Released: 2007-10-23

Genre: Platform, Shooter

Platform:

Reviewed By: Gianna Tocco

This Cat Doesn't Sleep On The Job

The Lombax race was once known not only for their brilliant engineering skills, but also for destroying the evil race of Cragmites and saving the entire galaxy. Soon after their victory, however, the Lombax race disappeared, leaving only the orphan Ratchet as the last of his species. However, rather than being a hero of the galaxy, the last remaining Lombax is on the run from the evil Emperor Percival Tachyon, the last of the Cragmites, who has made it his goal to destroy him. Now it’s his job to live up to his ancestors and save the galaxy once again.

With a solid story, laugh-out-loud humor, and sharp shooting gameplay, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is a nonstop fun experience that manages to be engaging and entertaining, despite being a breeze to complete.

Long-time fans of the Ratchet and Clank series can expect the return of the completely outrageous weapons that have long since made the games so iconic. Ratchet has an entire arsenal at his furry little fingertips, each with seemingly endless upgrades that can be purchased by collecting bolts and “raretium” from fallen enemies. The bigger enemies you drop, the more you’ll have to upgrade your weapons at the shops. Not only that, but your weapon also gains levels based on how frequently you use it. However, while it initially seems as though the system is without limit, there is actually very little to save up for. From the very start, every weapon and upgrade is within your grasp, making progress extremely rewarding, but also very easy.

At the same time, some of these weapons are very overpowered and make boss fights way too easy. With guns like the Alpha Cannon and The Judicator, the battles are essentially non-existent. The Alpha Cannon packs a serious punch and can kill any normal enemy or take a quarter of a boss’s health with a single blast. The Judicator can also kill anything with just a couple shots, destroying any boss or miniboss effortlessly. It’s hard to put these weapons down again once you discover how good they are, and as there are boxes of ammo everywhere, you definitely won’t need to part with them anytime soon.

Bosses are also not immune to even the simplest of weapons, like the Groovitron. Toss this bright disco ball out into battle and all of your enemies forget all about you and start dancing together. It’s fun to watch, because really, who wouldn’t want to see a dinosaur dance the disco, but it also even effects the evil Emperor Tachyon in the final battle. “I will destroy you, just after this song!” He exclaims, stopping all damaging attacks and going from a mechanical nightmare to a giant, robot target.
If you can get around the unbalanced weapons, then combat is simple and fun. Hold down the L2 button to strafe around an enemy, then press the circle button to shoot wildly. Enemies are diverse and always in abundance, but the gameplay isn’t limited to just shooting. From grinding down rails with your special Grind Boots to flying spaceships and using special guns to solve puzzles, there are always different activities for you to engage in during your adventure.

With such a variety in this game, Lombaxes can even fly!

You can even switch and play as Clank, your robot backpack, at designated points.  Unlike Ratchet’s levels, Clank is used to solve environmental puzzles and is typically used when the level is too small for Ratchet to fit. For example, there is one point in the game where Clank must fit inside a master computer and solve varying puzzles—using his ability to levitate and slow down time—in order to get things running again. These stand in stark contrast to Ratchet’s more action-oriented levels, but they also keep things interesting and from becoming just more of the same.

Above all else, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is graphically stunning. The environments are vast and detailed, with flying cars and pirate ships littering the sky, down to tiny details, like Ratchet’s fur swaying with the wind. Ratchet and Clank may be animated, but even compared with ultra-realistic games on the platform; it’s safe to say that Tools of Destruction has some of the best graphics on the PlayStation 3.

From start to finish, Ratchet and Clank is pure, non-stop fun. It constantly shifts its focus, becoming at once both a platformer, a third-person shooter and an action adventure puzzle game, letting you experience equal parts of everything. The low difficulty level leaves no room for frustration, making this a great title for all ages. And with clever jokes that can make even the most hardcore gamers smile, this adventure of a Lombax and his robot pal is the perfect addition to this long-running series, even if you’ve never experienced the games before.