Ratchet & Clank find themselves in trouble once again in their first PS3 outing, Tools of Destruction
The next stop on my backlog tour is Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction – another PS3 exclusive. It’s been nearly seven years since I last played a Ratchet & Clank game, and back in those days of the PS2 I was certainly a huge fan of the series. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction was released only one year after the PS3 debuted, and was the first PS3 game to support Dual Shock rumble right out of the box. But like the other PS3 games I’ve been playing lately that were released early on in the PS3 lifecycle – the question to be asked is whether it is still worth checking out today. Hit the jump to find out.
The Highs
The primary “high” for this game is that it is a Ratchet & Clank game. The combination of action, shooting, humor, RPG, and platforming in this series is unlike any other games I’ve played. Each iteration of the game brings forth new crazy weapons, and also provides the signature element of leveling up these weapons to become even more powerful through use. Throw in an experience point system that allows you to level yourself up to be stronger by killing enemies, and money that you can find everywhere to buy new weapons and ammo, but give it a more kid-friendly Saturday morning cartoon feel and you have a Borderlands type game for kids (minus the co-op and random drops). I enjoyed the series years ago and everything about Tools of Destruction still continues what made the series great.
It’s also a nice touch that the game is relatively long, but that there is also a New Game+ option. The New Game+ option has more difficult enemies, but a new gameplay mechanic allows you to increase the multiplier on the currency you earn from dropped foes provided you don’t get hit. The multiplier goes all the way up to 10x, so you earn money in ridiculous amounts. You can then use your loads of money to buy the super versions of the weapons in the game.
Like all Ratchet & Clank games, Tools of Destruction has parts where you only play as Clank
The Lows
Ironically, the primary high for the game is also its low – Tools of Destruction is still a Ratchet & Clank game through and through. It doesn’t seem much different than its predecessors: you still travel from planet to planet, acquiring new weapons, fighting in an arena, joking around with Clank. There have been something like eight Ratchet & Clank games already, so playing this one is not going to give you a breath of fresh air that the series may possibly need. This game is just a good sequel in a franchise that has many sequels.
A couple other minor negative things I noted when playing through the game was that some gameplay elements are not going to be the most intuitive for new players of the series. I was stuck in certain instances when I had to control Clank for the first time because I wasn’t aware what I needed to do with him to continue past a certain section. It was only through trial-and-error did I figure it out (and also finally remembering many years ago how the Clank sequences in the games go). Also, because this game came out relatively early in the PS3 lifecycle, it does not have Trophy support. Fortunately, it does have its own internal Trophy system for various feats and you can use the points you earn from these feats to unlock various cheats and things.
For extra variety, Tools of Destruction also has some space shooter levels similar to Starfox
Final Thoughts
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is highly recommended for anyone that loves the series and wants more of it or even newcomers to the series that appreciate the gameplay elements of platforming, shooting, and RPG. It’s also a perfect game for adults and kids alike since it has enough depth for adults while having enough cartoon and humor elements for kids. However, if you’ve played more than your fair share of Ratchet & Clank games, Tools of Destruction isn’t too different from any of the other games in the series and therefore, not a must play. Fun to play – yes!
Final Grade: B
