You have to give SCEA credit for one thing; they know a good thing when they see it. Having sold nearly 2 million copies of Ratchet & Clank last year, SCEA and developer Insomniac Games (famous for the Spyro series on the PSOne) decided it was about time to start giving gamers more Ratchet and more Clank. Now, only a year after the first game wowed PS2 owners around the world, Insomniac Games is back with Ratchet & Clank 2: Going Commando.

After their heroics during the first game, Ratchet and Clank are now guns for hire... but the problem is no one is hiring them. Our protagonists are in a bind, but there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Abercombie Fitzwidget, a powerful CEO of a national corporation has hired Ratchet to find a stolen invention. Along the way, Ratchet meets several new characters including The Unknown, the Thug Leader (who runs Thugs-4-Less), and a cast of characters who each play a part in his search for the experiment.

True to its new subtitle, R&C2 is a lot edgier than the first game. New to the game are 18 weapons to complement the five that have returned in the sequel. What's different about the entire weapon system is that there's an experience point system in place so that the more you use a particular weapon, the more powerful it gets. Sometimes you'll even get an entirely new weapon. In addition to this, everyone weapon can be modified with extra components, such as poison, fire and ice. Not only that, but as your weapons grow more powerful, so does Ratchet himself. Through the earning of Nanotech points, Ratchet is able to increase his strength and power every time he kills an enemy. These Nanotech points can be used to upgrade Ratchet purchasing new armor for example. This gives the game an entirely new focus, as you're not just killing enemies for items, but rather to make your character more powerful, which will be necessary since your enemies will evolve as you do.

So far the game looks every bit as impressive in the graphics department as the first game was. Although the general design of the characters hasn't changed all that much, many of the new stages look much sharper and colorful than the previous game, with better lighting effects to create a more intense atmosphere. You can be sure that the team at Insomniac are coming up with some unique designs for enemies, not to mention cleverly designed stages that will be sure to test the mettle of any gamer. On top of the new experience and weapon system, players will also compete in various mini-games scattered throughout the game, one of which is an impressive flight combat mini-game where you have to lay siege to an entire metropolis.

Despite only working on the title for a little over a year, Insomniac Games have proven in the past with the Spyro series that they can churn out quality titles year after year. While the experience point system wasn't necessary for a game such as this, it serves as a reminder that developers are going further and further to cross genres in order to bring gamers a more complete and satisfying experience. Let's hope this trend continues as the title moves closer to its Q4 2003 release date.

· · · Reno