The Ratchet and Clank series has always been known for its fun action-based gameplay and crazy weapons. This game was developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2009 for PlayStation 3. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time picks up right where the other games in the series left off.
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Storyline
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time starts out with Clank still in possession of the mysterious Zoni race. Ratchet is still searching for his trusted friend, and he is also learning more about himself and his extended Lombax family. More will also be revealed about Dr. Nefarious’ involvement in Clank’s kidnapping. Fans may remember Dr. Nefarious as the main antagonist from 2004’s Ratchet and Clank: Up your Arsenal.
Gameplay Feels Familiar
The gameplay in Ratchet and Clank Future will be very familiar for fans of the series, and it will still feature plenty of wacky weapons. The favored weapon in the game is the Sonic Eruptor. This weapon’s main component is actually an alien creature that is right in the middle of its mating season. This creature’s mating call can be triggered by Ratchet and can best be described as a gigantic burp. This huge belch can toss enemies to the side and quickly clear a crowded playing field.
The other memorable weapon is the Plasma Striker. This is more of a traditional blaster. However, instead of just hitting enemies, the Plasma Striker also has a special scope that allows you to see enemy weak spots and snipe them from afar.
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Levels
In addition to the Ratchet-centric levels, fans will be happy to know that there are plenty of Clank levels. Although the two characters are at different ends of the galaxy, gamers will be able to play from both perspectives. The Clank levels this time around have a stronger focus on puzzling than they did in Tools of Destruction, because Clank has a new ability: time manipulation.
In this level, Clank found himself in a long hallway with lots of elevators and switches. Since there were multiple switches placed throughout the hallway that had to all be pressed at the same time, Clank must manipulate time to “record” himself doing things in the past, so that his actions can sync up in the present.
This results in the illusion of multiple Clanks running across each stage. The mechanic starts off fairly simply with only one or two recordings needed to pass most rooms. However, the level soon got very complex as four or more Clanks had to deal with springboards, automatic doors, and other objects that obstructed their path. The Clank levels look very interesting, and they’ll be a nice reprieve from the action-centric Ratchet levels.
Final Notes
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is very promising to the series as a whole. The gameplay certainly seems familiar to any R&C fan, but the new weapons, puzzle elements, and the ongoing storyline should be enough to draw series veterans right back in. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is an original new adventure and story that answers many of the fans’ most-asked questions wrapping up the story arc that started in Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty.