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REVIEW - Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

Another victorious Ratchet game for the PS3 shines in our review of Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is a direct sequel to Tools of Destruction. Insomniac has been pretty busy lately and A Crack in Time is proof of it.

Gameplay

Like Tools of Destruction, ACIT is a platforming action / adventure title. Clank has been kidnapped by Dr. Nefarious who is trying to unlock secrets within Clanks brain. Ratchet and Captain Qwark are searching the Omni-verse to save Clank. Because of how the story draws out, players will be playing through different levels controlled by either Ratchet or Clank. As you progress through the game you will gain experience, new weapons and random upgrades.

Random hidden upgrades like golden bolts and Constructo Mods are used to upgrade weapons and get extra Bolts which are used as currency. Finding these hidden items keeps things interesting. Finding Zoni that are scattered through the worlds is also a nice challenge as these little hive-mind characters play a part in the story and help you gain experience.

Audio

The story is extremely engaging and the voice acting is very well executed as is expected from Insomniac titles. Qwark is down right hilarious; he constantly whips out riotous banter as well as speaks in third person to add his own narration to the game. Dr. Nefarious is also no slouch when it comes to raising the comic levels in A Crack In Time.

Art & Animation

As with the last Ratchet & Clank Future game, the graphics are gorgeous. The framerate constantly moves at 60 frames per second without diminishing the quality of texture maps or lighting. Speaking of the lighting, it is even more refined this time around than the first R&CF game. Everything looks even deeper this time around. Gorgeous particle and light effects are ever present throughout the game. The typically lighthearted, cartoony style of the previous R&CF title is present but in this version the models and designs look a little more sophisticated and have a slightly darker feel to them.

Environments look amazing and are much more animated than the first title. Also, due to circumstances in the story, various areas of the game are either frozen or fluctuating through time. Weapons are very well designed and are equally hilarious. The Sonic Eruptor, which is an alien frog attached to a trigger, belches out a loud mating call which destroys anything in front of it. Another weapon called Mr. Zurkon is a sprite that follows you around protecting you, shooting anything it sees and talks trash. It will say variety of comical one-liners such as “Mr. Zurkon cannot wait to kill you!” The ability to change the color scheme of your weapons is also a nice touch. Everything in A Crack in Time is designed with so much sophistication and detail, especially the environments.

The Final Verdict

I would be lying if I said that Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time is not a keeper. Typical adult male gamers might probably be turned off by the cartoony art style but I say “too bad for them”. True hardcore gamers will give this title a shot and they’ll be pleased with the satisfying gameplay and outstanding visual quality. Insomniac seems to be one of the very few studios out there that have really been able to tap into the PS3’s power despite it’s complex architecture. Bravo!