A Review - By Gaetano Prestia
The platformer video-game genre has evolved dramatically over the years, from the ageless Super Mario Bros. of the NES days, to the Donkey Kong Country of the SNES generation, through to the Super Mario 64 bliss in the N64 era. There is no doubt that Nintendo and their happy-go-lucky Italian plumber have defined the plaforming genre. But there were plenty of other successful forays from competitor’s of the game heavyweight. Sonic the Hedgehog is a well-known and enjoyable character that has now joined forces with Mario. Unfortunately, he hasn’t seen the success of his early 16-bit days transformed quite as successfully into modern-day gaming as the trade-man from Brooklyn. The Playstation has also had its fair-share, with Croc and Spyro entertaining gamers everywhere.
There is one franchise however that has consistently, like Mario, provided an enthralling and exciting adventure. The Ratchet and Clank series has spanned over five titles (four on Playstation 2 and one of PSP) and the series’ combat gameplay, wide array of weaponry and upgrades and slapstick humour has made it one of the most critically and commercially successful franchises to appear on Sony consoles. With their 5th title, Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction, they step into the new-generation of gaming and onto the Playstation 3 and everything players have come to love about the perfect video-game duo is present, from the advanced weapon upgrades, quick but highly entertaining boss fights and challenging in-game puzzles.
The Good
There’s always something to do in Tools of Destruction. Collecting items has always been a big part of Ratchet and Clank titles and not a second goes by when there isn’t something to collect. A platformer can just be jumping from one area to another and destroying enemies in your wake, ultimately leading you to a boss fight, but with Ratchet and Clank you progress with the drive to advance. What we mean by that is that to be entirely successful in this title, you have smash and bash everything in sight that can be destroyed. By doing this you’ll collect thousands of bolts or pieces of 'raritanium' which can then be traded in for weapon purchases and upgrades. Because the reward for collecting so much is so high, it encourages you to explore the levels as much as possible and take out every single enemy you come across instead of bypassing the difficult ones by hopping onto a rail or jumping out of attack range.
The weapon range is by far the best in the series. There’s a wide range of weapons available, each of which have a number of upgrades that increase their destructive capabilities and ammo storage, among other things. There are particular weapons and devices that stand out, such as the Groovitron which acts a dancing ball and causes all enemies in close proximity to drop everything and get their groove on. This leaves themvulnerable and completely unaware of your attacks, making them an easy kill. The Groovitron also fits in perfectly with the humorous feel of the title. While the other weapons and devices aren’t necessarily as creative or enjoyable, they are just as, if not more, effective and there is never a moment where you’ll be truly disadvantage through having one weapon and not another.
As far as gameplay goes, Tools of Destruction plays as close to perfection as you can get. You have the typical double-jump, free-flowing and loose movement, solid combat and good weapon handling. There will be instances where you’ll have to re-try over and over again to reach a certain point, as per usual with a platformer, however these instances are hardly caused by an inadequate control set-up. The title as a whole is very easy to pick-up and play and does so smoothly.
The sound is fantastic and adds both atmospheric presence and humor to the title. The voice-overs are brilliantly acted, the sound effects are great and the soundtrack is emotional and superb.
One aspect that has always been a strong part of Ratchet and Clank games is the humor. The chatter between Ratchet and Clank is as funny as ever, as is the chat from enemies and even the voice-overs throughout the city will make you give off a little chuckle. The dialogue has been fantastically written and the humor is one aspect that has been maintained perfectly from previous entries into the series.
Tools of Destruction is somewhat of a Playstation 3 graphical showcase. You won't be looking at realism but rather an ultra stylized world that has a smooth lay-out and the level design is fantastic. There is barely an in-game hitch, even when there is a large number of enemies on screen and the draw-distance is also something quite impressive.
The title is also incredibly deep. You’re looking at around 12-14 hours of gameplay through the single-player mode and that's not including a second and third play through. There is plenty to unlock and challenges to face and you also have skill points and skins to unlock.
The Bad
With Tools of Destruction there are particular instances where the game feels a little too-linear for its own good. This is evident particularly at the beginning of the title which isn’t the best way to start off a game. For some this may deem discouraging however you shouldn’t let it deter you from playing the rest of the game. The only problem is that it feels as though you’re being guided too much into the right direction in some areas, while others are much more vast and open to be explored. So there is a littleinconsistency in this instance.
There is also the problem of the grind rails. In videos and gameplay demonstrations, these looked pretty fun, but once you actually play the title and see how on-rails they are (pun intended) they feel incredibly unnecessary. Had they been used in a different fashion with more user interaction then they could of worked, but the fact that all you do is jump from one to the other and avoid on-coming trains that don’t approach you all that fast, it brings the creativity of the title down a tad.
The camera could be improved for future iterations. At times it didn’t move around you in the best fashion and the lack of an auto lock-on also hurt the gameplay aspect.
Overall
9.2/10
Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction is a fantastic platformer. It could also be considered the best in the series.
Gameplay
9.0/10
A smooth and easy lay-out that allows you to crash and bash at will. The camera is a bit of a let-down, as is the lack of an auto lock-on.
Graphics
9.0/10
Great cut-scenes, funny character design and gorgeous, interactive environments. Hardly a glitch and one of the best looking titles on the PS3.
Sound
9.5/10
Fantastic sound effects, great voice-acting and an emotional soundtrack.
Value
9.5/10
You’re looking at about 12 hours the first play through but you’ll want to play it again. There’s so much to collect, fight, damage and score that even a second play-through might not be enough.
The Final Verdict
9.2/10
Perhaps the best in the series. The weapons, gameplay, humor, sound and lastability all make this a worth-while purchase for any Playstation 3 owner.
Submitted by Gaetano
08/01/2008
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