Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Review
Ratchet and Clank are back again to protect the universe. This time around you will get to play as both Ratchet and Clank as you try to stop Dr. Nefarious from trying to control the flow of time in the universe. This is the first outing for the franchise onto the PlayStation 3.
Graphically, the smooth, cartoony look looks stunning. There's only some slight issues when moving around quickly through the level, but for the most part everything looks smooth, there's no jagged edges. The creative look to each weapon is a personal favorite of mine, its easy to tell what you're unleashing upon your enemies. The level designs all have their special looks, even the small planets/moons that you can venture upon have an almost Super Mario Galaxy feel to them.
The dialog in this game is something that sets it apart from almost all other 3D platformers. Some of the characters will make you laugh and others will make you just shake your head and cause you to be embarrassed for them. The musical selection for this game fits the bill, you're going to get that Sci-Fi vibe, and it fits with everything.
It only took a little bit of time to get used to the controls, my biggest hurdle was trying to switch between weapons quickly. One kind reminder is that when you bring up the wheel of weapons, game time stops, so don't try to rush through the screens, or you'll end up doing what I did often and that's select the wrong weapon and end up taking some pain.
So you are going to get to play as Ratchet who is trying to find his friend Clank, who was kidnapped by the Zoni. You'll gain a very large arsenal of weapons ranging from a gun that shoots lasers to a gun that creates a rift in space and has a space monster attack your opponents. You'll also meet some helpful, and some not so helpful characters along the way. You'll have to visit a lot of different destinations in your search for Clank. You'll also get to take control of Clank and try to protect the place that you're trapped at, the Great Clock. This is more about getting through different puzzles that will require you to record actions and then replay them to open up doors. You'll find that there are many out there who want to seize control of the clock and control the flow of time, but with the combined forces of Ratchet and Clank, you have a shot at saving the universe. Speaking of the weapons, I have to say that I like the fact that the more you use the weapon the stronger it gets, up to level 5. There are some small issues with the game, there's some lag when pressing buttons in intense moments, and there's also the fact that sometimes your auto targeting gets a little off and you'll end up wasting precious bullets. There's also the issue with the game realizing that its almost at the end and throwing hordes of enemies at you to try to make you play a bit longer, and use a bit more strategy to navigate through the last couple parts.
If you're looking for a solid platforming game for the PlayStation 3, you can't go wrong with this game. This was enjoyable, for the most part, and I highly recommend that you, the reader, take this game for a spin. This game gets an 8.6 out of 10.
