Introduction
Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack In Time is the ninth game in the Ratchet and Clank series, the third game in the Future series, and the best game out of all of them. Released in 2009, a mere two years after it's previous (full game) installment, it continues where Tools of Destruction and the PSN-exclusive game, Quest For Booty, left off. Having defeated Emperor Tachyon, Clank was abducted by a mysterious race for the Zoni, and Ratchet is looking for him. Ape and I did an LP of it about a year or so ago, if you want a more thorough refresher. This game not only features the best comedy of the series, but also has lots of serious moments that can seriously tug at your heartstrings if you're not a cold, empty, heartless machine.
So what makes A Crack In Time so great? Well first off the original title was going to be Clockblockers, until the censors told them no and they went with a butt joke. Aside from that though, A Crack In Time features some of the best weapons in the game, all the weapons manage to stay relevant throughout, the level design is tops, the characters are memorable, and even Clank's gameplay, which went relatively unchanged for FOUR MAJOR GAMES, gets a HUGE overhaul which I think is for the better. Not to mention it has some of the best side-questing in the series with how the space travel mechanic works.
So join Ape and I on a perilous quest. One that transcends both time and space. Will Ratchet and Clank be united? Will the villain succeed in his vague, evil plan? Will Qwark's blaster run hot? Only time will tell my friends. Only time will tell.
VIDEOS
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BONUS: retchat adn klenc
April Fool's Day Video
Other Ratchet and Clank LPs
Ratchet and Clank by MoominBiscuit (hilarious, I highly recommend it)The thread for MoominBiscuit's LP. Archives upgrade required.
Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction by Us (warning: first videos are kinda bad in ducking and sound editing quality because i had no idea what the fuck i was doing)
Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest For Booty by Me. It was a mini LP I did in conjunction with this game.
Tools of the Trade
WEAPONS
Like every game since Going Commando, every weapon gains experience as it kills or does damage to enemies and bosses. In the base game they level up from one to five and change into something different at level 5. Unlike the last LP, I'm not going to rate the weapons based on their usefulness, due to the simple fact that ALL of them are useful, even if I don't use all of them.
Constructo Pistol AKA the Pistol
The Constructo Pistol is the first weapon we get in the game, having started out with it. The Constructo line is this game's answer to shitty weapons that get outclassed at the halfway point of the game. You get to modify the weapon with several different parts and upgrades scattered throughout the game, all of which I'll list and detail here since I'm terrible at doing that in the game.
Triggers:
- *Pull: It's a single shot. Yawn.
*Charge: You hold down the button and release it for a stronger shot. A fully charged shot takes four normal ones, but deals more damage then four shots. It's nice and I think it's my default trigger for most of the game.
*Rapid: Makes the pistol more like a machine gun. I still prefer charge, but this one isn't bad either!
- *Coil: Standard bullets. Snore.
*Blast: Wider, more powerful shots. Now we're getting somewhere.
*Beam: A concentrated shot that can hit multiple times. The fastest kind of chamber the Constructo Pistol has. I really like this one and will be using it for the rest of the LP.
- *Ricochet: Causes your shots to bounce off one enemy and possibly hit another. I actually use this one a lot! It's neat.
*Scorcher: Sets enemies on fire. This is neat, but the other two upgrades are better.
*Impactor: Makes your shots explode when they hit someone. This deals maximum damage. Use it against bosses and other things. Combined with charge, it makes the pistol REALLY devastating.
Constructo Bomb Glove AKA the Bombs
The Constructo Bomb Glove is the second Constructo weapon out of three, and it also eliminates the answer to shitty bomb glove weapons that get outdated before the game is even half over. The bomb glove is arguably the least useful of the three, but it still retains a use throughout the entire game. While there are other glove weapons, this is the only bomb one. A far cry from when the series first started!
Triggers:
- *Contact: Makes the bomb explode as soon as it lands. I actually prefer this one to the other two.
*Proximity: Makes the bomb a mine that explodes when an enemy walks in its death range. I always feel like it's a waste of ammo when there's no boom, so I ignore it.
*Timed: The bombs now detonate after a set amount of time. I still prefer contact, but this is good for laying traps I guess?
- *Explosive: It just creates a sphere of death. Really boring.
*Skyburst: Sends much of the explosive upward, hitting flying or floating enemies. Pretty useful.
*Shockwave: Sends a wave of destruction at your enemies, increasing the bombs kill radius. This one's my favorite.
- *Toxic: Sends a splattering of poisonous globs around the battlefield. Pretty neat, but I like the other two better.
*Shrapnel: This causes your bombs to shatter better, making them hurt more. Also neat, but I think the next one takes the cake.
*Barrage: Your bombs split into little bombs, then blow up other enemies. This is super awesome, and reminds me of the Bouncer, which is pretty much the best weapon in a Ratchet game ever.
Sonic Erputor AKA the Burp Gun
One of my favorite weapons, the Sonic Eruptor has a bit of a gimmick attached to it. Depending on how full a guage at the top of the screen is, it can either be really weak with terrible reach, or really strong with... well, okay, the reach is still pretty bad, but it's not AS bad. Designed for close-quarters combat, this is as close to a melee weapon this game gets. Is it a bit silly? Yes. But silly is Ratchet and Clank's bread and butter. Well, so are guns. So if you can't have a silly gun, what do you get? Something that just isn't Ratchet and Clank, dammit.
Mr. Zurkon AKA Mr. Zurkon
Mr. Zurkon is one of the best weapons in the game. Does things on his own? Check. Has funny lines dependent on who you're killing? Check. Wants to murder NPCs and will actively try to goad them into attacking so he can do so? Check. Honestly I love the guy and you'll be hard pressed to find a time I'm NOT using him when I'm not trying to level up other weapons.
Dynamo of Doom AKA the Sixaxis Gun
The Dynamo of Doom's only downside is that it's the mandatory Sixaxis stuff that Sony was enforcing for a long time. You charge it up so it becomes a big, electrical ball of doom, then it rolls around, steered by your controller. It does a fair amount of damage and can hit multiple enemies at once, but I'll never stop saying this, fuck Sixaxis. Still, way better then the Tornado Launcher.
Tesla Spikes AKA Electric Spikes
The Tesla spikes are unusual and kinda gimmicky, but still useful and powerful. The Tesla Spikes dig into the ground and spark electricity. When you throw two or more in close proximity to each other, the electricity arcs between the spikes, damaging any who cross between them. When you throw a bunch down they become really useful for crowd control.
Plasma Striker AKA the Sniper Rifle
The Plasma Striker is the first sniper rifle in the Ratchet and Clank series that doesn't encourage being a noscope420smokeweedMLGpro. It does considerably more damage when you aim with the scope and shoot certain weak points in an enemy's body structure... the only weapon to actually SHOW an enemy's weak point (protip: its usually the head).
Groovitron Glove AKA the Groovitron
The Groovitron is back, in weapon form! Throw one of these babies out and nobody, not even Ratchet, Clank, or even Nefarious can resist dancing to it.
Negotiator AKA the Rocket Launcher
Also returning from the last game is one of my favorite weapons, the Negotiator. It's deadly. It's accurate. It's possibly a Fifth Element reference! Just shoot a rocket at a thing you want dead and it dies, no fancy gimmicks here.
Cryomine Glove AKA the Ice Mines
The Cyromine Glove doesn't do a lot of damage by itself. It's designed as a trap weapon, where you throw homing mines out and they freeze enemies, allowing you to pull out the Plasma Striker or the Negotiator to finish them off. A nice weapon, but I tend to forget it exists a lot.
Buzz Blades AKA the Wall of Death
No, wait, THIS is one of my favorite weapons from the last game. It shoots mini sawblades which bounce around and just fuck up everything in their path. Combine this with a few other weapons and you get a VERY effective way of dealing with most anything in your path.
Spiral of Death AKA the Sawblade Launcher
The Spiral of Death is a contest designed weapon. What it does is launch energy sawblades towards an enemy, then swoops back and either hits the same enemy, or possibly a different one if they didn't live through the first one. Whoever designed this weapon, thank you for one of my favorite additions to the game.
Constructo Shotgun AKA the Shotgun
It's a shotgun. You can mod it. Yup. Actually a super neat weapon.
Triggers:
- *Spread: The standard trigger. Average spread and average range. I actually never show this off, it's THAT boring.
*Double: Half your range to double your spread. I actually really hate this and only use it once, ever. It sucks.
*Choke: Double your range and half your spread. I love this one, because it concentrates on what I want to kill. Thanks for that, game!
- Pellet: Your standard bullets. Snoozeville.
*Lance: These impale your enemies and deal the most damage. They're awesome.
*Slug: Heavy slugs that do more damage. I think they were running out of ideas for the shotgun stuff, guys.
- *Galvanic: These stun enemies. Could be useful, but the other two are way better.
*Perforator: These cause the bullets to go through enemies and hit anybody behind them. Super awesome!
*Detonator: Turns your bullets into tiny bombs that explode after a while. I have a hard time choosing between this and the Perforator a lot of the time.
Mag-Net Launcher AKA the Electronets
The best weapon I never used in the last game, I more than make up for it this time. The Mag-Net Launcher shoots electric-charged nets at enemies, damaging them and stopping them in their tracks. I love this gun so much. SO MUCH.
Rift Inducer 5000 AKA the Fred Gun
Remember the Rift Inducer in Up Your Arsenal, and how it was one of the most overpowered things ever? How it shot black holes? Well this one shoots an INTER-DIMENSIONAL PORTAL and calls forth a Lovecraftian being who eats your enemies. His name's Fred. Hi Fred!
The Chimp-O-Matic AKA Wait Those Are Monkeys Gun
The Chimp-O-Matic is this game's animal weapon, and it's probably the least impressive one since the Morph-O-Ray. The monkeys (not chimps, like advertised) don't even really do anything. They just sit there and be monkeys. I miss the Duck Gun. The Duck Gun was awesome.
RYNO V
Point, shoot, listen to the 1812 Overture. Might not be the most damaging RYNO, but it's the fucking best.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Dr. Nefarious
First Appearance: Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal
Voice Actor: Armin Shimerman (AKA Andrew Ryan from Bioshock, General Skarr from Evil Con Carne)
Bio: Dr. Nefarious is a notorious anti-organic supervillian who is the primary foil for Captain Qwark. In the first game we met him, he tried to eliminate all organic life, only to be foiled through the actions of Ratchet, Clank, and the Q-Force, a group of people from previous games that Captain Qwark recruited to fight him. Last we left him, he was stranded on an asteroid, hopefully to never be heard from again. He's prone to bouts of anger, which cause him to freeze up and broadcast radio dramas.
Lawrence
First Appearance: Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal
Voice Actor: Michael Bell (AKA Alan Parker from Alpha Protocol, Drew Pickles from Rugrats)
Bio: Lawrence is the butler to Dr. Nefarious. Sarcastic and feeling Nefarious is under him, Lawrence is bound to Nefarious by contract. While Nefarious is the schemer, it seems Lawrence is the brains of the operation.
Clank
First Appearance: Ratchet and Clank
Voice Actor: David Kay (AKA Nathan Hale from the Resistance Series, Recoome from Dragon Ball Z)
Bio: Having been with Ratchet since the beginning of the series, Clank is literally usually attached to Ratchet as his backpack. In previous games, Clank was used for the platforming sections, his arms and head turning into propellers or rocket wings for long jumping, gliding, and other such things. He also had his own puzzle segments. However, in this game, he's seperated from Ratchet, kidnapped by the Zoni. As such, he'll face his own trials and destiny, and nobody, not even him, knows where this path will lead him.
Ratchet
First Appearance: Ratchet and Clank
Voice Actor: James Arnold Taylor (AKA That Meg Ryan Fucker from Final Fantasy X, Leonardo from the CGI TMNT movie)
Bio: The main character of the game, Ratchet has fought everything from corrupt CEOs to midget emperor bug aliens with delusions of galactic domination. He's always (well, not ALWAYS, but USUALLY) has had his robotic buddy along side him though. Thick as thieves by this point, Ratchet got a bit miffed that the Zoni just stole him away. He's spent the last year looking for Clank, and finally has a good lead. He's teamed up with Captain Qwark to chase it.
Captain Qwark
First Appearance: Ratchet and Clank
Voice Actor: Jim Ward (AKA Orsino the Mage from Dragon Age II, XLR8 and Wildvine from Ben 10)
Bio: Captain Qwark's come a long way since the original game. He originally worked for the villain in that one, and WAS the villain in Going Commando, before finally becoming Ratchet and Clank's pseudo-friend at last in Up Your Arsenal. He's Nefarious' arch-nemesis, and a complete and utter buffoon. A superhero with an even more super ego, Qwark tends to get in way over his head more often then not.
Lord Vorselon
First Appearance: Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack In Time
Voice Actor: David Boat (AKA Aeleus in Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, Dragon and Eagle in Psychonauts)
Bio: A mercenary and assassin currently working for Dr. Nefarious, Lord Vorselon is little more then a head in a jar with a flair for the dramatic. He kinda looks like a vampire, but he isn't! We've already kicked his ass once, but he's already sworn revenge.
Sigmund
First Appearance: Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack In Time
Voice Actor: Nolan North (AKA the dude in every video game ever, Raphael in the CGI TMNT movie)
Bio: Sigmund is the junior caretaker at the Great Clock, and seems perpeptually busy and frantic. But wouldn't you be if you had to take care of the largest machine ever, boasting over 4.3 trillion moving parts? Sigmund may seem aloof and goofy but he's really... well, he isn't aloof, okay? One for two is good enough for government work.
Orvus
First Appearance: Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack In Time
Voice Actor: Charles Martinet (AKA it's-a me, Mario!, and... nothing else really, dude's fucking Mario.)
Bio: Father of Clank, builder of the Great Clock, and the only Zoni who doesn't speak like the rest of them, Orvus is one of the greatest minds of the universe. Nobody knows where he's gone, except for Sigmund, but it must have been important enough to get the Zoni to get Clank back. He shares Clank's humor, which is to say, a lot of puns based on clocks, time, and science jokes. Stop me if you heard this one, a neutron walks into a bar-
Alistair Azimuth
First Appearance: Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack In Time (but mentioned in Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction)
Voice Actor: Joey D'Auria (AKA ... not much. A bunch of additional voices and one time roles though)
Bio: Alistair Azimuth is a lombax. This is odd for several reasons, the oddest of which being that the lombaxes currently all live in a different dimension, save Ratchet. Not much is known about Azimuth aside from the fact he really, really hates Vorselon (and is currently the reason why he's just a head in a jar) and Nefarious.