Ratchet and Clank: A Crack In Time Review - PS3

8.5

Gameplay: 9
Graphics: 8
Audio: 8
Innovation: 7

Introduction

Taking after games like Banjo-Kazooie, buddy platformers started to pop up back in 2002, games where a duo of characters shared the position of main character and teamed up to tackle various challenges. The Ratchet and Clank and Jak and Daxter series are of course the prime examples of this. Where Ratchet and Clank differed the most from others in the genre was in the interesting balance of third person shooter elements mixed with a healthy dose of platforming elements. With the release of the PS3, Insomniac jumped right on board by announcing a new trilogy of Ratchet and Clank games, with A Crack In Time being the third and final one.

Gameplay

As the final part of the trilogy, A Crack In Time serves to wrap up the story established by the previous two games. Clank is currently missing, apparently kidnapped by beings known as the Zoni, and Ratchet is on a mission to locate and rescue him. It is soon revealed that the Zoni kidnapped Clank on the orders of Dr. Nefarious (the villain of the third Ratchet game on PS2), and so Ratchet ends up facing off against him while Clank simultaneously tries to escape his clutches. As such, the gameplay is broken up into two distinct parts where you play as either Ratchet or Clank. Ratchet’s levels fall in line with what we’ve come to expect from the series, lots of action with some large environments to explore and a few puzzles here and there. As usual, these levels take Ratchet from planet to planet throughout the universe, all the while in search of his missing buddy.

Ratchet’s levels are definitely the highlight of the game, with incredibly varied levels and seamless transitions between the combat, platforming and exploration. One of the things that the Ratchet and Clank games have always done well is to give the player a large amount of freedom in the way they make their way through the game. While the flow of the game is about as linear as it gets, with Ratchet travelling to each location in a set order, the way players accomplish their goal is up to them. A part of this is thanks to the large and varied arsenal of weapons on offer, more of which become available as players progress. From a simple blaster gun to a plasma whip, even a weapon which creates portals to another dimension, you can dispatch your enemies any way you see fit. Something that hasn’t been seen before in the Ratchet and Clank series is the ability to personally modify your weapons. While some games have offered the chance to buy mods for your weapons, A Crack In Time allows you to do this in a far more natural way. Travelling throughout the Universe, Ratchet will stumble across various mods for his weapons, which can be equipped any way you choose. While there are only a few select weapons that can be modded this way, they make a big difference, and it’s a ...