the ratchet and clank trilogy
Gloria’s sister (and her immediate family) gave me, for Christmas, a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. I didn’t really want to buy any books because (a) I had a lot of books to read already and (b) their prices sort of suck. I decided to pick up a video game, because video game prices are still pretty fixed. I got Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, which is the third in the series. (Recently, a new Ratchet game was released, but it’s not a Ratchet and Clank game, and it’s different in format, so I still think the first three are a trilogy.)
I played a few missions on Up Your Arsenal, and they were fun, and it made me think about the fact that I never actually completed the first two games. Last night, instead of playing more of part three, I got the first two parts off my shelf and played them for a while. In both cases, now, I’ve gotten to the final boss, and I have little to no interest in finishing him off. It just seems like a big hassle, and not very exciting. I’m not sure I remember the last time that I really liked the final battle of a game. Maybe Eternal Darkness? I can’t recall what I thought of it exactly, but I think it was OK.
Most video games with big boss endings tend to make them long, hard, and boring. This may be why my usual behavior is to play a game to within one or two battles of victory and then stick it on a shelf for a year or so. Often I end up taking it down and finishing it, but not always.
I’d like a game like Ratchet and Clank that never needed to end. There could be constant changes to the game world, but it wouldn’t actually conclude. I don’t really want a MMORPG, because I don’t want to rely on the other players. I want a platformer that downloads game updates and missions. I’d consider paying a small subscription fee for that, I think.
Anyway, with the first two parts nearly complete, I think I’ll return my attentions to part three.