Ratchet and clank a crack in time battleplex

#Ratchet and clank a crack in time battleplex upgrade
#Ratchet and clank a crack in time battleplex series

These tiny planets offer up the most straightforward platforming segments Ratchet sees, but they also deliver some of the biggest frustrations.

#Ratchet and clank a crack in time battleplex upgrade

It's here that Ratchet gains access to a fair number of side-missions, some of which involve performing tasks for other ships in the area, and many of which require him to land on tiny spherical planets to fetch the mysterious Zuni that help upgrade his ship. Ratchet, for his part, gets to roam a bit more freely around the galaxy, thanks to the ability to fly his ship more or less wherever he wants within whatever sectors of the galaxy are open to him. But it's a pretty neat trick, regardless. Most of these puzzles are based on the same concept, so it's a bit of a one-trick pony. Clank's portion is particularly interesting, with some time-based puzzles that call to mind some of the more interesting ideas in Braid. As in the past couple games, Ratchet handles the bulk of the combat, while Clank's segments focus a bit more on puzzle-solving (since the characters were separated at the end of Tools of Destruction, the game alternates between the two for most of the story). Neat as some of those weapons are, I was soon jonesing for simpler, more direct weapons of the type that don't show up until later in the game, like a shotgun (you need to plow through several tournaments in the Agorian Battleplex to earn A Crack in Time's version, but the Battleplex is in an area you won't even have access to for a few hours).ДЇortunately, the platforming, exploration, and puzzle-solving that make up the rest of the game are as fine as anything in the rest of the series. For a good portion of the game you get only two direct-attack weapons: the Constructo Pistol (which feels strangely underpowered even when equipping the various add-ons the 'constructo' format allows) and the Sonic Eruptor (a wide-angle weapon with a clever timing-based element to adjust power). For the first half or so, most of the available weapons are of the indirect, tactical variety: bombs and mines and the like. In part that's because I find this outing's weapon selection a bit lackluster.

I'd just prefer that ratio to be flipped. Don't get me wrong, the platforming's still plentiful I'd estimate the ratio at about 40 percent platforming and about 60 percent gunplay. While I enjoy Ratchet's blow-crap-up segments just fine, I prefer when they come secondary to the more classic platforming challenges. For A Crack in Time, the needle swings back toward the 'gunplay' end of the spectrum, perhaps to deliberately compensate for the more platform-heavy adventures of Tools of Destruction and its downloadable mini-sequel, Quest for Booty.

#Ratchet and clank a crack in time battleplex series

Some entries in the series focus more on platforming and exploration, for example, while others place a much heavier emphasis on gunplay. Still, it's understandable that the designers tinker with the formula from game to game. But the Ratchet & Clank series has managed to consistently deliver the goods, pumping out one wholly entertaining adventure after another. This is not as easy as it sounds, not by a long shot it requires careful balance and pacing, plopping progressively more difficult challenges in front of the player while keeping a constant stream of upgrades and collectibles flowing. Even the comparatively heavy Resistance series is friendly to newcomers, while providing a notable challenge to more serious players and obsessive completists. Let me tell you what I like about Insomniac games: Since the early days of Spyro the Dragon, the studio has always managed to make its games both accessible and rewarding.