Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time Review

Ratchet and Clank has always been one of Sony's landmark franchises. Since their debut in 2002 the Lombax and robot duo have gone to produce seven games spanning two consoles. Now ''A Crack In Time'' is here to finish off the PS3 platforming trilogy and like every other game in the long running series it's a great send off.

The story concludes the 'Future' timeline with Ratchet finally finding his friend Clank who has been whisked away by the mysterious Zoni to the great clock, an enormous space station that balances time across the cosmos. Unfortunately Dr Nefarious returns after seven long years of absence with a sinister plot to use the clock to his advantage. The story is divided between Ratchet trying to find the clock's location and rescue his companion with the help of General Azimuth, a fugitive Lombax who holds key information on Ratchet's species. On the other side of the coin you have Clank realising his duty to protect the clock and meeting Orvus, a former protector of the clock who has since disappeared into obscurity. The story will be incredibly satisfying and fulfilling for fans who have played the series since ''Tools of Destruction'' with every loose end and question being answered. New players need not worry as an introduction video catches players up to speed on the Future trilogy. Regardless all players should find the story a delight with the sharp characters and witty dialogue the series is known for shining through.

The formula remains as simple as ever, run, jump and glide through varied worlds to collect items, destroy enemies and trigger the next story cut scene. A Crack In Time introduces a few new features like a fully flyable galaxy map where you can complete side missions from travellers and land on spherical worlds. Beating these earns you a Zoni capture or a weapon upgrade. New constructo weapons allow players to mix and match different modifications on a pistol, shotgun and bomb glove. It's a great idea for the series but it could have been expanded more to give players more creativity. Everything in the game is upgradeable, weapons still upgrade when you use them, armour upgrades can be bought from vendors and Ratchet's ship gains upgrades when a certain number of Zoni are acquired. There also titanium bolts to find and skill points to earn if players are so inclined.

Players will get a solid twelve hours out of A Crack In Time. It's longevity is bolstered slightly by online leader boards, challenge mode where enemies are toughened, a surprise for catching all 40 Zoni scattered across the game, trophy support and an arena mode about halfway through the game. Unfortunately there is no coop or multiplayer option which is a shame considering Insomniac's efforts with the Resistance series. Fans of the series will enjoy playing through again to max out every weapon and collecting everything the game has to offer but serious multiplayer gamers will be rather disappointed with the game's single player focused approach.

The game play in ACIT remains as tight as ever. The combat as Ratchet is fast and furious. Platforming gets a boost through the new hover boots which the Lombax can use to nip around the more wide open areas and speed other jumps and ramps. The wrench tever also returns allowing Ratchet to pick up objects and throw them. Combat takes centre stage on Ratchets side though there are some light puzzles involving picking up one item and taking it to another. The series has always had fantastic weapons and once again A Crack in Time nails it with new toys including the Sonic Eruptor a frog creature that belches sonic waves, the spiral of death, a fan created weapon that shoots electric discs and a new sniper weapon that targets weak spots. Gone are the excessive mini games that distracted from the platforming in Tools of Destruction, which switches the focus back to what the series was known for.

But it's the time manipulation puzzles with Clank on the Great Clock which really expand the series. There are 2 to four pads which clank can record an action on like stepping on a button opening a door to a switch or lowering an elevator. From there Clank can then use the other pads to record himself multiple times, performing many actions to open a door to the next platforming section. It's a brilliant and innovative idea that really makes the game stand out from other platformers. Clank has received a boost to his helicopter jump, allowing him to clear longer gaps in the platforming sections. The combat takes back stage with time bombs slowing enemies down for a strike or two with Clank's new chronoscepter which is also used to repair broken areas of the clock. Much later in the game the duo are reunited and can combine their abilities together in combat which provides some variation. ACIT doesn't stray from the original formula making it a blast to play for old and new fans alike.

As you would expect by now A Crack In Time is gorgeous both technically and artistically. There is little graphical difference between it and Tools of Destruction but this is counterbalanced by more variation in the worlds you'll visit from the bright blue cities to the golden Agorian Canyon. The writing isn't the funniest in the series but the lines are well delivered and fit the characters well. Great music tunes into every skirmish perfectly and weapon effects are as satisfying as ever.

Ratchet and Clank Future A Crack In Time has ended the PS3 series well. It's unknown where the series will go from here but if you're looking for a great platformer for your PS3 library you can't go wrong with this one.

Rating: 8.5/10