Ratchet & Clank: Nexus is the latest installment to the popular franchise that started back in 2002. Is this newest entry worth the time to play?
To me, the Ratchet & Clank series has started to bore me. They were fun in the beginning, but they started to feel repetitive as the years went by. It didn't help the franchise at all once the series started to be like Call of Duty and became an annual release. The latest installments of the series branched off to different genres, but they were met with mixed reactions from fans and critics. Ratchet & Clank: Nexus looks to recapture the classic platform style of gaming the series was famous for in the first place.
Sadly, Ratchet & Clank: Nexus disappoints on this level too. If you've played any of the previous games before, you'll be familiar with most of the gadgets and guns that you'll be using. There isn't nearly enough new content that has been added to this game to make the gameplay more diverse or exciting in any way.
The gameplay itself seems like a chore to play through as well. All of the enemies lack diversity because they don't have specific weak points you can target. All you really need to do is spam the square button to bash them or the R1 button to shoot them. It becomes a really repetitive game when you just do these two actions most of the time. Even the boss fights were underwhelming and never felt epic or satisfying. The boss fights were nothing more than just a shooting gallery until you're able to deplete their health bar.
There worst part about the game is its very short length. Other Ratchet & Clank games were maybe seven hours or longer and this is usually a good length for most single player campaigns. I was gobsmacked that I managed to finish the game in just four hours. I was not even rushing through the game either. I was expecting the game to last at least another three or four more hours. I guess this is the main reason the game has a budget RRP of $55...
If there are a few good things to say about Ratchet & Clank: Nexus, it's the graphics and some of the puzzle solving elements. The graphics really look good and it's the best that Insomniac Games can do with the PS3 hardware. It will be cool to see what a Ratchet & Clank game will look like on PS4, although I'd much rather see a new IP instead. The puzzle elements are fun too when when they're there, but most of the game is just repetitive bashing and shooting...
Overall, I felt Ratchet & Clank: Nexus feels like a rushed effort. The game is far too short to leave a lasting impression and the gameplay is stale and boring for the most part. Personally, I feel that Insomniac Games and Sony should give the series a long rest so that the franchise can come back fresh if they were to make a PS4 version down the road.
Verdict 5.5 out of 10