Ratchet and Clank: A Crack In Time Review - 9/10
To say developers Insomniac know their way around a good platform action game would be an understatement. They were responsible for 2 years of the Spyro series and are the geniuses behind the Ratchet and Clank series. Which brings us to the most recent title: Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack In Time. A Crack in Time completes the trilogy story arc of the “Future” series, which began in Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and continued in Insomniacs pocket-sized adventure Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty. Don’t fret about not playing the other games, as the game has an incredibly useful recap video narrated by Captain Qwark while the game is installing. The adventure that follows is a fantastic mixture of humour, drama and explosive gameplay.
Straight off the bat, it is clear that Insomniac have stepped up the level of graphical quality from its predecessors. Both in-game graphics and cutscenes have been delivered to a higher standard and Insomniac must be commended for this. One notable change is that of Ratchet himself. Whilst in over-the-shoulder view, the level of detail in Ratchets fur is incredible. The fire graphic and mechanic was also modified, and fire now feels like it’s meant to be there unlike previous Ratchet titles. Insomniac also brought the water script from Resistance 2 and it moves with the depth of real water, such as when you’re hoverbooting over it. Clank also gets good coverage. His metal body shines with polish The Great Clock has been polished to really bring out that metallic feel it would have. The shading and lightning also does a very good job at making it look and feel like one of the most important places in the galaxy. A Crack In Time also continues the series’ reputation for a great soundtrack as it complements each stage of the game and does its job in immersing you to the game.
The gameplay in A Crack In Time varies from each character you control. Clank gets a lot more screen time this time round and you will use him to do a variety of mini-games and puzzles. The recording sections where Clank has to use recorded versions of him to open doors are one of the most innovative puzzle-solving sections of a game I have ever seen. Clank also has the ability to throw time-bombs which slow down time to whatever is in the spherical bomb. This is not only a very useful tool but it really shows off the physics engine Insomniac used in this game. Ratchet’s gameplay sections are unfortunately more of the same. While the traditional Ratchet gameplay is downright fun, the same recipe has been used ever since Drek’s Demise and, in a way, its growing old. Thankfully Insomniac have chucked in some very interesting mechanics to add depth to Ratchet’s gameplay. Most notable of which is the hoverboots, which are a revamped version of the charge boots but this time around certain planets have dedicated sections to hovebooting, which most definitely opens up Ratchets gameplay and capitalises on the nature of the platform genre. And speaking of platforming, you will be doing a lot of it.
One of the new features added into a Crack In Time is the open space exploration sections, which are definitely a step up to Tools of Destructions average space battles. Space itself is broken up into various sections and you are free to roam space and land on spherical moons in search of hidden collectables. Kudos to Insomniac as landing on these moons requires no loading time and run incredibly smooth. The only downside to the space exploration is that your ship can only move in 2 degrees. You are unable to fly the ship upwards of downwards, only left, right, forwards and backwards. At first this is annoying but you quickly grow into it.
The weapons in a Crack In Time are just as amazing. Insomniac has been making wacky and crazy weapons ever since the first Ratchet and Clank and they continue to keep pumping out original, innovative and utterly awesome ideas. As other Ratchet games, these weapons can be upgraded a lot, rewarding players for certain weapon combinations they grow into. Unique to this game is the Constructo line of weapons, which are a group of weapons that you can modify what the weapon does. Constructo mods are hidden throughout the universe and it is very fun to see how deadly you can get your weapon to be. As well as this there is the hilarious video heads-up from Grummelnet you receive after you buy a weapon. This level of detail was not asked for and it’s quite a welcome feature to the game.
Because of its lack in multiplayer (which I personally would have loved to see), there is no real point of playing the game again. Added incentives like trophies might push you for a challenge mode playthrough or searching every nook and cranny for collectibles. But all in all this game’s replay value is more of the same. You’ll play it once or twice, and then let it collect dust or sell it. Don’t be alarmed though, as the game has plenty of stuff to do and I can guarantee you won’t be able to put it down after starting.
Conclusion
Ratchet and Clank: A Crack In Time is a excellently crafted game with amazing graphics and environments. The gameplay, although being based around the aging formula of Ratchet and Clank, is still tight and battle sequences are short enough to feel epic but not long enough to feel boring. The weapons are unique, and the all new space exploration will have you hooked. To all gamers who want something different out there, this is definitely a title you don’t want to miss.
Presentation – 9/10
Except for some infrequent instances, Insomniac have nailed the graphical and audio quality of the game.
Gameplay – 8.5/10
Although it may still be based around the gameplay recipe they’ve used since Drek’s Demise, Insomniac have added extra features that do not make the gameplay boring.
Value – 8/10
You’ll definitely want to play 1 or 2 times, and spend countless hours exploring the vast universe, but after that, there’s not much to do.
Score - 9/10
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