Well the "International Trailer" for Final Fantasy XIII got released today, chances are you have probably seen it by now. I have to say as far as trailers go the first 2 and a half minutes have to be the shittest thing I have ever seen. If Square-Enix really want to sell this game to more than the usual Final Fantasy fans that have been fans of the series for ages, then they need to do an edit of the trailer and cut out the start and jump straight to the last 2 minutes.
Trailer from G4TV.Com
The last 2 minutes of the trailer are what could get more people intrested in the game, as it is exactly what you would expect to see in a trailer for a game. Square-Enix just best not fuck up the game as badly as they did with their idea of a trailer, otherwise I know I wont be playing through 40 hours of shite just for a great ending to the game.
After completing "A Crack In Time" I figured I had best play the prequel "Quest For Booty" as I just hadn't gotten around to playing the game. (Stupid downloadable game that I got (Thanks Code) and forget about then ended up buying the disk based version as well) The game is basically an episodic filler bridging the gap between Tools of Destruction and A Crack In Time, As such you only get to play as Ratchet in this short and brief encounter.
The game sees you (Ratchet) trying to find your sidekick Clank who went missing at the end of "Tools of Destruction" the games storyline really is lack luster at best. The levels are really short if you can even count them as levels, it just feels like the game is something that has been left out from the end of Tools of Destruction.
Ratchet & er..Ratchet at their worst!
There seems to be lots missing that you normally see in a Ratchet & Clank games, No weapon sellers, only one big boss, no Quark and even worse the humour is very thin on the ground (Humour is one of the best things I like about the series.) Saying the game is a bit of a let down may seem unfair but at the same time it is entirely true. If there was a reason that this was left out of "Tools of Destruction" then the reason could be that the "Quest For Booty" just wouldn't fit in with Tools of Destruction's superior level design and tight game play.
Quest For Booty just feels like a shoddy release by a company that normally prides itself on making quality games. If you really feel the need to play every game in the Ratchet & Clank series, then you have no choice but to play "Quest For Booty" if not then I would suggest skipping this game (If you can really call it that) and playing through one of the other games in the series again.
Ratchet and Clank is probably one of Sony's best selling game series with "A Crack In Time" being the ninth game to be released. (5 PS2 games, 2 PSP game and 3 PS3 games, with Size Matters being ported from the PSP to the PS2) Lets face it if you have ever owned a Sony system then you will have at played one of the Ratchet and Clank games at some time or another. Some of you will be glad to know that "A Crack In Time" is yet more of the same great 3D platforming slash shooting action that the series is best known and loved for. (Even better now though as the annoying underwater sections don't make an appearence in the game)
If however you have yet to play a Ratchet & Clank game due to being in a Siberian prison for the last 15 years, surviving on gruel and water for crimes against the state. Then you are in for a treat as not only has the world has changed so much but gaming has moved forward so much since when you were locked away in your cold damp cell. (Games now come on a thing called Disks instead of cartridges, amazing or what) Basically think Mario 64 with big ass and crazy weapons with humour a bit similar to Conker and you will be heading somewhere in the right direction.
EVIL GENIUS RETURNS!!..with butler
The evil (highley amusing) Dr Nefarious and his mechanical butler Lawrence make a welcome return as the bad guys in the game. (I just couldn't warm to Emperor Percival Tachyon as the bad guy in the last two games, he just to entertain when compared to the ultimate bad guy Dr Nefarious) Captain Quark also makes his usual prescence felt through the game again (The classic village idiot/cowardly hero) upon completing the game there is a part after the credits with him that really cracked me up, so just don't wander off when the credits start rolling.
One thing that make the Ratchet and Clank series enjoyable is the imagination that goes into the script and the weapons featured in the game. (All of which can be levelled up to cause even more death and destruction) These really need to be seen in action, with the Rhino V5 being completely mental to say the least.
The Ratchet & Clank series will always have parts that you enjoy more than others, for example I hated the underwater sections in the previous games that don't appear in "A Crack In Time", yet I also still don't enjoy the Clank only sections either that much, sure it does add more of a puzzling element to the game but I am happy with the death and destruction that Ratchet brings. This time however I did enjoy the Clank sections than I have done in previous games as the new puzzles were quite enjoyable to play through, with the ones needing completing for the last few gold bolts being a particular pain in the ass. (In a good way though)
HE REALLY IS A DUMBASS!
Once completing the game you also get given the chance to play through the game again on the harder Challenge Mode. (This gives you the chance to get your hands on even more powerful versions of your weapons, and everything you got in your first playthrough carries over just like in the previous games) The game demands to be played through again on this mode, this is what gaming is all about, not Trophies and Achievements as so many gamers seem preoccupied with nowdays. Gaming should be about fun and enjoyment and Ratchet & Clank is the embodiment of this, seeking little more than to entertain you from start to finish, so much so that you will want to play it again upon completion.
A Crack In Time is another Ratchet & Clank game that does everything right, and so little wrong. If you have never played a Ratchet & Clank game before then this could be the game that makes you want to pick up the previous games in the series, and play through the back story of Ratchet & Clank. (Ratchet & Clank 1-3 on the PS2 are amazing games which are still as playable today as they were upon first release)
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