Going Commando blows the doors off. Insane arsenal, livelier planets, perfectly judged humour and game-changing challenges. One of the finest Ratchet & Clank entries on PS2.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player7+
Description
An Insomniac Games and Sony SCEA sequel released in 2003 (US), the second entry titled Going Commando in America. Ratchet is hired by the MegaCorp megacorporation to recover a stolen prototype. Doubled arsenal (40+ weapons), evolving weapon levels and a bonus gladiator arena mode. Considered by many the best entry in the original trilogy.
Ratchet & Clank - Going Commando review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
A colourful sci-fi universe worthy of a playable Pixar, zany weapons and varied planets bathed in light: everything overflows with graphic inventiveness. The roundness of the design and the technical fluidity compose a joyful, warm world. This visual generosity, polished and unbridled, showcases all of Insomniac's know-how.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
The sequel swells everything: an even more lunatic arsenal, larger planets and varied sequences that never let the pace drop. Upgrading your weapons by using them pushes you to try everything, in constant glee. The humour, the inventiveness and the pinpoint handling work wonders. Richer and crazier, a peak of action-platforming.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Fleshing out the delirious arsenal with an experience system that evolves each weapon through use clearly deepens the series' progression loop. Gathering bolts, upgrading your gear and unlocking the next gadget keeps reviving the urge to push on. The formula stays close to the first, but this rise in power and this variety of action keep a stubborn hold.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Travelling from planet to planet with wacky weapons unfolds an action-adventure brimming with gadgets, challenges and secrets to ferret out. The main quest is doubled by arenas, upgrades to unlock and a new game+ that pushes you to start over. That wealth of content, true to the series, earns the title a stubborn reputation as a polished adventure.
Going Commando, the North American title of the second Ratchet & Clank, often held as the best of the original trilogy thanks to its enriched arsenal and progression. Very common on the US market, it stays lightly priced despite that reputation, with no scarcity. Its collector interest boils down to this status as the series' creative peak, sought for the game's quality more than the object.
Is Ratchet & Clank - Going Commando still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2003 on PS2 and known in the West as Ratchet & Clank - Going Commando, Insomniac's project remarkably refines the formula of the first entry. The arsenal gains weapons that now level up with use, adding a jubilant layer of progression. Armour upgrades, arena challenges and ship sections diversify the pace. The colourful art direction and the humour keep all their shine, and the handling gains comfort. A few forced sequences break the tempo a little. A richer and better paced sequel, recommended for fans of action platforming and of inventive gunplay that keeps surprising.
