This has been a long time coming, but I've finally managed to get a
review out on the highly anticipated debut of Ratchet and Clank on next
gen consoles. Like every Ratchet and Clank game, it's blow up first,
and platforming second. Luckily, the guys at Insomniac down right
perfected both kinds of gameplay, and the result is one of the best Ps3
exclusives to date.
This time around, the universe is being overtaken by Emperor Tachyon, a
little evil dude sworn to destroy every last Lombax alive. This takes
Ratchet and Clank across the universe, trying to save it piece by
piece, while trying to keep their own duo together. Ratchet is trying
to figure out the Lombax secret, while Clank is possibly going crazy,
because he can see these invisible robots called the Zoni, that can
uber-pwn anything in their path. There are a few slight twists and
turns in the story, and with some witty writing, as always, Tools of
Destruction has an overall decent story, that is worth paying attention
to.
As I said earlier, Ratchet and Clank Future one of the best Ps3
exclusives. This is due to many reasons, but it's the gameplay that
separates it from games like Uncharted and Heavenly Sword. The game is
called "Tools of Destruction" for a reason. That reason is that you
will be at the helm of dozens of weapons, all capable of blowing the
hell out of anything. There's a large variety to the weapons. There's
the combuster, which shoots fireballs, there's the shard reaper, that
reaps shards. There's an alpha cannon that obliterates anything, pretty
much, there's fusion bombs, an electric whip, and the list just goes
on. Each weapon is clearly capable of kicking ass. Some just do it
better than others.
Adding some depth to the already deep arsenal of weapons, is the
upgrade system. As you progress through the game, you pick up hundreds
of thousands of these bolts, which are the fruit of the battle, so it's
worth it to pick up as many as possible. These bolts can be used to
purchase ammo and new weapons, which is the only way to get new
weapons, so it's really important. Also, there's raritanium, which are
dropped by some of the tougher baddies. This is used to upgrade your
weapons. The upgrade screen is simple to use, as everything is in a
honeycomb type of setup. Attributes for your weapons are inside the
honeycombs, and your can purchase better attributes for your weapons,
such as more ammo capacity, and more damage. This is extremely helpful
in completing the game.
Also, the more you use your weapons, naturally,they get more powerful
on their own. So, if your can fully upgrade your weapon using
raritanium, and using your weapon a lot, then the name of your weapon
will change, and it will be the ultimate.
Ratchet and Clank is one of the best looking games out there. The
immense amount of detail is great, and everything looks like it is a CG
cutscene. Adding to that, artistically, this game is a real pallet. The
amount of color on the screen, and the shine and lighting effects, and
the enemy models, not to mention the non enemy character models are
fantastic. Explosions(which there are a lot of) look amazing.
Everything runs at a blistering 60 frames, without one drop, in the
entire game. Not one. And finally, if you haven't noticed from
screenshots, the game looks like a Pixar movie. No joke. This game
looks fantastic. There are no issues with physics, as gravity is in
full effect, and there are no clipping issues. Everything behaves
realistically. Hell, you just need to see this game in motion in your
living room, and the only way to do that is to play it.
The soundtrack is okay, and it sets the tone well. But, the series is
known for its witty writing. Tools of Destruction doesn't disappoint
there. Every line is hit perfectly, and it really adds to the
entertainment. It's what makes the already great story even better to
watch unfold. If you play through this whole game, and don't even smile
once, you are a robot, with no sense of humor whatsoever. There's
nothing that will really blow you away, but there's nothing to keep you
from turning the volume up. In surround, this could be a real aural
masterpiece.
As perfect as this game is, it isn't without its issues. For starters,
there are way too many things to do in this game. There are dance
minigames, which you must do 5 or 6 times, there are rails, which
undoubtedly are fun, but nonetheless odd. There are awkward SIXAXIS
minigames. Variety is great, but this game kind of pushes the limits.
There's no naggin issues with this, it's just that it can get a little
annoying.
Remember that huge arsenal of weapons? Yeah, that kind of makes the
game a little too easy. It doesn't take away from any of the fun, it
just kind of takes away from the challenge. At least the bosses are a
little difficult, especially the last one. Insomniac has a way of
balancing things out.
And my last complaint is the fact that you have to take control of
Clank on a few occasions. These are just annoying, but make you really
appreciate your time as Ratchet. And these sections are essential for
the story, so you should pay attention anyways.
No more flaws.
This game takes about 12 hours to beat, and once you beat it, you can
do challenge mode, which allows you to go back through the game, with
every weapon you have. The difficulty is upped, and it makes up for the
first time around. There are also a bunch of achievements necessary for
unlocking cheats and extras, sort of like in Uncharted. Also, the game
is flat out fun, so you should play through at least twice.
Insomniac has done it again. Ratchet and Clank Future Tools of Destruction is amazing.
