TEH. BEST. GAMES. EVAR.
By Andr'e Swartley

Issue #25
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Platform: Playstation 3
Rating: E for Everyone

You may be thinking that I'm resting on my laurels and reprinting one of my earlier Icon reviews of a PS3 Ratchet & Clank game, but look again! This review concerns A Crack in Time, which completes the story arc begun by the games I reviewed last fall, Tools of Destruction and the downloadable Quest for Booty. Tragically for R&C fans, Insomniac Games has hinted that A Crack in Time might just be the last game in the series. Still, if so, the lombax-and-robot duo has gone out with a bang.

So far, there have been five proper Ratchet & Clank games for home consoles (three on PS2, two on PS3), one for the Sony PSP, a Ratchet-centric arena fighter called Deadlocked, a pair of Clank games on the PSP, and the DLC episode I mentioned above. Needless to say, Ratchet & Clank have been a gaming force since they hit the scene in 2002. The secrets to their success? Responsive controls, outstanding level design, sharp and colorful graphics, witty writing and voice acting, and wildly inventive gadgets.

Wrapped up in all of those traits is something even rarer in the sequel-ridden video game industry: willingness to evolve. For example, ever since the first game, Clank has functioned as Ratchet's own sentient backpack, helping Ratchet decode messages or jump higher with jet engines, helicopter rotors, and hang glider wings. A Crack in Time, however, is the only game in the series that keeps Ratchet & Clank completely separate for the entire story, forcing both of them to acquire new abilities and tools the other had provided in earlier titles.

You begin the game as Clank on a space station called the Great Clock, trying to escape the clutches of Dr. Nefarious. Nefarious is a fan-favorite villainous robot who first appeared in the third game, Up Your Arsenal. A custodial robot directs Clank toward safety and gives him an elaborate golden staff with which he can control time itself. And in that control lie Clank's central play mechanics.

As the game bounces between Clank's and Ratchet's corresponding stories, Clank must solver ever trickier time puzzles. The first puzzle, for example, allows Clank to "record" himself jumping on a button to open a door. But if he steps off of the button, the door closes. With the golden staff, Clank can simply "record" a second version of himself and run through the door while the first Clank stands obediently on the button. Clank can also create small bubbles of slowed time.

The time puzzles, all of which must be completed in under a minute, become tremendously complicated and entertaining as the game progresses. The only puzzle game that can compete with their cleverness is Portal (reviewed in the Icon two weeks ago). If any puzzle is too difficult for you, there is an option to skip it altogether-a lazy and boring choice, if I may share my opinion.

The Ratchet stages make up the largest portion of the game and feature all of the precise platforming, treasure hunting, and gadgetry the series is known for. But, as Clank isn't around, Ratchet must employ new toys such as the hover boots. These jet-powered shoes belonged to Ratchet's father (Yes, the game divulges secrets about Ratchet's past!) and allow Ratchet to cover vast amounts of ground quickly and hover across long jumps.

Like the worlds he must traverse, the impetus behind Ratchet's adventuring is larger this time around too. Every step he takes leads him closer to Clank, whom he knows was kidnapped by Dr. Nefarious to break into the Great Clock. Clank's precise relationship to the Great Clock is unclear until the end of the game, but it has something to do with the alien that created him. So both Ratchet and Clank spend the game learning about their fathers, leading to some surprisingly touching moments.

The third and final type of gameplay occurs in space as Ratchet flies between planets in his spaceship. You direct the ship in 360 horizontal degrees (no flying up or down) and can choose to fly to the next planet to advance the story or engage in optional side missions. These consist of exploring tiny planets of maybe 100 feet in diameter-similar planets appeared first in R&C: Going Commando and later in Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii-for treasure; towing friendly ships out of asteroid belts; or blasting bandits into space dust. As usual, you can also test your endurance in a battle arena for the game's best items. The only downside is that if you bother to complete the several dozen sidequests, they may start to feel a bit repetitive.

Tools of Destruction, the first PS3 Ratchet & Clank title, earned praise as the first console game that truly looked like a Pixar movie. A Crack in Time refines the graphics engine further, but adds a more cartoonish sheen. Perhaps this change helped developers maintain the blistering 60 frames per second at which the game runs, or perhaps it was simply an artistic choice. Either way it looks very good despite departing from the shiny, futuristic style of previous R&C games. Like I said, Insomniac has never been afraid to let their games evolve.

Variety and polish have always been hallmarks of Ratchet & Clank games, so it is no surprise that A Crack in Time boasts the most varied gameplay and polished presentation of them all. I'll be sad if it's the last in the series, but going out on a high note is never a bad thing.

Final Grade: B+