Where some franchises fade with age, either in quality or relevancy, "Ratchet & Clank" has not only hung on, but continues to refine its gameplay and mechanics, and push the console's processor with cracklingly vivid graphics.
"Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time" continues the series' tradition of odd weaponry and smash-'em-up action with classic platforming cleverly disguised in unique environments. One could argue that this latest title isn't much of a deviation from past outings, but Insomniac Games is all about the details and continually upping its game.
The storyline picks up where "Tools of Destruction" left off, with our hero lombax Ratchet on a quest to find his brainy robot pal, Clank. Turns out that Clank was designed to be the caretaker of the Great Clock of the universe, and he's tasked to protect the clock from those who believe it has the power to reverse time -- for good or ill intent.
The first half of the game has you switching from Ratchet's world-hopping quest to Clank's time-warping lessons. In "Crack," Clank's missions aren't relegated to the stripped-down platforming of past games. These forays are clever puzzle challenges, where you must figure out how to open a doorway using Clank's "quantum" copies. There are actions that must be taken in a particular sequence, and some that must be performed simultaneously. How to do this⢠Time pads record Clank's actions so that they can be replayed later. This means you'll sometimes have multiple recordings doing multiple actions. The trick of it is getting the recordings synced up to perform their tasks in the correct order, and keeping track of all the recordings. It's a wonderfully inventive mind-bender.
Besides the planet-based missions, Ratchet can cruise various vectors of space on side missions, everything from finding more Zoni on scattered moons to fending off enemy fighters. The space dogfighting leaves the rails of the previous title, keeping to a 2-D plane but with the freedom to roll and switch directions at will. It's a big improvement.
The franchise's trademark humor still permeates the plot. From the egomaniacal villains and the narcissistic Captain Quark, "Crack" rarely takes itself seriously, its motive purely to entertain. And the weapons speak volumes to this goal. Besides the ever-functional pistols and blasters and rocket launchers -- upgradeable with mods hidden in the levels -- there are the oddities like the Rift Inducer 5000, which opens up a dimensional hole where tentacles sweep down and snatch up your enemies. The Sonic Erupter blasts enemies with a creature's booming mating call, and Mr. Zurkon, the weaponized, smack-talking robot, returns. The Spiral of Death creates a powerful energy ball guided by the Sixaxis controller.
Switching weapons is still as easy as hitting the triangle button and choosing one from the in-game menu while the action pauses. And you can organize your inventory for easy swapping.
Insomniac delivers yet another homerun for "Ratchet & Clank" fans, marking a milestone in the evolution of platformers. "A Crack in Time" surely cements the series as one of the top franchises of all time.
Additional Information:'Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time'
Grade: A
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: SCEA
Platform: PS3
Genre: Platformer
ESRB: Everyone 10+
Retail: $59.99
