Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One – review

Once a marquee PlayStation star, platform hero Ratchet has found himself rotated to the reserves in a line-up packed with cinematic blockbusters of the Resistance and Uncharted variety. Further proof that his regular formula is now considered rather staid comes in All 4 One's new emphasis on co-operative play, with puzzles, combat and even basic movement mechanics engineered specifically for collaboration. It's all very inventive and fun: on a basic level players bridge unjumpable gaps by firing each other from vacuum cannons or forming chains using electronic whips, while bickering is inevitable when it comes to jointly steering a raft down a hazard-strewn river. Other Ratchet mainstays also remain. Droll robot sidekick Clank and punchable hanger-on Captain Qwark make up the game's foursome with regular antagonist Dr Nefarious, ensuring the Saturday morning cartoon humour is spot-on. Ratchet might no longer be a front-line operator these days, but he's still on good form, even if you need three friends to best appreciate it.