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Ratchet and clank a rift apart is everything wrong with game development today

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Man, I so wanted to like this game. I have to get this off my chest though.

It’s got great graphics (mostly, when it’s not glitching or clipping), real next level stuff, mostly besides screen space reflections. That fur man, that polygon count and RT goodness.

Plays like a dream, looks buttery smooth in motion. Has the same ratchet gameplay loop that never gets old with ratchet games. So, all of that’s good.

Unfortunately, it is the most creatively bankrupt, lazy ratchet and clank made to date, and has simultaneously sucked all the heart out of the franchise and instead focuses on preaching and feminism over fun and creating new weapons.

These developers can NOT keep political activist weirdness out of their games, even in a game about anthropomorphic cat things with guns and robots aimed at an audience of 10 year olds.

Like, okay, i’m playing the game and there’s strangely a lot more female characters than male. Right, I eye roll but continue enjoying it. Fairly typical. Then the interactions between ratchet and kit, and rivet and clank make the 2 male characters feel way more subdued and less funny than the other games. Near everything in the game isn’t about humor but about feelings or something. Even the voice actors didn’t give a shit about this game, you can tell they’re unenthused. I noticed it when the actor for nefarious seemed half asleep.

But I continue. What in the fucking hell was this pirate trial about and making ratchet and clank sing about women ceo’s?



Sooooooo cringe. It’s like a fucking cult chant, man. It’s a new religion.

I play games to get out of the real world’s madness and to play in ways I haven’t before. But here we are where games have just become soulless soap boxes that won’t stop preaching to you. This a game targeting 10 year olds for fuck sake, they don’t care about this shit, unless their public school or parents are brainwashing them.

But you say, whatever Majora, you’re weird and insane, get over it.

Problem is, even if you walk through life not caring one way or the other about culture or you’re a weirdo yourself ; because THEY focus on culture and activism, they DON’T focus on the game design.

Same old pistol. Same old buzz blades. Same old rockets. Same old grenades. Same old mr. zurkon, except not mr. zurkon. Same old shit.

Really? In a game all about weapons, this is the best you got. Maybe if you entitled fucks would get off your soapbox and give a damn, games might be interesting again.

Buy hey, it sure has a shiny coat of paint. And I mean, it really does. But graphics have also enabled this lazy shit ; it’s a substitute for innovation and none display that so perfectly than ratchet and clank.

I will never play this game again and i’m happy to have the ps3 games as well as the remake to still enjoy.

Come on, give me your worst.
 

TrueLegend

Member
Yeah Activism bullshit is an excuse for creative bankruptcy. What grinds my gears is total idiocy of developers who know nothing about social fabric of different cultures and try to universalise a problem and the solution that maybe their society needs at that particular time. I mean in the world we have matriarchal societies too so what then. Absolutely moronic thing that makes your game a trendy overhyped product but it will never become a timeless classic. Or Universally acceptable. Go see IGN Japan rating of The Last of US 2. Not everyones needs the same social commentry. Social problems are different in different countries. Saying Black lives matter, Trans life matter in Nigeria doesnt mean shit if hunger is a bigger problem in their country.
 

Kuranghi

Member
I have much to say about it, but have to shoot off now unfortunately, but yes I agree with all you wrote here. The pirate chant was indeed terrible, its getting to a point now where its actually going to start causing harm instead of just being cringe imo.

My ex-partner of 12 years (Shes 34 years old) is a doctor of engineering and is on her way to becoming a Professor and she constantly has her time wasted by morons asking her if shes getting enough "support as a woman" and worse. She just wants to tell them all to fuck off but that would be a bad idea because its like a cult and they will call her internally mysoginistic or some madness like that.

I don't think its a bad game but it was disappointing as a Ratchet game. If it didn't look how it did I would've refunded it and waited for deep sale.
 

Dr Bass

Member
Uhh I think you're wrong? (that's my worst) You are free to have your opinion but this sounds like an angry at clouds kinda rant, and I am not into the "woke" stuff at all. I'll explain why I think that, briefly.

I didn't see a feminist bent to it at all. Yeah that clip you provided was pretty goofy, but it's playing off the whole opposite universe thing. Pirates who respect women ... up is down, black is white etc etc.

Rivet also failed a lot from what I remember. And I didn't see more women than men in the game? There were just .... characters. Some were women and some were men.

I thought the story was too saccharine perhaps with a "you can do it if you believe in yourself!" kinda thing that is definitely more geared towards kids but other than that ... I thought it absolutely trounced the PS4 remake in terms of gameplay.

And you said it yourself:

"It’s got great graphics (mostly, when it’s not glitching or clipping), real next level stuff, mostly besides screen space reflections. That fur man, that polygon count and RT goodness.

Plays like a dream, looks buttery smooth in motion. Has the same ratchet gameplay loop that never gets old with ratchet games
."

So according to your own words, it's an amazing looking game that is super fun that never gets old. Also I didn't see any glitching, but I played it in fidelity. That clip you showed was in a performance mode, which to me, didn't look all that close to the fidelity mode in terms of visual quality. But you're right. The graphics were definitely actual next level stuff. One of the very few games in existence to be able to claim that.

But I don't agree with your assessment of the story or characters. It was basically like playing a movie, and I don't think I've ever seen a game with better character animation. They hired a movie animation person to work on the game and it shows.

However, given all that, that is your opinion and you are entitled to it. I'm sure there are plenty who agree with you, and plenty who won't. And that's ok. :messenger_smiling_with_eyes:
 
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I think it's laughable that you think the game was overtly female because it had some more female characters.

The game definitely had problems and wasn't as enjoyable as say Crank in Time, but your odd opinion about it being political or feminist is simply bizarre and says more about you than this game.
 

Topher

Gold Member
Hard disagree. The game was brilliant. It had a great story and it was well written. The graphics were obviously astounding. I had a blast playing it.

The only cringe of note was that singing pirate nonsense that you point out, but let's note pretend this was a common theme at all. It simply was not.

Omg there's too many females. Someone get Insomniac devs in here so we can handcuff them and put their asses on trial. :messenger_tears_of_joy:

No shit. It is a bit ironic. This is the flip-side of those who complain about the lack of women and minority characters, but it is really the same damn complaining.
 
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DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
I totally agree that it was apaint by numbers ratchet and the weapons were not that great, it was totally forgettable.

BUT

your issue with the story and female characters seems a little far out there to me…I genuinely didn’t even notice for one second anything you are talking about and I’m not some weird fucking one of those far left “allies” we hear about.
 

Dr Bass

Member
Nice graphics + political stuff? Sounds like GOTY material.
Well that's the thing, I don't think the game was "political" at all. To see that I think you're looking way too hard. We've gotten to the point where some people will see a woman or a minority in a game and scream "woke!"

I mean ... how do these people react when you simply walk outside?
 
I actually got it nearly free and i’m still pissed off lol.
NfQIHhC.png


I liked the game. But its not everyones cup of tea. If you got it nearly free i would give it to someone who really wants the game but can't afford it rn. You'll feel better about it.
 
.

I didn't see a feminist bent to it at all. Yeah that clip you provided was pretty goofy, but it's playing off the whole opposite universe thing. Pirates who respect women ... up is down, black is white etc etc.
That’s hilariously naive, but like I said, you probably walk through life not caring about culture so you don’t notice.
 

Woggleman

Member
So weird that I've never used the term woke or heard anyone outside of a forum use the term either. Never seen or heard about anyone being "woke" in the real world.
I have heard it but these online culture wars are not nearly as divisive in the real world. People either like something or they don't and move on.
 
Well that's the thing, I don't think the game was "political" at all. To see that I think you're looking way too hard. We've gotten to the point where some people will see a woman or a minority in a game and scream "woke!"

I mean ... how do these people react when you simply walk outside?
Didn't play it, OP said so.
 

Dr Bass

Member
That’s hilariously naive, but like I said, you probably walk through life not caring about culture so you don’t notice.
No it's not hilariously naive, it's called being observant to themes and what's going on in a story. I agree it was probably the lamest sequence in the entire game, but hardly a cause for your post.

And yeah, you got me. I go through life not caring about culture, the degradation of society, or values, or anything like that. Everything is great, wheeeeeee!

Clearly you are a man of great intellect.
 

NahaNago

Member
interesting. This game did have that drama over the curves of the female character so I could see possibly some subtle or not so subtle activism being pushed in the game. Need a ps5 to see for myself though. It being the same old generic ratchet and clank with shinier graphics is okay. It was supposed to be a launch window game to show what the ps5 was capable of so that can be forgiven.
 

Skifi28

Member
This is the first time I hear a complaint about this being woke/feminist etc. I haven't played it yet, but without context the song seems like satire.
 
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Kuranghi

Member
So weird that I've never used the term woke or heard anyone outside of a forum use the term either. Never seen or heard about anyone being "woke" in the real world.

Its a twitter mentalist term that hasn't entered the real world. The average non-online 30+ yo customers I speak to in work are aware of how recently people get more/easily offended during discussions about gender and sexuality but they don't specifically use the world "woke" no.

Like for example, a 25-30 year old looking couple had a almost-toddler baby in work the other day and the baby was dressed head to toe in pink and I said "your little... boy or girl" when referring to them and she exasperatedly said "Shes a girl, can't you tell with all the pink?!??" and I said "well I had assumed yes, but you never know how people will react these days" and she rolled her eyes, said "oh yeah you're right" and laughed out loud.

So she knows that more and more people are "woke" now but she doesn't use that word. Assuming a baby is a girl when its dressed all in pink is a reasonable assumption to make, but some people would be offended by that assumption, unfortunately imo.

I think most people are aware of the progressive influence on media but they don't necessarily have a word to describe it. They probably just say PC.
 

Utherellus

Member
I think it's laughable that you think the game was overtly female because it had some more female characters.

The game definitely had problems and wasn't as enjoyable as say Crank in Time, but your odd opinion about it being political or feminist is simply bizarre and says more about you than this game.

The fact that pirate song does take you out of immersion and MAKES your brain draw an unpleasant parallel line to real world's political tendencies, absolutely discards your take.

I hear u, OP. And feel your unrest regarding all of mentioned topics.

This is painful for gamers who want industry to evove, go forward and be independent art form, hardly connected to reality.
 

TexMex

Member
While I agree it wasn’t really what was promised/marketed - This, or any game Insomniac has ever touched really (including some of their more boring efforts) is something I’d classify as “everything wrong with the industry.”

Massive stretch with this thread.
 
Amen brother. I hate that dumb ass preachy shit like ‘treat women well’. I like my fictional Lombax whores like I like my porridge: non-sentient and thicc.

/s
So you agree that you’re a stupid toxic caveman and need to be told to act otherwise.

Fucking simps.
 
Nope OP you are wrong

One of the best games this year and the only next-gen examples we have. It's a game that knows what it wants to deliver, does it amazingly well, and didn't endure 6 years of development hell to get there.

An efficiently made title that filled a pretty big gap in an otherwise barren year.

There is nothing woke or feminist in this game at all. You're reading too much into it and looking pretty foolish honestly. There are much better examples of activist agendas in games.
 
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Mossybrew

Member
I uh, didn't notice any such theme at all. I mean it's silly cartoonish nonsense so I wasn't really analyzing subtext or anything.
 
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