The Future of Ratchet & Clank is looking to be a very bright one! Shame on you Gamespot!
After playing through the game, I'm not so sure the reviewer was even paying attention. There's mention of "crisis of identity" but I'm just not seeing it. In the first hour I laughed more than any game has ever made me laugh before. The weapons are as varied and enjoyable as ever, along with the introduction of a new class called Combat Devices which are sometimes silly, sometimes super handy, but at all times very Ratchet & Clank. Though, that is not what the reviewer was referring to, but rather the variation of modes to an extreme, but once again I don't see it. In fact, there isn't too much different from the way the previous games were broken up storywise. Really, there's just the same R&C goodness we've come to know and love. But that's enough about GS, because this really isn't about them; it's about the wonderful game that is Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction.
With the step to the PlayStation 3, Ratchet & Clank are looking in a new direction from the usual "Save the Universe" formula. With this iteration they're looking more within themselves. I'm going to avoid getting too much into the story, just to avoid spoilers. I'll just say that it's probably the best one in the series (thus far).
Weapons take from the previous iterations quite a bit, but that in no way means you won't be getting your fill of new goodies to mess with. One notable addition is the Tornado Launcher which does exactly what it sounds like: launches tornados. It's quite an impressive weapon controlled by the Sixaxis leaving you open to pull out another gun and shoot away rather than focusing all of your attention on it, leaving you open to attack. But it should be noted that camera adjustments can throw off your control of the tornado. This can be pretty annoying, but it can be adjusted to.
Another notable tool is a pretty well known one, the Groovitron. This is part of the tool set known as Combat Devices that don't upgrade. They're sort of like "items" in that respect. This particular device makes any nearby enemies dance, and I mean *any* enemies. Even bosses aren't immune.
The platforming elements are, of course, still present and accounted for, from jumping from island to island, to HALO jumps (skydiving in a battlefield), to a sort of "race bubble." And just like always there's the spacefighting but it's defintely not a major point in the game.
True enough, this game can be quite easy, but not so easy that it doesn't keep things interesting. I've never really considered Ratchet & Clank games to be about challenge so much as over-the-top humor and fun with destruction. And like all titles in the past, this one does it very well. Congratulations to Insomniac on another hit! I look forward to the next one!