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 Ratchet
& Clank Future: A Crack in Time (Playstation 3)
Since the first release on PS2,
Ratchet & Clank games have delivered a consistently entertaining and
challenging series of platforming titles that mixed challenging puzzles
with massive amounts of ammo. A richly detailed universe of characters and
storylines evolved over time and made this one of the most engaging
traditional action series of the past few years. The newest adventure
builds on the successful play mechanics of the original and adds a few new
wrinkles including new sub-missions, mini-games and time-twisting gameplay
mechanics that keep things fresh. Excellent production values give it a
cinematic flair and help to deliver a satisfying experience that will
please the series' many fans. |
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who played through the last Ratchet & Clank Future title, Tools of
Destruction, found that while the game delivered an epic quest, there were
a few loose ends. The new PS3 adventure, A Crack in Time brings these plot
threads to their conclusion while delivering another satisfying adventure.
The arrival of its latest installment, A Crack in Time, for the
Playstation 3 shows that developers Insomniac Games have maintained their
high standards in terms of gameplay, visuals and innovation. This time
around, our heroes have been separated at different corners of the galaxy.
Ratchet is looking for his friend who was kidnapped by the mysterious Zoni
creatures at the end of the last game. Meanwhile, Clank finds himself in
the center of a strange place called the universal clock, which controls
time across the galaxy. When he awakens, he discovers that he's been
created to control the clock, with his 'father' instructing him on how to
maintain it. Clank also gains special powers that he can use to protect
it. It's an intriguing premise and one that is fleshed out effectively
through a series of excellent cut scenes. However, this only represents
about half of the epic story that unfolds in A Crack in Time. On the other
side of the galaxy, Ratchet is looking for his kidnapped friend, and has
to travel through multiple planets in order to save him. Early on, he's
joined by the infamous Captain Quark, who ham-fistedly aids him on the
quest. The game plays similarly to previous games, and vets will be able
to jump right in without much effort or explanation. Its controls remain
tight and responsive with the player controlling their character as they
race through levels with platforms to jump on, enemies to destroy and
many, many weapons to use.
As usual, the game allows you to build
up quite an arsenal of weapons, and you can switch between them easily by
using the onscreen menu. There's a massive array of these devices
including guns, bombs and other wacky devices, such as burp guns and more.
Players can purchase these weapons at any of the kiosks they find
throughout the game. The twist this time around is that they can be
upgraded and customized in many different ways, which gives you a massive
selection which to use. A large part of the enjoyment in the R&C
titles is experimenting and trying out all the different weapons, and
seeing which ones cause the most damage the fastest. There's a huge amount
of variety and since the weapons upgrade automatically in some cases, you
won't get bored. Using the weapons is fairly easy, and the in-game HUD
allows you to switch between them effortlessly. Most of the game's initial
levels closely resemble those you've seen in previous games in terms of
layout and structure. There's usually a mix of platforming action, where
you have to jump around, along with fights against enemies. There can be
swarms of these attacking players, and you have to mow them down rapidly,
which makes the game feel a bit more intense this time around. When you
defeat these enemies, they'll release bolts which you can collect and use
to purchase additional weapons. It starts off a little bit on the slow
side, but things pick up as you get more experience and explore the
universe.
While the game's main planetary levels
are quite impressive and dramatic in terms of presentation, A Crack in
Time differs from previous installments in that it allows you to complete
numerous side quests. Once you find yourself in your space ship, you'll
see that in addition to the huge planets that have become the series'
trademark, you can also travel to smaller moons and other areas. These are
smaller scale missions, presented with the player roaming the surface
while globe rotates under your feet. It has shades of Super Mario Galaxy,
but its still fun, since these are like small scale versions of the main
missions, with enemies and crates filled with power-ups. The odd camera
angle makes things tricky and you have to be careful to avoid plunging to
the planet's surface or its lights out. The point of these missions is
usually either to earn extra credits, or to find and capture the small
Zoni creatures that have kidnapped Clank. They not only give you clues as
you search for Clank, collecting enough of them in your pocket-prison
automatically upgrades your abilities and ship. This is important later
on, since you'll need the extra powers to survive some of the more intense
battles you'll face in the harder sections. However, the pacing of the
game is generally excellent which makes it a good fit for both casual and
hardcore gamers. There are no sudden spikes in difficulty and most
progression occurs quickly. Even if you do get stuck in one section,
frequent save points allow you to go through the levels at a steady pace.
 Ratchet's
sequences are fairly predictable from a gaming standpoint, but when the
action shifts to Clank's adventure, things become more interesting. He has
a somewhat similar style of play, but the twist here comes in the form of
Time twisting techniques. There are a couple of these that the robot can
use, the first of which are Time Bombs. Throwing these slows down the
action in its immediate area for a short time, and gives you the chance to
get past obstacles or foes in your path much easier. Time Bombs only work
for a short time, and he can only throw one, so you need to use them
carefully. These offer a surprisingly different take on the traditional
action models. A more complicated system is also available, in which the
player can use time pads on the floor to unlock puzzles, and use multiple
selves simultaneously. In this system, you stand on a time pad, go into
the menu and record your actions. When this is done, you can replay your
actions while using the saved action to perform a task at the same time.
This can also be used in multiple steps where you can erase the first
action, create another and use it as well. It's a bit confusing at first,
and while it's not implemented or explained as well as it could have been,
the time pad technique offers an interesting mechanic when it comes to
solving puzzles. Some of the puzzles can be frustrating, but some of these
give players the option of skipping them, but at the price of losing the
reward they would have otherwise received.
The new time-warping gameplay elements
are fairly well integrated into the existing structure, and for the most
part, they work seamlessly. Throwing time bombs works much like any other
weapon and while it takes a few tries, jumping onto the time pods is
fairly easy to get the hang of. Ratchet's new space travel sequences are
even easier to get the hang of, and while they aren't as elaborate, these
missions give players a less-intense gameplay experience that helps to
break things up. These mini-games and new abilities give the game a more
free-roaming feel, but there's still an over-riding adventure and
storyline to get through, and the game delivers a cinematic experience
that's quite impressive. Most of the levels on planets you explore are
richly detailed and feel alive with creatures, characters and monsters
who'll keep you entertained throughout. There's an impressive sense of
scale throughout and while there are a few glitchy moments, the camera
system is excellent throughout and rarely obscures the action. Whether
you're shooting at groups of foes, interacting with other characters or,
exploring vast chambers and caverns, there's a high level of polish that
is quite impressive. It's character animations remain remarkably fluid
throughout that brings the events to life vividly. Excellent voice acting
adds to the game's story and brings each persona to life, and the casting
is nearly perfect. This extends to supporting characters as well, with
each interaction bringing another piece of the puzzle to place. It remains
consistent with the quality in the first game so, the second Ratchet &
Clank Future title for the PS3 delivers the high-quality aesthetics that
players have come to expect from Insomniac. There's loads of eye-candy
from beginning to end, making for an impressive overall experience for
those who play through it.
While it doesn't offer too many
surprises, fans of the series are likely to find much to enjoy in this
latest R&C adventure. Its solid play mechanics and excellent controls
make for an extremely playable and enjoyable experience. The addition of
time warping techniques definitely adds to the challenge in solving
puzzles, though the implementation could have been better. Its time theme
works its way throughout the adventure and gives the storyline a cohesion
that some previous R&C titles occasionally lacked. These puzzle
sequences give Ratchet & Clank more variety but there's still plenty
of the traditional platforming action to play through. Outstanding
production values with lavishly rendered space sequences, moon walks over
globular levels and a smooth, consistent frame-rate. As usual, there's
some excellent voice acting and animation to give Crack in Time a
cinematic flair that brings many humorous and dramatic points to life
vividly. In closing, their second PS3 adventure delivers great gameplay
and an engaging story that brings the current storyline to a satisfying
conclusion.
-
Michael Palisano
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