Insomniac demonstrates a mastery of their craft in this excellent, enthralling entry of the Ratchet & Clank series.
A Crack in Time picks up almost immediately after its downloadable predecessor, Quest for Booty. Ratchet's old nemesis, Dr. Nefarious, is back and, as it turns out, is who's responsible for Clank's kidnapping. His plan this time involves the use of a powerful device known as the Great Clock -- a massive structure located in the center of the universe that holds all of time and space together -- which he plans to use for his own diabolical purposes. At the same time, Clank, as it turns out, is supposed to take over as the new caretaker of the place now that its creator has vanished. Ratchet, of course, isn't aware of all this, concerning himself only with finding Clank first, and stopping Nefarious second. It's a wonderfully told story. with the series trademark humor returning in full force along with many of the series' mainstay characters, such as the ever amusing heroic blunder Captain Quark, after taking a brief retirement in the previous outing. Their presence is most welcome. The new cast additions, such as Clank's hyperactive assistant of sorts in the Great Clock, Sigmund, are also fine additions that fit in with the rest of the cast quite well. The pacing has been much improved, as well, ensuring that the story doesn't at all begin to sag.
That also carries over to the gameplay side. The means of achieving this is by purging the unnecessary mini-games from previous installments to allow for a greater focus on that which makes the series such a blast. That means no more hacking, no more paragliding, no more races, and so on -- just some good ol' jumpin' and shootin' action with a touch of puzzle solving.
The types of action available are relegated between the two protagonists. Ratchet, for instance, deals mainly in combat heavy situations along with light traversal challenges, whereas Clank deals primarily in solving puzzles that revolve around some light time manipulation. Ratchet gets a modicum of puzzle action, as does Clank some platforming and combat, of course, but the facets they focus on are especially great when the corresponding character is at the helm. Perspective swaps between the two at regular intervals (usually after every two levels of Ratchet gameplay, for instance), which keeps the action varied enough for it not to feel repetitive by any stretch.
That's hardly a concern given the amount of content on display, though. Variety is the spice of life, they say, and Ratchet & Clank more than embraces that by offering a large breadth of side-tasks to undertake while zooming through space. Most involve exploration of the moons peppered throughout each sector of the solar system, which short, minute levels that present Ratchet with traversal challenges or combative instances. Rewards for completing them is always either a stray Zoni -- that race of aliens who kidnapped Clank way back when, remember? -- that can upgrade Ratchet's spaceship, or a weapon modification for one of the Constructo guns. The remaining tasks, which see Ratchet towing ships and items to certain locations, taking on fleets of enemy ships, among others, don't reap the same valuable rewards, but monetary compensation is reason enough to lend some help.
When not busy being a good Samaritan, planetary exploration takes center stage, which is where the meat of Ratchet's gameplay lies. Both beautifully crafted and reasonably sized, planets are basically larger-scale versions of the aforementioned moons with the added bonus of the occasional expository scene. The types of environments Ratchet encounters range from large, bustling city's clad in neon lights and metallic surfaces, to wide canyons scared by battle with structures in ruin and debris from fallen warships littered about, to name a few. Each locale is stunningly rendered with loads of detail and is lush with vibrant, saturated hues that add that extra bit of life and color to the game world. (That the planets are populated by bystanders also helps with the former.)
Levels themselves are smartly designed to ensure a balance between time spent in combat and time spent traversing the land is struck. Combat still makes up the majority of the action -- mostly because of all the small encounters that occur over the course of any given level -- but the two still manage to work in harmony even so. Platforming is mostly relegated to simple jumps over small gaps and such, not getting much more complex or challenging than that. It's breeziness is enjoyable in its own right, though, especially given the many forms traversal takes. Apart from the plain old vanilla jumping, Ratchet also uses grind rails (or makeshift ones, anyway) and various boost and jump pads (it's for his new pair of hover boots) to get around. Both are quite exhilarating for the speed at which such sequences move, and the latter carries a touch of challenge due to the momentum built up by using the hover boots extensively. They don't remedy the simplicity of the platforming, certainly, but they at least add to its fun.
Ratchet & Clank's implementation of challenge comes from combat instead, therefore, by throwing hoards of foes toward you almost constantly. Individually they're a bunch of pushovers who are easily dispatched; collectively they're quite a strong force that requires some strategic weapon usage to neutralize. This isn't because of them employing smart tactics, though: it's because they're simply quite the formidable force in large numbers and can quickly overtake you. The Battleplex arena -- one of the many side activities -- is a good example of how crazy it can get. Here, Ratchet is able to compete in a variety of tournaments for cash prizes and and weapons. Each round carries certain variables, such as surviving a certain number of waves using only the wrench or other specific weapon, or defeat a required number of enemies within the allotted time. With or without those, though, the constant barrages of enemy hoards prove difficult. Enemy encounters always take place in spacious areas so to allow ease of mobility (except in the occasional corridor encounter, that is). The size of the arenas also lends some extra challenge in spots where you're surrounded by foes. It's in those cases especially that using weapons effectively is important.
Say, for example, you're busy dealing with some larger trouble when a swarm of smaller robotic dangers start spawning in and need to quickly dispatch them. Throwing down some Tesla Spikes, small spires that emit waves of electricity that shock enemies, in the path of the small-fry would be the best method of dispatch, clearly, so that you can continue your assault on the more formidable enemies uninterrupted. Or say you're faced with legions of shield carrying foes but haven't the time to remove each one individually before attacking. In that case, tossing out a Groovitron, a small disco ball-like object that plays music and causes everyone save for Ratchet to start dancing uncontrollably, to halt them just long enough and make them lower their shields to toss a few bombs their way to take a few down and even the odds a little. Those are just general examples of how weapons can be used in tandem; they're plenty versatile for other, possibly deadlier combinations to be concocted.
More importantly, though, using them in tandem has the added benefit of allowing weapons to level up faster. As has been standard since the second entry in the franchise, Ratchet's arsenal of weapons can be leveled up through experience gained from defeating foes. Each level reached sees an increase in power, ammo capacity, range, and more, strengthening their destructive prowess. They can be upgraded a total of five times, with the weapons seeing a slight cosmetic change to accompany the increased stats upon being maxed out. This encourages extensive use of every weapon available, as being able to see the full breadth of destructive qualities each weapon possesses is always a treat.
For example: The game's rocket launcher, the Negotiater, in the beginning only fires one rocket at a time. Once at level five, however, the weapon becomes the Judicator and can fire three rockets at a time, increasing both its range and power significantly. Some of the more humorous weapons, such as the aforementioned Groovitron or the Sonic Eruptor, which is basically a small creature that was genetically modified into a gun that uses belches to attack enemies (I kid you not), don't see as dramatic a change in effectiveness -- it's usually an increase in duration or power and not much else -- but the novelty makes them plenty fun to use regardless. The Constructo weapons are the most interesting of the bunch, though. They're hook is in how customizable they are. Everything from the weapon barrel and trigger (the former alters the bullet type while the latter alters the mode of fire) to the payload of the ammo as well the color. More customization options appear as more weapon mods are obtained, which further allow you to tailor them however you see fit.
The audio design in A Crack in Time is also impressive, delivering quite the accompaniment to the ambiance of each planet. The quiet, secluded caverns of Krell Canyon, for example -- one of the levels around the middle point of the game -- are given a soft tune to fit with the empty, untouched atmosphere throughout said caverns. Once outside, though, the orchestra kicks into gear with a booming arrangement fit for the battle being waged in the area. All around the sounds of battle are heard: the swooping sound of low-flying aircrafts getting in close to lay down fire; the roars of the opposition as they savagely rampage through the surrounding settlements; as well as the sounds of gun fire from all around. Combined it creates a strong feeling of being in a actual warzone, especially in conjunction with the ravaged look of the battlefield. Easily one of the higher points in the sound design. Plenty other demonstrations rise as well, of course, but few are as effective as the aforesaid are in relaying its prowess.
A Crack in Time's greatest flaw is that there isn't a whole lot in the way of replayability. Challenge mode, which ups the difficulty slightly and allows you to upgrade your weapons even further (by about another five levels, to be precise), unlocks upon beating the game along with a higher difficulty setting, but neither are terribly good incentives for another run through the story. Still, as much of a shame as that is, the overall package is superb enough to make up for that one lacking area. With a thrilling story full of the series' trademark brand of humor, excellent gameplay and variety, and amazing presentation, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time proves itself easily as one of the most well designed, fun to play, and all around best games available for the platform.