Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction review (PS3)

Pixar quality graphics, raw gameplay, the groovatron; all phrases being knocked around about Insomniac’s newest addition to the PlayStation library, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. No stranger to the format, Insomniac has already brought us Resistance: Fall of Man, and with this, its extension to their much loved R&C series, has it succeeded again?

Despite my love of the rhetorical, I’m going to stop and actually answer some questions (shouldn’t I?). The PlayStation 3’s first (undoubtedly of many) outing into the world of Ratchet & Clank seems very similar in style to the previous incarnations. Naturally when continuing a series, it would be hardly surprising to expect similar gameplay mechanics to ensure fans returned, perhaps tweaked to keep things fresh, with a few next generation twists (all present). Graphics should take a step up, as well as the overall presentation as the general production values rise with the times. The graphics are the first thing that we have all been noticing, and for those that haven’t had the chance to check out the demo finally on the UK PlayStation Network store, they’re good.

Pixar Quality is a cliché now

There can be no doubt that R&C looks fantastic. The detail on every character model, the cartoon-like over exaggerated animation and the vibrant and varying colours of each planet makes the game a joy to behold. Even with the wide open areas, and the massive detail in the vista, there is no slow-down; Insomniac’s experience with the PS3 has obviously paid off.

Cinematics are told with visual panache, sometimes within the game engine and sometimes as pre-recorded FMV style sequences, but they are generally tricky to distinguish besides looking in the cinematics menu, where you can replay the FMVs. The overall story of the game begins with the destruction of Metropolis, the city featured heavily in the previous games; Emperor Tachyon and his endless army are hunting for the last remaining Lombax in the universe, Ratchet (that’s you – a bipedal cat like creature). Through your escape and further travels, the story keeps the gameplay going and is very well written with jokes and seemingly innocuous plot devices thrown in to keep you playing on. You’ll uncover the Lombax secret, discover the history of yourself and Tachyon and conclude in a dramatic universe bending finale that finishes Tools of Destruction’s plot points and opens up a whole new potential for the next game in the series.

Clank and the Zoni

Meanwhile, as Ratchet is searching for his destiny, Clank, his dry robotic sidekick occasionally gets the chance to split off from him, discovering a plotline of his own that is due to be concluded later, where he seems to be the only person (robot) to be able to see a series of guiding flashy other robots known as Zoni. Not fully explained, it is clear that it will become prevalent in a sequel. Either way, the entire plot keeps you motivated to travel from planet to planet on your missions.

Each planet is basically a single level (18 in total, of decent size) set in a different style from the obligatory ice worlds and lava fields to pirate outposts and even one section that is an entire planet that consists of a supercomputer. Travelling between them is never reduced to a loading screen, because of the few mini cinematics of space travel thrown in to mask disc access, which work well to keep the action flowing, but tend to cut the sound at the end of each one which feels strange.

Bring back the actors

The same actors return to voice the main characters (did you know that Ratchet is played by James Arnold Taylor, Tidus from Final Fantasy X?) and do so with a combination of apparent ease and dead on performance. Every line seems to have its comic potential played out perfectly, and with the commendable script, you’ll have to play through a couple of times just to let all of the references sink in properly.

Mid way through fighting bosses, the dialogue flows, even up to the game’s conclusion, where upon fighting the end boss, if you throw out a Groovatron (the heavily publicised weapon that makes your enemies inexplicably dance to disco music), your foe shouts out something along the lines of ‘I’m going to kill you… as soon as this song finishes’. Bosses are generally simple fights with larger enemies that happen to have more health, but certain tactics work best upon them all, though they will all generally fall to repeated pummelling of any weapon. I consider them nice diversions from the standard platforming fare, but won’t win any awards for imaginative strategy.

To kill a mocking brute

Fingers on the triggers people, there are 27 selectable weapons and gadgets to use on your foes (and various other things), each of which remains generally unique and useful in their own ways. An electro whip will help electrify enemies holding shields, whereas your holo-pirate costume will help you sneak past pirates without being seen. Then there’s the Transmorpher which inexplicably turns your enemies into penguins, Death Springs that unleashes a series of deadly slinky coils into the battleground and lots more that are as fun to discover as they are to use.

Weapons automatically upgrade as you use them, increasing in power until the fifth level where they gain some extra feature too, such as being able to fire multiple projectiles at once, or widening the area of effect. You can also manually upgrade other aspects of each weapon by finding Raritanium, a (surprisingly) rare metal that does litter secret areas, and spending them on specific aspects. The sense of progression really helps you care about what you’re using and how it will best suit your techniques.

Tools of Destruction

Some of the selectable items are tools for progressing further in each level, including the Gelanator, which allows you to place down blocks of bouncy gel that you can use to reach higher platforms (although the levels are cleverly designed so that you cannot abuse it), and the Decryptor which gives you a clever Sixaxis based mini-game to hack through locked doorways. Basically, you must manoeuvre a metal ball into position to allow an electric spark to flow to one or multiple charging points by tilting the entire mechanism with your controller.

Other Sixaxis uses include controlling the direction of tornados from the Tornado Launcher (which seems a little tricky to me), moving to avoid oncoming dangers in the occasional falling section and even shaking the controller to ‘shake your booty’ in the easy yet strange pirate dancing game. Dying is never too much of a pain in R&C, with you being placed back earlier in the level at the nearest checkpoint, but with all of the extra items and weapons upgrades you’ve picked up along the way remaining intact. At some of the larger and more challenging battles, sometimes it becomes quite useful to be able to fire all of your low ammo weapons that you’re trying to upgrade, knowing that if you die, you’ll get them back again, but with the experience gained still present. The only issue is that sometimes the restart points are a little frustrating, with one boss in particular having its restart point before a lengthy rail grind section. Still, a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things.

Replay it again Sam

Once you’ve completed the game (which isn’t generally too challenging if you are persistent), which takes around 10 solid hours, without any online multiplayer mode (probably a wise design choice) the game throws up an alternate reason to continue playing. As soon as the credits have rolled, you have the option to attempt ‘Challenge Mode’; a harder difficulty with far higher rewards, that allows you to play again, but with all of the equipment you have already gathered intact. It’s enough to make the game substantially different in terms of tactics that you won’t begrudge having to go through it all again, and finishing this difficulty gives you the final skill points to unlock secret items.

Much like 360 games’ genius Achievement system, and like Insomniac’s last offering, Resistance, achieving certain things within the game unlocks Skill Points that tot up to unlock features of the game, such as the E3 trailer that becomes viewable in your cinematics menu, to big head mode, which adds a cutesy amusing aspect to playing through. Skills are hinted at with clever titles such as ‘I Should Have Gone Down in a Barrel’ giving you 10 points if you jump into the gelatonium waterfalls when on Planet Cobalia or ‘Chorus Line’ that rewards you for making 11 enemies dance to the Groovatron together.

More secrets

As if that wasn’t enough, there are a series of Gold Bolts hidden throughout the game, and finding those allows you to unlock new skins for Ratchet (which are actually full blown character models that you can play as instead of Ratchet, including a Snowman and even a Cragmite, the mortal enemy of the Lombaxes. Then you’ve got parts of a holoplan for a super powerful weapon hidden around the galaxy(s) that when put together form a most welcome addition to the arsenal, so there are lots of things to find, and if you’re stuck at any point, towards the end of the game you come across a treasure map that will assist you in your searching should you need it.

Overall Ratchet & Clank provides a lengthy and very enjoyable gaming experience that PS3 owners will relish. It’s definitely one of the first games on the system that many will consider ‘must own’, and if you’re a fan of platforming action, and want to show off your lovely new HDTV-PS3 combination, (perhaps with a Home Theatre Kit too? The soundtrack is pretty great, especially within the cinematics) Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction brings the previous generation’s top gameplay, injects it with a few Sixaxis treats and pumps up the presentation to a top standard for a package that few will want to miss. Plus it’ll last you longer than Heavenly Sword.