Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is the latest game in the Ratchet franchise and if taken as a game on its own, independent of the previous games then the overwhelming opinion of it would be extremely high. But I can’t judge Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time on its own, it has a pedigree to live up to. An expectation from gamers, like myself, that have played and loved earlier Ratchet adventures in years gone by.

It’s got to be bigger, bolder and brasher than all that has gone before. In many respects that’s the curse of the franchise. Ratchet & Clank is such a revered series now, that it has to succeed especially for Sony platformer fans that have seen Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter franchises go to the dogs after third party developers got their hands on them.

Not so Ratchet & Clank games which has maintained a consistently high standard of game play through the years. So what about Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time? On its own it’s a very high quality platformer, but as I said you can’t just judge it as simply as that or at least I can’t, so compared against the catalogue of Ratchet games it holds up as above average with moments of impressiveness. It’s not my favourite Ratchet & Clank adventure but is up there.

But first what’s it all about? It is the sequel to Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (my fav) and Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, and is the conclusion of the Future trilogy. Clank has been abducted by the Zoni on behalf of Dr. Nefarious and taken to the Great Clock. Ratchet on the other hand with the help, (????) of Qwark is trying to find Clank or at least information on him and that leads to funny, weapon based adventures that has a real sense of discovery and redemption about them. Leaving any spoilers safely hidden for the gamer to discover, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time does several things very very well.

The level of animation is outstanding, the frame rate never lags and the vibrancy of the animation is as bright and as colourful as ever. Indeed the hallmark of Ratchet games is the vivaciousness of colour and we are not let down in any way here. The quality of the animation automatically leads to another staple of Ratchet games and that is the intricate detail in the environments. Its all there everywhere you look there are things happening, regardless of whether they are crucial to the story. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is a busy game in that sense.

The most satisfying element of the game for me is the humour, it’s just a very funny very quirky game with a great deal of irony, huge dollops of satire and lampoonish situation comedy. Much of it is delivered absolutely over the top which is the Ratchet way as is the comedic deadpan delivery of Clank, it’s truly a joy. And then there are the weapons which are always original and madly destructive. Unusually though the weapon selection available early on is a tad sparse.

If you are pleased that the humour is still there and the quality animation is still there as in previous games you may be please to know that much of the game play is still the same. For me though the most disappointing aspect was there was not a lot of original input into the game, there is definitely a ‘same old same old’ feel about it. Some may consider the manic combat scenes and the puzzling puzzles that are ever present in the games would have to follow the Ratchet & Clank formula. Not me I think with the production values this high, given how good the game looks there could have been more innovation.

Now don’t get me wrong the combat and the puzzles are all of a standard that would put most other platformers to shame but my bar for a Ratchet & Clank game is a lot higher. For instance the time based levels with Clank are well crafted and are quite original but there is not enough of that freshness that a series like Ratchet & Clank, which has been around since the PSX days, needs and deserves.

From a control point of view it’s stuck with the familiar and that is where they should be, accessing all the differing menu options should be one of the things that is never tweaked too badly. But sometimes a tweak is required and dare I say it but the camera and the angles it takes you to are in desperate need to be tweaked. The whole area of sound and voice acting is typical Ratchet fare, lots of clunks and boings and destructive noise. And the characters we know and love and laugh at are played again with absolute relish.

Apart from the couple of concerns mentioned that in reality are not enough to really throw anybody off enjoying this game immensely Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is a tremendous addition to the franchise. Who knows it may be it’s finale given it’s the third in the trilogy. If it is then most who love the guys will be reasonably satisfied and for those who pick it up for the first time they could do far far worse.