Reviews

Posted by: jkdmedia

Some games feel the burden to try to reinvent the wheel, while others go by the “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it philosophy.” For Insomniac, and the stalwart signature franchise of Ratchet & Clank, not being broke does not mean resting on laurels.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is a delightful platform, 3D adventure that oozes personality and heaps on solid helpings of fun. The dialogue is not only clever, but humorous and the wit is layered in with sly looks by the principle characters.

Nothing in the world of pop culture is above a well-placed jab. The game hooks into that notion right at the beginning. In his best Star Trek voice, Capt. Qwark intones:

“Space … it’s huge … it is so huge that if you lost your car keys, they would be almost impossible to find!”

For the uninitiated, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is not merely a platformer. You will also have to run ‘n gun a little as well as figure out some puzzles that are put before you along the way. If you fail at a task, the game auto-saves and you get more chances to accomplish the task. This is a very player-friendly game in many regards.

It should be noted that the game disk used for this review was the same one that was used for the preview and was for the PS3 debug or test unit.

As for the storyline …

At the end of Future, Clank had been taken by the little aliens that had aided him during the adventure that he and Ratchet were on. They were mysterious, but they seemed intent on imbuing Clank with certain gifts. But at the end, they kidnapped Ratchet’s robotic sidekick and took off with him.

As it turns out, the Zoni (the aliens who aided and then kidnapped Clank) delivered him into the clutches of arch-enemy Dr. Nefarious (nope, that quote was not random), who then proceeds to double-cross the Zoni during which time Clank tries to make his escape. In the interim, Ratchet – accompanied by the self-absorbed Qwark – is trying to find Clank.

So, on one hand, you have Clank trying to escape from ‘nefarious’ circumstances, while Ratchet and Qwark have crashed on one of those “where are we?” planets. Of course they are all on a collision course to meet up, sooner or later, but the adventure is soundly afoot and players do not get much of a respite before they will be in the midst of the action. The glue cementing all this together seems to have a base in time anomalies – hence the name of the game “A Crack in Time.”

As players move through the early levels, they will get the opportunity to try (unsuccessfully – but this is more of a tutorial to the controls that aught else) to escape from Nefarious’ space station, then shift to Ratchet and Qwark as they are able to explore and get some upgrades before a boss battle with Lord Vorselon.

But much more importantly was the way the game teased the story elements that are certain to play out as the game unravels. There is the element of Clank’s creator – Orvis, the idea that maybe Ratchet is not the last Lombax left, the time anomalies (of course), and other tidbits that hint at an involved and very entertaining storyline that will pull players into and through the game.

There are elements within the game that are just too much fun – like Qwark narrating his adventures from a third-person perspective and then adlibbing his own rejoinders to what the ‘narrator’ has said. Or he just comments on something and then contradicts his statement with his actions. He may run up to a carved wall, say “look at this beautiful native craftsmanship!” and then proceed to kick it apart. Sure, it’s totally silly, but also entertaining.

There is nothing overly complicated in the way the game is laid out, and it is quite linear. If you are stuck, you can usually determine the course by the pick-ups scattered throughout levels. There are the main story missions, lots of little side elements worth exploring, and – as always – a lot of weapons and power-ups that make this a game worth savoring as you ease through the levels.

Graphically, this game is very tasty eye candy. Insomniac pulled out the stops in rendering a game that is well animated, imaginative and very colorful with all the elements that make a Ratchet & Clank game absolutely great fun. There are the humorous names for objects, the witty and downright clever dialogue and the action seemingly only lets up long enough to interject some plot points (don’t worry, nothing droll here; even the cut scenes, likely culled from the game engine, are entertaining).

The audio sparkles with humor and the voice acting is superb.

There is a lot to like about this game, that much is certain. No, it does not reinvent the wheel, but what it lacks in innovation it makes up for with personality. Suitable for the whole family, this is a title that should not be missed.

Gameplay: 9.0
Nothing too complicated here. The menu screen, at times, fell into the sides of the 26-inch HD television it was being played on, but that might have been the build. The user interface is rather easy to use with hints scattered all over the place.

Graphics: 9.0
Lush, vibrant, colorful – name a synonym and you have the idea what’s in store here. Some elements were a little fuzzy, but generally this is eye candy.

Sound: 9.2
Pay attention, the asides in the dialogue will crack you up.  

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.5
The formula has not changed too much from past Ratchet & Clank stories, but this is well done nonetheless.

Overall: 9.0
If you are looking for a game that is entertaining to the point of making you laugh out loud, of invoking a childlike sense of fun playing a game, then this is such a title. A Crack in Time is a game that should not only appeal to Ratchet & Clank fans, but to anyone who is looking for a gaming experience that draws them in, holds them and then releases them with a big grin on their faces.