The peak of Ratchet and Clank's journeys on the PlayStation 3.

User Rating: 10 | Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time PS3

"Ratchet & Clank" has been a cornerstone of the PlayStation ever since its debut in 2002, but in 2009, we were potentially looking at the franchise's biggest moment. "Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time" was the third entry in the "Future" saga of the series, and not only was it being touted as the final entry in the saga, but there was talk of it potentially being the last game in the "Ratchet & Clank" series as a whole. Thus, it had to deliver. As the potential sendoff to one of the most important first-party franchises Sony has, this had to be something special. It's a damn good thing it was.

"Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time" feels like the culmination of everything the "Ratchet & Clank" series achieved up to that point in its life. The storytelling is tight, with plenty of emotion and heart, and there's plenty of great development with both new characters and old ones. The presentation is very cinematic and excellent, with worlds that are fully realized and wondrous to explore. The gameplay is far and away some of the best the series has come through with, as the combat and platforming mixture is polished to near-perfection, with plenty of new gadgets and weapons that feel as fresh as ever. I also found that the gameplay switching off from Ratchet and Clank was a great idea, as it emphasized their importance to one another and the culmination of their journeys together. It also helped that Clank's puzzle sections are clever, challenging, and superb and that the new space travel gameplay is an excellent addition to the overall game.

My only real downside with the game is that I did find some of the hoverboot sections to be a bit wonky. They weren't too bad, though, and they didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the game as a whole.

Overall, "Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time" is by far one of the greatest moments in the entire series, and definitely the peak of the duo's journeys on the PlayStation 3. While I'm obviously grateful the franchise has continued to this day, if it had fully ended on this note, this would have been an incredible point to stop on. It's truly a masterpiece and a game that comes highly recommended to anyone who owns a PlayStation 3.

Final rating: 10 out of 10 "Fantastic"