The sequel begins right where the first left off and wastes no time thrusting the uncanny duo back into a decently well-conceived story of many clichés and an occasional joke that's actually funny. But really, what is story in this style of game besides to give locations to jump amongst platforms and blow things up? Thankfully, the game gives plenty of what it promises and so much more; its greatest strength lies in the continual switching of locations and execution. Upgradeable spaceships to fly through space and kill, tons of new weapons to appease every fan of firepower, hoverbike racing, jewel hunting, and plenty of locals to visit and destroy.

While the variety is nice and is pulled off more successfully then Sonic Adventure's attempt at multiple formats, they all remain second-rate to the very core. It's not that they're outwardly flawed just more that they all seem to be lacking whatever they need to feel finished in and of themselves. The saving grace is that none of the activities last long enough for mediocrity to really set in, but if you try to pull off every mission as it becomes available it becomes apparent far more quickly. Granted, because there are so many levels that consist solely of blowing enemies away on foot they also carry the honor of being the first to encounter monotony. I think this is a problem that would have been alleviated quite a bit if the enemies hadn't been so bland and easy, the closest thing to an interesting bad guy for hours is a two-legged chihuahua that makes a humorous yelping noise when it explodes. About five or six hours in the difficulty thankfully jumps up for the first time and it becomes a bit more fun as I got rather bored of it taking two seconds to plow through a group of non-threats. The designs never really improved but the increased enemy firepower meant I couldn't throw myself into a pack of creatures and emerge relatively unscathed almost every time.

The ease in difficulty stems from the very thing the game illustrates the most: it's expansive weapon selection. One thing R&C 2 cannot be criticized for is a lack of killing instruments, as everything from explosive melee to long-range missiles is included in some form. If you have a completed R&C save file one can even import their weapons from the first game over free of charge, providing a huge boost. Need more life? Kill more enemies! Need better weapons? Kill more enemies! With each enemy that's slaughtered a bar fills up a bit of a nanotech bar and whatever weapon makes that kill gets a boost in and of itself. When the nanotech bar fills a new health point is added and when a weapon has reached usage capacity it transforms into a new, more powerful version, adding higher attainable levels then the first supported. This is something more games need to start shamelessly ripping off, why haven't they started yet?

Rather a shame that the weapon importing boost can make it even simpler, as bothering to collect enough of the monetary system of bolts to purchase the regular weapons as they become available can actually allow Ratchet to wipe out entire rooms while running in circles and never fire a single shot. Early on I used the automated turrets to win every arena battle while never actually attacking, just keep tossing them out and make sure to run towards any weapon refills and only kills while platforming will require a weapon change. Much later in the game this mindset begins to change but it still primarily remains a matter of finding what weapon is overpowered and abusing it.

When I first started playing, I noticed immediately that the game felt better but wasn't sure why. After a few minutes I realized it's because they removed the slight slide that accompanied every moment in the original and have thankfully given the titular duo the ability to stop immediately. The entire set of controls is just as silky smooth as the improvement and makes the game far more pleasant to play, barring a slight lag in animation when switching certain weapons and using some of the duo's team up powers. It honestly makes a larger difference then I expected and paired with upgrading weapons in a logical way the pleasure of play is easily beyond the first. I also love to note that R&C 2 supports progressive scan and widescreen modes for televisions that can utilize such, presenting the graphics in as glorious a method as can be had on ones' setup. On a technical level this game pulls everything off beautifully, showcasing landscapes that travel far into the distance and the ability to throw gobs of enemies and effects without any slowdown.

While the concept of "More of Everything!" is certainly welcome and appreciated, I would've preferred that at least one of the many aspects was a true joy to play. When the sole reason for the game being interesting is because it changes often enough that routine never sets in, I really have to wonder what the focus (or lack thereof) was. It certainly filled my time nicely enough but I doubt I'll ever go back and play it again as I never felt fulfilled in any way while playing. Maybe next time if they switch the technical details to gameplay and the style to the graphics and design it can hang with the best of them, but whatever spark is needed to complete the project felt strangely absent.

· · · Chris Rubin