Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction's chaotic fighting and enormous, colourful environments made it one of the first technical showpieces for PS3 in 2007. Two years on, A Crack in Time shows that the duo still has the polish, but has the gameplay progressed?
If you've played a Ratchet & Clank game before, or any number of other 3D action adventure games, then there's a lack of mind-blowing set-pieces or surprising innovation in A Crack in Time. It's all very been-there-done-that.
Sticking to the same Ratchet formula, you're sent on a linear quest through a mix of platform and action levels, beefed up with some fairly chaotic shooting and brain-aching puzzles.
A Crack in Time separates the cuddly-looking Lombax and his robo-sidekick from the very beginning, kicking off where Quest for Booty left off - with the kidnapping of Clank at the hands of the Zoni and Ratchet setting off to rescue him.
This means that throughout the game your control alternates between the two, with Ratchet's levels taking a more action-orientated slant, brimming with enemies to blast, while Clank's stages are more puzzle-based, and this is where you'll see some of the game's most interesting new features.
Clank wields a staff weapon which emits orbs that expand to create domes inside which time is slowed. Enemies move more slowly, as do bullets and projectiles. It's a great battle tool when used, for example, to slow down a nimble mech or the bullets from a machine gun. There are also platform sections where the platforms are moving too fast to be stood on and need to be slowed down as you leap towards them.
Clank also has to deal with time manipulation puzzles in which you press a switch to record your movements, then play the recording back to make an alternate version of yourself re-enact those motions while you do something else.
So you could record yourself walking over to stand on a switch on the floor and activate that while you press another switch, activating both simultaneously to open a door. Now imagine a room with two, three or more of these recording devices, and multiple versions of yourself running all over the place. It's a headache and Insomniac knows it, because there's a 'skip' option. You'll lose currency (used to by weapons) for doing it though.
Skipping over to Ratchet, his stages are pretty much the same deal as before. His weapons are just as wacky as usual, with a few new inventions this time around. The new Sonic Erupter is basically an alien frog attached to a trigger that unleashes enemy-wrecking belches. Another weapon fires small spikes into the ground, forming electricity beams between multiple spikes.
You can charge up and fire giant balls of electricity at enemies and control the enormous bullets' trajectory by tilting the Sixaxis. And all these weapons can be upgraded as you build up XP with use or find upgrades in optional mini-levels.
Ratchet's levels treat you to some fairly mental boss battles, too. One has a central unit firing missiles while four rapidly-spinning turrets have you playing laser skipping at the same time. All that, and you have to aim and shoot the bloody thing, too.
The chaos during these fighting sections fills the screen with explosions and broken shards of metal, which is always satisfying, but most of the time there's very little strategy behind it. It's brainless - you just pick a weapon and go mental until the ammo's done, then use another.
This lack of strategy makes it frustrating when you end up dead in the mayhem, because it doesn't always seem avoidable. And a dodgy checkpoint system can sometimes put you back a fair way.
The controls don't help, either. They're so convoluted that each button has multiple functions based on context and the game even has you holding triggers in conjunction with button presses to complete different functions and attacks. You'll find yourself having to pay particular attention to which triggers need to be held down with which button to perform simple actions like throwing your ratchet.
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Official trailer
1:28Here's the guns!
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Official trailer
1:28Here's the guns!
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Ratchet's stages also throw you into a fair few platforming obstacles, which are well designed and fun but not particularly mind-blowing. You'll be blasting around on a pair of hover boots, leaping between moving platforms high in the air, walking up walls on magnetically-charged surfaces (Mario Galaxy-style) and grinding on poles through the futuristic cityscapes.
And all of this looks fantastic too. For visuals, R&C; can't be faulted. The environments are large open expanses, so full of detail and colour that it's comparable to a CG animated film. It's gorgeous, as are the cutscenes between levels, which also contain the same dry wit and playful comedy the series is known for.
These lush visuals are representative of A Crack in Time's polish - this is a solid game with solid platforming, fun gunplay and well thought-out puzzle design, with bags of character.
But it suffers, we think, mainly from the progression that games have made over the past two years. Super Mario Galaxy did amazing things with gravity and epic level design, while games like Uncharted 2 have raised the bar with in-game set-pieces that literally blow your mind. A Crack in Time is a quality adventure, just not up there with the top-tier of today.
More of the same doesn't really apply to me as i've only played ToD and that was a hell of a lot of fun. I would have played through it again for trophies but they never brought out a patch. This looks just as fun as the last game and it'll definitely be at the top of my list in November alongside Assassins Creed 2, i'll just wait till MW2's ridiculous price comes down
Well, I haven’t played the game but it strikes me as a bit of a subjective argument does this review.
I really don’t think the Halo games have evolved greatly over the years yet the general consensus is why fix what ain’t broke - at what point do they need to change the formula just to avoid being labelled with a lack of progression!
As I say, I haven’t played either this or ODST but I’ve played so many Halo games that I can’t imagine a short campaign extension and a rehash of the Halo 3 multiplayer is exactly a huge innovation either – yet CVG give it a 9/10. Just speculating here really…
So far it has been admirably restrained, I take it back. 3 .. 2 .. 1
You should go take a look at the Eurogamer forums for this, its a bomb scare. Some of them have even rounded on the reviewer calling her a stupid bitch.
I've been with this series since the very first game and you cant knock them for what they are. let's not forget every (over rated) mario game is exactly the same thing with the same characters and situations.
I'll take ratchet and Clank anyday over some of the utter toss what's being peddled these days and not everyone wants modern warfare 2! In fact I'll be glad when the game is out and forgotten so that I don't have to put up with any of the hype surrounding what is essentially just another generic FPS.
So far it has been admirably restrained, I take it back. 3 .. 2 .. 1
You should go take a look at the Eurogamer forums for this, its a bomb scare. Some of them have even rounded on the reviewer calling her a stupid bitch.
Fanboyism at its worst
Woah ...! Just had a look at Eurogamer for the first time, not as bad as N4G but another site that I wont be frequenting when looking for any Gaming news.
Fanboys really are a Cancer to our past time, the quicker someone finds a cure the better.
So far it has been admirably restrained, I take it back. 3 .. 2 .. 1
You should go take a look at the Eurogamer forums for this, its a bomb scare. Some of them have even rounded on the reviewer calling her a stupid bitch.
Fanboyism at its worst
Sounds like what happened here with the KZ2 review.
I agree there is no need for all the crazy fanboy loopyness - but, what somebody above said, is a very valid point and unfortunately often seems to rear its ugly head.
1 game is fine to be the same over and over
another game gets points deducted and put down because of it. And also yes, the 'same' comment is subjective as I have never played a ratchet game so to be it's all brand new
As core of 8 means to me that this is a proper solid game. I totally agree with marlonjb's comment above. If RC should achieve a higher score, it would have to think way outside the box, just to stand out from todays competition. Example: It would be cool to see Ratchet beeing dropped onto Earth, cartoon RC as we love it, but in a real world like Crysis/Uncharted/MW2, with real physics and ace grafics. Ratchets crazy weapons sending tanks flying, small tesla neutron robots flying around in our real world, blowing up buildings, stuff, trees, causing havoc fighting against... I don't know... whatever Now that's an obvious idea so maybe/hopefully it'll come. (Are you listening Insomniac )
They did it in the Simpsons, at the end of an episode where Homer gets dropped down in our world, landing head first in a dumpster and it was hilarious. But it should be super real. Like Uber crysis super ultrarealistik real. Except for Ratchet, who should look like always. But an 8 is good enough for me, because it tells me that I'll get what I want. A proper RC game.
So far it has been admirably restrained, I take it back. 3 .. 2 .. 1
You should go take a look at the Eurogamer forums for this, its a bomb scare. Some of them have even rounded on the reviewer calling her a stupid bitch.
Fanboyism at its worst
Woah ...! Just had a look at Eurogamer for the first time, not as bad as N4G but another site that I wont be frequenting when looking for any Gaming news.
Fanboys really are a Cancer to our past time, the quicker someone finds a cure the better.
I'm not a member there, but the site itself is OK. Though I've seen a few SVD posts there before. Do I need to say any more???
So far it has been admirably restrained, I take it back. 3 .. 2 .. 1
You should go take a look at the Eurogamer forums for this, its a bomb scare. Some of them have even rounded on the reviewer calling her a stupid bitch.
Fanboyism at its worst
Woah ...! Just had a look at Eurogamer for the first time, not as bad as N4G but another site that I wont be frequenting when looking for any Gaming news.
Fanboys really are a Cancer to our past time, the quicker someone finds a cure the better.
I'm not a member there, but the site itself is OK. Though I've seen a few SVD posts there before. Do I need to say any more???
Urgh - the Eurogamer forums....the way I see it, there are 3 types of EG posters:
1. The well balanced individual - doesn't rant, just adds to the comments and sticks to the point. 2. The utterly rabid fanboy - they tend to be worse there. 3. The elitist snob - they bang on and on about obscure games and seem to have played everything that's ever been released. They act as if no-one else knows anything and they're always right.
The funniest thing is when there is something music related on there. Hilarious.
I love these games and a solid 8 seems like a proper score. Im sick of seeing games in the 9's when they shouldn't be. bashing it saying its the same formula is stupid though as the games that actually innovate are very scarce but dont seem to be marked down.
Just downloaded the clank demo off the us playstation store, it's awesome (great time puzzles, sharp script, lovely platforming, hitting things with a big stick). Don't think fans will be disappointed.
And just so I don't disappoint Stonecold MC and the rest of you guys waiting for some fanish rebuttal of the review score i think it's somewhat unfair "Mike" states: "...walking up walls on magnetically-charged surfaces (Mario Galaxy-style)" when this feature was also present in Tools of destruction which was released prior to SMG(which also makes his concluding statement about SMG pushing the genre foward with it's use of gravity pretty much null and void). Considering this "Mike" is seemingly well acquinted enough with the franchise to dismiss this entry as derivative of previous installments you'd have thought he'd of realised that. Unless of course he's somekind of biased, Atari ST fan boy? I rest my case.
Just downloaded the clank demo off the us playstation store, it's awesome (great time puzzles, sharp script, lovely platforming, hitting things with a big stick). Don't think fans will be disappointed.
And just so I don't disappoint Stonecold MC and the rest of you guys waiting for some fanish rebuttal of the review score i think it's somewhat unfair "Mike" states: "...walking up walls on magnetically-charged surfaces (Mario Galaxy-style)" when this feature was also present in Tools of destruction which was released prior to SMG(which also makes his concluding statement about SMG pushing the genre foward with it's use of gravity pretty much null and void). Considering this "Mike" is seemingly well acquinted enough with the franchise to dismiss this entry as derivative of previous installments you'd have thought he'd of realised that. Unless of course he's somekind of biased, Atari ST fan boy? I rest my case.
Are you really going to quibble over a difference of about a week in between the releases of R&C:ToD and SMG? They were both launched October/November 2007...
Although given that the idea for SMG came directly from the 'Mario 128' demo in 2000, and work began sometime in 2004, whilst the respective R&C game was announced in 2006, I don't really think there's an argument there.
Nice review, 8 outa 10 is a really decent score. I just wish this series would be more inspired by Marios format rather than nicking an idea here and there.
Pick rent this one for a night based on the review as its rather surprising.
And just so I don't disappoint Stonecold MC and the rest of you guys waiting for some fanish rebuttal of the review score i think it's somewhat unfair "Mike" states: "...walking up walls on magnetically-charged surfaces (Mario Galaxy-style)" when this feature was also present in Tools of destruction which was released prior to SMG(which also makes his concluding statement about SMG pushing the genre foward with it's use of gravity pretty much null and void). Considering this "Mike" is seemingly well acquinted enough with the franchise to dismiss this entry as derivative of previous installments you'd have thought he'd of realised that. Unless of course he's somekind of biased, Atari ST fan boy? I rest my case.
If we're going to be pedantic about it Sonic Adventure 2 had gravity sections in the latter levels so that was before either of them
Although given that the idea for SMG came directly from the 'Mario 128' demo in 2000, and work began sometime in 2004, whilst the respective R&C game was announced in 2006, I don't really think there's an argument there.
The game might have been announced in 2006 but I'd imagine the idea etc was around for a lot longer than that.
Tried the demo on PSN, very good but not really my type of game. I'd imagine all R&C fans will love it.
loved the demo. i was way better at the puzzles than i thought i would be. no way near as awesome as galaxy, but that would be asking a bit much. it's still a solid and beautiful platformer.
I'll definitely be picking this up sometime in the future. Unfortunately, there are far too many games keeping me occupied at the moment for it to be a 1st day buy. I'll probably pick it up over the xmas hols.
All in all it's a fair enough score, 8 is by no means bad, andlike a lot of others I'm kinda fed up seeing every other game get 9's and 10's. It means that when a really deserving game comes along and get a 9 no one takes any notice. Really anything above a 6 should be viewed as a solid game.
The only thing that p**ses me off about this review, and a few others I haver read is that they go on about the planet levels being like SMG, eh, anyone of these reviewrs ever played any other R&C games? I mean by the way they go on about it being the same old formula they must have played every R&C game? Well clearly not many of them have, as if they had then they'd be well aware that R&C featured that type of gameplay back in R&C 2 on the PS2! I hate reviews! just play the demo and make up your own mind.
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Looks fantastic
)
It should have only scored 6 if the rather lame demo in anything to go by 
