Set
after the events in the previous game, Ratchet: Dreadlocked, the newest
installment Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction marks the
series' debut on the Playstation 3 and finds our erstwhile heroes once
again reunited and it's as if nothing has happened. The game plays very
similarly to the earlier games in the series and has a typically
light-hearted plot. Except that an evil emperor has gone mad and blamed
the Lombax species for the destruction of much of his empire. This means
that our hero is now the villain and finds his home world attacked during
the game's first level and beyond by hordes of enemy creatures. This is an
exciting set-piece that shows the tone of the rest of the game, which is
an incredibly intense mix of action and platforming with lots of shooting
set against a gorgeous backdrop of remarkably detailed city. Each stage
consists of a number of areas where Ratchet has too destroy as many of
these opponents as possible, collecting the essential bolts they leave
behind. These can be used later on to purchase weapons upgrades, and new
gadgets that can be essential for passing other areas. However, it's not
all simple run and jump platforming because there are some really cool
cinematic sequences where the player can steer Ratchet as he falls through
the air onto platforms below, jump through the air on massive air lifts,
glide over steel pipes far above the city while dodging oncoming traffic
and more. This lends Tools of Destruction a great deal of variety and
helps keeps the action fresh thanks to an ever changing perspective on the
gameplay. This design approach is really cool and allows the player to see
the action from a number of different perspective and shows off the game's
impressive graphics engine to its fullest.
As you might expect, the weapons and
gadgets at your disposal play a key role throughout the game. Players
begin with a basic set of weaponry consisting of a standard wrench and
blaster, which can be used to attack enemies. New weapons and upgrades can
be purchased at the many vending machines scattered throughout the level,
and while some of these, like cluster bombs are new, there are some really
clever ones that takes energy from nearby enemies and gives it to you,.
There are also a number of cool gadgets such as the Swingshot ability that
lets you latch onto something and glide through it in the air. There's
also a special sety of Robo Wings for Clank that let him fly through the
air using the Sixaxis controller. Players will also find the series'
trademark sense of humor in the funniest weapon of them all, a disco ball
called the Goovitron which mesmerizes anyone nearby and turns them into
dancing fools, rendering them easy as well. The sheer variety of power of
the weapons at your disposal is impressive, and there are more than 30
unique weapons included in the game. Accessing them is fairly simple, you
merely need to call up the HUD using the select key and choose which one
you're going to use. Most of the weapons have a small clip, but there are
abundant ammo crates on virtually every level which makes it much easier
to get through the game. In addition, gathering the Raritanium throughout
each level allows you to further upgrade your weapons, so you shouldn't
pass these by. Playing through each level and using the different
power-ups is what makes Ratchet & Clank so addictive, and you won't
need to worry too much about being stuck without a defense once you've
acquired enough weapons. The real challenge at this point is knowing which
ones will be the most effective against the enemy you're facing. It's not
as simple as it sounds, because many of the enemies you'll face are
shielded or have invulnerabilities against certain weapons, making your
shots ineffective.
The
game's balance and pacing is nearly perfect and makes the game a joy to
play with large, expansive levels that allow you to experience an
incredible adventure throughout the universe. There's a large selection of
enemies you'll face, with some very cool boss characters as well, which
helps to keep you on your toes throughout. The enemy AI is smarter than
you'd think in certain points, especially when you find yourself
surrounded by tons of enemies at the same time. You can definitely tell
that a lot of care went into the design and mapping of each level, since
the game offers enough challenge, yet never feels overly difficult. Your
selection of weapons is also fairly interesting, with the more powerful
weapons like the Geo Blades, Tornado Launchers and Buzz Blades offering
fewer shots than the standard arsenal. There's ample supply of ammo, bolts
and Raritanium on each level, which you can collect though breaking crates
or picking it up after you defeat enemies. Likewise, Ratchet & Clank
Future's controls are tight and responsive, with a consistent feel
throughout. You use the left analog to move the character and perform most
other objectives by using the face buttons, which makes for a simple
interface that allows you to shoot and jump around each level easily
without putting too much effort into things. This simple approach to
gameplay goes a long way in making Tools of Destruction an accessible and
enjoyable experience. The levels themselves are fairly long, but there are
frequent checkpoints which allow you to progress through the game at a
good pace.
From a visual standpoint, this is one of
the most impressive PS3 titles to date, with large expansive planetary
environments that can't help but to immerse you into the action. Each
stage comes to life with massive amounts of background objects that seem
to be in motion constantly. From the crowded city planets teeming with
space traffic, to the more natural planet settings where creatures and
animals run around, the game feels very much alive. The brightly colored
environments are easy on the eyes, and come very close to matching the
quality that you'd expect from a modern CGI animated film. Tools of
Destruction features some fairly impressive animation throughout and an
engaging, humorous storyline that helps to keep you involved throughout.
Ratchet's soundtrack and musical score are excellent and compliments the
action's sense of scale perfectly. Superb voice acting brings both
protagonists to life and this allows you to get to know both of the main
characters along with the many others they encounter in their galaxy-wide
quest. Ratchet & Clank's trademark sense of humor is very much in
evidence during the elaborate cinematic sequences which feature a good
chemistry between our hero and his robotic assistant. The game's
production values are superb and make this a joy to play that really pops
off the screen.
While
those who've played the previous Ratchet & Clank games will probably
feel an instant familiarity with this latest installment, sometimes this
is exactly what you need. It definitely has that classic feel very much in
evidence, though the new High-Def graphics help to keep things from
feeling stale. The gameplay is what matters most and, Ratchet & Clank
Future: Tools of Destruction delivers a welcome blast of big-budget,
high-octane platform and shooting action on a system that hasn't really
enjoyed a title like this yet. It's larger, more open-ended areas, huge
array of weapons and challenging boss battles, along with some clever
mini-game style levels make for an unpredictable, yet thoroughly enjoyable
experience. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction's polished
graphics, cinematic presentation and accessible controls make this one of
the best in the series to date and a solidly entertaining purchase
for any Playstation 3 owner.
- Michael Palisano
Grade: B+
