10 Things 2016’s Remake Changed From The Original Game
One of the greatest series on Sony consoles, Ratchet And Clank has enamored fans since its original release. It eventually garnered a large enough fanbase to have a movie adaptation made for it in 2016 alongside a remake of the original game that better fit the story told by the film.
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With the Ratchet And Clank remake being offered as part of the Playstation Play At Home Initiative, many players are trying it out for the first time. There are some significant changes from the original which long-time fans finally giving the remake a chance are sure to notice.
10 Brand New Characters
Several new characters were added to the remake that never featured in the original game. The easiest to notice are the Rangers that are seen in the movie; Brax Lectrus, Cora Veralux, and Elaris. Grimroth Razz was also introduced into the game from the film as the adopted father of Ratchet. Victor Von Ion also makes an appearance as Ratchet’s archenemy.
9 Changes To Batalia
Batalia was originally a lush rainforest in the original games before the creators decided to merge it with another planet. Batalia retains its war-torn atmosphere but is instead similar to the freezing cold tundra found on Hoven (which does not appear in the remake).
The story for the planet changes too in the remake, as it has the blarg attacking to destroy the Starwatch Defense Cannon that has been hurting its operations.
8 Dr. Nefarious’s Retcon And Early Introduction
What is likely the most notable retcon in the entire game is the fact that Dr. Nefarious was introduced at all. He originally did not appear in any way until the release of Up Your Arsenal.
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To better suit the movie, Dr. Nefarious’s origin story was slightly tweaked as well. The now-former Galactic Ranger is actually shown as being an organic being before becoming a robot, something that was never shown until the 2016 movie was released.
There are even differences between the holo-film explaining the story and Quark’s retelling of it, making this bit of lore quite confusing.
7 Three Planets Were Removed
To anyone that loved exploring Eudora and Oltanis in the original games, prepare to be disappointed. While several other planets were merged and combined with others, these two planets were entirely removed from the remake.
Umbris is briefly mentioned in the remake although Ratchet and Clank cannot visit it. The blargian snagglebeast that was originally found there was instead moved to the Blarg Research Station.
6 Several Characters Were Retconned To Have Names
Many previously unnamed characters had that changed with the release of the remake, perhaps in an attempt to make the story a bit easier to follow.
Skidd’s agent goes by Don Wonderstar and the girl hoverboard racer is now named Starlene. As it was silly for the mayor of Novalis to not even have a name, he is now called Agnogg Buckwash, which is quite a mouthful to say.
5 Changes To Quartu
The birthplace of Clank, Quartu, got a lot of changes from the original game. While it was originally not a rocky barren planet, the remake turned it into the blargian homeworld.
Basically, Quartu replaced Orxon, the planet that originally served as the blarg’s homeworld. Many of the enemies that were originally fought on Orxon were moved to a new area on Gaspar in the remake.
4 The Majority Of Quark’s Storyline
Quark received some of the biggest changes in the remake. Quark originally began working for Drek from the outset of the game. In the reimaging of the story, Quark only ends up joining the villain due to the intense jealousy he feels of everyone loving Ratchet.
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The movie and the remake did give Quark a solid chance to make a face turn as well, allowing him to return to the side of good by the end of the story. The original game never gave him this redemption arc, making for a much sadder end for the once hero.
3 Bob Was Replaced
Among the characters that were outright replaced was Al’s brother Bob. In the original, players met Bob on Pokitaru and could visit his roboshack on the planet. In the remake, the shack is changed to be an inaccessible hut instead. Players still meet Al in the same general area of the map, but Bob is nowhere to be seen.
2 Drek’s Fleet Level Was Replaced
In the original game, players went through Drek’s Fleet as a level as it floated in Veldin’s orbit, as they sought to stop him before he could activate the Deplanetizer.
In the remake, players go through the Deplanetizer instead, removing the previous level from the game entirely. This changes a lot of how this section of the campaign plays out and is one of the easiest to notice differences for those who have played both games.
1 Several Characters Were Cut From The Remake
Sometimes beloved characters don’t make the cut in remakes. Instead of Clank’s mother existing in the game, he is created when the factory malfunctions after being struck by a bolt of lightning.
Quark’s fitness trainer, Helga Von Streissenburgen, also never makes an appearance. Al and Bob’s sister Edwina was also cut from the remake as well as Fred the inventor and the HelpDesk Girl.
NEXT: 10 Best Video Game Reboots
Ratchet & Clank for PS4 Lost Sight of What Makes the Series Special
Ratchet & Clank is one of my favorite PlayStation series. Insomniac Games’ iconic lombax and defective combat drone have engaged in everything from traditional sci-fi shenanigans to high-seas pirating to a bit of tower defense. No matter where you put them, Ratchet and Clank just work effortlessly. Which is why I was more than a little perplexed with their only appearance in Ratchet & Clank on PlayStation 4.
At the time of its release, the series had already teased something huge was coming at the end of Into the Nexus on PlayStation 3, a big-budget movie adapting the first game’s story was about to release to herald a lineup of Sony game movies, and Insomniac had just wrapped up its first and only Microsoft exclusive.
Yet the game that accompanies all of this feels almost like an afterthought, lackadaisically going through the motions without the heart, soul, and hint of edge that makes Ratchet & Clank special.
The original Ratchet & Clank series was as unsubtle as possible with its themes involving consumerism, capitalism, and the glorification of guns above all else. While the series has always been a hit with kids, Insomniac never held itself back when calling out everything from exploitative agents and executives to media star shills who would sell out anyone for a buck. It’s jaw-dropping to witness, yet it’s executed marvelously. At the heart of it all, the titular protagonists learn to become best friends, looking out for each other and overcoming countless nefarious forces.
What’s equally great about this approach to world-building is that the conflict and your progression were thematically connected. Captain Qwark isn’t just some figure Ratchet seeks approval from, but the underhanded henchman of the first game’s antagonist.
Becoming a galactic ranger further displays the inadequate grasp the galaxy’s government has on… well, pretty much anything. Sometimes the antagonists themselves sell you weapons, never hesitating to profit off of their competition if they think they’ll win in the long run. So of course everyone’s packing heat, tied into countless conspiracies, and desperate to make ends meet.
Over time, the series softened its bite, but it never let go of this sensibility; instead, it showed that standing up for something better did make a difference. Ratchet and Clank, along with a variety of allies over the years, managed to help the universe become a better place. Like a lot of us, as they grew older, the smaller stuff started bothering them less, and in place of that anger came a shred of optimism.
It’s a beautiful arc that carries over into the PlayStation 3 era. Each game from there on became more personal. The heroes discovered their origins, carrying the legacy of their fathers, all while facing down a fallen lombax general.
They even, in a surprising turn, opened the door for series antagonist Doctor Nefarious to abandon villainy. Even Captain Qwark, the most cynical sellout, has started trying to act like a real hero, even if he’s helplessly incompetent at it.
While the Ratchet & Clank movie adaptation is definitely tamer than the original game, it actually holds true to most of these points. It condenses several characters into new ones and abridges Qwark’s journey to fit in an average film’s runtime. The only major change is that Ratchet has some optimism to start with, which is fine given the movie was far more aimed at kids and he still gets swept up in the exact same toxic nonsense that the PlayStation 2 Ratchet dealt with.
So if even the movie that flopped at the box office got the essential franchise elements right, why is Ratchet & Clank on PlayStation 4 missing all of them?
The remake not only undercuts the themes of the original game, but the plot of the movie at the same time.
The story never commits, awkwardly structuring itself around multiple scenes from the movie. By incorporating those scenes out of context, the game has to wave away any inconsistencies by positioning Qwark as an unreliable narrator, detailing the events to a fellow inmate. Though how this narration concludes raises more questions if even just the scenes between Qwark and Shriv are to be taken as canon.
Structuring the narrative this way means any tangible character arc is lost, with Ratchet and Clank mostly just doing things because they’re told to, proceeding on an overlong series of quests to “prove” themselves. Instead of striking out on their own and sticking it to The Man, they’re literally trying to get The Man’s nod.
Though Qwark is still a boss fight and obviously a terrible hero, he spontaneously turns good in the last hour without substantive build-up to this face turn. Additionally, instead of emphasizing the corporations literally demolishing planets to create new worlds to their own ends, Doctor Nefarious’s origin story receives a confounding level of attention.
While he’s a key part of the film, he wasn’t the primary antagonist, yet almost every other villain is strangely given a more minor role in Ratchet & Clank on PS4.
Insomniac Creative Director Chad Dezern said of the connection between the game and the movie, “Every single element has been touched by both parties in a lot of cases. There have even been times where we’ve taken film shots and matched them up as precisely as we can because we want the whole thing to feel cohesive and like it’s the same universe presented in two different ways.”
However, the majority of the game cutscenes are so lifeless and without energy that it feels like you’re watching pre-vis before the full animations were implemented. Lots of conversations are just shot, reverse shot — rinse and repeat until gameplay continues.
This is storytelling that exists purely to move you along rather than say anything, and the gameplay only contributes some giggles and a sense of awe to that.
There’s not much to the campaign. While several worlds are cut, remixed, and spliced together, the game feels distinctly muted, with only one jetpack-oriented level really standing out. It’s all so textureless and safe, delivering functional but unremarkable-by-series-standard content.
I’d never go so far as to call the Ratchet & Clank series “gritty,” but it has a realness to it that’s made even its most upbeat entries emotionally engaging. A Crack in Time featured several impactful gut punches. Into the Nexus killed off two major supporting characters in its opening minutes, in addition to incorporating themes of abandonment and loss. All 4 One even found depth in its portrayal of Doctor Nefarious.
So it’s perplexing that this Ratchet & Clank remake, which was at one point bandied about as a “new beginning” for the series, ended up so static and perfunctory. Granted, it’s never terrible: The Pixellizer is fantastic, the Groovitron and Mr.
Zurkon each remain a delight, and the countless weapons continue to satisfy. Yet the soul of the series just isn’t quite there. Though Insomniac has thankfully opted to continue the storyline from Into the Nexus with A Rift Apart on PlayStation 5, it’s sobering to see a series almost lose its way like F.E.A.R. did.
The question that lingers is — what really is Ratchet & Clank for PlayStation 4? It’s not a reboot, not anymore at least, and it’s not really a remake since it seems more focused on adapting the movie than the events of the original game. In the end, the answer is quite simple — it’s a license tie-in game. As such, Ratchet & Clank holds the honor of being its generation’s answer to Street Fighter: The Movie, the game.
Why would I need a PS5 when I can play the best PS4 games
Feedback message Nov 13, 2022 11:23 AM
Author: Krzysek «kalwa» Kalwasinski
It’s been 2 years since the PlayStation 5 hit the market and there are no better reasons to buy a console.
Because I will still play all the best games on her older sister.
I’m not the kind of person waiting for the release of new consoles. I usually bought them quite late, even when their successor was already available on the market. However, I always found reasons to get devices faster, because interesting games appeared on them that were not available anywhere else. Sony always came to me with their offer — if not with the titles of their own studio, but with «exclusives» from third-party developers. Unfortunately, things are different now. nine0009 There are not enough interesting games on PS5, but I will also play most of them on PS4 .
Just a handful
If you collect all the titles that can ONLY be played on the PlayStation 5, then suddenly … five items will come out. One of them is installed directly on the disk and is a rather cool curiosity. Let’s break them down so that it’s clear:
- Astro playroom
- Demon Soul Remake
- Destruction AllStars
- Ratchet and Clash: Break
- Return
Of the games mentioned above, I’m only really interested in Returnal, because I love the creations of Housemarque.
I do not like «croissants», but I think that this does not bother me at all here. This game reminds me too much of Nex Machina to be offended by this aspect. I love modern FromSoftware developments (I don’t know those that were before 2009), but I consider the remake of the cult “Demons” a mistake — this game needed much more fixes and changes than those that were limited to the developers of Bluepoint Games. nine0003
A not-so-daring remake of an oldie is not incentive enough to buy a console.
Currently, I could add The Last of Us: Part I to the list, but it was immediately announced on PC (though no specific date). On the stubborn one could still add extended versions of games that appeared only on the platforms of the current generation but does that make more sense? On PS4, these are all the same games, but without add-ons. They might be a good excuse for me to slog through these stories again after a while, but nothing more. nine0003
Comfort is not needed
Added to this is the fact that Sony is increasingly looking towards the PC and publishing their games there .
Apparently, The Last of Us remake was made for PC players. Someone also mentioned that this was due to a show that is currently filming for HBO. A Japanese corporation may be even more sympathetic to PC, if only thanks to the success of the Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered port (and Miles Morales’ PC premiere is just around the corner), even if it’s a game that originally came to PS4. nine0003
For many people, this may be another reason to postpone the purchase of the «A» or stop considering it altogether. Because if we have at least a little patience and no special love for these universally loved works, then why? You can bet on shorter loading screens in PS4 games, better frame rates, higher resolutions, or generally more comfortable gaming. . You can also mention the DualSense controller and its properties. However, these are the things that you only miss after you switch to the newer ones and then back to the old ones. And this still will not affect everyone, because there are those for whom such things do not matter much — including me.
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The latest version of God of War has no shame in the PS4 version.
Apart from the above, Sony still adheres to the current policy of not wanting to give up the PS4 user base. No wonder there are millions of them. Newly released games like Horizon: Forbidden West or God of War: Ragnarok look like they were prepared with PS4 in mind. In this version, you have to accept some restrictions (such as a 30 fps lock), but they are also present on PS5, because here, too, we have to choose between higher liquidity and resolution. nine0009 So there is not much difference in what I will get acquainted with such a game . There are other cases, such as «next-gen» updates for Control, Doom Eternal, or Devil May Cry 5, which actually change a bit, but as I mentioned earlier — I can continue to play without the same comforts and have a great time .
Return of Japan
This is not the time when the previous generation version was a completely different game (like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 or Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor).
We need to wait a bit until the PS4 is not enough. nine0009 The PlayStation 4 is still in production and is still very good hardware as long as you can use its potential. .
Even if I’m interested in the new Horizon, I can play it on PS4 too.
The incentive to buy a console for me in the first place are games that are not found anywhere else, and there are only a few of them. This should be wildly interesting if I hurry up with the purchase. And, unfortunately, this is not the case. In a few years there will be more games, many of them in very attractive promotions (or even PS Plus Extra), and perhaps the accessibility of the PlayStation 5 will improve. nine0003
Personally, I have a huge backlog for all generations, because my interests go beyond super hits. And they often do not correspond to what is served at the moment. Although rarer and rarer as Japan’s biggest games go through a renaissance of sorts, they’re appearing more frequently and, by the way, not as far behind as they were in the days of the PlayStation 3.
This is indicated by the actions of several major publishers. that will only get better.
Best PS4 family games — games review, TOP 12
PS4 Family Games is a safe and fun source of entertainment for gamers of all ages. Many also have local multiplayer so you can play together at the same time. But most importantly, games with a broad appeal that will become interesting for players, no matter how often they play.
Contents
- Best PS4 Family Games
- Best PS4 Family Games You Can Buy Today
- Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is the option if you want to get the youngest or oldest family members involved in the game.
A few more single player games are also shown if you just want to watch the story play and not use a controller. Whatever you decide to choose, it is suitable if you are stuck at home in bad weather or have no ideas for entertainment when you have children and adults visiting you.
Most of the recommended games have local co-op gameplay, which means two or more members of your party can play if you have enough controllers.
Overcooked invites four players to try running the most chaotic kitchen players have ever seen, and Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 includes a variety of heroes that are popular with kids and has the option of teaming up two players to form a team of MCU heroes and villains.
These games work best with multiple players, but others work well when played alone or with two people. nine0003
Take Minecraft. The game can be played with up to four players if you want to play together, but it can also be the right game to look at from the sidelines or contribute indirectly by helping create creative ideas that keep the game up to date.
The same goes for Rayman Legends, which uses the Drop-in/Drop-out co-op mode to allow people to join and leave the game at will. This can come in very handy if you’re playing with a member either leaving the game until the level is over, or returning to help a struggling friend. nine0003
Alternatively, you can look for a game with a good story that you can enjoy with your family, like a movie that can be fun without having to hold a controller.
To do this, we will show several options and highlight those that tell stories without a single word of spoken dialogue. The best PS4 family games you can buy today
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Pilot your way over, under and through obstacles that make up many levels in three games from the original trilogy. Pass the game easily and try to move on to the next level at the end of each level, or challenge yourself or your family to get all the collectibles. nine0003
Even if you’re not the one with the controller in hand, it doesn’t stop you from appreciating the game’s lush, colorful world and wacky humor. It can be tricky as hell at some points, so may not be the most relaxing game you could choose from on this list, but there’s so much content to keep you busy for hours.
Unravel Two
Unravel Two features a pair of adorable protagonists, a red and a blue Yarni, and a mix of defiance and beautiful storytelling.
Players unravel the threads by controlling either both at once or one of them with a co-op partner to solve puzzles, avoid enemies and navigate obstacles. nine0003 The same applies to the background narrative — there is a second set of characters and events taking place in the background as both Yarnis travel forward, with interesting parallels between your experiences and those of the two children you continue to see but never meet.
It’s not the longest game, but it’s challenging for adults and older kids , and also cute to keep younger kids interested, with a useful teamwork feature to get past any obstacle along the way. nine0003
Journey
Years after the original release of Journey, it’s still a gem among games. At the beginning of the game, the protagonist is a figure in a red hood who has fallen in the desert, and then she goes on a journey. It includes walking, hovering and sledding through different environments in a truly cinematic manner.
The game is easy to play but will keep kids and adults alike as it draws in and makes you fall in love with the visuals, amazing soundtrack and silent protagonist that can make anyone surprisingly emotional. nine0111 The gameplay is simple — mostly walking, running and jumping.
However, your character’s scarf can collect magic in the form of flying bits of cloth that you summon by shouting. There is also the possibility of cooperating with other players online, but there is no way to communicate, which is not only a new experience but also means there is no risk if your kids run into another player online.
Rayman Legends is beautifully drawn, but it’s not a cartoon. Hand-drawn art mixes with 2D platforming and an amazing soundtrack that brings a game to life that can draw anyone in. Grab your child or spouse and play chaotic co-op across 120 levels, including awesome challenges and epic boss battles. nine0003
Players are carefully taught everything they need to know to complete the game level by level, so even novice gamers should find this game easy when grab the many collectibles needed to unlock new levels and characters.
And if one of you wants to take a break, you can easily get in and out as you like without disturbing other players, which is great if you only have a few minutes to join.
LittleBigPlanet 3
Your family will love LittleBigPlanet 3 for its cute characters and seemingly endless creative possibilities . Most of the game is about solving puzzles in a 2.5D world, but once you’re done with the campaign included (narrated by Stephen Fry, no less), you can also create your own levels, characters, objects, and more.
You can also test them and share them with other players by trying an unimaginable number of custom levels. The game expands on previous versions by adding new characters other than the mascot of the Sackboy series, who offer new abilities such as flight, size-shifting, and wall-jumping. nine0003
Also, if you have played the first two LittleBigPlanet games, you can use downloadable content packs with this game. This means you’ll never run out of new content to play if you’re sitting at home with nothing else to play.
Overcooked
Even if the family doesn’t help in the kitchen, they will love the crazy cooking game Overcooked. It’s a party game that lets up to four players try to cook (as well as wash dishes) in various kitchens around the world. nine0003
A team effort can create food worthy of a king, but you can also burn all your ingredients before you get a chance to really get started. It will take good communication with the players to deal with the challenges you face, as no one can do everything in the kitchen alone in a limited amount of time.
Also, with the arrival of various food orders and changing and moving parts of the environment, it will be a great achievement to complete the entire game, not to mention to score three stars in each of the levels. nine0003
Minecraft
Whether or not you have a child, you’ve most likely heard of this game: it has become one of the most popular entertainment in the world in just a few years.
It offers creativity with a variety of game systems so that any player can find what they like to do and work on it for hundreds of hours. It works great as a single player experience, but grab a controller and you’ll find that up to four players can build a world out of blocks with no limits in creative mode, or the group can go into Survival mode and explore, dig for rare resources to improve their equipment and base, or fight creepers and other villains when they complete their objectives.
Ratchet and Clank (2016)
While the movie Ratchet and Clank was a failure, the movie tie-in and remake of the original 2001 PS2 title looks great and is addictive. The characters, whether good or bad, are adorable and funny, and it doesn’t hurt because they and the environment look great. nine0003
The platforming is intuitive, and Ratchet gets a massive arsenal of weapons and gadgets to play with, both new and returning favorites.
Clank also gets a hefty chunk of gameplay as he controls tiny robots to solve puzzles. Also included in the game is some space combat and hoverboard racing. Reinventing the series is fun to please old fans and attract new players. There is no multiplayer here, but it is still interesting to watch it, just to admire the views of the eventful planets. nine0003
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2
Do you love video games, love Lego bricks and love the Marvel Universe? Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 is perfect for kids of all ages , allowing them to play as heroes and villains in a large cosmic storyline across the world and across multiple realities.
Fight Kang the Conqueror and see all your favorite Marvel movie characters as well as comic favorites like Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel), Spider-Gwen and Mysterio. The story of the game is such that you can do a lot of interdimensional and time travel while playing. nine0003
This means new funny twists in the fate of your favorite characters depending on the time period you are currently in.
You’ll want to do as much as possible because the central mechanic of the Lego Marvel games switches between a range of heroes to find one who can help you solve the problem each part of the level presents. Rocket League
Rocket League is an addictive game and will bring out the competition in your family. Popular Multiplayer Game combines cars and football on a giant field, uses turbos and fancy steering to send the ball into the opponent’s goal.
If that doesn’t sound exciting, the game offers a huge number of «mutators» that will change parts of the game in different ways, such as changing the physics to turn this soccer-like game into another one, such as hockey or basketball.
This is a concept that is easy to understand but takes time to master, so it’s great if you’re looking for a new hobby or just want to suggest to players who want to try it for the first time. nine0003
Up to four players can play together with split-screen multiplayer so everyone can play together and score goals in fast and furious ways.
Skylanders Imaginators
People’s fascination with toys influences later games, and no franchise in this genre is as big as Skylanders. There have been many generations of Skylanders that have changed the gaming experience, but backwards compatibility means that any upgrades you buy will work with the previous version of the game. nine0003
The latest version of «Imaginators» comes in a starter pack that includes two characters and a Creation Crystal to create your own characters or play randomly generated ones.
The game itself includes platforming and piece-swapping combat on your Portal of Power needed to complete levels. The ever-changing environments and challenges, combined with the unique use of toys to summon your in-game character, is what makes Skylanders a uniquely enjoyable game. nine0003
How to choose the best PS4 family games for you
One of the first things you think about when making a purchase decision is intentionally looking for multiplayer or single player games.
