Okay, y'all weren't kidding, this is the best one in the series.
I know it's still a bit early to call it that, but come on. You don't even need to be a Ratchet & Clank fan to see how truly fantastic this game is in every conceivable way. From what I've read, this was supposed to be the finale for the whole series, not just the Future trilogy, but stellar sales figures caused Sony to pressure Insomniac to continue the series, a decision that would go on to benefit them anyway, at least from what I hear of Rift Apart specifically.
You can really tell this is their magnum opus too since pretty much every individual aspect of this game has been fine-tuned to such an impressive extent—it's the smoothest and most enjoyable to play that this series has ever felt.
Having said that, there are some qualms that hold it back a bit. Namely, the camera can be a real bastard to control correctly whenever you really need it. I'm mainly referring to the little platforming gauntlets on the spherical planets that you can attempt now and then. Usually these challenges involve heavy use of Ratchet's hoverboots, a new addition to the series, at least in this form, and an incredibly satisfying method of traversal. However, when you're moving fast and jumping between platforms on a spherical planet that's constantly rotating as you're moving across it, the camera can get a bit lost, resulting in quite a few retries.
It's not a huge deal, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the spaceflight segments themselves. They get the job done, and granted, they're one of the better iterations of it in the series, but I felt that only being able to move your ship on a horizontal axis made some boss fights more frustrating than appropriately challenging. Granted, you can get upgrades for your ship to make these parts smoother to handle, but it never really feels as worthwhile to play as the Ratchet and Clank sections of the game, respectively.
Problems aside, this game really delivers. Most impressive of all is its story. These games have dabbled in mature themes and storytelling before, but A Crack in Time's narrative takes it to the next level, delivering some truly compelling drama and emotional stakes alongside the standard wacky hijinks you've come to expect from the series. Both characters are set on their own odysseys built on themes of legacy and destiny in their own separate, equally engaging ways. These characters have never been written or portrayed better than they are here, and Insomniac's efforts have really paid off.
I was understandably starting to get a little burned out on these games before A Crack in Time came along and perfected the Ratchet & Clank formula. The combat is tight and satisfying, with a surprisingly deep customization system for select weapons that puts an exciting spin on the combat loop just as it was starting to get a bit stale. Clank's gameplay, in particular the timeloop puzzles, is really inspired, and I'd honestly take an entire game of just those sections. In fact, I kind of wish there were more, but I understand they probably didn't want to alienate people who weren't super into them.
So, yes, A Crack in Time delivered on the monumental hype going into it that, for once, wasn't rooted in nostalgia biases or hyperbole. It really is peak Ratchet & Clank.
9/10
I know it's still a bit early to call it that, but come on. You don't even need to be a Ratchet & Clank fan to see how truly fantastic this game is in every conceivable way. From what I've read, this was supposed to be the finale for the whole series, not just the Future trilogy, but stellar sales figures caused Sony to pressure Insomniac to continue the series, a decision that would go on to benefit them anyway, at least from what I hear of Rift Apart specifically.
You can really tell this is their magnum opus too since pretty much every individual aspect of this game has been fine-tuned to such an impressive extent—it's the smoothest and most enjoyable to play that this series has ever felt.
Having said that, there are some qualms that hold it back a bit. Namely, the camera can be a real bastard to control correctly whenever you really need it. I'm mainly referring to the little platforming gauntlets on the spherical planets that you can attempt now and then. Usually these challenges involve heavy use of Ratchet's hoverboots, a new addition to the series, at least in this form, and an incredibly satisfying method of traversal. However, when you're moving fast and jumping between platforms on a spherical planet that's constantly rotating as you're moving across it, the camera can get a bit lost, resulting in quite a few retries.
It's not a huge deal, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the spaceflight segments themselves. They get the job done, and granted, they're one of the better iterations of it in the series, but I felt that only being able to move your ship on a horizontal axis made some boss fights more frustrating than appropriately challenging. Granted, you can get upgrades for your ship to make these parts smoother to handle, but it never really feels as worthwhile to play as the Ratchet and Clank sections of the game, respectively.
Problems aside, this game really delivers. Most impressive of all is its story. These games have dabbled in mature themes and storytelling before, but A Crack in Time's narrative takes it to the next level, delivering some truly compelling drama and emotional stakes alongside the standard wacky hijinks you've come to expect from the series. Both characters are set on their own odysseys built on themes of legacy and destiny in their own separate, equally engaging ways. These characters have never been written or portrayed better than they are here, and Insomniac's efforts have really paid off.
I was understandably starting to get a little burned out on these games before A Crack in Time came along and perfected the Ratchet & Clank formula. The combat is tight and satisfying, with a surprisingly deep customization system for select weapons that puts an exciting spin on the combat loop just as it was starting to get a bit stale. Clank's gameplay, in particular the timeloop puzzles, is really inspired, and I'd honestly take an entire game of just those sections. In fact, I kind of wish there were more, but I understand they probably didn't want to alienate people who weren't super into them.
So, yes, A Crack in Time delivered on the monumental hype going into it that, for once, wasn't rooted in nostalgia biases or hyperbole. It really is peak Ratchet & Clank.
9/10