I’m a big fan of Ratchet & Clank, sadly I’ve not been there from the beginning. It was ‘Tools Of Destruction’ that got me into the series and I’ve been hooked since. That game was great, ‘Quest For Booty’ was fun and ‘A Crack In Time’ is certainly the best of the three.

So, Ratchet is back and he’s still without Clank. Something must be done! Continuing with the story arc set by the past two games, A Crack In Time sees Ratchet, once again, going toe to toe with, the evil, Dr. Nefarious. This time in a bid to bring back his steel sidekick.

Unlike Tools and Quest For Booty, you take on both sides of the heroes’ story. This is the first time that players have really played as Clank for a decent amount of time. There have been sections in previous games where you take control of Clank, but here’s where he comes into his own. I was pretty apprehensive about the ‘Clank gameplay’, but his puzzles turned out to be one of the most fun, yet mildly frustrating, elements of the game.

As the subtitle suggests, time, and the manipulation of it, play a big part in this part of our heroes’ story. The majority of this is witnessed via the aforementioned puzzles, but Ratchet has some dealings with the powers of time himself. Fans won’t be disappointed though, Ratchet’s more combat focused gameplay elements are as good as ever and the time based stuff doesn’t really get in the way of the action.

The basic Ratchet & Clank gameplay formula still remains too. You fly from planet to planet dispatching bad guys and generally saving the day. This mechanic has been expanded on and it’s worked out quite well. There’s a number of different places between planets you can land and dispatch enemies. These generally serve to help you get more bolts, try out new gadgets or collect certain flying creatures beginning with ‘Z’ (spoiler-free as always). Alongside this, ok but slightly time consuming, addition is an increase in space combat. In previous R&C games, space combat served as a good way to break up the regular gameplay elements. Now, however, these space-based missions are to be completed prior to the discovery of something new. They start to get really tedius quite early on and, as they continue throughout the game, this was a bit of a problem for me.

Graphically, this game is one of the best. The previous efforts looked good, this game looks like a bloody Pixar movie in parts! Although it probably won’t win as many plaudits as something like Modern Warfare 2, Insomniac have done a sterling job and their efforts should be recognised. Each character model, old and new, looks fantastic. The animations are fluid and the cutscenes are a sight that need seeing.

Speaking of characters, all of your favourites are back. Dr. Nefarious has found his way into the series once again and, the unforgettable, Captain Quark is back too. Joining them are a host of new characters that flesh out the vibrant world of Ratchet & Clank even more. You’ll have seen in the trailer a new Lombax has joined the cast, an exciting new addition to say the least.

Once again Insomniac have created a great game that everyone can enjoy. ‘Hardcore’ or ‘casual’ there’s something here for everyone. The characters are great, the writing’s fantastic, it’s one of the prettiest games I’ve ever seen. You can’t beat a bit of Ratchet can you.

8.5/10

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