| Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time | |
|---|---|
| North American box art |
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| Developer(s) | Insomniac Games |
| Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment |
| Composer(s) | Boris Salchow |
| Series | Ratchet & Clank |
| Engine | Insomniac Engine v.4.0 |
| Version | 1.20 |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3 |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | |
| Media/distribution | Blu-ray Disc |
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (titled Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time in most PAL regions) is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 video game console. It is the sequel to Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, and is the conclusion of the Future trilogy.[8] The game was released for the PlayStation 3 in North America on October 27, 2009,[1] in Australia on November 5, 2009[2] and in Europe on November 6, 2009.[3]
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A Crack in Time game features gameplay mechanics new to the Ratchet & Clank series. One such mechanic involves the Chronosceptor: a staff that Clank carries, which can slow time in the area when it is used. This device may also be used like Ratchet's wrench, to fight off enemies.[9] By using special "time pads", Clank can also record up to a minute of his actions and then a holographic Clank replays them, while the real Clank does something else. Up to four copies of Clank can be recorded at a time. These holographic Clanks can help to solve puzzles.[10] In addition to gadgets like the Swingshot and Gravity Boots from previous games,[11] Ratchet has a pair of Hoverboots, allowing him to move more quickly around planets.[12]
In a noticeable departure from all previous games in the series, Ratchet can now fly his ship freely between planets on a two-dimensional ecliptic in various zones,[13] going to small moons and completing optional challenges, earning special items such as Zoni, gold bolts, and weapon mods in the process.[12] The ship's blasters, missiles, and armor can also be upgraded by obtaining additional Zoni. The game also has new weapons known as Constructo Weapons. These fall into three main categories; shotgun, bomb, and pistol. Each weapon can be modified with additional features and altered in appearance to make a weapon unique to the player.
Continuing from the end of Quest for Booty, Clank has been abducted by the Zoni to a place called the Great Clock on behalf of the robot Dr. Nefarious, who is trying to discover the secret of the facility from him. Nefarious attempts to access Clank's memory banks for the key to something called the Orvus Chamber but is not allowed to do so because of the Zoni. Nefarious then sets free his Hypersonic Brainwave Scrambler, causing the Zoni to flee and a blackout to occur. When the power is restored, Clank has awoken and attempts to escape, but is caught by Nefarious and his butler, Lawrence and promptly immobilized.
Clank awakens later to find himself with a robot named Sigmund who is the Junior Caretaker of the facility, with no sign of Nefarious and his troops. Through the use of stations called mnemonic chambers that tap into his memory banks, Clank learns that the Great Clock was constructed by the Zoni scientist Orvus as a means to heal damage to the universe caused through excessive misuse of time-travel. A portion of Orvus still resides in Clank's memory banks, put there when Clank was constructed by the Zoni so that one day Clank would be able to take up the mantle of Senior Caretaker, with the help of the Zoni. Clank also learns that his father left for an outpost on Zanifar and never returned to the Clock.
Meanwhile, Ratchet and Qwark explore the Breegus System for information on Clank and Nefarious. They learn of an "exile" that is also fighting Nefarious, and trace the being down to another Lombax, General Alister Azimuth. While exploring Krell Canyon for an Obsidian Eye to talk to Clank, Azimuth tells Ratchet he knows of his parents and that it was his fault that Emperor Tachyon was able to come to power, having shared the Lombaxes' technical genius with him. When the Lombaxes left for another dimension, Azimuth was forced to stay behind as punishment for his "crimes". Azimuth also tells Ratchet about the Great Clock, and that they may be able to use it to bring back the Lombaxes to this universe. After speaking to Clank through an Obsidian Eye and saving Qwark from a war grok named Snowball, Ratchet uses a time portal on Zanifar to find out what happened to Orvus. Nefarious captured the Zoni to try and get into the Orvus Chamber, but failed after Orvus vanished into thin air. Ratchet managed to make his escape and save Azimuth from Nefarious's henchman, Lord Vorselon. (But not before altering Nefarious's appearance by giving his past self a permanent scar on his right eye)
Ratchet and Azimuth manage to free Clank from another group of Nefarious's henchwomen, the Valkyries. Clank then manages to persuade Ratchet that Azimuth's plan to use the Clock would inevitably destroy the universe, prompting Azimuth to leave sadly. Ratchet, Clank & Qwark then launch a stealth mission aboard Nefarious' base, but are eventually caught. Before launching Ratchet and Clank on an asteroid into deep space, Nefarious reveals that he plans to use the Great Clock to go back in time to foil the various heroes across the universe and create a present where villains always reign supreme. Ratchet and Clank's asteroid crashes into a nearby planet though the two are unharmed due to the Zoni protecting them. They use a similar time portal from Zanifar to rescue the Fongoids of the past, find a ship and return back to Nefarious to face him again before he can reach the Clock. They are able to defeat him aboard his ship, but Lawrence manages to slip away in the escape pod as the ship veers off course towards Nefarious's base. Just as the ship is about to impact, Azimuth arrives to rescue Ratchet and Clank. As the duo run towards Azimuth's ship, Nefarious's ship crashes into and destroys the base.
The group returns to the Great Clock, where Clank is ready to resume his duties. However, Ratchet & Clank both refuse Azimuth the chance to use the machine to bring back the Lombaxes. Azimuth suddenly snaps, furious that Ratchet no longer wants what he does. He fires his weapon at Ratchet, knocking him over the edge of the platform and killing him. While Clank manages to give chase to the General, Sigmund tries to stop him, but Azimuth overpowers him, and then Clank locks himself in the Orvus Chamber to prevent Azimuth from getting in. Recalling the words of The Plumber that he wouldn't risk anymore than 6 minutes, Clank initiates a time shift to go back in time six minutes, where he is able to push Ratchet out of way of Azimuth's blast. Rachet and Azimuth then race to get into the Orvus Chamber. The duo are too late and Azimuth activates the Clock to shift backwards to try to bring the Lombaxes home. Ratchet then fights Azimuth with the fate of the entire universe in the balance. As he and Ratchet fight, the Clock starts to fall apart around them, unable to take the strain of such a massive shift. As Ratchet shouts at him to stop what he's done, Azimuth realizes his mistake. He tells Ratchet to "take care of himself" and gives his own life to stop the Clock from self destructing by using his wrench to replace the broken lever and turning it. However, by doing it, he gets hit by a lethal energy blast from the broken Clock and dies.
After the Zoni repair the chamber, Ratchet bids Clank a farewell, wishing him well as he walks away. Clank, hearing the recorded words of Orvus again, realizes he cannot stay because he cannot leave Ratchet until he finds his family. Clank promotes Sigmund to Senior Caretaker and, as Orvus says in the background that his son can do whatever makes him feel whole as he rejoins Ratchet just as he's about to leave. Together, they soar into the stars for another adventure.
After the Credits, Captain Qwark and Snowball are left on an floating Rock in the middle of nowhere and Snowball attempts to eat Qwark.
(Collecting all 40 Zoni in the game will allow a secret fight with Lord Vorselon after defeating Azimuth)
The title and logo of the game, along with a trailer were revealed at the 2009 Game Developers Conference.[14][15]
On Wednesday, December 2, 2009, Version 1.20 update was released. This patch addresses bugs and issues concerning game-play and trophy collection.[16]
In March 2009, the PlayStation Blog later announced that a design contest for a weapon would be run until April 10, with the winning design being featured as a usable weapon in the game, as well as a real-life replica being made for the winner and a trip to Comic-Con for the weapon's unveiling to the public.[17] The winning design was the "Spiral Of Death", a weapon that shoots glowing sawblades that after a certain range, return to the user, somewhat like a yo-yo.
In July 2009, Sony announced that players who pre-ordered the game from selected retailers in North America would be able to unlock one of four additional in-game content packs. It was confirmed however, that the package will simply unlock the items earlier in the game—the player can still earn these items while playing.[18] A collector's edition of the game was released in the UK, featuring a 3D-cover, artwork book, and a voucher for use on the PlayStation Network which unlocks the Insomniac Moon, a level which has all the stuff that Insomniac Games had to remove.[19]
A Ratchet & Clank-themed game space was released for PlayStation Home, the PlayStation 3's online community-based service. The "Ratchet & Clank: Time Travelers" space has several casual mini-games, like the Firing Range (past, present, and future) that have rewards like a model of Ratchet's ship for the users personal spaces. Users can also purchase a costume of Ratchet and a Clank back pack from the space's shop. In addition to the game space, there is a themed apartment, the "Ratchet & Clank: Home Sweet Home", that users can purchase. Both the game space and apartment were released on October 15, 2009 in the European and North American versions of Home.[20] Both the Game Space and apartment were released to the Asian and Japanese version on November 19, 2009.
Ratchet & Clank-themed action figures were released in January 2010.[21]
David Bergeaud did not return to score the music for the game but was replaced by Boris Salchow who, according to Hookedgamers.com delivered the most "film-like" score for the series to date and that his work added a great sense of emotion to the story.
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 88%[22] |
| Metacritic | 87/100[5] |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| 1UP.com | A[23] |
| Computer and Video Games | 8.0/10[9] |
| Eurogamer | 7/10[12] |
| G4 | 5/5[24] |
| Game Informer | 9.25/10[11] |
| GamePro | [25] |
| GameSpot | 8.5/10[26] |
| GameSpy | [27] |
| GameTrailers | 8.9/10[28] |
| IGN | 9/10[13] |
| PSM3 | 90/100[5] |
| Giant Bomb | [29] |
| Play | 9.5/10[30] |
A Crack in Time has received generally favorable reviews, according to Metacritic.[5] IGN's Ryan Clements called it "One of the best Ratchet games ever made" and also noted that it plays like the other Ratchet installments and that players who are not yet tired of the series formula will enjoy it.[13] Eurogamer scored the game 7/10 criticizing the game's lack of innovation and describing it as "more of the same".[12] Reviewer Ellie Gibson did however praise the game as a "quality platformer" commenting specifically on its "superb combat system, decent puzzles, fun weapons, pretty visuals and [...] variation".[12] GameTrailers said that "If A Crack in Time is indeed the final Ratchet & Clank game, then the series has been finished the right way".[28] PSM3 scored the game 90/100 calling it as "Massive, rewarding, funny - all you'd expect, plus some cute new twists".[5]
GamePro reviewer Will Herring felt that the game's camera angles were problematic at times, a statement echoed by Joe Rybicki of GameSpy,[27] but praised its new innovations, calling the hoverboots one of the game's "most enjoyable additions [to the series]".[25] Rybicki found the game's weapon selection "lackluster", especially early in the game, while praising some of the time-based Clank levels.[27] Dan Ryckert, of Game Informer, said that "the Clank sections are the best puzzles seen in the series to date".[11]
GameDaily's Robert Workman found that the game's audio was "superb".[31]
A Crack in Time was nominated for the "Outstanding Achievement in Animation", "Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering", "Outstanding Achievement in Original Story", and "Adventure Game of the Year" Interactive Achievement Awards from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.[32]
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