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Ratchet: Deadlocked Retrospective - Adapt or Die | The Golden Bolt

The Golden Bolt

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Where do you go after achieving everything you'd set out to do with your game? What do you do after releasing three consecutive hits in back to back years? Can you strike gold FOUR times in a row?

Ratchet: Deadlocked (or Ratchet: Gladiator) was a game whose development focused around one motto: Adapt or Die. In a rapidly-evolving, maturing market, with mascot platformers quickly falling out of vogue, Ratchet & Clank was one of the few series that held firm. But, could Insomniac pull it off again without getting stale? Or would their willingness to shake things up come back to bite them on this project? There's no question that Ratchet: Deadlocked adapted, but whether it died in the process may depend on who you ask...

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Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:36 The Fourth Game Slump; Early Deadlocked Concepts
7:53 A R&C Story Without R&C
17:41 The PS3 Port Debacle
19:13 100% Combat; Deadlocked's Pacing Struggles
29:30 Is Deadlocked R&C's Black Sheep?
33:40 Co-Op: How Deadlocked Found Its Edge(s)
39:22 The Intangibles 2
44:41 The Missed Opportunities
52:20 Oh, Right, the Story!
59:22 An Uneven Game Rescued by Time
1:02:42 Conclusion

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This video is not intended for viewers under 13 years of age, and may contain content inappropriate for such viewers. Parental guidance suggested.

#Ratchet #Deadlocked #TheGoldenBolt

20 Comments

@TheGoldenBolt Creator 5 years ago (edited) Pinned

WATCH NEXT: Ratchet & Clank Future Retrospective: https://youtu.be/k-TX-UBkskM

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@maestrofeli4259 5 years ago

I can't believe that I only realized, 16 years later, that the Deadlocked Puma was a Red vs Blue joke

@MightyGilgamesh 5 years ago

I was a Ratchet Deadlocked fan since 2005, and I will die on the hill that it's the most underrated game in the franchise.

@TACKO3D 5 years ago

“There’s even some players that’ll say it’s their favorite game.”
Yes. Me.

@TheFrostHydra 5 years ago

Deadlocked had EASILY my favorite OST of them all. Devid Bergeaud's work on this game was insane.

@Satirejunkblah 5 years ago

Hey this isn’t the 14 hour retrospective of Ratchet deadlocked...

@baggedapplesgaming3207 3 years ago

"Yeah, that's a Red vs. Blue joke. Ask your parents about it." That one hurt. Lol

@5000Seabass 5 years ago

Not long enough, I need a detailed breakdown of every weapon including the exact EXP required for each level and a deep character analysis on Ace Hardlight’s hairdo

@_Tzer 4 years ago (edited)

apparently merc and green got a job making burgers then retired and lived happily honestly despite their one game appearance they are amazing characters.

@BruceForte 5 years ago

Dallas is the most human-looking slug-alien-thing. Like, he's a perfect caricature of a sleazy sports commentator, I love his character design.

@willardplaysgames6060 4 years ago

I would like to highlight my favorite line from this game:

"Don't let Voxx do to you what he did to me."

Ace Hardlight was something before Dreadzone. Most of the unwilling gladiators were heroes or fighters or adventurers before they were conscripted to fight. You conjecture in this video about what we could have seen developed between Ratchet and players like Kid Nova or Hydro Girl, but I think more importantly we had a chance to redeem Ace.

What were his adventures before he was conscripted? What did he do to earn the fame and fighting skills to get the attention of Mr. Voxx? How did he change into a villain? Did Ace Hardlight slowly descend into villainy for the thrill of cheering crowds or did something break him? Ace May have had a choice. A chance to get out, leave, quit, or refuse, but something made him stay. Ace may have itchy feeling because Ratchet is a real hero who has a team of friends who love him. Ratchet saves planets and fights evil. Ace may have done the same and lost his vision along the way. In his dying moments, embarrassed and defeated, coughing out a few last words to someone he sees himself in, he offers us this:

"Don't let Voxx do to you what he did to me."

@flutteranmaster4032 5 years ago

I think Deadlocked is such a good attempt for something new, also the Exterminator difficulty is so hardcore

@MrJayson204 5 years ago (edited)

“Despite all that, this game fucking rules”

🥲

Brought a damn tear to my eye m8 I’m glad there are some who enjoyed this game even for all its faults

@ValiantAttemptGaming 5 years ago

"...Maybe it means Ratchet gets cancer one day, but, uh...we'll get there when we get there, I guess."

Can't wait for the Retrospective on Ratchet & Clank: Going Chemo

@DragonArcadia 4 years ago

It really is interesting to look back and see how the Ratchet games grew with their audience and got darker over time rather than trying to just attract a younger crowd. It’s also funny how Deadlocked got darker and more mature and was compared to Halo, which over time, did the opposite and got less graphic.

@braders790 5 years ago

"Ratchet: Gladiator" as it was called in the UK was easily one of my favourites because I really enjoyed the combat gameplay loop, the weapons mods are insanely fun. and the sound design is top notch. Also has my favourite ost of any of the games, and the cutscenes are still enjoyable even after dozens of playthroughs.

@BarnabusBarbarossa 4 years ago

A quick correction: Torval is not Ace Hardlight's homeworld, it's just the site of a toy factory where they made Ace action figures. The game's strategy guide actually included a backstory for Ace that clarified that his homeworld was accidentally destroyed by his old superhero team.

@weirdotzero7065 5 years ago

"We have a challenge for Insomniac Games. In Ratchet & Clank 69, create a storyline in which Ratchet's cancer from Stygia finally develops. Imagine the drama of a vulnerable Ratchet, still persisting in his intergalactic adventures despite his illness. It needs fleshing out, but we guarantee the gaming world would be shocked, stunned, and moved at the effort to make Ratchet's character more meaningful. We love Ratchet, but it's about time the industry had a big shock for a change."

@tag0693 4 years ago

A lot of people didnt like the story of Deadlocked. I thought it made sense! You are kidnapped and forced to fight for your life in an illegal holo-tvshow. The guns being able to level up to 99, the grindrail battles, the bosses were fun and memorable, and each planet had it's own challenges. Say what you want about deadlocked but it had the most replay value of all the games. And you could easily replay any mission whenever you wanted. Your two friendly bots were amazing and the announcers were a hoot.