Ratchet: Deadlocked
Ratchet: Deadlocked, known as Ratchet: Gladiator in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and Ratchet & Clank 4th: GiriGiri Ginga no Giga Battle in Japan, is a platform/shooter video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony. It is the fourth game in the Ratchet & Clank series and is the sequel to Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal. It was released on October 25, 2005 in North America. Although it was met with generally positive reviews, Ratchet: Deadlocked recieved some criticism from fans as it is noticeably darker and more combat oriented in terms of gameplay than previous Ratchet & Clank games, and Clank was reduced to a non-playable side character.
Story
The beginning of Deadlocked contains a cutscene showing a brutal sport in which contestants try to kill each other, that resembles Battle Royale. Called Dreadzone, it is a very large part of the story. After saving the galaxy once again, Ratchet and Clank are given the job of running the Starship Phoenix, with Al for back-up if need be. When Sasha, the new mayor of Metropolis, phones in and informs the crew of the death of Captain Starshield and the fact that many heroes are being abducted, robots approach the Phoenix and overrun it, taking Ratchet, Clank and Al captive.
They are transported to the Shadow Sector, a lawless region on the fringe of the Solana Galaxy. Here, Ratchet meets Gleeman Vox, the president/creator of Dreadzone which is shown on Vox Entertainment (a massive media empire within the Shadow Sector and parody of Fox Entertainment), who reveals that Ratchet is now being forced to compete in the reality holovision show, DreadZone. Ratchet is now wearing a "DeadLock" collar that can shock him if he strays into restricted areas or explode if he becomes uncooperative or boring.
Collectively referred to as "Team DarkStar", Al serves as the mechanic for Ratchet's combat bots, Merc and Green, while Clank serves as his "Mission Control", similar to an Operator from the Matrix film series. Ratchet and the combat bots (or a second player) compete across a series of Battlecourses, and a series of tournaments in the BattleDome at DreadZone Station, clearing challenge after challenge, while Ratchet, already framed of many disturbing attributes, becomes one of the most infamous contestants in DreadZone history.
Ratchet's most notable victories are against the DreadZone Exterminators, a squad dedicated to destroying the other competing heroes. He defeats ShellShock on Planet Kronos, then Reactor, The Eviscerator, and Ace Hardlight (the Captain of the Exterminators) in separate BattleDome tournaments.
Following his defeat by Ratchet, Ace, as he lays dying in the BattleDome, says to Ratchet, "Don't...let Vox do to you...what he did to me." Ratchet is then taken to see Gleeman Vox. He claims to have been trying to make Ratchet a star; an ironic claim, due to the fact that Vox's reporters Dallas and Juanita have been slandering Ratchet most of the time. Vox tells Ratchet that it was just "building up his bad boy image", and he offers to make Ratchet the new Captain of the Exterminators, and Ratchet (obviously) refuses, saying, "You actually think I'd kill other heroes for money? You're not just corrupt, you're stupid."
Stating that Ratchet has signed his own death warrant, Vox has him escorted from the room, and requests that they be sent to the "Gauntlet of Doom" located at the Ghost Station battlecourse, despite protests from the testbot whom he gave the order to that "...it was mathematically proven to be. ..unbeatable." This was justified to DreadZone fans via a hoax news report that Ratchet was using banned performance-enhancing drugs.
After Ratchet successfully runs the Gauntlet of Doom and demolishes the Ghost Station, he returns to his DreadZone containment area, and Clank tells him that he has found a way to shut down the containment fields holding the heroes hostage. Al makes his return as a cyborg (he had previously been shot by Ace Hardlight after the third tournament, when he succeeded in deactivating Clank's DeadLock collar), and tells Ratchet what he needs to do; take a reprogrammed shuttle to the BattleDome's control level and destroy the central computer, but, as Clank puts it, "it is a one-way ride".
After his arrival at the control level, Ratchet finds out that Vox was luring Ratchet into yet another trap. Stating boldly that the BattleDome is wired with "six gigatons of nitroglycerin", Vox says that Ratchet will be responsible for the death of everyone there if he fails. After Vox announces this atrocity, Ratchet's 'bad boy image' is completely erased, and Ratchet is assured that, as Juanita says, "We're rooting for you, little buddy."
Running a massive gauntlet of enemies and destroying each of three power generators, Ratchet manages to deactivate the containment fields and simultaneously unlocks DreadZone Station's escape shuttles. Ratchet's final battle with Gleeman Vox follows, which as Vox says, "It's a little one-act play I call 'Death of a Lombax'", first against Vox in a hoverpod that represents a Dreadzone Laser Back, then against a giant mech which Vox docks his hoverpod into, giving him more powers.
After his defeat, Vox reactivates the self-destruct sequence via remote control, stating to Ratchet that "The escape shuttles all left long ago. Now we'll die together, on live holovision. It'll be the best ratings I've ever had!"
However, Ratchet is spared a horrible death when the last shuttle (piloted by Al) swoops in to rescue him. He grabs Vox's pet, Slugha, and leaps aboard, where Clank wastes no time removing his DeadLock collar, which he then tosses out the airlock. The collar explodes, followed shortly by DreadZone Station itself.
After the end credits, Dr. Nefarious and Lawerence (from the previous game) make a cameo appearance still stuck on an asteroid with Dr. Nefarious complaining that they were coming within range of a space station (DreadZone Station), which, as Lawrence questioned, suddenly exploded. Nefarious then breaks out into a raging fit, shortly followed by a soap opera audio (See Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal)
Gameplay
The game includes many of the same pieces of gameplay as Up Your Arsenal, such as online games with nine other people (ten people max to a game). New modes and attributes include co-op gameplay in single player mode, and newer, more devastating vehicles. Also, the game includes a vastly more RPG style in the form of custom armor and weapons (through the use of "mods"), although this does not mean the game is anything like an RPG. It is still a third/first person shooter at heart.
Campaign mode also features a co-op mode in which a partner will replace the two combat bots. The story mode is fully playable in co-op much like Halo: Combat Evolved and Doom 3 for the Xbox. The players will be bound to each other within a certain distance by the game's "Deadlock collars" which will detonate if the players become too far apart for 10 seconds (except the Containment Area and 1 challenge). There are unlockable skins that can be chosen as well in co-op mode. The second player can unlock a Jak skin from the Jak and Daxter series.
This game is notable in the series for two reasons. First, Insomniac has removed Ratchet's sidekick, Clank, as a playable character. In addition, many of the platforming elements from the previous games, including gadget-based puzzles, have been removed, as the game became focused more on "shooter" elements than earlier iterations in the series.
Weapons
In Deadlocked, weapons can be upgraded to level 10 in normal mode, and to level 99 after a "Mega" version of the desired weapon is purchased. Each level after 11 however, is very easy to obtain, and the damage bonuses are less. As theses bonuses accumulate however, the weapon becomes far more powerful. This makes the weapons far more upgradeable than the Gold weapons in the original Ratchet & Clank, Ultra upgrades in Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando and the Omega weapons in Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal. Level 99 weapons also have a rainbow color effect applied to their shot elements. However, there are fewer weapons for use in Deadlocked than in the previous games in the series.
- Dual Vipers - These weapons are rapid-fire dual pistols, that lack in power, but can quickly overwhelm a foe. They upgrade to the Dual Raptors, which have ricocheting bullets and a much higher rate of fire.
- Magma Cannon - A powerful plasma shotgun that can target multiple enemies at once, but has a short range. It upgrades to the Vulcan Cannon, which is a homing laser. The range remains short.
- B-6 Obliterator - A grenade launcher that can target enemies from afar. It upgrades to the B-11 Vaporizer witch vaporizes enemiea around it.
- Holo-Shield Launcher - A defensive weapon that shoots a protective shield in front of Ratchet for a small amount of time. This weapon differs from the one featured in Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal in that it can take any amount of damage for a certain time; in Up Your Arsenal, the shield could only take a limited amount of damage, and was much smaller. It upgrades to the Omni-Shield Launcher, gaining the ability to shoot back when hit.
- Hunter Mine Launcher - This weapon releases motion sensing mines into the area, homing in on nearby targets, similar to the Mine Glove from the first Ratchet & Clank. It upgrades to the Stalker Mine Launcher, with mines that split into smaller mines upon detonation.
- Fusion Rifle - A powerful sniper rifle that can zoom in on enemies. It upgrades to the Anti-Matter Rifle, which can fire through multiple enemies.
- The Arbiter - A weapon that shoots titanium-armour piercing rockets that are both lethal and fast. It upgrades to The Silencer, which fires a trio of rockets.
- Scorpion Flail - A medieval mace with some futuristic modifications, like devastating shockwaves on impact and an extendable chain to reach faraway enemies. It upgrades to the Leviathan Flail that sends distructive air and dibree paths.
- Mini-Turret Launcher: A gun that shoots out turrets that attempt to defeat any foes in their radius, and can outnumber a foe if multiple turrets are thrown out. It upgrades to the Quasar Turret Launcher, which fires more powerful shots at a slower rate.
- Harbinger: This superweapon has been claimed to be more powerful than the R.Y.N.O. or the Apocalyptor. It releases a salvo of spherical designators that paint a semi-random pattern of target crosses on the ground or impact on a surface, and then disappear. Shortly after the markers are painted, a huge shower missiles folowed by superlasers rains down on them. It upgrades to the Supernova, which changes the color of the missile path to blue instead of yellow-orange.
Additionally, in Deadlocked, up to ten Alpha Mods and one Omega Mod can be added to your weapon. Alpha Mods provide generic upgrades such as increased firing speed or auto-aiming, and Omega Mods add a secondary effect to the weapon. When first bought, each weapon has one Alpha Mod slot equipped with a predetermined Alpha Mod, and each time any weapon levels up (until it changes form at level 10) an extra mod slot is unlocked and another predetermined Alpha Mod is automatically gained and equipped to it. You can buy Alpha Mods from vendors after beating the game and beginning a Challenge Mode game.
List of alpha Mods:
- Speed Mod: Increases firing rate
- Ammo Mod: Increases ammo capacity
- Area Mod: Increases explosion radius
- Impact Mod: Increases knockback
- Aiming Mod: Increases auto-aim ability
- Jackpot Mod: Increases bolts gained
- XP Mod : Increases XP (both for player and weapon)
- Healing Mod: Spawns NanoTech (health) from destroyed enemies.
List of omega Mods: (These Omega Mods are compatible with all weapons.)
- Shock Mod: Enemies hit will flash blue and shock nearby enemies with lightning
- Acid Mod: Enemies hit will glow green and continue to take damage over time.
- Brainwash Mod: Enemies hit will attack other enemies
- Morph Mod: Enemies will turn into animals when they would have otherwise been destroyed which then run up and attack enemies by exploding.
- Freeze Mod: Enemies hit will slow down, eventually freezing if hit repeatedly and look as though it has ice on it.
(The following omega Mods are compatible only with the B-6 Obliterator, Hunter Mine Launcher, and The Arbiter.)
- Mini-Bomb Mod: Spawns miniature bomblets when a round hits that bounce towards an enemy and they blow up hurting the enemy.
- Napalm Mod: Spawns pools of napalm when a round hits and if an enemy touches it they will take damage.
- Time Bomb Mod: Round attaches to enemy, then detonates, also delivering a shock to nearby enemies.
Multiplayer/Online Mode
This game also features a multiplayer and an online feature. Players who have a Network Adaptor installed into their PlayStation 2s may play online. Additionally up to four players may play locally much like online. The online mode of this game features an in depth stat tracking system, with tracking of anything from number of deaths, to number kills with a wrench. The online mode of this supports a USB Keyboard and a USB Headset (not included).
Vehicles
There are four playable vehicles throughout Ratchet: Deadlocked.
- Hovership - This is a remodelled version of the Hovership from Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal. The new version includes new machine guns of the head of the ship that can be controlled by the driver and a mortar launcher on the rear that the driver can control in Single Player or a second player can pilot in Multiplayer or Co-op, however, the missiles only charge when aimed at one or more enemies.
- Hoverbike - Returning from Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, except now used for combat instead of Racing. The Hoverbike fires a quick stream of moderate powered laser bullets into the opponent. It can also Strafe and Jump. If it hits a medium/small sized enemy it will crush it.
- Landstalker - The Landstalker is a new addition to vehicles in the game. It is essentially a platform with the cab on top of it. Four hydraulically powered legs extend from the platform. Behind the cab sits two mortar launchers, each able to fire 3 missiles each, though the launchers have to be powered up for a short time first. The movement of the Landstalker could be described as crablike or spiderlike, with alternate legs moving at the same time. it can also perform quick lateral jumps to evade enemy fire.
- Puma - The Puma is a re-vamped version of the Turboslider from Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal. This time around instead of having a turret behind the cab there is a single mortar launcher that the driver can control in Single Player or a second player can pilot
Trivia
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. (October 2007) |
- Clank is a non-playable character in this game, unlike previous ones, although Alpha-Clank is a Ratchet sized robot with Clank's head used in co-op.
- Vox News is a parody of Fox News.
- Captain Qwark is never seen in this game, although he is heard briefly at the end. However, if you unlock 105 skill points, then you can activate a cheat so all the DZ Strikers that Ratchet encounters will all look like Captain Qwark.
- Unlike its predecessors, this game has no puzzles such as the Hacker, although the player's combat bots use Hacker orbs.
- This is the only game in the series where the plumber does not appear in a cutscene. If the player watches the credits until the end, they will find out why.
- Many critics gave this game positive, yet the lowest scores out of all four Ratchet titles on the PS2. IGN only gave it 8.8/10 (compared to 9.2,9.4 & 9.6 for 1,2 & 3 respectively) and Gamestats.com gives it an average rating of 8.6/10 (compared to 8.8,9.1 & 9.2 for 1,2 & 3 respectively).
- Jak from Jak and Daxter appears as an unlockable skin when playing in Co-op mode. Similarly, save data from Deadlocked can be used to unlock Ratchet as a playable character in Jak X: Combat Racing.
- Gold, Platinum & Titanium bolts were removed, but replaced by skill points, 165 in total.
- The plot of the game is similar to The Running Man, a 1987 science fiction film loosely based on a novel by Stephen King.
- The Deadlock Collars bear a similarity to Battle Royale
- Besides skill points, the special rewards in this game are Exterminator cards
- There is no water interaction in the game.
- Ratchet's tail is not visible in most of the game, however in the start of the game Ratchet says that it feels like his tail is shoved up his rear, though the last part is cut off when Al turns his voice function off.
- Every vehicle in the game has a horn which can be activated by pressing the L3 button.
- The charge boots stop automatically in this game unlike the last two games.
- A bonus ending can be seen at the end of the game before the credits where Doctor Nefarious and Lawrence appear at the destroyed Dreadzone station. During the end of that scene, Gleeman Vox's arm is seen sparking and flying away.
External links
- Official Game Site from SCEA