Ratchet: Deadlocked

Everybody who owned or has even touched a PS2 would've played a Ratchet And Clank game. Everybody who plays that series of games would've played this particular title... and proclaimed that this is not as good as the other games in the series, with "legitamite" complains such as "linear level design" and "not much platforming". Ratchet: Deadlocked (or Gladiator for Europeans and Aussies) is an action platformer that focuses a lot more on action, which is usually the reason why people are so addicted to the series IN THE FIRST GODDAMN PLACE! And now they're all bitching about it? Oh noez, can't be repetitive guys, we gotta have sections we could care less for anyway to break it up a bit!! Oh well. That's why I'm here; to shut people's bitching up.

Sometime after Ratchet And Clank: Up Your Arsenal, the crew fly around in a huge spaceship, and suddenly, they are attacked. The end result is that Ratchet, Clank and Al - who was seldom used up until now - get kidnapped and...

THE GOOD:
Retains the fast-paced action that the series is known for; co-op is always fun and makes the game a bit easier; has decent replay value with multiple difficulty levels and multiplayer; multiplayer is entertaining, online and offline; graphics are pretty good; soundtrack is still as upbeat and awesome as it's been for the series

THE BAD:
Gameplay is at its most shallow by ditching a LOT of platforming and making paths incredibly linear; story is shallow even for this sort of game; stale and repetitive

SUMMARY:
Introduction:
Ratchet: Deadlocked (or Gladiator for the Aussie and European readers - will refer this game as Deadlocked from here on out) is the fourth installment in the famous sci-fi third person shooter-platformer hybrid series known as Ratchet and Clank. Throughout the series up until this point, the games have been known to have humorous dialogue, fast-paced shooting action and some platforming....

THE GOOD:
Great graphics
Sounds are good

THE BAD:
Too short and too linear

SUMMARY:
Ratchet: Gladiator (or Ratchet: Deadlocked), with three fantastic games already in the series, just HAS to be brilliant, correct? Not quite.

The story goes that Ratchet and friends are on a relaxing space flight after stopping the crazed robotic genius Dr. Nefarious from transforming all squishies into robots, destroying his Biobliterator, and leaving him stranded on an asteroid to suffer Lawrence's bass-playing. Ratchet is travelling the stars aboard the Starship Phoenix when Sasha reports in that there is a disturbance in the Shadow Sector. Ratchet, Clank and Big Al head out to investigate. As their luck would have it, the trio are captured and forced to take part in a gameshow hosted by Gleeman Vox, called "DreadZone", in which contestants fight it out against robots - and occasionally each other - in arena style combat both...

THE GOOD:
- Not too many weapons like in past games. All the weapons get used in Deadlocked, unlike in past games where half the weapons you have to use are not used.
- Missions have much more variety than past R&C games. There are so many different tasks you need to complete. Missions are not all the same thing.
- Many different skins that you can where, instead of looking at Ratchet in his suit all the time.
- Your helper bots can be upgraded in color, heads, weapons, and defense. You can customize them the way you want.
- The weapon upgrading system has been perfected. You can upgrade weapons by experience, which is much more realistic that in past games, and you can even upgrade weapons in other ways: alpha and omega mods. Omega mods allow you to attach one mod onto any weapon, which changes its attack in some way (also adds power). Alpha mods allow you to change what the weapon does, such as giving a weapon more ammo or ranger or snipe abilty....

THE GOOD:
- Tons of action. - Great music. - The modding system. - Incredible AI. - Different difficulties. - Great graphics. - Some pretty cool vehicles. - Sounds and voice acting. - Co-op mode. - Very well done multiplayer. - The battlebots are a nice touch.

THE BAD:
- Very unexciting boss fights. - Lack of weapons. - Lack of platforming. - Seems way too dark! - Barely any flashbacks to the previous games. - Too much cussing for R&C series' own good. - Some of the humor gets very old very fast. - Horrific story. - Glitches galore. =P - Hiccuping framerate.

SUMMARY:
Ah yes. The 4th game of good ol' Ratchet and Clank. Well.....Ratchet in this case. Clank is left out of the action and becomes a character who helps you by slaughtering you with obvious statements you already know. Anyway, without Clank, that leaves out out most of the platforming. That also leaves out a ton of gadgets. On a bright note, the gadgets are still...