Dreadzone (Ratchet Gladiator (PS2))

Member Name: butters

Product:	Ratchet Gladiator (PS2)
Date:	27/02/06 (929 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Welcome addition to the series

Disadvantages: Short game due to it being online

I posted a review similar to this 5 days ago, or at least tried to, but my computer restarted on me. Oh well, i'll give it another go.

Made by insomniac, part of Sony. Available new for about £20 most places you go and rated a 3=. I think 7+ though purely for the challenge. Action/Adventure/Platformer.

"Welcome to Dreadzone! A gameshow watched by trillions of viewers on their very own holovision. A show that shows true heroes and their strengths. A show that shows hero versus hero action to show who can get the most points and win Dreadzone, or the unworthy heroes that are killed along the way. Welcome, the very hero that has saved our asses from destruction of the world 3 times, Ratchhhheeeeeeeeettttttt. He has saved us, but can he save himself from our star Gladiator, Ace Hardlight."

Yes that is what Ratchet, out little lombax buddy is up for in a brilliant fourth installment of this game. With only a seven out of ten in the official playstation magazine, i have some pesruading to do, because really, it is a high 8 or 9 out of 10 for me. Graphics go for a stunning 9 that is shown by the cutscenes, perfectly defined and shows how serious the game really is. When you are in play though, the explosions glow like the brilliant fire they are meant to be, and thedetail on the enviroment, the rain, the buildings and the enemies truely do fit the style of gameplay perfectly.

This story, as told above by my wonderful commentator, is that Ratchet is caught and captured, forced to fight for his life in a game that pitches enemy versus enemy. Ace Hardlight is now infamous for his battle, now sold out, and Ratchet will have to get past him and Gleeman Vox, owner of the channel, to win freedom. I think it is hilarious. He looks like a shark, but that is beside the point. Vox, or Fox? A small pun of the Fox TV network.

As the name suggests, Clank is no longer your backpack buddy, and is only playable in multiplayer. Now he just gives you theinformation via headset that will be vital to save your life. Then there is Al though. From the 1st and 3rd game, he builds your robots and upgrades for them that will help you out, like permanent agents of doom or killbots from previous games. It is the original games with a twist. No clank means no jet pack. aaawwwww! Ratchet has a cool suit too, for fashion and armour. The more points you get, the better suit you get.

The game battle also differs slightly. Now you have a difficulty level that you can change every time you put in the game disc.

Couch Potato-easy with health and ammo given out a lot. Recommended for beginners.

Contestant-ammo and health still. Just a little less.

Gladiator-a good amount of ammo and health for the more experienced.

Hero-Maybe if youve completed all of theRatchet games fully. Less ammo and health crates

Exterminater-save your ammon and kill enemies fast, or your'e done matey.

"Enter the arena"

There we go. We are in the game now and boy has it changed. It's like a mission is Ratchet and Clank 3 where you have to capture 'nodes' mainly. Of course you still have to defeat enemies though. You get to certain places and your commentator makes sarcy comments that you've lasted. You earn points depending on how well you do and with enough points, you can climb up the table of gladiators, past the deceased and can access new planets where a new mission awaits.

There are more vehicles now that you use in missions though.

The landstalker- a spider like machine that lets you fire missiles and ammo. Slow to use but powerful.

One mission sees you defeating massive enemies that look a little like the landstalker to get to nodes (checkpoint like thing you that you take over) and defeat more enemies. Capture a few and a mission down, loads more to go. A mission before sees you having to find it though.
A worse mission for this is a side mission where you have to shoot down targets. The game moves the machine though this time so you have to be quick and get them all. Only mission i didn't do is this one, wqhich makes just 2 in the whole series.

Hoverbike-Capture nodes with it. It is fast but has little armour. Go around to capture nodes. Shoots missiles and bullets.

Puma-Another one similar to the last. Slowwewr thpugh and looks like a aromured dunebuggy. You race for targets with this.

Hovership-Lets you fly anywher within an area to take down targets

So basically, most missions compose of using a vehicle to destory enemies, big and small, so you can capture nodes. Most still take place on foot though with an arsenal of weapons.

Thats them done then. Challenges are similar and earn you points. You verse boss battles here. You also verse them with a twist. They'll give you certain items or weapons etc. A lot are target practicing and enemy blasting though. You will be helped by Als invention combatbots that help you out. In game you can upgrade their weapons or body so they help you out more. Mostly there to create bridges or dsestroy nearly impossible enemies with EMP blasts though. They die, but press down to revive them. Great addition because i loved killbots in the other games.

Enemies remain the same too. Giant robots with some good ammo and guns and armour. All metallic and glowing. Like in all of the games except the squishies in the 3rd game.

Avoiding weapons for the big finale. Bosses include ex-heroes.
Gleeman Vox-created awful show. Creates rumours that Ratchet murders baby seals so peple hate you. I've controlled Ratchets life and heve never seen a seal.
Ace Hardlight-Infamous. ~Killed hero Captain Starshield. Used to be loved but is now dreaded by heroes.
The Eviscerator-Has pincers and is one powerful contestant. Likes poeple inside out.
Shellshock-sounds like Arnold Swartzeneggar and is a huge robot with missile launchers on hus back.
Reactor-Cool looking, and has risen from being a public servant to a gladiator.

Battles with these blighters are normal. They have loads of different attacks and you dodge, jump, rollover, catch a frisbee. Ignore the last one. Well, you find the right time to hit it anyway.

Still avoiding weapons.Online play i am told is like multiplayer. Run around, pick up guns and fire at your friends and enemies. You can play as Alphaclank-clank with Ratchets body.

Ran out now. "Well, to help Ratchet, he has an arseeennnnnaalll of weapons. These include the following, made by Vox industries". They've still got originality.

Wait a minute, procrastination still goes on. Yes, bolts are obtained by killing enemies and will buy you the ammo and weapons you need. You can find ammo and health in crates though.

Mods can change weapons to freeze them, shock them, morph them into farm animals or add more power, or create static so more enemies are hit. Each weapon can have a mod on. They can also add ammo and speed to weapons too.

Omniwrench 8000-Your wrench that, when upgraded (brought), can have fire glowwing off of it. A powerful shot and good combo for close range. Canm be used as a boomerang.

Dual Vipers-like twin machine guns with a rapid fire. On blast does small damage, but a good few will kill an enemy. Great when you're surrounded.

Magma Cannon-Short ranged blast of liquid sotne to the face with this one. If you are outnumbered, or if you just want to get through a crowd, this is for you.

Arbiter-Powerful Rocket Launchers that has kick ass written all over it. Great amount of force.

Hunter Mine Launcher- Shoots out 12 explosive balls that aim for enemies. It will hit and go BAM!!.

Scorpion Flail-Looks like a mace but can reach further distances and when smacked on the groung it creates a pretty big bang that will clear the path if you're in a rush.

B-6 Obliterator-Powerful bomb thats best used at short range.

Fusion Rifle-Sniper Rifle basically.

Holoshield Launcher-From a previous game. A shield that stops bullets from entering, but enemies can walk right through.

Miniturret Launcher-oldie that fires out a miniturret that will fire at close enemies pretty fast.

The Harbinger-4 ammo. Remember a boss battle where there are loads of targets on the floor? This is it. It pounds down missiles over a large area that will kill enemies. Use Morph Mod to turn loads of enemies in one go into farm animals.

All upgrade to level 10 first time round, each meaning more power to match the more powerful enemies.

Second time round though, every time you kill an enemy the bolts you get goes up, to a maximum of x20, so if you kill 20 enemies, every bolt you get is multiplied in value by 20 (or how many enemies you have killed). Get his and it goes to x1 though.
This ius useful because you have to buy all ofyou weapons again. In Mega. As soon as they turn level 10, a mega 0ne becomes available. Buy it and i have upgradedone to level 28, so God knows what it goes up too. Probably 30.

The game remains all of the humour and jokes from Ratchet too. A game is rare wher it is Laugh Out Loud Funny but in the cutscenes, this is it. Buy the game and see the ending for yourself.

P.S please comment, i hate it when i get no comments.

Summary: An excellent addition to the series, Funny and challenging.