Ratchet & Clank Future 2
Ratchet & Clank Future 2 as it is known in Japan, or Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is the sequel to Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and also Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty. It is also the conclusion of the Future trilogy which is a platform-shooter video game. The game is developed by Insomniac Games and published bye Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 game console. Ratchet & Clank Future 2 is built on an Insomniac Engine v.4.0 with a native resolution of 720p. It is scheduled for release on October 27 2009 for North America, November 4 2009 for Europe, November 5 2009 for Australia and November 6, 2009 for the United Kingdom under the genre of action-adventure, platformer and sandbox with an ESRB rating of E10+ for Everyone above the age of ten. The title and logo of Ratchet & Clank Future 2, together with a trailer were first officially announced at the 2009 Game Developers Conference in April. In terms of gameplay, Ratchet & Clank Future 2 will feature mechanics which are new to the Ratchet & Clank series in general, including one that involves a staff that Clank carries which can slow time in the area when it is used. Not only that, Clank will also be able to record up to a minute of his actions using special “time pods” after which a holographic Clank replays them will the actual Clank does something else. Clank will be able to record up to four copies of himself at a time. These holographic Clanks can help to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. In addition to that, there is also a pair of hoverboots which belong to Ratchet that allow him to move more quickly around planets. Besides that, Ratchet can also fly his ship freely through space, going to small planets to complete optional challenges, earning special items in the process.
Reviews
Ratchet & Clank Future 2 is set right after Quest for Booty, the downloadable adventure that follows Ratchet after the events of Tools of Destruction left off. In order to avoid new players being left out and confused, Insomniac has created a charming cutscene that plays during the game’s install which records all the important plot points that are vital. It takes the form of a celebrity interview with Captain Qwark after which players are thrown right into the adventure. In contrast to the other Ratchet & Clank games, the two friends will spend most of the game apart, with Ratchet on a quest to find Clank who was abducted by the mysterious Zony creatures at the end of Tools of Destruction. In the meantime, Clank is undertaking his own set of challenges in an extremely intriguing environment. In terms of gameplay, there is an incredibly enjoyable mix of platforming, puzzle-solving and shooting stuff, with en emphasis on the gunplay. In Ratchet & Clank Future 2, Ratchet, the last Lombax in existence is the ultimate star as compared to Clank, who ventures through the galaxy with his trusty Omniwrench in hand. The wrench is used for his melee attacks and manipulating certain items in the environment, like turning gears or breaking crates. Not only that, it can also be used as a type of laser tether to grab onto things and pull them closer or rip the shield out of the hands of an unsuspecting Agorian. There are also a number of terribly handy gadgets that are mapped to the D-pad, of which Ratchet will come across. These gadgets can be used at any time once they are found and makes the game much dynamic.
“Throughout all the time manipulation madness, the game looks great with a Pixar-like look to the characters and backgrounds. The levels had lots going on with meteors and spaceships flying past, as well as wavelike block platforms in Clank’s subconscious. The voice acting was good too, with Sigmund, in particular, capturing that zany senile robot role perfectly. It will be interesting to see where developer Insomniac takes the puzzles with the combination of the quantum energy bombs and time pads. The game is due out this November, so keep your eyes on GameSpot for more in the run-up to release.” (GameSpot, 2009)
