Ratchet And Clank: A Crack In Time Review [PS3]

Consistency is a rare commodity in the gaming world. Rarely do you see a game series which doesn’t slip into a lull at one point or another, but Insomniac’s excellent Ratchet and Clank series is one such exception. Defined by high production values, great presentation and a compelling mix of platform and shooter gameplay, the Ratchet and Clank universe has always been a pleasure to visit. Fans of the franchise will be glad to know that A Crack in Time continues in the same tradition and, while it doesn’t offer much in the way of innovation, it is yet another quality title in the series.The story in A Crack in Time picks up where the last two games, Quest for Booty and Tools of Destruction left off, following Ratchet as he attempts to find his robot buddy Clank who has been kidnapped by the mysterious, but benevolent, Zoni. Clank, it seems, has an important role to play in the survival of the universe and it is soon revealed he is destined to become the senior caretaker of the Great Clock, a giant Zoni-built device designed to prevent the universe from ripping apart. Meanwhile, Ratchet must follow the trail of the evil Dr Nefarious to re-establish contact with Clank. Along the way, Ratchet encounters fellow Lombax General Alister Azimuth, long exiled from his kind and desperate to use the Great Clock to change the past.As is to be expected from the series, the story is presented beautifully through some gorgeous cutscenes and excellent voice acting. There’s always been a Pixar-like charm at the heart of Ratchet and Clank and A Crack in Time accordingly includes some very well-judged and genuinely funny cutscenes. The brilliant General Qwark makes a typically amusing return in the game, providing a good deal of the game’s comedy with his unfortunate combination of cowardice and utter incompetence. Other nice touches include Ratchet’s other robot companion, Mr Zurkon who can be called on in combat situations to lend a hand while trash talking the enemy with phrases like “Yoo-hoo, Mr. Zurkon is looking to kill you.” It all feels very well-produced and Insomniac deserves credit for maintaining the excellent level of presentation in A Crack in Time.The gameplay in this latest outing is also consistent with the rest of the series. For the majority of the game you will play as Ratchet, taking on levels which offer a mix of platforming and combat action. The main new addition to Ratchet’s arsenal are the rather fantastic hover boots which can be equipped at any time, allowing Ratchet to traverse the often-huge levels much more quickly. Many Ratchet levels feature hover-boot ‘courses’ stringing together boost pads, jumps and rails to create some nice fast moving platform gameplay which provides a welcome respite from the combat sections and ample opportunity to hunt out some of the game’s many collectables which range from the usual nuts and bolts, to catchable Zoni and holo-plans for the devastating RYNO (Rip You A New One) V. Ratchet also has a few new weapons at his disposal although they don’t quite reach the same heights of imagination as some other favourites from the series like the boogie-inducing Groovitron which makes a welcome return in A Crack in Time. The Sonic Eruptor allows Ratchet to direct a powerful, but short-ranged, frog burp at the enemy, while the new Dynamo of Doom unleashes a ball of energy which can be directed towards foes by tilting the Sixaxis. While the new weapons don’t add much to the combat gameplay, the good news is that the combat gameplay is as great as ever with Ratchet and his friends often finding themselves face to face with large numbers of enemies and some occasionally fearsome bosses.{PAGE TITLE=Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time Review Page 2}His wrench can be used as a melee and thrown weapon, while projectile and special weapons can be instantly selected via the radial dial which appears when you hold down the triangle button. When dealing with ballistics, you can precision free aim by holding L1 although, given the large number of enemies you’ll face (especially later in the game and on the higher difficulty settings), you’re better off letting the game’s auto aim do the work as the over the shoulder view in precision aim is quite restrictive, leaving you open to attacks from the sides and behind. In fact, the game’s camera can be problematic in some of the fast moving sections, leaving you with less control than you feel you ought to have. It’s a minor gripe but this can become frustrating in some sections of the game, especially when coupled with a checkpointing system which offers little in the way of generosity, often taking you back a little further than you’d like (and all too often, back to the start of some dialogue which you’ll get very tired of hearing).There is some frustration to be found outside of the standard Ratchet levels too. Between main missions, you’ll find yourself piloting Ratchet’s space ship allowing you to take on some brief side missions (which usually involve shooting down Dr Nefarious’ ships) and to explore some of the smaller planets to collect more Zoni, which you’ll need to upgrade your ship in order to reach certain parts of the universe. Unfortunately the space sections can become a little tedious thanks to the simplistic controls and repetitive nature of the space combat.However, while some aspects of the Ratchet levels upset the pace of the game, you’ll forgive Insomniac when you play the well-realised Clank levels. Most of these take place in the Great Clock or in Clank’s own subconscious as he learns how to perform his new duties as senior caretaker of the Great Clock. As well as straight platforming, Clank levels feature some mild combat as the wee robot fella now has the impressive Chrono Sceptre and Time Bombs at his disposal. The former not only fixes broken equipment, it can also be used to bash the hell out of ground enemies as well as deflecting ranged attacks from flying foes. The Time Bombs serve a dual purpose, being necessary to slow down fast moving scenery in the platforming sections as well as allowing Clank to trap enemies.The most impressive aspect of the Clank levels, however, is the puzzle gameplay. Insomniac has cleverly provided a new take on the classic switch and lever puzzle, in the form of the time pads. These allow Clank to ‘record’ numerous versions of himself, allowing him to be in more than one place at once. This is necessary to cross certain rooms which feature switches, doors and moving platforms. It all sounds quite simple but by the time you reach the later sections of the game, these puzzles can become mind-bendingly complex, requiring you to record, and overwrite your recordings, numerous times in order to advance. For younger players – or those who just can’t be bothered  – the game offers you the option of skipping these sections, but it’s certainly satisfying to beat some of the later puzzles .While A Crack in Time doesn’t deviate far from the earlier games in the series, it’s hard to criticise Insomniac for following a winning formula. Not only are Ratchet’s combat sections as fun as ever, the hoverboots add a new dimension to the platforming while the excellent puzzles in Clank’s sections offer some brain food in the midst of the action. And, as always, it’s all wrapped up in excellent presentation and storyline which not only offers the occasional nod to those who have been following the series since the beginning, it also manages to be accessible to newcomers.