While many of the armamentsвЂ™ functionality fall into the classification of a shotgun, rocket, or machine gun, the creative spin on each weapon deserves a tip of the hat. With that said, the excitement tied to RatchetвЂ™s gameplay remains largely about the weapons and gadgets he wields. Seeing how civilizations progress through time is interesting, but above all else, itвЂ™s something Insomniac uses to create amazing level design and mission objectives. In past games, Clank has had his moments, but these sequences are far and away his most enjoyable contribution to the R&C experience.ДЇor Ratchet, time is abused in ways that show players certain worlds in the past, present, and future. These enjoyable mind exercises escalate in difficulty as the game progresses. Think of it as programming AI routines that work together. To do this, Clank can record past and present versions of himself that, as confusing as this may sound, run concurrently in time. Tricky platforming and amazing combat sequences are sprinkled in, but youвЂ™re mostly tasked with manipulating time sequentially to open doors, lower platforms, and dispose of enemies. Here, most of the challenges are navigation puzzles. In a twist of luck that helps his furry companion, ClankвЂ™s journey of self-discovery takes him into the heart of the Great Clock. Yes, RatchetвЂ™s tin sidekick is still around, but throughout most of the adventure he is on his own.

This is most prominently on display in the Clank levels. With the seriesвЂ™ trademark combat remaining as explosive as ever, the concepts surrounding time manipulation give sections of the game a Braid-like feel. In many levels, time is bent, stretched, rewound, and thrown in directions my feeble mind couldnвЂ™t even begin to comprehend. Through this strong narrative, the quest for answers (and in some cases, conclusions) is heightened through the gameplay. Although maintaining a whimsical tone, this fiction now has a defined villain like Darth Vader. Bringing back former antagonists, as opposed to creating a new foe for each game as Insomniac has done in previous entries, gives the universe a true threat that balances the scales between good and evil. After playing this game, I now have a cohesive view of both Ratchet and Clank. The riveting plot doesnвЂ™t just answer questions players have had since first smashing a crate with RatchetвЂ™s wrench it unifies the seriesвЂ™ mythology and lifts its characters up onto a much higher and more meaningful stage. The Great Clock, a device created to preserve unity in the universe, is believed to be capable of altering time, but at what cost? In Azimuth, Ratchet has found his source of information, and in Ratchet, Azimuth has gained a supporter to his cause. Azimuth has been searching for a way to turn back the clock to undo the terrible fate that befell his race.

Ratchet has been searching the cosmos for information pertaining to his people and his history. His name is Alister Azimuth, a general who served in the war that nearly brought the lombax to extinction. In A Crack in Time, another lombax emerges from the shadows. Ratchet believes he is the last of the lombax race.

Ratchet & clank a crack in time