From the Top: Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando

Cards on the table, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando was the game that introduced me to the franchise and a title I have played to bits. As such, it’s a challenge to dive into these space-faring waters without the experience being coloured by, at this point, decades of rose-tinted fondness. But, then again, this may also be a great opportunity for me to temper some of those memories!

With that out of the way, welcome back to this meandering through the Ratchet & Clank franchise, as I experience each game I can get my hands on. This is a continuous ramble, so it may behove you to check out the previous part before continuing on here.

Released in 2003, a year after the original, Going Commando picks up some time after the events of Ratchet & Clank. Having saved the galaxy, our heroes have since rested on their laurels, with Ratchet even commenting in an interview how no one really needs a hero right now. As fate would have it, this is the exact moment when the duo are teleported into another star system!

Summoned by the CEO of Megacorp, Abercrombie Fizzwidget, to the Bogon Galaxy, the duo is asked to help retrieve a genetically modified creature stolen by a masked ne’er-do-well. As compensation for the trouble and to help in the mission, Ratchet is offered training as a Commando (hence the title), while Clank gets a cushy apartment and a desk job.

What starts off as a game of cat-and-mouse between the thief and Ratchet soon evolves into a multi-layered scheme involving stolen identities, a fabricated threat to the galaxy, and a few familiar faces.

In terms of mechanics, Going Commando takes the basic setup from the original and ironed out a lot of the rough edges. Movement, for example, feels a lot smoother and controlled! You can also strafe now, which makes combat and aiming exponentially more manageable and less motion-sickness-inducing, which is always a bonus.

With the improved manoeuvrability, combat itself generally feels more fluid, as you can more easily dodge enemy attacks or react to melee fighters closing in. The added mobility does come with a similar increase in difficulty; these games are no walk in the park, and the damage some enemies dish out is concerning.

Speaking of health, Going Commando begins with approximately the same amount of HP as the original, but quickly introduces the Nanotech system: as you fight enemies, a small experience bar under your life points will fill. Once it’s full, you gain one more point of life to your maximum, while also dealing a burst of damage to everything within sight. While it may seem excessive to double your health within some hours, it is necessary. Ratchet & Clank’s version of Ratchet would not survive a minute in Going Commando’s late-game.

As before, the game spans multiple planets, each with its own unique biome and enemies. This time around, there are about 20 areas; the locations feel more fleshed out, with added decorations and even some inhabitants that mill about. For example, the first proper level of the game takes place in a bog housing an abandoned Megacorp outlet (the local equivalent to Gadgetron), complete with showcases and a bored intercom welcoming customers!

A lovely nod to a colleague and rival

Though most locations are a one-and-done experience in terms of plot, Going Commando does feature a noticeable increase in backtracking. Where in Ratchet & Clank you could be on your merry way, never having to return to a location once completed if planned correctly, the sequel has multiple instances of levels blocking off areas, requiring a Gadget or other doodah that is acquired on a later planet.

The series' penchant for secrets in levels makes a return as well, with multiple levels having hidden paths, platforming challenges, or puzzles to solve. This time around, instead of all rewards being simple Platinum Bolts (Gold Bolts in the original), some levels stow useful items behind secrets as well! For example, the Box Breaker, which allows Ratchet’s overhead strike to break anything destructible nearby, is one such prize.

The majority of planets in the game are much the same as before: small areas with one or more linear paths to follow to reach a goal. Going Commando mixes things up a bit, however, by introducing special maps in the form of spaceship sections, arenas, minigames, odd jobs to earn bolts, and short lunar excursions onto a planet’s moon. While surely divisive, I personally loved the variety these shake-ups gave… even if I didn’t love all of the side content.

Starting off with arenas, these are one of my favourite features in Ratchet & Clank games and also become synonymous with the series from this point on. Arenas are a collection of challenges, usually consisting of taking on waves of enemies with varying rules, with prizes of either bolts or a new Gadget.

I adore these challenges, especially when they get creative and add some fun twists, such as having to take on enemies with only one weapon or even just your wrench! In Going Commando, the options are somewhat plain, doing little to change up the rounds of enemies, but the arena is still an amazing place to grind bolts and try out the many weapons you’ve collected. Interestingly, the game that introduces the feature does it twice: Galactic Gladiators early on, and then the Megacorp Games. Go big or go home, I guess.

Races make their return as well with Hoverbike competitions, though this time around, there are multiple events to compete in. Though only one ride is required to progress, the others offer bolt rewards, increased challenges, and even add weapons or alternate routes to the map. I’ll be honest, I didn’t really click with the Hoverbikes, mostly due to the finicky controls and surprising difficulty, though I am surprised this never spawned a spinoff series.

Going Commando introduces two stages I like to refer to as bolt grind planets; while the levels do have the usual adventuring one could expect, they also offer the chance to venture out into a large field filled with enemies and a resource to grind: crystals. Gather a handful, return to the local collector and gain a healthy amount of bolts for your trouble!

The spaceship sections are usually short encounters in which the player can zoom around a small area, dogfighting pirates or taking on robotic foes. Much like arenas, these levels are divided into mandatory and optional challenges that feature different goals or mechanics. There’s even a race or two! While fun, they are a bit repetitive and simplistic; still an entertaining change of pace, though

By default, Ratchet’s ship is decked out with a basic shield, missile launcher, and a blaster. While these are enough to complete all of the challenges (though barely), the player can also collect Raritanium to change how the vessel looks, upgrade shields, and add new weapons, including a nuclear bomb that clears most enemies in a single blast.

In the moon sections, Clank returns to his giant combat form and takes on larger foes, armed with rocket launchers, an energy bomb, and a vertical jump to make Superman jealous. Featuring destructible scenery, tiny enemies to dispatch with ease, and a small enough celestial body that you can see its curvature on a jump, these sections have the blueprints to be an absolute blast… however, they are a bit on the short side, while also surprisingly challenging, with smaller enemies melting your HP in a moment.

Finally, the Clank-only sections seen in the original game return. Again, we find ourselves commanding a tiny army of diminutive robots. This time, the game adds a plethora of specialist bots with specific functions, like a bridge bot that forms a platform to walk on, or a hammer bot that can whack things. These segments add a nice bit of puzzling to the game, even if they are short and far between.

The enemy design of Going Commando is much the same as before, with each location having some recurring enemies and unique creatures. A lot of the enemies are either robots of some distinction or monstrous aliens, however, we do see a fair bit of humanoid enemies in the form of the goons of the Thugs-4-Less mercenary company, or as gladiators in the arena bouts.

Something I really appreciate about the game is how the enemies seem to increase in power with the player. Instead of running into only new, more powerful enemies, you’ll also meet some familiar faces with new toys! For example, one of the earlier enemies you’ll face is these adorable little robots called chickenbots, which are about as threatening as their namesake. Later on, you’ll then face their deadlier version, fitted with armour and coloured a fearsome red! It’s a small thing, but it adds a feeling of cohesion to the experience.

Degrading enemy armour was also a big thing in Going Commando, with most enemies having some bit of metal or carapace that flew off after taking damage. Don’t get me wrong, I liked this feature, as it was a very visual representation of damage, but it was ubiquitous enough for it to stick in my mind as excessive. Maybe it was some cutting-edge tech at the time? In any case, expect all enemies to fling off their layers at the slightest provocation!

Speaking of armour, Ratchet himself exits the Mickey Mouse club of no shirt, no shoes and decks himself out in proper protective wear! Purchaseable from a few planets from a dedicated vendor, these suits give permanent damage reduction and look pretty solid to boot. This is also the first time Ratchet himself gets to don the mighty material, Carbonox, which will become a series staple.

In terms of weapons, the game brings back the familiar formula of collecting a veritable arsenal of firearms and laser cannons big enough to make any military blanch. However, Going Commando takes it a bit further — and simultaneously cementing a system synonymous with the franchise — by introducing weapon upgrading. In simple terms, as you use a weapon, an experience bar will slowly fill up. Once full, the weapon itself will evolve into a more powerful version, often with new features.

Mirroring the first few weapons you gain in the original, the game starts off with only a blaster and a bomb throwing weapon, Ratchet not having time to pack any of his old guns due to the whole “being suddenly teleported” thing. From there, we accrue a fair few guns of various uses, ranging from a chargeable shotgun to a rapid-fire shuriken launcher.

Though the weapons are more balanced, especially with their powered-up forms offering further oomph, the game still has a fair bit of power creep with your armaments. I, for one, hardly used the Lancer (your starting blaster) after a while, even with its upgraded form. To its credit, Going Commando does introduce a Mod system to combat this, with the player being able to exchange Platinum Bolts for weapon-specific upgrades, like a damage-over-time effect on your bomb glove.

Adorably, you can also purchase some of the old weapons from Ratchet & Clank while exploring a derelict Gadgetron factory. If you have a save from the original game on the current console, you even get any weapons you purchased in the original for free, sans the RYNO.

Going into weapons that stood out to me, my favourite to play around with was probably the Lava Gun. This nifty little toy would fire a continuous stream of red-hot magma at enemies in a stream that would follow the gun’s nozzle quite well, especially for the time. Surrounded by enemies? Just do a little spin and voilà! No more foes. The Lava Gun was, sadly, also the worst gun in terms of evolution, as it’s powered-up form eschewed the lava stream in favour of shooting tiny meteors, robbing it of its unique aspects, making it yet another bomb thrower.

Another interesting trend in Going Commando was the prevalence of more tactical or passive weapons. For example, the Spiderbot Glove could be used to throw down a little arachnid android that the player would control. Skitter it close to any enemies nearby and BOOM! What made it stand out was that Ratchet himself was vulnerable, necessitating a bit of strategy.

The Synthenoid and Shield Charger were equally intriguing, with the former summoning a bunch of flying little robots to shoot at enemies, and the latter creating a rollable sphere around our furry hero, protecting from damage while shocking any foe that got too close. Nothing new, but definitely a trend.

Finally, the RYNO makes a return, now in its second iteration. The RYNO II, while still a rapid-fire rocket launcher, features a sleeker, futuristic design, now using what seems to be plasma-based missiles instead of your average ordinance. Joining the RYNO on the stage of mass destruction, however, is the Zodiac. This game-specific super weapon is pretty much the BFG from most Doom games, firing a brilliant blast of energy that clears the room quite handily.

The Morph-O-Ray doesn’t make an appearance, though the Sheepinator does fill its niche, replacing fowl-feathered friends with woolly warriors. It can even be upgraded to the Black Sheepinator, which causes transmogrified enemies to explode on impact!

Even Ratchet's trusty melee weapon, the Omniwrench, gets not one, but two upgrades as the game progresses! These are mandatory story beats, but it's nice that your melee option is kept up to snuff.

Gadgets make their return in the sequel as well, and they are as creative as ever. In addition to the familiar fare of the Swingshot and Grind Boots, we make the acquaintance of the Thermanator, which is a device that can freeze or thaw bodies of water in a moment; the Dynamo, which is used to activate special machines or create hard-light constructs; and the Tractor Beam, which moves large pillars around with ease.

Continuing the time-honoured tradition of breaking and entering, Going Commando introduces two different lockpicking tools: the Electrolyzer and the Infiltrator, both with their own unique mini-game. I’ll be honest, I was not a fan of these, with the former being a rather dull case of “push button to win” and the latter being more frustrating than fun.

Finally, the game featured a few movement-based items to add to the pile, featuring a Glider for… well, gliding, a Levitator for short flight sections, and Charge Boots, which allowed the player to zoom around the map with a bit more alacrity. Very useful on the aforementioned bolt grind planets!

While I enjoy the Gadgets as a concept, I did feel like Going Commando had a few too many eggs in one basket, with the Glider and Levitator especially having very few uses. The Dynamo and Swingshot were pretty prevalent, but the others were seldom used. However, when they were needed, the player would often have to switch between said Gadget and a weapon in rapid succession, leading to some awkward fiddling that could have been easily fixed with a dedicated Gadget Quick-Select Wheel.

One of my favourite things about Going Commando is the characters. From the minor supporting roles to familiar faces, the game manages to add a lot of great humour and even some touching moments to the regular gunplay chaos.

For example, the Thugs-4-Less leader starts off as a generic tough-guy lump, but soon turns out to be a surprisingly caring and responsible employer, organising company picnics while also keeping abreast of his employees' mental health. Abercrombie Fizzwidget, Ratchet’s new boss, is also always good for a laugh as he is the perfect caricature of a clueless buzzword-spouting corporate CEO.

The Masked Thief is a fun case as well. Being a mix of both hilariously incompetent and menacing at the outset, the anonymous villain turns out to be an ally in disguise! At about the halfway point, after our heroes return the stolen creature to Fizzwidget and are, in turn, seemingly betrayed by the man, our heroes end up fighting the Thief once again, only for the identity of the camouflaged rival to be revealed as one Angela Cross.

It turns out the genetically modified creature, the Protopet, was actually an experiment Angela was working on for Megacorp, and is both highly unstable and dangerous. Fizzwidget, regardless, was dead set on releasing the animal to the public before its tiny omnicidal tendencies could be fixed, forcing Angela to take drastic action to stop a crisis… until Ratchet and Clank came along to mess things up. Whoops.

Angela is a fascinating bit of design in both in-game and meta terms. She shares the general feline look and colouring of a Lombax, the species Ratchet is, but she is both much taller and is missing a tail. The game never explicitly states that she IS of the same race, with the series as a whole quickly doing its best to ignore her in future instalments. I’m guessing she was originally supposed to be a sort of love interest for our hero, but it doesn’t really go anywhere. She’s a fun and energetic character, nonetheless; it's a shame we don’t see more of her.

In terms of returning faces, we don’t get many due to the whole “other galaxy” thing. However, the Plumber does pop in for a small appearance! The galaxy may be large, but no gap is too wide for a good handyman.

Considering our main duo, I think the game is a bit of a mixed bag. Going Commando seems to have a theme of Ratchet stepping into the role of a “true hero” by giving him training, armour, and the cool title of commando. I do enjoy the evolution of his character, with him being much more friendly and noble in general.

 

Sure, he shows off at times, and we do see hints of his big ego, but it's much more subdued. This may also be due to the change of voice actor, switching from Mikey Kelley to James Arnold Taylor, as the latter tends to emphasise the comedic side of our hero much more. Regardless of his evolution, however, we also get to see his old fearsome side whenever someone threatens Clank, which is always a nice touch.

I feel Clank himself gets the short end of the stick. Though he does get some good lines in and still acts as a good logical counter to Ratchet's emotional outbursts, his character doesn’t really go anywhere or experience growth. Maybe I missed something, but where Ratchet seems to be taking strides, Clank is merely inching forward.

Finally, there is one last character that seems as synonymous with the series as our main duo, Captain Qwark. Though seemingly absent from the sequel, this dastardly (and handsome) devil is actually quite near our heroes more often than not! As it turns out, since being defeated and shamed in the original game, Qwark started selling bogus merchandise to collect funds for an elaborate chance at revenge.

You see, the Abercrombie Fizzwidget we know? He was actually Captain Qwark in disguise! Having kidnapped the actual CEO to machinate the release of the Protopet, Qwark planned on framing our duo for the disaster and swooping in to save the day, making a fresh start as a hero!

I love Qwark and am always happy to see him, but the more I think about this genius plan, the more my head hurts. The guy literally teleported his arch nemesis over to his galaxy and trained him as a commando for months, but still expected to best the now-professional combatant? In any case, young me did not see this twist coming, and the nonsensicalness of the plan is very much on-brand for this large-chinned fellow.

Before I wind down this ramble and condense my thoughts, there is one last little feature in the game I feel should be mentioned: the Insomniac Museum. Requiring the player to complete all of the game's challenges and finding a secret teleporter in a level, the museum was an interactable collection of concepts for the game, directors' commentaries, and cut content. It was an amazing secret to find at the time, becoming the stuff of playground myth for years.

To me, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando manages to do what any good sequel should aspire to: taking the original and using it to take the game to bigger, better things. Most, if not all, of the little annoyances I had in the original have been smoothed over, in addition to there just being more of everything! This is where the series definitely hit its stride and made its mark on the PlayStation.

The arena battles and spaceship sections added some variety to the general gunplay, whereas the general tone of the interactions and cutscenes steered the series toward a more jokey, lighthearted tone, which I appreciate. Not everything has to be grimdark after all (looking at you, Jak II).

Sure, the game isn’t perfect; I’ll be the first to admit the plot makes little sense, the hoverbike races are painful, and the weapons are about as balanced as a bad game of Jenga. However, it has a certain charm of its own that holds up even now, 23 years later. It’s probably my favourite entry in the series and epitomises everything I love about the franchise.

Right, two down and two to go on the PlayStation 2! I hope you enjoyed this lengthy bit of rambling and reminiscence. Join me next time as I hop into Ratchet’s homecoming, and we meet one of the most iconic villains of the franchise in Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal! Don’t worry, we’ll be tackling the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3 titles in due time.