Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time

Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time

Once again the familiar is made fantastic in Sony’s calculated space opera that really dazzles on PlayStation 3.

We admit to rolling our eyes and handling the controller rather sloppily during the first hour or so of the latest Ratchet & Clank. It seemed like the same-old, same-old. But given the time it deserves, A Crack in Time weaves its own magic around reassuringly conventional gameplay.

Being 10th in a popular series, A Crack in Time can be forgiven for delivering more of the same provided that the fun factor remains. The celebrated invention and sense of grand adventure is more boldly pursued than ever, with focus evenly split between Ratchet the lone Lombax and his robot sidekick Clank, and gameplay artfully varied to suit both heroes.

Fans of the series will appreciate how the time theme reveals secrets about the past: a grander purpose to both Ratchet and Clank’s often comedic trials. Ratchet is now the inter-galactic adventurer, involved with space shoot-outs and warping between galaxies before exploring large planets or smaller satellites. Clank is tasked with the role of ‘Caretaker of the Great Clock’, a colossal time machine at the exact centre of the universe (give or take 50 feet as the joke goes). Both duties require a huge variety of typically whacky gadgets to perform, and to make up for the old-school R&C teamwork.

It’s not just goofy weapons that delight this year, although there are plenty of those too – our favourites include a gun that belches sonic waves, and a terminator robot that dryly delivers pseudo-Schwarzenegger quotes. It’s the new tools that are the most spectacular.

Clank uses a Chrono-sceptre to slow or reverse time, enabling him to repair damage within the Great Clock to unlock secrets or buy time to leap across dangerous obstacles. His most amazing trick is to create multiple versions of himself in time that help solve puzzles by stepping on switches to open doors or raise / lower platforms. It’ll mess with your head to begin with, but you’ll be surprised how clever you are at thinking along these lines. We really appreciate Insomniac Games and Sony allowing such a bizarre to feature in a mainstream game, it could so easily have been considered too fussy.

Meanwhile Ratchet dons Hover Boots to fly around huge locations. It’s an exhilarating ride, the kind of game Sonic the Hedgehog might’ve been were Insomniac handed the reigns, and really showcases PS3 as a platform for incredible worlds that stretch the limits of the imagination. We’ve really got into the space shoot-outs too, Star Wars style. These are basic but rewarding interludes, earning additional trophies while you upgrade the spaceship’s boosters and weapons.

We’ve no doubt that kids are going to lap this up, but long-in-the-tooth gamers will find plenty to admire also. A Crack in Time is superbly crafted title and only suffers because the core gameplay is unavoidably reminiscent of previous outings. It’s probably about time that Sony included co-op gameplay to make this the essential family treat. Nonetheless it is time for PlayStation 3 to step forward and take a bow, because here’s another strong exclusive to arrive in time for Christmas.

4 out of 5