Yup, definitely a game I will pick up later down the road after a PS5 redesign.

One of my biggest bugbears is the differences you see in the number of reviews for different games  even across the same franchise so even looking back you have little historical consistency.

Just got the platinum trophy after an 18-hour binge session all day. Loved it. It was exactly what I Wanted and exactly what it needed to be yet I Can't help but feel a little disappointed. Not in the game itself, but the hype machine. IT made me expect a 12/10 game but I got the 9.6 I expected. And while the graphics are good, I don't understand how they are considered generation defining.

Seriously, 9.6 game, I loved every minute of it, but temper yourself a bit in regards to your expectations. It's a perfect, PS5 continuation of the series, not some revolutionary mega-blockbuster. Please don't do what I Did and expect a generation-defining megahit. It's damn good, probably the best in its series, and exactly what it needed to be and nothing more.

Under 10 hour playthrow? That sounds a bit short for the new price hike. Still gona play it as soon as I get a ps5. But this concerns me going foward.

Tried this. Made it till about 3AM both nights before I couldn't do it any longer. Did the full Platinum run in what basically amounts to an 18-hour blitz. All these folks saying 10 hours are mad. Maybe to beat the main game (8-10 sounds about right), but all the collecting and wee bits of grinding is fun. I probably spent 2-3 hours grinding. 

Alright, now that I've had some time to sit down and reflect on it, I have established a slightly more refined take on the game.

I loved it. Of all the Ratchet & Clank games I'd say it had the least amount of filler or mildly distracting side content, and the fewest points of frustration. No garbage mega-clank punchy punch nonsense, very few puzzle segments (And none of them are too time-consuming or hard. I did struggle a bit with the final set because it was 2 AM and I was tired and just wanted to sleep), and no areas were frustrating or tedious. A very well-refined, perfectly fun game that was exactly what it needed to be.

However, this pruning also applied to a few other elements I would have liked to see more of. there were only 10 worlds total, there were no ship or explorative elements like in A Crack in Time, and the Arena area only has 15 challenges, total. That said, the worlds are all massive and each last about an hour or so (Some more, some less), and like said it's all refined awesomeness. This is, to me, the Skyrim of the series. Pruned a lot, refined the rest to a mirror shine.

Other than some sleep-inspired frustration, I didn't dislike a single minute in the entire 18 or so hours it took me to get 100%/Platinum. Even my favourite games (Bloodborne, Skyrim, many FF games, Rock Band, Smash Bros, Dark souls, Red Dead Redemption, Zelda) have parts that frustrate me or are just a slog and there were no segments in this game that made me feel that way.

Some people ARE gonna bitch about 8-10 hours for a 70 dollar game, but I don't see it as an issue. this is absolutely the kind of game I'm not only willing to but eager to replay. That said, Normal difficulty I found to be quite easy. the only times I died were on purpose (to get back to a checkpoint) or falling off a ledge, including the end-game super-challenges. I recommend playing on hard mode, not normal. Also, there's this sweet "RPG" Feature that makes damage indicators pop up a-la Borderlands (Showing how many HP damage you do with every shot) that made me squeal like a schoolgirl, so that was nice.

Seriously, ignore my comments about being 'disappointed in the hype'. The game was exactly what it promised, exactly what I expected, and exactly what it needed to be. While it may be a little short for some, it's a rare example of a game that was never not fun throughout its 8-10 hour runtime. I would recommend this game to everyone who plays videogames. IF you're hung up about the length/cost, then feel free to wait until its price is reduced, just like all PS exclusives are. whether you get it now at full price or later at a discounted rate, I can't fathom many people not loving every minute with it.

9.6/10

Was waiting for your mini review Runa :) Awesome!

I think the game definitely delivers...my gosh the tempo of the game is just spot on. I thought sargasso was exceptional (pretty much the first we see the game open up) but the very next level after that it opens even further (and the traversal is insanely fun).

I tried playing other Ratchet and Clank games and just could not get into it. This one feels like it will be fun for everyone. 

The story is intriguing and unlike many games we actually really really like and care for the characters! Some exceptional writing as well as well. This is movie quality.

The music and score is a Sony signature mark. I don't think any other studio does them as well.

Gameplay is where I was surprised as usually this is where Sony games become a bit more derivative - a similar issue we see with Ubisoft where its like the ideas left the room. And while it doesn't steer too far away from the standard shooter-platformer game its definitely a evolution of it, so much so that i dont want to go back to a PS4 ever again. Guns are interesting, goofy, useful and FUN. Same goes with traversal! There are a few mini games in there as well which are fun too...and even some puzzle elements (very light though). The game also genuinely feels open world most of the time...so there's the freedom of open world but the polish and tempo of a linear game. Similar to God of War? But like even more open than that.

Visuals are perfect in my opinion, everything I wanted from a PS5 game. When the game starts to open, and the switching of dimensions becomes intertwined more with gameplay is when the PS5 is seriously flexing. This game is utterly and completely impossible on last gen consoles. 

This is a solid 9/10 for me....I have not finished it yet (says I'm 33% progress), so I imagine a tempo drop is coming, and if not then its probably going to be a tad short...prepping myself.

89 is the most frustrating score possible on Metacritic.

Obviously it is great but psychologically that 1 point makes so much of a difference in perception.

Right? It sucks because it's like 'dude it's SO close to that significant milestone!' Most of the Ratchet & Clank games have that sensation. 

We're up to 113 reviews, too! 

I think most of the 'I got 88-89' games are ones that pretty universally are considered to be masterpieces with a draw back. Souls games are great but they're not for everyone. Ratchet & Clank is a lot of fun but to many people it's 'just' a kiddie platformer and outside of Mario no toony platforms tend to breach 90. Ratchet & Clank is probably the best platforming series out there, consistently? I wanted to say donkey Kong Country, but even Tropical freeze - arguably the best game in the series and one of the best platforming titles of all time - only got like an 86 or something because many people felt it was too hard. 

There appears to be soft caps to some genres. and that's a shame. 

Because when I play Ratchet & Clank, I personally feel like it's about as close to flawless as you can get. I really can't think of anything that'd particularly bring my score down. I had fun with every minute of it, it was the perfect length (enough to beat in a weekend without feeling too short), it has replayability, tonnes of rewards metered out over time, fantastic graphics and performance, and just a bit of puzzle segments to mix things up a bit. When 'I want more' is the only complaint you have about a game, I don't really think that's a complaint. I just want to keep playing it and I've already gone through it twice. I just can't imagine a game like this getting a 95 on metacritic no matter how good it is. The genre just isn't generally seen as worthy. 

Unless you're Mario.