Somehow it always comes down to two of the gaming world’s most influential platform franchises and almost always these two forces manage to produce great games that have gamers wondering which one to buy.  This year, though, the Jak series has gone to the races while the Ratchet series continues to bring us yet another helping of the same platform gaming joy it established with Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando and Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, sequels that introduced more elements that helped shape the series into a fan favorite.  This brings us to Ratchet: Deadlocked, a brand new addition to the series and one fans should not be without.

At first glance not much has changed from the first two sequels with, of course, the omission of Clank’s name in the game’s title.  The reason for this is simple: this game is all about Ratchet and because of it there’s a lot less jumping platforms and more blasting away at enemies.  Sure you will miss the little guy, despite that he’s still very much a presence in the game, but once you get a glance at the events that befall Ratchet you won’t mind at all. 

The story begins with Ratchet’s ship adrift and in need of repair when, abruptly, the ship is taken over by thugs that have come for Ratchet.  These thugs, you see, work for a shark-like media mogul who happens to be the creator of a gladiator-styled reality game show called the DreadZone where the contestants are forced into huge arenas for a deadly deathmatch.  Having seen the end of Captain Starshield in one such battle, Ratchet is forced to take his place as a contestant as he battles not only for his life but for top ranking.

Of course, Ratchet isn’t the only contestant looking for fame and freedom, there’s exterminators like Ace Hardlight who will make it tough on our favorite hero.  At the start of the game, Ratchet goes through a qualifying match, reintroducing the game’s tight controls and his ability to shoot or use his gun as a melee weapon.  It is here that the game introduces a new element … partners.  You will have two Combat Bots (who are also quite hilarious) that aide Ratchet during combat.  Ratchet could later issue commands to them by way of the directional pad (regroup, perform a task or toss a EMP grenade among other things).  You’ll also be able to upgrade them with different skins, learn new abilities and purchase better weapons for them.  They’re a nice addition to the series and are good at providing much needed back up.

Like past Ratchet games there’s platform jumping, although there’s less of that here thanks to the absence of Clank.  The platform bits are still excellent, though, and aside from doing the usual swinging and jumping from one platform to the next to avoid falling into acid Ratchet also gets to pilot various different vehicles.  You’ll be introduced early in the game to the Landstalker, a sort of mech with guns and mortar fire.  You’ll later get to pilot hoverbikes, a hovership and (my personal favorite) the Puma.  All of these things help spice up the game so there’s never really a dull moment in this game.

The DreadZone events are played by sectors and there are tournaments within these sectors that have their own mini-game challenges (like the hoverbike race or the Landstalker destruction derby).  Each locale not only has a contestant you must beat but there’s also the environment you must deal with as well.  For example, one sector is the home of a robot graveyard so Ratchet will not only have to battle his main opponent and his group of support but also robotic zombie that rise from their graves.  Each tournament has specific tasks you must complete so by the end the game not only rewards you with points or mods (used to upgrade your own arsenal by way of your friend Al) but you’ll also make a name for yourself on the Rank-O-Meter leader board.

Deadlocked is a short single player game, though.  It will seem a lot shorter to those who just want to zip through the events without competing in the extra challenges this game throws at you.   Yet the game’s best new qualities is its offline and online multiplayer modes.  You can play a co-op game with a friend as well as playing against up to four friends (using a PS2 Multitap).  Online the game runs at a fairly smooth framerate with up to ten players playing through a Deathmatch, King of the Hill, Capture the Flag, Juggernaut or Conquest.  With Conquest being the most unique game mode of the lot, this is the reason you’ll be playing the game again and again.

This is also a good-looking game that, like past games, is filled with colorful backgrounds and characters.  Ratchet sports new armor and it looks great in the game.  The cut scenes are like a good animated series come to life and this is what makes the game not only delightful but enjoyable to look at.  Even the visual effects are quite dazzling, indeed.  Of course, there’s the game’s humorous scenes that steal the show.

Aside from humor visuals, the game’s voice acting is once again filled with funny dialogue that’s performed just as excellently as the first three games in the series.  The tournament matches have some commentary by a hammy male commentator and his blood-thirsty co-anchor woman that is just over-the-top hilarious.  The rest of the game is composed of stellar sound effects tossed in throughout the game.  The game’s soundtrack is also well done and works well and changes with each situation.

In the end Ratchet: Deadlocked reminds us why the series remains to be the best platform game on the PS2.  It might not be a great departure or offer anything uniquely different from the past games, but it does all the same elements right and will not fail to keep fans satisfied with is various game modes, humor and online and offline multiplayer fun.  A Must Buy for any fan of the series or for those looking for a brilliant platform game for their PS2. 

Gameplay: 9.0
It’s Ratchet in a series of contests that offer up a serving of platform goodness, vehicle-driving madness and loads of action.  Our favorite hero still controls just as well as the series’ second outing and now there’s robotic backup you can issue orders to when the going gets rough. 

Graphics: 9.0
Wonderfully rendered environments and characters make Deadlocked such a charming game that’s both colorful and rich with detail.  The visual effects are still as snazzy as ever and the animated cut scenes are still quite good.

Sound: 9.3
The voice acting is still top-notch and filled with humorous dialogue throughout the game.  The sound effects are plentiful so play this game with a good sound system.  As for the soundtrack its gorgeous at times as well as comically cartoonish at some points (such as the heavy metal riffs that play when you survive a DreadZone event).

Difficulty: Medium
Each even has its own difficulty rating but the majority of the four star events are where the real challenge can be found.  There are some Exterminators that are harder to defeat such as Ace Hardlight.  The Vindicator Tournament will have you working hard just to survive.

Concept: 8.9
It’s more Ratchet and less Clank in this adventure that is somewhat short but sweet and filled with various types of events.  The races are fun and use of vehicles break up the platform jumping bits.  There are plenty of extras to unlock such as new skins for your character and you can upgrade your Combat Bots.  The best addition the series introduced was its online multiplayer and it’s back.

Multiplayer: 9.0
Online (using a Broadband connection) or offline, the multiplayer modes are not plentiful but they’re good enough to keep you busy.  You can play co-op with a friend and online you can use a USB headset or keyboard to communicate with others online.

Overall: 8.8
Once again the Ratchet series proves that too much of a good thing isn’t a bad thing and with more action, mini-games and more multiplayer fun Ratchet: Deadlocked you can’t go wrong.  Delightfully fun from start to finish, this is a game fans will love just as much as Going Commando or Up Your Arsenal.  Buy it right away.