Tools of destruction is an enjoyable game, but fails to reach the heights of its predecessors back on the Playstation 2,
PROS:
- Some of the best graphics seen on the PS3 so far.
- Rather long. (10-15 hrs)
- Loading screens are cleverly hidden.
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CONS:
- There may be one too many gameplay mechanics.
- The Ratchet and Clank formula is growing old.
- The ending of the game is somewhat disappointing.
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Gameplay: 7 - I'm sure we all remember the dynamic duo known as Ratchet and Clank, these two thoroughly likeable characters are notable for appearing in some of the best platformers (and shooters) that have ever been released onto the Playstation 2, but now it appears that the loveable lombax and the cybernetic organism of a backpack have managed to make it onto the Playstation 3, but it appears that when Ratchet and Clank stepped foot onto the next generation of Playstation, they may of had one or two trips a long the way, as it seems that Insomniac decided to bring quite a few more gameplay mechanics to the series, this is probably one of the games greatest strengths and one of it's greatest weaknesses.
I am aware that a lot of people think that it is a very good thing to add plenty of variety to a game, I happen to be one of those many people, but one of the things a lot of people don't understand that there is such a thing as too much variety. There are times in the game when your firing away at your enemies with the combuster, then there's another time when you launch a disco ball into the air and all nearby enemies begin dancing a truly preposterous dance whilst you smash their heads in, there are also other times when Clank sprouts wings and you fly all across the environment you are currently in and then there are other times when you morph your foes into penguins. The result is truly exhausting after a short while. But the game is still pretty fun while it lasts.
The shooting in Tools of destruction is as solid as it has ever been, but unfortunately it is weighed down by an abundance of uninteresting and definitely beyond entertaining minigames that plague the game. For example, you will have to fly Ratchet's ship across the solar system as you fight Captain Slag's ships, I'm sure we all remember the monontonous ship battles that haunted Going Commando and Size matters; (other games in the series) another bland minigame that weighs Tools of destruction down from an above average game to just an average game is when you need to move the SIXAXIS Daulshock 3 controller in order to roll a electricity-conducting ball around a circuit to get to holes inbetween wires in order for the electricity to get to its final destination.
But despite all of these problems that drag Tools of destruction down, it is easily revived by its perfectly solid shooting and its improved Clank minigames. But unfortunately these positive aspects aren't quite enough for the game to reach the heights of its predecessors.
Sound: 7 - The sound is seamless and relentlessly fast-paced, but mostly forgettable and seems to recycle some of the background music tracks from previous entries in the coming-of-age franchise. The voice-acting is solid but it just simply isn't any more better than it was in previous games, in fact, it happens to be virtually the exact opposite of that.
Graphics: 9 - It's painfully obvious that Developer's Insomniac spent quite a bit of time polishing this title, as a matter of fact, Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction is one of the best-looking games available for the Playstation 3 at the moment, although it doesn't quite reach the same height of remarkability as off great PS3-exclusive games such as Uncharted 2: Among thieves, Grand theft auto IV or Infamous, so basically it doesn't exactly meet "breath-taking" when it comes to graphics, but I can most certainly tell you that it isn't far off.
Value: 7 - Completing the game during your first playthrough should take around ten-to-fifthteen hours, varying on how skilled a gamer you are. After you have finished the game once, you will be given a choice as to whether you want to timewarp back to before you defeating Trachyn (the final boss battle) or to start 'challenge mode'. In 'Challenge mode', you are able to playthrough the game again except the amount of damage your enemies will inflict on you will increase, there will also be a bolt multiplyer which makes the worth of the bolts you collect double, you are able to double it twenty times, the bolt multiplyer multiplies every time you defeat an enemy, but will go back down to normal once you sustain a hit. You will also be able to keep all of your weapons from your previous playthrough of the game and level them up to a maximum of 10 instead of 5.
Unless you are a truly hardcore fan of the Ratchet and Clank series, I doubt the games replay value will be strong enough to make you sustain interest the whole through the game a second time, although you are unable to complete the game 100% unless you play through the game again, I'm sure there are a lot of people who will feel more than satisfied once they finsih the game completely, but then again, you will probably only feel that way due to how much boredom you had to suffer in order to get this far. The game still is a hefty bit of fun during your first time through, it just basically suffers from reasonably poor replay value.
Overall: 7.5/10
Ultimately, Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction fails to reach the same heights as its predecessors back on the Playstation 2. Though the shooting and graphics aren't far off spectacular and the story is rather fulfilling, (at least up until the last part when practically no secrets about the history of the lombaxes are revealed and ends with the cliffhanger.) the game is virtually emptied out of the classic Ratchet and Clank magic that made previous games so great by all of the mind-numbingly boring minigames and an overabundance of gameplay mechanics that alternate between unnecessary and potentially tedious. In the end, Ratchet and Clank: Tools of destruction is a definite buy for the hardcore fans, but just fans and newcomers may just want to rent the game or borrow it from a friend for a week or two.
Thank-you for reading my honest review of: Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of destruction (US,AU) Ratchet and Clank: Tools of destruction. (EU)