Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is yet another beautiful, action-packed, humorous adventure for PlayStation fans, boasting numerous gadgets, guns, and lots of alien things to shoot at. Its minigames have been adjusted to feature sixaxis support and Insomniac has even tossed in dancing pirates, but despite how gorgeous the game looks or how well the gameplay mechanics function, we've been down this road before - five times, six if you happened to splurge on the PSP version.

While I've always had a soft spot for our furry hero and his robotic pal, I'm afraid that Tools of Destruction has done it for me. This is the same experience, the same gameplay, lackluster plot, annoying save system, and patch-work minigames that I've been through since the franchise's inception. In summation, I am all Ratchet'ed out. If you were looking for a new, refreshing direction for the series' PlayStation 3 debut, this isn't it.



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Tools of Destruction offers yet another instance in which I'm forced to scratch my head and wonder if I've been immersed in the industry so long that I'm now out of the touch with the average gamer. It's one of Sony's (and Insomniac's) flagship titles, and people seem to love it. In a sense I understand their infatuation: it's classic R&C humor, the same simplistic gameplay mechanics at work (collect this statue, turn that bolt, slaughter these boxes, etc), those same breathtaking visuals now transplanted to the PlayStation 3, and so on. I doubt that anyone could effectively argue that the title isn't playable, enjoyable, or a success ("success" being defined here as a complete single-player experience that doesn't feel pushed out the door), it's just that it's the same game.

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At this point I've collected a trillion bolts, played a hundred rounds of "beat this minigame to open a door", and explored who-knows how many planets while popping virtual caps into aliens/robots/alien robots. I've made the bad guys dance; I've turned them into various creatures and whacked them to death with a wrench. I've grind-booted my way across giant chasms, been swept up in weapons-upgrade options, and watched my last plot item presented as a fake commercial. I have done it all, and then I completed Tools of Destruction and did it again, this time in HD glory. The real question isn't whether the game is worth your time but whether you'd like to pay $59.99 for the privilege of doing the same stuff in 720p - though Ratchet does look fly.

But enough negativity; Tools of Destruction, similar to every R&C game on the market, shares the franchise's ups as well as downs. The visuals are amazing and showcase just what the PlayStation 3 can do when a developer is willing to spend the time and tap the system's resources. Even with fifty pirates dancing a groovitron jig while Ratchet pummels them with his grenade-gun and other torturous devices, the framerate keeps up with the action, down to the detailing in Ratchet's fur as he sets his enemies ablaze. The game's unique presentation, another hallmark of the series, is just as fun and spoofy as ever, making grand use of holovids (think "upgraded" infobots) for plot progression; cutscenes are quick and entertaining, with the same high-quality voice performances from a cast you know and love.


The simplistic gameplay is almost enough to make you feel nostalgic. The title is easy to play through and very direct, a bonus for kiddies who hate sitting through an hour's worth of cinematics to find out what's going on. There are the same mechanics that series veterans will instantly recognize: five version upgrades for weaponry, fun devices that turn enemies into cutesy penguins (nothing makes you appreciate the benefits of being a superior species than whacking a penguin into space), weapon upgrades via vendors, armor shopping (those lombaxes always did have a sense of style), and minigames that now utilize the sixaxis controller's tilt feature. While rolling a ball around to connect circuits, gliding through hoops, shaking that pirate booty, and steering tornadoes toward foes all spruce up the gameplay, they also severely distract from it, reminding the player that she's not saving the galaxy but trying to maneuver a stupid ball so she can save the galaxy. I applaud Insomniac for actually trying to capitalize on the motion sensor technology, but the bulk of this attempt was frustrating and annoying.

While we're on the topic, apparently some people have it in their heads that frustrating and challenging equate to the same thing. If you've been reading up on Tools then you've probably concluded that it's a breeze "until the end" - when Insomniac introduces a million enhanced robots that no longer die in one or two shots. It's at this point when gamers begin to "appreciate" the outdated save-anywhere system, which, if you've been through a Ratchet game before, you already know is a lie. I complained five years ago in a review of the original R&C that enabling me to save-anywhere is bloody pointless if I have to load up from the start of a planet; giving me a taxi or a teleport to certain sections of a level doesn't cut it. This is the next-generation of PlayStation hardware and Insomniac still won't let me save-anywhere and load-up from where I saved - why the hell not?

The checkpoint system isn't much better. Ideally as you progress from one area to the next you trigger a checkpoint such that, if you die, you don't have to re-complete the same segments over and over. The checkpoint system here doesn't operate this way; when Ratchet clears an area and, say, approaches a boss or some other physical feat that you're going to die at, it's back two-three segments for you so you can re-work your way to a specific area just to do it all over again. About the time you reach your breaking point is when you realize that you can't save and call it for the day because you'll be loading up at the start of the level. I think this is where I lost another piece of my soul.

The real disappointment in Tools of Destruction is that it's the same content we've been through before, and while it's still good it's hardly great. Because you've done all this stuff several games ago there's simply little to no motivation for you to go through it again; there's no pull here, and you don't even remember there's a storyline until the last two-three planets. What the franchise needs is not a million bolts, boxes, aliens, or weapon upgrades but a new direction, a fresh take for our old and tired comedic duo, preferably one that doesn't detract from the experience with trivial minigames and sixaxis-controlled tornadoes that drive me crazy.

Okay, Insomniac: you've proven what you can do with the power of the PlayStation 3 - now let's see if you can take that engine and those beautiful visuals and make a great game out of it.

Publisher: SCEA
Developer: Insomniac Games
Release: Oct 23, 2007
MSRP: $59.99
Everyone 10+

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