LogFAQs > #897121060

12. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (SaveEstelle)


I am thankful that user SaveEstelle nominated this game so I didn't have to, because I couldn't have a list without a Ratchet & Clank game on it! I remember getting into this series back in the day because it had fantastic commercials featuring live actors using the weapons from the games to hilariously disastrous effect (like turning people into chickens). Naturally, the weapons and gadgets are a large part of the appeal with this series because there's a wide variety, and most of them are viable (or at least have situational usefulness). Plus, much of the environment was destructible, so it was fun just to blow stuff up for the heck of it. Insomniac also did an excellent job of recognizing what the weak points were in one game and fixing them in the next. Each of the mainline Playstation 2 games is better than the one before it, culminating in one of the best games on the system in Up Your Arsenal (The less said about Deadlocked, the better).

Tools of Destruction, the first of the Playstation 3 games, was a bit of a step back, but that was partially because the series started moving in a different direction here. The Playstation 2 trilogy was very lighthearted all the way through, with practically no serious plot to speak of, which was fine, because the comedic writing for them is some of the best around. They started trying to tell a more serious story starting with Tools of Destruction, primarily to fill in the backstory for the two main characters. I don't know that anyone was necessarily clamoring for this, so it felt a little weird at first. Maybe I'd look back on it more fondly with a replay now that I know what I'm getting into because the gameplay was as good as ever, and it's just a beautiful looking game. Plus, they managed to sell me on all of it with A Crack in Time (Fun Fact: The originally proposed title was "Clock Blockers," but Sony thought that pun was a little too on the nose, I guess!).

First of all, the gameplay and weaponry is as good as ever. My personal favorites are the Tesla Spikes and Mr. Zurkon (who is always looking to kill you). However, probably the thing that puts A Crack in Time at the top of the Ratchet & Clank series for me is the time puzzles. Clank has been one of my favorite characters since his debut, and they gradually gave him more and better solo segments, culminating in these puzzles. They're really fun and challenging to solve without ever really getting frustrating. They gradually get more complex as you go along and as they add new elements to them, but the learning curve is very manageable. I solved all of them without ever having to look up the solution for any of them, and that felt like a big accomplishment for me!

Since I mentioned that the series took a turn for the serious with the story here, I suppose I should mention that I think they did a really good job with it. There's one moment in particular ("I wouldn't risk any more than six minutes") that got to me way more than I ever thought possible with Ratchet & Clank. The smartest move was bringing back Dr. Nefarious as the primary antagonist though. I absolutely love this guy. He's one of my favorite villains. He's got a really unique motivation and goal in A Crack in Time, which is simultaneously intriguing and comical. The boss battles against him are always top notch, too, and this game is no exception. I've said it a million times and I'll say it a million more, but play Ratchet & Clank.

Bonus Question: What is your favorite series that debuted during the Playstation 2/GameCube/Xbox generation?

No exact hits, but kateee, Janus, and pj each only missed by one spot!
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