Can Insomniac Games reach their unusually high standards yet again? Does this measure up to the great R&C games of the past? (feature coming soon). Let’s find out.

Ratchet and Clank games have always been dear to my heart: some of my earliest gaming memories were of them, and I have loved, treasured and played au nauseam every one on the PS2 and PS3. So, for those of you who don’t know, voici une synopsis , as the French might say (if they spoke REALLY bad French…). You have Ratchet, a Lombax (basically a fuzzy bobcat thingy with a long tail), with an irritating tendency to save the world, make friends, get the girl and, worst of all, be likeable. Ratchet’s long term co-adventurer is Clank, a robot and brains and moral conscience of the outfit. They live in a sci-fi universe with wacky weapons, and tend to end up fighting bad guys. Right, now go and play a ratchet and clank game, OR continue to read if you still need convincing.

In Ratchet and Clank – A Crack in time, you have a game unlike many of the other big hitters of the 2009 holiday season: this is no Uncharted 2 or Forza 3. And I don’t mean that in terms of the setting, either – some games are awe inspiring epics, others are so fun that you play through with a silly grin on your face. This is of the latter category – no, it’s not perfect, but what it achieves it a joyful playability that will leave many fond memories of it.

Let’s start with the plot. In accordance with all previous Ratchet and Clank games, it shouldn’t be taken entirely seriously, being a bit of an excuse for some fun shooter-platformer gameplay. However, it has a few more searching moments that are surprisingly mature for its certificate (and I don’t mean mature in that way) – Clank has some real dilemmas that make the story more thoughtful. Ratchet gets a chance to think as well, but he’s never really been the intellectual of the duo. The plot itself focuses on time and its manipulation – a Great Clock, built in the centre of the universe – “give or take fifty feet” – that controls the very fabric of reality. Temporal mumbo-jumbo excepted, the story is a pretty good one.

The story arc from the Tools of Destruction series is brought to an acceptable conclusion, as well, although Talwyn Apogee does disappear with only a few mentions in the game. The secrets of the Lombaxes are not quite revealed, but then, if they had been, we couldn’t have had another game, so it might be for the best. References to the PS2 days of the saga are also nice (something about meteorites springs to mind…)

I hardly need to pass comment on the presentation of the game. Insomniac knows how to make a game well. The HUD and menus work flawlessly, and do nothing to obstruct from the overall experience, and are quite nice to look at, as well. The sounds are top-notch, as well. The voice actors, as per usual, are strong, and characters are expressed believably. The carnage that explodes, inevitably, around you, sounds as bombastic as it should do. Of particular note is the ridiculously overpowered RYNO 5 that plays the 1812 Overture, while destruction reigns around you. A new direction, compared to previous R&C games, has been taken regarding the world. Early games had a set of fairly linear levels that you could return to, and complete at different times. In A Crack in Time, though, you can engage in space combat on a 2D plane, exploring planets, moons and docking ports along the way. It’s not perfect, and might be seen as a little tame, but it’s a nice rest from the shooter/ platformer sections. I personally enjoyed fulfilling the little space missions given, usually, by hapless travellers. They’re usually easy, but they give you a rest and some bolts (the de facto currency of the galaxy) in your back pocket.

Visually as well, A Crack in Time brings a lot to the table. It doesn’t have Killzone 2’s grittiness, or Uncharted 2’s lush realism, but I for one love the glossy, almost cartoony visuals. They don’t detract from the plot, because as you may have worked out, the plot’s strength is that it is so implausible that suspension of disbelief allows pretty much anything, anyway. More to the point, the graphics make playing the game such a genuinely calming, as well as fun, experience. What is a game for, if you don’t enjoy it?
The tried and tested balance of shooter, platformer and RPG elements is in evidence here again, because, so the moniker goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. With this, you get lots weapons that are as ridiculous, stupid, superfluous, spectacular, anachronistic and disjointed as that simile. Honestly, nothing puts a smile on your face like taking out a wave of baddies with a mutant frog that burps. LOUDLY. Again, I won’t attempt to convince the FPS fanboys here( because I don’t enjoy failing ?), but I enjoyed the weapons more that pretty much any other set of video game guns that I’ve played with. A personal favourite is the Tesla Spikes, electrical receptacles that set up force fields and zap enemies when you set up a few near each other. A sensible upgrade system ensures that your favourite weapons upgrade the most, and with that your arsenal upgrades almost organically. You also get customisable guns, that you can alter in-battle, so that they might, for example, switch from a focus on taking out aircraft, to anti-personnel aims. If this all sounds complicated, it isn’t – you just find upgrades periodically that the game will explain as you go along. No, the weapons aren’t realistic. But they are fun… Moreover, you also get a few gadgets – my favourite is the hover boots, with which you can perform aerial stunts when you jump off some strategically placed ramps.

There’s some good longevity in the campaign. I took about 12 hours to blitz in on hard, and then about 20, in total, to get my platinum trophy. If you go for fully upgraded weapons, you could go another five or six hours on top of that. In fairness, I’m a bit of an old hand at this, so you may well find that you take longer than me. (If you take less time, then your tears are delicious to me…) Collecting zoni, (for ship upgrades), weapon mods and gold bolts (to buy skins for Ratchet) takes place both on planets and also on the moons that you’ll find scattered across the sectors that you visit. These are generally well worth the effort that you’ll put into finding them (if you’re not looking to just bomb through the story, although if you do I completely understand). When you finish the game, you get ‘challenge mode’ – basically, tougher enemies, but you can buy much more powerful guns. The result is that you can’t afford to get hit, but you’re probably more dangerous in terms of firepower.

I love this game. I love its charm, its lack of seriousness. I take delight in all the little things in it that proclaim how well made it is. Complaints have been made about it being more of the same, but as a fan of the series from its beginning, I can honestly say that it fulfilled my hopes, and more. If you like games, and want to try something a little different, or if you want some more Ratchet and Clank fun, you owe it to yourself to get this game.

+ Good story

+ Well balanced cast of characters

+ Fun gameplay

+ Open world

+ Attractive graphics

+More of the same

-More of the same

9/10

By Matt Innes Posted Friday, November 13th, 2009 6:51 pm