A Crack in Time: Refinement with Innovation

 Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is the third and final installment of the Future series, and in many ways easily surpasses its two predecessors, demonstrating how platformers should be done. The story picks up right where Quest for Booty left off. Clank has been captured by the mysterious Zoni, leaving Ratchet to track down and free him, while discovering more about his own origins along the way.  

      The fact that the duo are separated allows for new game mechanics and gameplay that would have otherwise been impossible. As Ratchet is traversing planets for the most part on his own, he lacks some of the skills set from previous games - primarily involving jumping and gliding. However, this never significantly hinders Ratchet's progress, as he is quickly supplied with a set of hover boots, which essentially replace Clank's abilities, giving a very familiar feel of control, which was lacking in Quest for Booty. Clank's playable sections offer entirely original forms of gameplay, that add a great deal of variety and depth the game as a whole. For me, in previous Ratchet & Clank games, the Clank gameplay always seemed a little bit of a let down. Often it would feel like playing as a more limited and less powerful version of Ratchet resulting in a mostly hollow experience. In A Crack in Time, this is not an issue as Clank can now jump further and glide longer and can attack enemies with his Time Stick, instead of relying on hand-to-hand combat. However, the real innovation here is the new time manipulation-based puzzles. These involve the player making individual recordings of certain actions and movements multiple times, then chaining them together to progress to the next area. Initially these puzzles are relatively simple, but scale up in difficulty as the game progresses. An option to by-pass the puzzles is available, but its a lot more satisfying when you finally crack the combo after thinking it through, and theres a bolt reward if your'e successful. The optional challenges that offer a reward of a gold bolt seem almost impossible, and are guaranteed to keep you guessing for hours. 


Returning is the series' staple - the wild and outlandish weaponry at Ratchet's disposal. In his arsenal are the now standard set of pistol, bomb-glove and shotgun, but this time they are presented with a slight twist. 'Constructo Mods' offer the player the option of customizing their weapon - including the type of rounds, the effects and even its colour. I found that I didn't feel the need to keep changing the functionality of these weapons, but its a nice option for those who wish to do so. The rest of the weapons are nicely varied, and level up quick enough that you don't feel like you're being forced to over-use a certain weapon before its upgraded.    

Another new feature is the inclusion of space travel. When Insomniac initially announced this idea, I was worried how it would turn out. Previous installments have had passable space combat, but it was not something I wanted to be playing every time I decided to travel from planet to planet. Thankfully, they handled this aspect excellently and is both easy and enjoyable. Each sector of the galaxy contains several large planets as well as many moons, which can be visited to explore and collect extras. In addition, other side quests can be carried out, as well as optional space battles. All these extras can be discovered at any point in the game, and the sheer amount of optional missions adds a great deal of replay value.   
 

The story itself, though not ground-breaking, is fitting and rather entertaining. Returning is (my favourite villain) Dr. Nefarious, who is attempting to harness the Zoni's Great Clock, and manipulate its power to go back in time and ensure his plans aren't foiled again. Assisting in Ratchet's mission is the fellow-Lombax, Alister Azimuth, who also wants to go back in time to save his race before their disappearance. His role in the events are a bit predictable, but his presence alone allows for some interesting plot elements. Other familiar characters also make an appearance, including the irrepressible Captain Qwark, Nefarious' butler Lawrence and of course, the Plumber.   


One of the most enjoyable aspects of the game is Insomniac's content for fans of the series. The game is filled with loads of little details and references, especially on the space radio stations, with fake news reports, ads and conversations that will keep hardcore fans laughing for hours. For me, the only real way for this aspect could have been made better would have been the return of the Q-Force, the hilarious and brilliant group who defeated Nefarious last time out. Another small grievance is the absence of Neil Flynn as the voice of the Plumber, who is instead adequately voiced by Jess Harnell, who offers a far superior turn as the voice of the comical Rusty Pete. A nice addition is the return of the Insomniac Moon, a planet that can be unlocked which is filled with extras about how the game was made, ideas that weren't included in the final product and much more.  


For me, the pinnacle of the Ratchet & Clank series has always been Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, which managed to find a perfect blend of platforming, action, combat and humour, creating the most complete experience of the franchise. However, the games so far on the Playstation 3 haven't quite been up to this standard. Tools of Destruction had all the pieces there - graphics, animation and action - but ended up being style over substance. Quest for Booty offered a more interesting story, but playing as Ratchet (without Clank) felt like the game was lacking something vital. A Crack in Time avoids all these problems, and betters its predecessors in nearly every way. The enjoyable and varied gameplay, twinned with fantastic humour makes this an ideal purchase for those who wish to enter the series for the first time, while Ratchet veterans will find enough new mechanics and details that will make the experience more than worthwhile. In short, this is a game Playstation 3 owners owe it to themselves to check out.