After Sony’s E3 press conference, I had a chance to spend some time with (one of) the latest games from Insomniac, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One. Though the floor was dark and loud, the game’s visuals were bright and Sony provided each station with a set of noise-cancelling headphones. The game’s kiosk was empty, as it seemed that everyone was in line for the Vita by that point. It was as best a combination as could be under the circumstances.
But now, knowing what the game is all about, I realize that one thing was missing: 3 other people, preferably kids, to play the game with me.
Right off the bat, I’ll say that All 4 One doesn’t share much with previous Ratchet games. It’s meant to be played as co-op, for one, and relies heavily on at least a second character, whether it’s a human or (in my case) AI. The game is set up as a series of mini-games strung together in one level. In one event the team will all have to align lasers to open a path, in another they’ll have to clear the mini-arena of enemies. Each event has a gimmick to it to make it stand out from the previous one, relying usually on aiming at the same thing with your weapons. They’re all unique in their own way, but you begin to expect that they’re coming as you traverse the linked sections.
The boss fight I encountered was set up the same way; jump from one section of the screen to another, solve the puzzle, do it again for the other parts of the fight. It’s standard boss fare, which isn’t bad except the entire game is minigames so it gets diluted. Again, I think this would be much better with other people playing, as it becomes more of a team/pseudo-competitive game as puzzles are solved and items are picked up.
The game does control very well, which is something I’ve come to expect from the series. Running around the screen, stopping, and turning was easy, and aiming my weapons was just as simple. The emphasis is clearly on accessibility, as the controls really relied on just the analog stick and X for the majority of play. The visuals were beautiful, and even in the flashing lights of the Memorial Sports Arena where we played the game they were crisp and clear. The audio pumping into my headset had a sort of “new age Jetsons” feel to it, and the bleeps and explosions complemented the soundtrack fairly well. Nothing was too loud, and nothing felt out of place.
All 4 One‘s name tells you right away what it wants: four players, all the time. This game is going to be great for families, where the events lead to small wins that feel like progress. For the rest of us gamers… well, we’ll have to see what it’s like when it actually makes it to store shelves this October.
No Comments