The other area in which the Ratchet and Clank games have always focused is on the shooting and zany weapons. While these make a return in All 4 One, they’ve also got an added twist - co-op shooting. Every weapon when can be combined with other players using the same weapon on the same target to increase it’s power causing it to ramp up for some devastation. Even the default pew pew blaster becomes a brutal weapon as more and more players cause it’s fire rate to rapidly increase and finally end with a satisfying explosion. Each of your weapons are unlocked at buy stations and are purchased with the nuts and bolts you collect. Unlocking a new weapon is exciting, not only for seeing what kind of havoc you can wreak, but for getting to see a slick little stylized instructional video on how to use it. Seriously, it shouldn’t be this entertaining to watch a video on how to use a gun to turn enemies into cuddly creatures.
I should also mention that most of this game is incredibly beautiful. Bright, colorful environments transcend gaming mainstays like “lava level” or “desert level.” Everything is creatively done, whether you’re in a world where gravity has created giant floating islands like something out of Avatar, or when you’re fighting your way through a futuristic city - everything is extremely eye catching and crisp. All 4 One also does a decent job of breaking up the action, mixing in things like SHMUP inspired jetpack sections as well as rail riding action sequences where you’ll need to dodge and jump while grinding like a skater.
The highlight for me is the combat. Whether you’re utilizing guns to take down enemies or using a character’s melee abilities, the combat is fast and fun. Combat culminates at several boss battles. While most are straight forward, some are a bit frustrating and lengthy.
Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One isn’t a very difficult game - the only way to lose if for all of the players to die at the same time. If you fall of a ledge you’ll respawn in a few seconds, and if you get knocked out, another player can suck you up in a vacuum for a revive. That said, I still felt the game was challenging at times and it managed to do that without too many cheap deaths, save for a boss battle or two.
We did run into some technical issues with the game, connection drops, lock-ups, and other random weird things happened. Such is the nature of an online game I suppose, but with a “beta” in place before launch, you would have hoped these things didn’t occur - especially since we played almost the entire time hosting online or joining online games.
Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One sets a new standard for co-op platformers. It really showcases team work well, is extremely approachable for both local and online co-op players, and is entertaining for both the younger kids and adults alike. Despite a few nagging issues I found myself engrossed in the game for some pretty lengthy sessions - and that’s something a lot of games have hard time doing today.
Verdict
Co-Op Score
Overall
The Co-Op Experience: Players take control of Ratchet, Clank, Qwark, or Dr. Nefarious and work together in various platforming and shooting puzzles. Each character offers their own unique abilities.
Co-Optimus game reviews focus on the cooperative experience of a game, our final score graphic represents this experience along with an average score for the game overall. For an explanation of our scores please check our Review Score Explanation Guide.