were too many sequels in a short period (we were eating sequels every two years or less, makes you think how development of a game was easier and teams shorter).

I had never played a Ratchet game, but when I got my PS5, they gifted me Ratchet and Clank Remake, and then I got Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. Both games are beautiful, with stunning graphics, cool weapons, and incredible, satisfying gameplay. So, I thought it was time to go back to where it all started.

I initially started the game on my PSVita, but it was a pretty bad port, so I jumped to PC, and I'm glad I did.

I managed to finish the first two planets on Vita before giving up due to the controls and camera.

When I switched to the emulator, things obviously got better.

There's this nostalgic feeling of early 2000s games, where developers focused on certain aspects to make it feel like a next-gen game. I can only imagine how it felt playing this game in 2002, coming from the PlayStation era. There's a meme about graphical leaps in my childhood vs. today, and it's definitely harder to notice those leaps now.

The game is beautiful, with a rich color palette, varied enemies, diverse worlds, and catchy tunes.

Some of the things I liked include the variety of expressions Ratchet has—this was uncommon in games from that era. I thought these details were introduced in Rift Apart, but they're present here too! It reminded me of games like Wind Waker, where characters show emotion in subtle ways, or Crash Bandicoot, though mostly when you die.

The character models are impressively detailed too, especially the textures used for Clank when you upgrade him. Back then, developers were creative in making believable worlds and characters.

Now, for the not-so-fun parts:

In some areas, the game is quite challenging, which might surprise some given my gaming background. I had to use savestates and quickloads in certain parts. The controls can be too sensitive, and the auto-lock can be hit or miss. The platforming on some levels felt like trial and error, and I frequently fell off magnetic rails because of the lack of invisible barriers. It made me question if games today are too hand-holdy or "accessible" as people call it, especially when the camera didn't cooperate during basic jumps.

Playing modern platformers, highlights how much the genre has advanced.

The checkpoint system was another pain point. It was particularly unforgiving in later levels where thugs spammed you with blasters while you tried to aim. If you died (with only 4 HP), you'd have to start over from the beginning of the level or a far-away checkpoint. Additionally, ammo doesn't reset when you die, leaving you with fewer resources. Ammo crates were scarce, and enemies only dropped bolts, meaning you often had to backtrack to ammo stations. There's an item where you can order ammo from anywhere in the level, but it costs 5 times more, so if you're low on bolts, you're out of luck.

This felt like artificial padding to make the game last longer or to encourage discovering secrets, but it was frustrating.

The final boss was especially hard and unfair, leading me to rely heavily on quicksaves. Most of my weapons lacked the range to hit him, so I was stuck with the rocket launcher, remote rocket, and blast rifle. After several deaths and spending around 15,000 bolts, I looked online for help and found out I lacked a crucial weapon. However, I was determined to finish and started using quicksaves heavily.

The item selection wheel also worked against me, limiting the number of weapons and items I could have. Some levels required constant switching between several items and weapons. This wasn't addressed in testing, and some items would've been better as passive upgrades instead of taking up slots.

There were no upgrades for anything. The game could've benefited from extra ammo capacity, a better ammo system, or even upgrading Ratchet's health. Games were already doing this in 2002, so there was no excuse. It seemed like they missed a lot during testing or perhaps thought it would be too easy otherwise.

In the end, it's a fun game that many people adore. I guess it's one of those games you had to be there to fully appreciate, especially after playing the remake and later entries.

A funny thing happened during the final battle—my game glitched due to numerous savestates. After beating the boss, I had to press some buttons, but Clank no longer had the thruster installed, only the helicopter attachment. I wasn't able to jump-stomp on some buttons to activate the final sequence, so I gave up and watched the ending on YouTube.

Immediately after that, I started Ratchet and Clank 2, which has better controls, allows you to strafe with a button, and lets you upgrade your hit points and weapons. I'm enjoying it more than the first one.