Five installments (if you don’t count the Mobile version), and quite a bit of duly earned acclaim later, Insomniac’s latest Ratchet & Clank adventure, entitled ‘Future Tools of Destruction’ (PS3), is quite simply a gem of ‘great entertainment’ that has fallen prey to some rather low review scores due to its lack of multiplayer or “innovative gameplay.” The game has even been accused of having “an identity crisis.” 

Perhaps I’m in a unique position to weigh in on this debate as I’ve not played a single prior installment in this series.  *gasps and shocked stares from the crowd* But I think it is exactly this absence of prior Ratchet & Clank titles from my videogame repertoire that has enabled me to look at Future Tools of Destruction with fresh eyes and to make this statement, “If the PS3 has one thing going for it – it is Insomniac.”

I’ve Got Your Back – Er..Rather, I’m On It!

Ratchet & Clank: Future Tools of Destruction dishes up a cornucopia of witty one liners, pop-culture references, colorful characters and eye-catching set-piece moments all at the freight train pace usually associated with Hollywood action films.  At the center of this pop-culture and genre mash-up are our two unlikely heroes, Ratchet & Clank, whose rapport bears more than a passing resemblance to classic buddy pair-ups like Laurel & Hardy, or R2D2 & C3P0 for that matter. 

Ratchet is a Lombax, a colorful creature – somewhat akin to a fox – whose race enjoys tinkering about with their latest inventions – often resulting in catastrophic explosions.  Clank is Ratchet’s robot side-kick who spends the majority of his time snapping off one-liners from the safety of Ratchet’s backpack carry-all. It is the relationship between this unlikely duo that has allowed the series such staying power and with Future Tools of Destruction finally delivers a title that welcomes non-hardcore gamers to the Playstation 3 platform.

Do Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?

The story kicks off as the Planetary Defense Center run by Captain Quark (think Captain Kirk meets Mr. Incredible) is overrun by heavily armed robotic commandos – aren’t they all? – under the command of Emperor Tachyon, a smallish creature with an aversion to Lombaxes and a rather large size complex.  Our dynamic duo wastes no time in getting caught up in the action as they find themselves stranded on a Dagobah-esque jungle world, escape to an outer-rim Gelatonium refinery, visit the epicenter of Tachyon’s empire, take part in gladiatorial combat, duel with fanatic robotic space pirates and much more. 

Punctuated throughout the story are hints at Ratchet’s connection to the fate of the galaxy and Clank’s odd dreams involving the Zoni who seem to revere him as a returned God – no doubt a nod to C3PO and his Ewok friends in Return of the Jedi.

But, while the story moves along quickly – Future Tools offers much depth.  As a reporter I tend to make a mad dash through the game so I can meet the numerous deadlines on my plate – another defect of our trade – along the way I could see, as I rocketed off the numerous planets, I had left behind copious opportunities for exploration – there will be plenty to do here for the completionists in our midst.

Who Are You?

Much of Ratchet & Clank: Future Tools of Destruction’s gameplay puts you in the shoes of our favorite Lombax with infrequent turns at controlling our robotic side-kick on his mini-adventures with the Zoni. The game is a veritable mash-up of styles – hence the aforementioned ‘identity crisis’ complaint -  though I found this to be a relief as play shifts just often enough to keep things fresh. 

One moment you’re running and gunning, the next your Tony Hawk 2015 skating along rails in the sky, then your freefalling ala the Fifth Element (using the six-axis to maneuver through the traffic) and one sequence even has Ratchet rocketing along tubes in a small sphere-shaped bike like a hamster in his habitrail. 

While Ratchet’s play is more combat and action oriented – Clank’s adventures with the Zoni shifts gears choosing to focus more on puzzles and platform jumping as he slows down time to sneak through doorways or instructs the Zoni to ‘modify’ the environment to overcome puzzles. 

It Slices, It Dices

What would an Insomniac game be without weapons and gadgets?  Just take a look at any prior Ratchet & Clank title, or Resistance: Fall of Man for that matter, and you’ll immediately tune in to their Lombaxian love for inventing the oddest gizmos known to man.  Try the Gelanator for example – a gun that fires off a jello-like substance that can then be jumped on to reach out of the way locales. Or, my favorite crowd control device, the Groovitron which mesmerizes nearby enemies with its crystal ball and forces them to boogie-down to that 70s sound as you lay into their ranks with your trusty Combuster.

In true tinkerers’ style all the game’s weapons are upgradeable to the nth degree at the various weapon shops scattered about the galaxy – or even through software upgrades earned simply by putting them to good use.

So What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Ratchet & Clank: Future Tools of Destruction is oddly devoid of any multiplayer after having made its way into the franchise’s last PS2 outing ‘Deadlocked’, and even to this year’s  much ballyhooed PSP version ‘Size Matters.’ But quite frankly, you won’t miss it.  Sure, it would have been nice to see another PS3 title offering some online play options – but the solo adventure herein is well worth the price of admission and for that we’re willing to overlook this omission. 

With the majority of titles for the PS3 to date being made up of ported versions of action titles – often released a month after their Xbox 360 counter-parts – Insomniac’s delivery of Ratchet & Clank: Future Tools of Destruction provides the platform with a much needed shot of ‘exclusivity’ and a title that any owner of the platform should not be without. Trust me when I tell you that, “lack of innovation” plus “Identity Crisis” equals yet another fun-filled romp with two of my new favorite videogame heroes.