Sometimes I swear developers have tapped into my inner gaming psyche. Insomniac Games must have done their homework because they have certainly managed to tap into the gamer's id with their latest title, Ratchet and Clank. Building upon their experience with another character driven game series, Spyro the Dragon, Insomniac not only shows off their coding prowess on the PS2, but also shows how far they have come in the 3D platformer genre. Ratchet and Clank is arguably the best the genre has to offer, and just really shows off in every single way how a game should be done. Before I even start, I would like to sincerely thank Insomniac for Ratchet and Clank. That's one hell of a game you guys made.

I would just like to get the complaint out of the way before I even get started. What the hell is with that poster instruction book? I hated it when the 2nd generation Atari Lynx titles went for this approach and, oddly enough, I still hate it now. Although I am tempted to hang up the flip side of the poster in my game room, I'd rather not mess up the instruction book. Look, I know most people don't even read the damn things, but for those of us that actually do... that poster thing is just too damn unwieldy.

Ok, the bad thing is out of the way... now onto the good stuff, which is pretty much everything else. I don't even know where to begin gushing about this game. I'll just start with something simple like the voice work. Actually, what the hell am I saying? Voice work isn't simple! Most developers mess this part up more than anything else. Hell, you have top tier developers like Sega and Nintendo messing up the voice acting in their own flagship titles. I can't tell you how many times I cringed when I heard Tails yell out "Sonic!!!" on his many deaths or how I wanted to stab out my ear drums when listening to Peach and FLUDD from Mario Sunshine. Voice acting, while not being something that will ruin a game fundamentally, can add to a title exponentially when it's done right. The voice work in Ratchet and Clank is just perfect. The banter sounds natural, the writing is actually decent and the voices fit the characters to perfection. It's not just the main characters either. All of the supporting characters have great voices which run the gamut of styles and every single one reeks of quality. The voice work added tremendously to my enjoyment of this title. I was seriously grinning when I first heard Clank's voice... I love it.

Another area where Ratchet and Clank shines is the graphics. I'll talk about the graphics on two different levels: technical achievement and style. First, on the technical side, Ratchet and Clank nearly overwhelms you with quality. The character models are nicely detailed and exceptionally smooth. The level designs employ complicated geometry and plenty of it. Draw in distance is managed well and rarely will you ever be jarred by pop up nor will you see fog used to over compensate for overly ambitious level design. Graphics are rarely reused in the game as the levels tend to differ greatly. The game runs silky smooth for the most part since I barely encountered any slowdown at all. It's not even worth mentioning it to be honest.

Stylistically, Ratchet and Clank is also wildly successful in my opinion. A lot of people have noted that this game looks very similar to another 3D platforming hit, Jak and Daxter. I even thought it was made by the same people when I first saw the previews for Ratchet and Clank. This isn't a bad thing, of course, since Jak and Daxter is also another title which features exceptional graphics. The style of Ratchet and Clank is very futuristic and with a subdued cartoony look to it. The levels take you throughout Ratchet and Clank's galaxy as you face off against baddies on a slew of different worlds, each featuring their own architecture and style, which perfectly encapsulates the world hopping feel of the game.

The character designs are obviously going after the older market with sleek designs which, thankfully, didn't resort to going after current trends to look 'cool.' Ratchet is a cool looking character and the way Insomniac implemented the weapons also look great. Another favorite character in the game who is featured a lot is Captain Quark who is the resident Buzz Lightyear-ish super hero type on their galaxy. The design is classic with a few nice surprises thrown in for good measure. It's refreshing to see a company actually put some thought into making even minor characters enjoyable in a game.

Ratchet and Clank even sounds great. I've already mentioned how awesome the voice work is in this game, but everything else is just as high quality. The sound effects are just superb and there are plenty of them with the sheer amount of equipment you have at your disposal. All of the weapons sound different and there are plenty of nice explosions to tickle those bones in your inner ear. Even the sounds of you picking up the thousands of bolts throughout the game doesn't even get annoying. Instead of just a standard single sound for picking up the currency in the Ratchet and Clank world, Insomniac incorporated different sounds for the different denominations of bolts. The end result is a nice melody of sound as you scour up your rewards for smashing boxes and blowing away the bad guys. The music is also quite well done, however, it doesn't feature a soundtrack that you might find yourself looking for on CD and you might not even find yourself ever humming a level tune. Instead, Insomniac went for a more subdued soundtrack that blends into each level perfectly while still sounding futuristic and getting you in the mood for action. I like the subtle approach they took with the game's music. Sometimes less is actually more and it also limits the chance of having people annoyed at the soundtrack.

Now onto the REAL good stuff: the gameplay. Ratchet and Clank features some of the best gameplay I've seen in a 3D platformer. Not only do you have to traverse a myriad of obstacles, but you also get to blow a whole lot of shit up, just like it says on the back of the box. I'm sure you have all at least played one game where you get to blow shit up, but Ratchet and Clank really delivers in that area. Throughout the game you get to collect a lot of weapons, from a standard rapid fire blaster to enemy seeking mines and even a charged metal boxing glove for some high impact damage. Weapons can be purchased from Gadgatron automated dealers which are generally found close the beginning of any level. Ammo can also be purchased at these areas and you will definitely need to stock up on bolts throughout the game to keep the carnage going. The best thing about the selection of weapons is the creativity that you can use when thinking through your level strategies. Sometimes you might want to throw out a decoy to lure the fire away from you while you launch a Devastator missile to clear your path. Or maybe you could just incinerate a room full of evil globs with your trusty flamethrower. There are some really inventive weapons in the mix as well, such as the Morph-O Ray which turns your enemies into chickens or my personal favorite, the Glove of Doom which throws a ball that hatches into a little tribe of evil robots which seek out your opponents, grab hold then explode while they chatter and giggle in their little robo-demonic voices.

If you don't want to blast things, you can also rely on your trusty wrench as a melee weapon. Also at your disposal are various gadgets and assorted guns lick a lock pick (which actually makes you solve mini-puzzles to open doors) and various helmets. My favorite helmet is the one that makes Ratchet look like Beat from Jet Set Radio. That helmet allows you to summon a UFO flying mouse with an itchy trigger paw and dead on aim to help you out for a little while in a level. You will actually find yourself using just about everything in the game more than once since much of your equipment is actually useful and not just filler for the sake of throwing in stuff.

The gameplay in Ratchet and Clank is definitely tailored to the methodical game player. You are definitely rewarded for checking every nook and crannie you can in levels. There are always plenty of hidden bolt crates as well as the sought after Gold Bolts which you can find with a little effort. Sometimes you will need to revisit a level after you have acquired some equipment or an upgrade for Clank. If you are the type that likes to completely explore everything you can in an adventure game, then this is for you. If you're just looking for a quick run through, you might be biting off more than you can chew with Ratchet and Clank. This game has a LOT of gameplay and a ton of levels to go through. Never does it feel boring or tired through, which is just amazing if you ask me. Insomniac obviously took great care when they were developing the levels and flow of this title. This is one of those games that you savor every minute of and feel empty when you're done, and then happy again once you discover that there are reasons to run through the game at least one more time.

Ratchet and Clank is easily the best 3D platformer I've played. This game deserves all of the praise it is getting more so than some other notable 3D platformers that may have been released this year. Yes... I'm talking about Mario. Look, I enjoyed Mario Sunshine, certainly a lot more than Michael, but I didn't feel like I was getting what I was supposed to out of that game. People were freaking out over it like it was the first Mario game released in 6 years. Wait... bad example. But seriously, while I had fun with the game, it was just very uneven. Some levels were awe inspiring and some just fell flat. With Ratchet and Clank, I actually was in awe throughout the game. It felt like it was well play tested. The camera didn't work against me. The voices didn't induce head pain and I'm not going to have to wait 6 years for a sequel to Ratchet and Clank. Ratchet and Clank hits every cylinder of my gaming engine and this game should easily be in the top of the list of awesome games released this year.

Bottom line: Ratchet and Clank is an incredible game, with well thought out play mechanics, good story, natural sounding dialog and high production values throughout. If you love 3D playformers, then you owe it to yourself to play this game. It's a nice long quest with decent challenge. I've heard some people say this game was really difficult as the game rolled on, however I felt it was a nice even progression. I never really felt frustrated at any point in the game. Chances are that your skills will just naturally improve as you work through the levels. The gameplay enjoyable and the game will keep you coming back for more. I hope Insomniac is rewarded for their hard work on this title. I think they've just worked their way onto my favorite developer lists. Get this game, you won't be sorry.