RATCHET & CLANK FUTURE: TOOLS OF DESTRUCTION
Published: Nov 2, 2007
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System: Sony PlayStation 3
Publisher: Sony
Reviewer's rating: ♣
ESRB rating: Everyone 10+
Game type: Action/adventure
Kind of like: "Super Mario Bros." crossed with "BioShock"
Best feature: The game's vibrant visuals are nothing short of stunning.
Worst feature: The gameplay is the same old thing, only easier.
The bottom line: Innovation can be good or bad. Sometimes it works ("BioShock"); sometimes it doesn't ("Shadowrun"). The original "Ratchet & Clank" worked. The 2003 game breathed new life into the platform genre with its emphasis on action and its use of distinctive weapons.
It didn't hurt that the game - a stylishly cartoonlike sci-fi adventure featuring a mischievous mammal and his robot pal - also employed a wicked sense of humor. But by the fourth installment, the once-inventive formula had gone a bit stale.
With "Tools of Destruction," the series makes its PS3 debut and attempts a return to form. In some ways, it works. In others, not so much.
The core gameplay remains ridiculously fun: You charge through platform-style levels, solving puzzles and blasting enemies with your ingenious arsenal. Instead of a run-of-the-mill grenade or rifle, you can use a gadget that unleashes a swarm of angry insects or a gun that turns your enemies into penguins.
But, ironically, it's the (mercifully brief) attempts to add something fresh that we're not crazy about. When the game strays from the tried-and-true, it feels gratuitous and uninspired.
Rommie Johnson
