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IGN Review of Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
My exposure to the Ratchet & Clank series isn't quite as far reaching as some of the hardcore Ratchet fans out there. I dabbled with the PS2 games and played Size Matters quite a bit, but my first real obsession came in the form of Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. After my first playthrough, I entered a period where no game seemed to appeal to me after finally experiencing Ratchet & Clank's fantastic mix of platforming, gunplay and puzzle-solving. So you can imagine that playing Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time was a real treat, as it is superior to its predecessor in almost every way. Once again, the folks at Insomniac have created a fantastic game that combines a number of different gameplay types with a never-ending stream of unlockables and a lovable personality. How could you go wrong?
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time begins where Quest for Booty left off. Quest for Booty, in case you missed it, is the downloadable adventure that follows Ratchet after the events of Tools of Destruction. If you're worried about being lost, fear not: in one of its many small strokes of genius, Insomniac created a charming cutscene that plays during the game's install which documents all the important plot points you need to know. The cutscene takes the form of a celebrity interview with Captain Qwark and it's a great way to start things off.
Once Qwark finishes recounting his "harrowing deeds" to the camera, players are soon thrown right into the adventure. Unlike most of the other Ratchet & Clank games, the two friends will spend most of the game apart. Ratchet is on a quest to find Clank, who was abducted by the mysterious Zoni creatures at the end of Tools of Destruction, and Clank is undertaking his own set of challenges in an extremely intriguing environment. I don't want to give much more away, as Clank's predicament and the locales he traverses are some of Crack in Time's finest, but Ratchet is ultimately the star of the show.
A Crack in Time offers players an incredibly enjoyable mix of platforming, puzzle-solving and shooting stuff. Although I'm happy Insomniac put the emphasis on the gunplay, the platforming and puzzle-based sections are equally enjoyable. Overall, Crack in Time is super-fun to play and an extremely well-polished game, so no matter what you find yourself doing, you'll likely have a good time doing it.
Ratchet, the last Lombax in existence (Or is he?!) once again ventures through the galaxy with his trusty Omniwrench in hand. The wrench is used for his melee attacks and manipulating certain items in the environment, like turning gears or breaking crates. Ratchet can also use his wrench as a type of laser tether to grab onto things and pull them closer or rip the shield out of the hands on an unsuspecting Agorian. Ratchet will also come across a number of terribly handy gadgets that are mapped to the D-pad. Once found, these gadgets can be used at any time and they make the game much more dynamic.
In other words: once you find a pair of hover boots, all sorts of awesome things can happen.
But hardcore Ratchet fans know that one of the key components to a good Ratchet game is the arsenal. Insomniac prides itself on making cool, creative weapons, and that's exactly what you'll find in Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time. Although there are obviously some repeats from previous games, there are a few notable additions to the line-up. One of the first that comes to mind is the Sonic Erupter, which is essentially a small alien creature attached to a gun. Pulling the trigger coaxes the creature into making its mating call, which equates to a massive, screen-clearing shockwave. This gun requires a fair amount of skill to use, as a meter on the top of the screen pulses with the breath of the alien. Pull the trigger when the meter is full and the resulting shockwave will be all the more deadly.
Another cool weapon to consider comes in the form of the Tesla Spikes, which are small rods that can be placed anywhere on the ground. As you level them up, you can throw more out onto the field at once and create devastating electrical currents that will zap nearby enemies. This weapon helped me realize how fun it is to mix and match weapons during combat. First, I would summon a Mr. Zurkon onto the field to give me backup (Mr. Zurkon is a small robot that helps you out with a laser gun and some serious attitude). Then, put down some Tesla Spikes in a square pattern around Ratchet to protect him from charging enemies. After that, take out the Dynamo of Doom and send a few massive spheres of energy rolling towards the opposition. Priceless.
Of course, players that prefer a more straight-forward approach can always just equip one weapon and favor it over everything else (I have always been particularly fond of the hilariously named "Negotiator" rocket launcher). But having the ability to switch a weapon just by holding down Triangle and moving the analog stick is still great. And from your inventory menu, you can customize how these "weapon rings" are set up so all your favorites instruments of death are readily available.
If that's not enough customization for you, the weapons from the Constructo manufacturing line can be tweaked with mods found or earned during normal gameplay. This means your pistol, shotgun and bombs can be totally customized with different triggers, shell types and more.
When Ratchet's not exploring the story-centric planet levels, there are plenty of other things to occupy your time. Most importantly, you can now freely explore space in your trusty ship. Thankfully, the awkwardly executed, on-rails shooter segments from Tools of Destruction are gone and replaced with much more enjoyable free missions.
Although you can only travel through space on a 2D plane, there's still tons to do as you fly around the murky depths. For example, you can land on small spherical moons in order to find more collectibles. This immediately reminded me of the mechanics found in Super Mario Galaxy, at least in terms of the camera work. These small moons give Ratchet some time to escape from the main quest and kill baddies or solve puzzles for fun. Because they're not related to A Crack in Time's story, Insomniac could flex its creative muscles and make some unusually structured or entirely puzzle-based levels. I always found myself exploring these first before embarking on my next official mission.
One of the most brilliant things about Insomniac's approach to the Ratchet & Clank formula, especially when it comes to A Crack in Time, is how rewarding it is to play. I am -- for lack of a better term -- a Bolt whore. The fact that everything in the entire universe explodes into shiny pieces of in-game currency makes all your actions in Crack in Time feel worthwhile. But even beyond that, Crack in Time gives you so much to level-up and unlock. Every weapon in the game, as has been the case before, can be powered-up through regular use until it eventually evolves into a more devastating form of itself. Not only that, but you're constantly buying new weapons to level-up, discovering new abilities to use, unlocking upgrades for your ship through Zoni collection, and much, much more. Ratchet himself even levels-up as he gains experience. You simply can't play Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time for 10 minutes without gaining a level in something, and that right there is rewarding game design -- especially considering how palpable those rewards are.
Of course, not all of A Crack in Time is spent with guns blazing. Ratchet's larger gameplay segments are nicely punctuated with Clank sections, which -- while they do feature combat -- are much more puzzle-oriented in nature. Through several story-related incidents, Clank comes upon the ability to control time and this can lead to some excellent puzzles. At certain points during Clank gameplay, you'll find doors that need to be opened, and they often have very inconvenient switches. In order to overcome this obstacle, Clank will need to record himself performing certain actions (like stepping on a switch, lowering a platform, etc.) and then carry out other actions while the recordings do their own.
By the end of these puzzles, you'll have four or five Clanks running around, causing all sorts of trouble, and it's fantastic fun. I actually would have preferred more puzzles of this kind and a few more challenging ones at that during your first playthrough, but they were just tough enough to keep me entertained.
Ultimately though, it's all the little things in A Crack in Time that make me smile. Each weapon comes with an adorable (and hilarious) animated advertisement from GrummelNet instructing you on the usage of its fine products. You'll also hear countless one-liners and small conversations from nearby NPCs that keep in line with Insomniac's "family-friendly but still witty" sense of humor. Clearly the developers went the extra mile to make this game shine and I always really appreciate that.
Honestly, my one real complaint (aside from the occasionally repetitious side-missions) is the fact that Crack in Time is so much like the previous Ratchet games. This won't bother hardcore fans who have been in love since the beginning, but gamers that felt satisfied with Tools of Destruction -- or even one of the earlier PS2 games -- probably won't find what they're looking for here. Even with the inclusion of splendid, time-based gameplay, the Ratchet formula is still very much intact. Love it or hate it, you've played most of this game before.
Luckily for me, I'm not even close to being tired of the formula yet.
©2009-10-20, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time begins where Quest for Booty left off. Quest for Booty, in case you missed it, is the downloadable adventure that follows Ratchet after the events of Tools of Destruction. If you're worried about being lost, fear not: in one of its many small strokes of genius, Insomniac created a charming cutscene that plays during the game's install which documents all the important plot points you need to know. The cutscene takes the form of a celebrity interview with Captain Qwark and it's a great way to start things off.
Once Qwark finishes recounting his "harrowing deeds" to the camera, players are soon thrown right into the adventure. Unlike most of the other Ratchet & Clank games, the two friends will spend most of the game apart. Ratchet is on a quest to find Clank, who was abducted by the mysterious Zoni creatures at the end of Tools of Destruction, and Clank is undertaking his own set of challenges in an extremely intriguing environment. I don't want to give much more away, as Clank's predicament and the locales he traverses are some of Crack in Time's finest, but Ratchet is ultimately the star of the show.
A Crack in Time offers players an incredibly enjoyable mix of platforming, puzzle-solving and shooting stuff. Although I'm happy Insomniac put the emphasis on the gunplay, the platforming and puzzle-based sections are equally enjoyable. Overall, Crack in Time is super-fun to play and an extremely well-polished game, so no matter what you find yourself doing, you'll likely have a good time doing it.
Ratchet, the last Lombax in existence (Or is he?!) once again ventures through the galaxy with his trusty Omniwrench in hand. The wrench is used for his melee attacks and manipulating certain items in the environment, like turning gears or breaking crates. Ratchet can also use his wrench as a type of laser tether to grab onto things and pull them closer or rip the shield out of the hands on an unsuspecting Agorian. Ratchet will also come across a number of terribly handy gadgets that are mapped to the D-pad. Once found, these gadgets can be used at any time and they make the game much more dynamic.
In other words: once you find a pair of hover boots, all sorts of awesome things can happen.
But hardcore Ratchet fans know that one of the key components to a good Ratchet game is the arsenal. Insomniac prides itself on making cool, creative weapons, and that's exactly what you'll find in Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time. Although there are obviously some repeats from previous games, there are a few notable additions to the line-up. One of the first that comes to mind is the Sonic Erupter, which is essentially a small alien creature attached to a gun. Pulling the trigger coaxes the creature into making its mating call, which equates to a massive, screen-clearing shockwave. This gun requires a fair amount of skill to use, as a meter on the top of the screen pulses with the breath of the alien. Pull the trigger when the meter is full and the resulting shockwave will be all the more deadly.
Another cool weapon to consider comes in the form of the Tesla Spikes, which are small rods that can be placed anywhere on the ground. As you level them up, you can throw more out onto the field at once and create devastating electrical currents that will zap nearby enemies. This weapon helped me realize how fun it is to mix and match weapons during combat. First, I would summon a Mr. Zurkon onto the field to give me backup (Mr. Zurkon is a small robot that helps you out with a laser gun and some serious attitude). Then, put down some Tesla Spikes in a square pattern around Ratchet to protect him from charging enemies. After that, take out the Dynamo of Doom and send a few massive spheres of energy rolling towards the opposition. Priceless.
Of course, players that prefer a more straight-forward approach can always just equip one weapon and favor it over everything else (I have always been particularly fond of the hilariously named "Negotiator" rocket launcher). But having the ability to switch a weapon just by holding down Triangle and moving the analog stick is still great. And from your inventory menu, you can customize how these "weapon rings" are set up so all your favorites instruments of death are readily available.
If that's not enough customization for you, the weapons from the Constructo manufacturing line can be tweaked with mods found or earned during normal gameplay. This means your pistol, shotgun and bombs can be totally customized with different triggers, shell types and more.
When Ratchet's not exploring the story-centric planet levels, there are plenty of other things to occupy your time. Most importantly, you can now freely explore space in your trusty ship. Thankfully, the awkwardly executed, on-rails shooter segments from Tools of Destruction are gone and replaced with much more enjoyable free missions.
Although you can only travel through space on a 2D plane, there's still tons to do as you fly around the murky depths. For example, you can land on small spherical moons in order to find more collectibles. This immediately reminded me of the mechanics found in Super Mario Galaxy, at least in terms of the camera work. These small moons give Ratchet some time to escape from the main quest and kill baddies or solve puzzles for fun. Because they're not related to A Crack in Time's story, Insomniac could flex its creative muscles and make some unusually structured or entirely puzzle-based levels. I always found myself exploring these first before embarking on my next official mission.
One of the most brilliant things about Insomniac's approach to the Ratchet & Clank formula, especially when it comes to A Crack in Time, is how rewarding it is to play. I am -- for lack of a better term -- a Bolt whore. The fact that everything in the entire universe explodes into shiny pieces of in-game currency makes all your actions in Crack in Time feel worthwhile. But even beyond that, Crack in Time gives you so much to level-up and unlock. Every weapon in the game, as has been the case before, can be powered-up through regular use until it eventually evolves into a more devastating form of itself. Not only that, but you're constantly buying new weapons to level-up, discovering new abilities to use, unlocking upgrades for your ship through Zoni collection, and much, much more. Ratchet himself even levels-up as he gains experience. You simply can't play Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time for 10 minutes without gaining a level in something, and that right there is rewarding game design -- especially considering how palpable those rewards are.
Of course, not all of A Crack in Time is spent with guns blazing. Ratchet's larger gameplay segments are nicely punctuated with Clank sections, which -- while they do feature combat -- are much more puzzle-oriented in nature. Through several story-related incidents, Clank comes upon the ability to control time and this can lead to some excellent puzzles. At certain points during Clank gameplay, you'll find doors that need to be opened, and they often have very inconvenient switches. In order to overcome this obstacle, Clank will need to record himself performing certain actions (like stepping on a switch, lowering a platform, etc.) and then carry out other actions while the recordings do their own.
By the end of these puzzles, you'll have four or five Clanks running around, causing all sorts of trouble, and it's fantastic fun. I actually would have preferred more puzzles of this kind and a few more challenging ones at that during your first playthrough, but they were just tough enough to keep me entertained.
Ultimately though, it's all the little things in A Crack in Time that make me smile. Each weapon comes with an adorable (and hilarious) animated advertisement from GrummelNet instructing you on the usage of its fine products. You'll also hear countless one-liners and small conversations from nearby NPCs that keep in line with Insomniac's "family-friendly but still witty" sense of humor. Clearly the developers went the extra mile to make this game shine and I always really appreciate that.
Honestly, my one real complaint (aside from the occasionally repetitious side-missions) is the fact that Crack in Time is so much like the previous Ratchet games. This won't bother hardcore fans who have been in love since the beginning, but gamers that felt satisfied with Tools of Destruction -- or even one of the earlier PS2 games -- probably won't find what they're looking for here. Even with the inclusion of splendid, time-based gameplay, the Ratchet formula is still very much intact. Love it or hate it, you've played most of this game before.
Luckily for me, I'm not even close to being tired of the formula yet.
©2009-10-20, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved