Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One is an entry in the Ratchet & Clank series, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was initially released in October 2011 for the PlayStation 3. It is a spin-off title emphasizing co-operative gameplay, designed to be played with friends.
The game follows Ratchet, Clank, Captain Qwark, and Dr. Nefarious. After they are taken to planet Magnus by the Creature Collector, they are forced to team up. Together, they must uncover the mystery behind the Creature Collector's plans and search for a way home, all while attempting to identify and defeat the mastermind responsible. The game takes place after the events of A Crack in Time and the Ratchet & Clank comic series.
All 4 One features gameplay distinct from other entries in the series. Up to four players can each control one of the four playable heroes—Ratchet, Clank, Qwark, or Nefarious—in co-operative gameplay. While the game incorporates the series' traditional weapons for combat and gadgets for puzzle-solving, it is more linear than previous installments and utilizes a fixed camera throughout.
Gameplay[]
Overview[]
Players performing an overload attack together.
All 4 One is a cooperative action platformer. It is designed for up to four players, who control one of Ratchet, Clank, Qwark, or Nefarious. Each character has an identical moveset, with each wielding a boomerang-like melee weapon analogous to Ratchet's OmniWrench. The game blends gunplay, puzzle-solving, and platforming challenges reminiscent of classic Ratchet & Clank titles but employs a fixed camera that provides a zoomed-out, isometric-style view. Game challenges emphasize synchronized actions and teamwork.
The game uses a structured, level-based progression, differing from the open-ended exploration of many previous entries. Ratchet, Clank, Qwark, and Nefarious visit various locations across planet Magnus. There, they face challenges in the form of firefights, platforming sequences, or puzzles. These segments require teamwork, which is rewarded through a co-op points system at the end of each segment. Points are awarded for cooperative actions, such as transferring nanotech to a teammate with low health.
The Terawatt Forest, one of the environments on planet Magnus.
All player characters have access to a wide arsenal of weapons, similar to previous entries. These, along with their upgrades, are purchased at Apogee Industries Communication Pods throughout the game, requiring players to collect bolts. Bolts are collected individually, introducing a competitive element for players to earn the most. When players use the same weapon against the same target simultaneously, it triggers an overload attack, which has various effects depending on the weapon.
The heroes using the Vac-U to launch one another.
Players also collect gadgets throughout the game, most notably the Vac-U, which is used to solve various cooperative challenges. Examples of this co-op gameplay include sections where players must use the Vac-U to launch teammates onto buttons or tilt their controllers in unison to navigate the team through environmental hazards like wind tunnels. Some platforms function as seesaws, requiring players to cooperate to maintain balance and avoid falling.
Death results in a small bolt penalty and a short respawn timer. In combat, fallen players can be revived by teammates using the Vac-U; however, if the entire team is defeated, they must restart from the last checkpoint.
Equipment[]
The Thundersmack's storm clouds become more powerful when "powered up" by other players' Thundersmacks.
All 4 One features 17 unique weapons designed to enhance co-operative play. Specifically, using the same weapon on a single target simultaneously triggers an "overload" attack, indicated by a red reticle on the targeted enemy. For example, the Combuster adapts to the game's cooperative nature by multiplying damage as more players fire at an enemy. The Darkstar Fission Tether, for instance, encourages cooperative tactics by firing electric energy beams that connect between players' weapons, slicing through groups of enemies. Weapon upgrades are purchased with bolts.
Players create a "Hookshot chain" to grasp a distant versa-target.
The Hookshot, a new gadget replacing the Swingshot from previous games, introduces new co-operative features. When versa-targets are far apart, players must latch onto each other with the Hookshot to form a chain and cross gaps. The Hookshot can also rescue a falling teammate or help pull the team across a gap once one player has successfully traversed it.
Each character has a unique special weapon: the Doppelbanger for Ratchet, the Zoni Blaster for Clank, the Quantum Deflector for Qwark, and the Cloaker for Dr. Nefarious. These weapons provide each character with a unique gameplay function and a distinct way to assist teammates. For example, the Doppelbanger decoy allows Ratchet to draw enemy fire away from teammates, while the Cloaker grants Dr. Nefarious the ability to move through areas undetected.
Multiplayer system[]
All 4 One is designed around co-operative gameplay and uses a four-player drop-in/drop-out co-op system. Players can team up locally with multiple controllers, online via PlayStation Network, or play solo with an AI-controlled partner. Progress is tied to the player's PSN ID, allowing them to retain certain rewards, including trophies, even when joining another player's game.
If playing alone, any character—Ratchet, Clank, Qwark, or Dr. Nefarious—can be chosen, accompanied by an AI companion who rides on the player's back (reminiscent of Clank's role in traditional titles). For Ratchet, Qwark, or Dr. Nefarious, Clank serves as the AI companion. When playing as Clank, a miniaturized Qwark rides on his back, deploying to full size in combat.
To accommodate inexperienced players, All 4 One includes on-screen alerts to keep online players synchronized and prevent confusion. Characters are color-coded for easy tracking. Visual aids, such as colored jump trails and character-specific highlights in dark areas, further enhance visibility, allowing players to easily identify their character by color.
At the end of each level, players earn bonus bolts, and awards are given based on performance, such as "Bolt Master" for collecting the most bolts or "Noob" for dying the most.
Synopsis[]
Setting[]
The game opens in Luminopolis on planet Igliak (whose city, Meridian City, was visited in Tools of Destruction). However, the majority of the game unfolds on Magnus, a planet in the Polaris Galaxy.
Magnus is populated by the tharpods, a peaceful, nature-loving race. This peace has been largely disrupted by the Creature Collector and its collector minions, who have reshaped much of the planet, evicting tharpods from their homes to create habitats for creatures collected from across the galaxy. Consequently, the levels in All 4 One feature a variety of distinct environments across Magnus.
Plot[]
The Z'Grute being unleashed.
All 4 One began in Luminopolis where Galactic President Qwark was set to receive an "Intergalactic Tool of Justice Award." Ratchet and Clank escorted him but the ceremony was interrupted by Dr. Nefarious who unleashed a Z'Grute. The creature then turned on Nefarious, forcing an uneasy alliance among him, Ratchet, Clank and Qwark to defeat it. Unidentified robots were also observed following the Z'Grute, hinting at a larger scheme.
Ephemeris approaching Igliak
After the Z'Grute's defeat a massive drone, Ephemeris, appeared and captured both the Z'Grute and the four heroes. They awoke in a mysterious facility on planet Magnus and were rescued by Susie, a young galactic scout. The team learned that Ephemeris collected dangerous beasts from across the universe for Magnus. After talking to a local, the Tharpod Elder they reluctantly agreed to stop Ephemeris upon learning it had orphaned many tharpod children like Susie. He directed them through the Deadgrove to the N.E.S.T. to find Commander Spog—in charge of Ephemeris's Collector minions and its protection.
Nefarious repairing Spog.
At the N.E.S.T., after defeating Commander Spog, the team repaired him. Spog revealed that only the Architect (Ephemeris's original creator) knew how to defeat it and provided a holo-diary from Dr. Frumpus Croid. He then directed them to Terawatt Forest past Octonok Cay.
Croid detects the Loki Master's energy inside his critter's body.
Along the way they defeated a King Sepiad and found several of Croid's holo-diaries. These detailed his research with colleague Dr. Nevo Binklemeyer on creature-owner bonds and protomorphic energy extraction. Later entries revealed Croid's belief that Nevo had betrayed him by ransacking his lab, stealing his companion Mr. Dinkles and the plans for a protomorphic energy extractor. Croid had even sent an earlier version of Ephemeris to rescue Mr. Dinkles, but Nevo had taken control and modified it for interplanetary travel.
Ratchet attempting to communicate with Croid.
After traversing the Forest's Hall of Paradoxology, the team tracked Croid to his laboratory on Phonica Moon, where he had moved to anticipate an assassination attempt from Nevo. They found Croid seemingly senile. Nefarious accessed the lab's computers and discovered Ephemeris's charging dock on the Vilerog Plateau near Uzo City. Taking Croid's escape pod back to Magnus, the team was ambushed by Ephemeris and crash-landed in the Polar Sea region. They traveled through the arctic until they found a broken railway station. The Plumber then appeared and fixed the station, allowing them to reach Uzo City.
The Loki Master commanding Nevo at gunpoint.
After infiltrating Ephemeris's core, the team discovered the truth: Nevo was not the mastermind. Mr. Dinkles was possessed by the Loki Master—part of the loki, a parasitic species of spirits from Toranux. The Loki Master revealed it had framed Nevo, coercing him and holding him captive. It planned to use the collected beasts as vessels for other loki to destroy the universe. In the final battle, the Loki Master took possession of a Rykan V grivelnox as a host.
The Loki Master being extracted from Mr. Dinkles by using the protomorphic energy extractor.
Croid suddenly arrived during the fight, and worked together with Nevo to extract the Loki Master after the grivelnox was pinned down by the heroes, who then promptly destroyed the spirit. Soon after, Cronk and Zephyr arrived and revealed Lawrence had assisted them. However, Nefarious and Lawrence immediately stole Cronk and Zephyr's ship, leaving the heroes stranded on Magnus. Ratchet realized Ephemeris was still functional and they decided to use it to return to Luminopolis.
In a post-credits scene Lawrence told Nefarious of a secret route past the Polaris Defense Force barriers, while Nefarious was seen nostalgically looking at a photo he had taken with Ratchet, Clank and Qwark.
Development[]
Concept[]
Concept art for a potential early title, Ratchet & Clank: 4 Play.
All 4 One was conceptualized after Insomniac Games released A Crack in Time. While Insomniac considered A Crack in Time their best game, they were receptive to critical feedback suggesting the series formula was becoming stale. Observing a trend towards couch co-op in other family-friendly titles, they decided to develop a four-player console game.[1] As an experimental game, the team wished to push the formula and try new things, leading to the new camera and the freewheeling quality of creature designs.[2] The game maintained four key elements of the series (gadgets, Captain Qwark, stylized visuals, and Douglas Adams-inspired humor) but omitted others (such as a heartfelt buddy story, strategic weapon depth, planetary exploration, and the traditional shooter/platforming balance).[3]
The original suggested title was Ratchet & Clank: 4 Play, followed by T.J. Fixman's suggestion of Ratchet & Clank: Multiple Organisms[4] (which eventually became the title of the comic book issue, Ratchet & Clank: Issue 5: Multiple Organisms).
After Insomniac Games pitched All 4 One to Sony, Sony provided key feedback to make Dr. Nefarious a playable character. Writer T.J. Fixman was initially taken aback, as he had written Dr. Nefarious's death in A Crack in Time, necessitating a retcon in the comic series.[5]
Game design[]
All co-op gameplay mechanics had to pass a test Insomniac dubbed "CAKE": Co-op, Active for all players, Kinetic, and Easy to understand.[6]
Players often have to cooperate and rely on each other to progress through a level, but Insomniac was careful to ensure All 4 One remained consistently enjoyable. Therefore, Insomniac avoided gameplay mechanics that would leave some players waiting idly, to prevent boredom. The camera angle and the set pieces in the game allowed the developers to deliver cinematic co-op experiences.[6]
Art style[]
Clank's model is larger, and Ratchet's fur detail is reduced compared to previous Future-era titles.
All 4 One is the first game since Tools of Destruction to radically alter the art style from previous entries in the Future sub-series. The game adopts an even more cartoony aesthetic than its predecessors, owing to its more light-hearted story and party-like gameplay.
Most characters saw a notable alteration in size or proportion. Ratchet's head was made larger, even more so than in the original trilogy, and many of the detailed fur effects added in Tools of Destruction were substantially reduced. Clank was substantially increased in height compared to other titles.
Qwark had the least drastic change of the group, appearing larger with a relatively smaller head. His trademark "butt chin" was also smoothed out.
Dr. Nefarious was notably reduced in height, becoming only somewhat taller than Ratchet, and his proportions were made more extreme. Namely, his hands, feet, and head were enlarged, while his body was shortened. His primary color was also shifted to purple from the dark blue and grey of previous titles (likely to avoid visual confusion with Clank, whose primary color is light blue).
April Fool's joke[]
The April Fool's joke cover.
On April 1, 2011, a PlayStation Blog entry, ostensibly written by "Copernicus Qwark," featured a message from the perspective of President Qwark. The message indicated that Qwark was unhappy with the game's name and cover, declaring it would be renamed Copernicus Qwark's Awesomely Epic 3D Adventure Through Time & Space, complete with a new cover in the style of his crayon drawings.[7] The joke was well-received, and the mock cover was subsequently used as a reversible cover for All 4 One.
Reception[]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 70/100 (based on 65 reviews)[8] |
| Publication | Score |
| Destructoid | 4/10[9] |
| Eurogamer | 5/10[10] |
| GameSpot | 8.75/10[11] |
| Game Informer | 4/5[12] |
| IGN | 9.4/10[13] |
All 4 One received "mixed or average reviews," according to review aggregator Metacritic, achieving a score of 70/100.[8] Critics largely praised the game's sense of humor and fun co-op moments but felt the combat could become tedious and questioned whether the game justified a full-price release.
Positive reviews cited the multiplayer components and humor. Writing for IGN, Ryan Clements felt the game was a step back from A Crack in Time, particularly in terms of visuals during combat, but considered it a worthy entry in the franchise due to its "laugh-out-loud" story and fun multiplayer.[13] Writing for GameSpot, Tom McShea also praised the variety of activities, which he felt were welcome as the shooting mechanics could feel like "a task you must complete" rather than being inherently enjoyable.[11]
Negative reviewers felt the game was too simplistic. Dan Whitehead, writing for Eurogamer, criticized the simplistic level design, restrictive camera, and how easily the game could be completed using only one weapon.[10] Jim Sterling, writing for Destructoid, blamed the repetition and stated the game "should have been $15, five hours shorter, and released on the PlayStation Network".[9]
Though Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One had Insomniac's lowest Metacritic score for a Ratchet & Clank game at the time of its release, it was financially successful.[14]
Gallery[]
.png "All 4 One front cover (JP).png (533 KB)")
Citations[]
- ↑ Allgeier, Fixman 2018 42:49
- ↑ The Art of Ratchet & Clank, p. 191
- ↑ Allgeier, Fixman 2018 45:03
- ↑ Allgeier, Fixman 2018 45:12
- ↑ Allgeier, Fixman 2018 43:46
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Shuman 2011
- ↑ Qwark 2011
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Metacritic
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Sterling 2011
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Whitehead 2011
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 McShea 2011
- ↑ Turi 2011
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Clements 2011
- ↑ Allgeier, Fixman 2018 45:42
References[]
- Insomniac Games (2011). Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.
- Bibliography
- Sony Interactive Entertainment (2018). The Art of Ratchet & Clank [Book]. Dark Horse Comics. ISBN 978-1506705729.
- Websites
- Qwark, Copernicus (2011, April 1). "A Message from President Qwark". From PlayStation Blog. Archived from the original on March 24, 2025.
- Shuman, Sid (2011, May 19). "Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One Q&A — Co-Op Chaos". From PlayStation Blog. Archived from the original on March 24, 2025.
- (n.d.) . "Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One for PlayStation 3 Reviews". From Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 24, 2025.
- McShea, Tom (2011, October 18). "Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One Review". From GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 24, 2025.
- Turi, Tim (2011, October 18). "Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One". From Game Informer. Accessed March 24, 2025. Archived from the original on October 20, 2011.
- Clements, Ryan (2011, October 19). "Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One Review". From IGN. Archived from the original on March 24, 2025.
- Sterling, Jim (2011, October 19). "Review: Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One". From Destructoid. Archived from the original on March 24, 2025.
- Whitehead, Dan (2011, October 22). "Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One review". From Eurogamer. Archived from the original on March 24, 2025.
- Videos
- Allgeier, Brian; Fixman, TJ [@GDC] (2018, June 26). 15 Years of Ratchet & Clank: A Lombax Story [Video]. YouTube.