Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destrution Impressions

So for those of you have been tuning in to JTV the last two days probably have seen me playing the Ratchet and Clank game for the PS3. Initially when this game came out, I held off on buying it for fear that it would be the same old tired Ratchet & Clank formula that Insomniac has been using since making the second game in the series. Of course all those thoughts were realized about 30 minutes into the game.

If you've never played a R&C (abbreviated Ratchet & Clank) game, it involves a weapon system that's a whole bunch of fun. Anyone who's never played a R&C game should pick one up and if you have a PS3 you should pick up this one. The flight levels are much smoother and less frustrating than before, which is probably the biggest upgrade this time around. There's added in SIXAXIS controls, but they're basically completely negligible.

The problems are with the life system, level design, weapon design, side missions, and I guess overall gameplay design. Which I guess basically complies all facets of the entire game.

Without writing an entire manual of my problems with this game, I'll just explain what I have problems with. Ratchet's armor/life is constantly upgrading. Just by normal fighting, you're health increases and you buy armor upgrades which makes you take less damage. And with any game the difficulty increase, in this case by the enemies doing more damage, but the game does so in a way that makes your upgrades feel like their all for naught. I've got 83 health and the best armor you can buy and I'm still getting hit by an enemy for 75 damage. This forces you into armor upgrades and makes it feel less like customization.

The level designs are made in a way where you're always on some planet with endless pits or lava or swamps. First off, the beautiful lush worlds are just being molded out and I honestly can't tell a difference. Either that or I just don't give a crap anymore because I've seen so many. Also there are always these accidental deaths where you're walking down a path and because the stage is designed at an angle, you missed seeing that small gap and you die, having to start all over again. I guess checkpoints are taken out to make the game more "difficult."

The weapons are just minor variations of the ones from the last ones and you can exactly link them to their previous iterations. Theres a whole bunch of hey collect this many of these and I'll trade you something else and the story/gameplay is nothing more than get through this level and then get "coordinates" to another level. The names and places are completely forgettable. Honestly who can remember even a couple of the names of the planets from any R&C game.

You'd think that with all these complaints I would have put the game down by now. But here I am two days later nearing completion. I guess we're all conditioned to liking what we like.

Here's an example of what I mean. This was about my 8th try and about half way through the level. [Ratchet & Clank]

If you're around, I'll probably be finishing this tonight.
David