They're back, and they're better than ever. Yes, it's time for another entry in the Ratchet & Clank series. After a short downloadable offering with Quest for Booty, Insomniac has crafted a true, full length sequel to 2007's Tools of Destruction. Enter A Crack in Time. As the name implies, this title revolves around time itself, whether it's a component of the plot or a new gameplay mechanic. For those of you who have played the previous two games, A Crack in Time will offer the best of both worlds. With the heavy gun play from Tools of Destruction and the constant puzzle solving of Quest for Booty, this latest entry feels like the most complete of the Future titles.

The story picks up right where Quest For Booty left off as Ratchet is still in search of Clank. You'll soon find out that Clank's disappearance is the work of our hero's former nemesis, Dr. Nefarious. This was a great choice by Insomniac as Dr. Nefarious has always been a fan favorite villain since his appearance in the much praised Up Your Arsenal. As the plot thickens you'll find out more about Clank's origins as well as Ratchet's. Normally the Ratchet & Clank games rely on witty dialogue and great voice acting to push the story along, and while it's no different here, the plot itself is actually well thought out. You absolutely want to find out what happens next and it only gets better and better as it progresses.

As always the characters are full of clever remarks and the dialogue will definitely get more than a few laugh out loud moments from most gamers. The voice actors deliver their lines perfectly, and if you listen carefully you'll find plenty of hidden jokes throughout the game as well as on the new radio stations. This time around you will actually be flying yourself to each new planet meaning lots of space exploration. To compliment this new style of transportation, there are now a few radio stations to listen to, with music varying from rock to electronica. It's a nice touch and all the music is orchestrated well. As for the sound effects, well, they get the job done and being a Ratchet & Clank game there are plenty of abnormal and unique weapons to hear.

When Tools of Destruction first came out back in 2007 it was hailed as the closest thing to watching a Pixar animated movie. Two years later the graphical engine has only improved. The art style is appropriately vibrant and colorful, the textures are great for the most part, and the framerate is rock solid. My only complaint would be that some planets, especially the secondary mini-planets, can look a little bland compared to most of the grander levels. That being said, the scale in this game is quite large with entire galaxies being rendered and huge battlefields to explore. It's both technically and artistically fantastic.

As for the gameplay, well, if you have ever played a game in this series before, you'll know what to expect. However, that's not to say this formula is getting tired. In fact, even after having played all of the previous entries, I still felt like this was a fresh, and more importantly, fun experience. It's still all about crazy guns and gadgets, tons of platforming, and some puzzles thrown in for good measure.

The weapons have always been a staple for the Ratchet & Clank series. Each new iteration brings some new toys to play around with and it's the same story here. Many favorites return such as the always humorous Groovitron; a glove that sends out a disco ball forcing unsuspecting enemies to dance against their will. New weapons include the Tesla Spikes which can be used to form your very own electrical boundary, and the new Constructo mod weapons that are your basic shotgun, pistol, and grenade variations, only this time they are completely customizable down to their color.

The combat is fast, varied, and smooth thanks to fantastic controls. It's always been fun to experiment with all the different tools, and it's still just as fun as ever here. On the platforming front you have your lethal traps to avoid and plenty of jumps to time perfectly. Seeing as how you are separated from your pal Clank for the duration of the game, traversal can be kind of slow at first. Have no fear though, as the new hover boots come to your rescue fairly early into the experience. Once you grab these new boots, movement becomes fast and enjoyable. However these new boots also make for some nice jumping segments that will test your reflexes.

As I said before, this feels like the most complete Ratchet experience yet, and it shows in the diversity of the platforming. But wait, there's more. Puzzles also show up in the form of Clank's missions. In these short but sweet levels you must master time to solve clever challenges that start out simple and progress into intricate tests of your puzzle solving abilities.

As you can see, there is so much to this game it becomes almost impossible to get bored. It's so varied and at the same time it's a refreshing break from all the realistic and gritty titles released these days. The entire experience will last you anywhere from 10 to 15 hours depending on how much you get into collecting of all the scattered items. That may sound short to some, but the pacing is excellent and the unlockable challenge mode lets you replay the game with all your equipment carried over and the difficulty ramped up. This is easily one of the finer games released this year and A Crack in Time has shown that there is still plenty of fight left in the fading genre it stands out from.

Visuals: 9.2
Audio: 9.0
Story: 8.2
Gameplay: 9.4
Entertainment Value: 8.8

Overall: 9.2

< Back to Video Review