Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time is the direct sequel to the 2008 title Quest For Booty released on 27 September in the US and 4th November in the UK developed by Insomniac Games exclusively for the PlayStation 3, it takes place about 6 years after the original Ratchet and Clank game and is perhaps the final installment in the “Future” series of the game.
The story focuses on Ratchet who is still searching for Clank when Clank was abducted by the mysterious Zoni who are in a partnership with the Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal villain Dr. Nefarious, along with his butler Lawrence, who once again returns as the main antagonist of the game. Accompanying Clank in the game while he is trapped in “The Great Clock” is robot called Sigma 0462A or simply called Sigmund who is a Junior Caretaker there whom Clank befriends, Sigmund help’s accompany Clank in most of their missions together. Accompanying Ratchet in the game, Copernicus Leslie Qwark or simply known as Captain Qwark and Lombax called General Alister Azimuth who is a friend of Ratchet’s father and was once the leader of the Lombaxes. Azimuth has a variety of equipment including a very large double-sided wrench, hover boots and also has a pocket watch containing a picture of him and Ratchet’s father. Azimuth seeks a way to turn back time to save the Lombaxes from Tachyon and so agrees to help Ratchet to find Clank.
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Now let’s move on to the game play. There are many new levels in the game which allows players to explore more and many levels have hidden areas as well. Quite a few of the weapons in the game are the same as from the previous games, although many new weapons have been added such as the Spiral of Death, Groovitron Glove among others while some returning weapons such as the Rift Inductor, The Negotiator, Buzz blades and Mr. Zurkon. New feature in the game include the new “Constructo Weapons”. There are a total of three constructo weapons namely the Constructo Pistol, the Constructo Shotgun and the Constructo Bomb which are highly customizable weapons in which you can change a weapons paint, ammo type, type of barell, explosions etc. Constructo mods can be found throughout the Galaxy and there are a total of 21 Constructo mods. Along with these weapons the OmniWrench Millennium 12, as it’s called, also makes a return appearance from Quest for Booty, it also features a Kinetic Tether which can be used for many purposes i.e. pulling a shield out of an enemies hand. Ratchet also gains a pair of Hover Boots which allows fast travel to an area and can also be used for gliding to a certain place.
The old Gold Bolt collecting from the previous games has also made a return appearance which help you unlock certain character skins, there are a total of 40 Gold Bolts in the game hidden throughout the Galaxy. Skill points are once again also featured in the game, which unlock Cheats and other things if you fulfill their requirements. A Crack in Time also features collecting “Zoni” which help upgrade your ship with stronger weapons, help you level up your experience among other benefits there are also a total of 40 Zoni scattered throughout the Galaxy. A new and very important aspect of the game is Space exploration a newly added feature which allows Ratchet, on his ship Aphelion,to explore space where he can do side quests to gain bolts, collect Zoni and Gold Bolts. Zoni and Gold Bolts can also be found on small spherical moons. There are a total of 5 sectors in the game where you can go for main story quests or to collect Zoni, Gold Bolts or do anything else you have in mind each sector, excluding the Corvus sector, have 10 Zoni each. The game also features a Space Radio and Pirate Radio with “Rusty” Pete (from the previous games) as the radio host. Clank has a bigger role in game play in this game than any other Ratchet and Clank game. Clank with some help from his father Orvus can throw some time bombs which can slow down time in a certain area and can be thrown as many times as you want, although only one time bomb can exist at a time which Sigmund calls a “precaution”. Clank also carries a big heavy scepter when hit on a broken object can cause the object to repair itself and the scepter itself can be used to fight of enemies and can also be used to deflect certain blasts of energy. Clank can also record multiple versions of himself on certain pads which allows him to complete some puzzles in the game. The Insomniac Moon, if any of you remember it from the previous games, also makes an appearance and is unlocked when you fulfill a certain quest in the game. After beating the game the first time the Challenge mode starts which allows players to start the game again with all of their equipment and weapons and you can also upgrade all your weapons to Omega versions. There are a total of 37 trophies in the game with 17 hidden trophies and the game overall is about 12 – 14 hours long.
As far as the visuals are concerned, CIT stays true to its predecessor, and maintains a rather simplistic and clean look overall. This, of course, isn't a bad thing at all, as it gives the game a unique 'toon'-ish appeal. Cut scenes vary from great to pixar-esque quality, and do a great job of drawing you into the game and making the characters all the more likeable for you. On a technical level, it's worth mentioning that the game runs at a brisk 60 frames per second. However, this comes at cost of a drop in the native resolution, which shows in the limited texture detail. The goal here was to create a clean and sharp-looking game that runs as smooth as possible, and the team at Insomniac has done fantastic job of achieving it. What's even more impressive is the game's artistic appeal. All characters ranging from Ratchet and Clank down to every single enemy, animate very convincingly and help to capture that 'pixar' feel, which was mentioned earlier. What's even more impressive is the game's artistic appeal. All characters, ranging from Ratchet and Clank down to every single enemy, animate and move very convincingly. Facial expressions are also spot on, and give off some strong pixar vibes. It's not just the characters and how they move, however. The environments and levels are just as 'full of life', with plenty of visual effects and on-screen activity going on in the background.
Value/Worth: 8.5
The campaign lasts around 12 to 14 hours, though it doesn't just end there. The additional challenge mode should keep you entertained for a little longer.
Sound: 9.0
The dialogue is par excellence and the voice acting is pretty well done. As for the music, the game features some great tracks that are played out via the in-game radio. There's also something special for all the Beethoven fans out there.
Gameplay: 8.5
With a greater emphasis on Clank's solo missions as well as the all new space exploration, CIT does try to invigorate new ideas, the core gameplay remains true to its age old roots....it's time for an overhaul.
Multiplayer: N/A
This game is solely single-player.
Graphics: 9.0
Solid animations and clean visuals help to give CIT its own unique look. The environments and characters are brought to live with some great animations. Sharp and clean visuals help to give CIT its own unique look. The environments and characters are brought to life with some fabulous animations.
Overall: 8.5
While R&C veterans will dig the game for what it is, one can't help but get a sense of deja vu when playing CIT. Having said that, if you can overlook the somewhat lack of innovation, there is a lot of fun to be had. At the end of the day, that is what really matters, doesn't it?
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GoldenHawk,
Senior Editor @ PakGamers
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