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Friday 05 Sep 2008
Last year’s Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction brought some welcome colour and charm to the PS3’s line-up, and proved that the long-running series was still fresh and relevant. With Quest for Booty, Insomniac gives the franchise the episodic treatment with a short but sweet downloadable sequel to Tools of Destruction. Quest for Booty is currently available as a 3.2 gigabyte download on PSN at R140, with a Blu-Ray release coming within the next few weeks. But is it worth the price-tag? Absolutely.
Quest for Booty carries on pretty much right where Tools of Destruction left off. Gamers who are new to the series or who missed the first PS3 installment might be left a little in the dark with regards to the narrative, but there is enough exposition to bring everyone up to speed on the back-story. I won’t reveal much here for fear of spoiling the ending of Tools and Destruction, and all you need to know is that Ratchet is on the trail of a long-dead pirate’s hidden treasure. This pirate theme is carried through to virtually all the game’s design aspects, and it makes for a charming setting. The writing and dialogue are top-notch throughout, with the humorous tone culminating in many laugh-out-loud moments. Contributing to this is the voice acting, which like in previous Ratchet games is exceptional.
Ratchet & Clank games have been criticised by some for being too focused on combat and action, with not enough attention given to adventure elements such as platforming and puzzle-solving. Tools of Destruction took a few steps in the right direction with a somewhat stronger platforming focus, and fortunately Quest for Booty takes this further. The platforming has been revved up quite a bit this time around, with some truly delightful jump-and-climb sections. This is partly facilitated through the addition of some new game play mechanics.
Ratchet’s wrench in this game is not only for beating enemies or turning bolts, but can now also be used to remotely manipulate platforms and other objects. This mechanic is required in most of the platforming sections, and is a welcome addition to the game play. Furthermore, Quest for Booty features a more generous helping of puzzles than some earlier installments in the franchise. While there’s nothing here to really make players stop and scratch their heads, the puzzles are unique and entertaining, and bring a new comedic flair to the series.
The most significant alteration to the game play is probably the removal of all the “fat” that has sometimes weighed the series down, such as mini-games, vehicle sections and the like. Quest for Booty’s design has been streamlined, with all game play comprising exploration, platforming and puzzle-solving, interspersed with combat sections. Choosing to focus exclusively on the series’ strengths was a welcome design choice, and hopefully this approach will carry through to the next Ratchet game(s) as well.
The large and detailed environments are just begging to be explored. While golden bolts and other hard-to-find collectibles of previous games are not included this time around, weapon upgrades are hidden throughout the game world, giving players good reason to carefully explore every area.
Speaking of weapons, Quest for Booty makes a break with tradition by not introducing any new weaponry to the series. Instead, all of the weapons found here were in Tools of Destruction as well. This is hardly a negative mark on the game though, as the various weapons still make for great fun. While the focus this time around is on platforming, the combat is still built on the over-the-top action that series fans have come to love. A few larger battles and boss fights provide some great entertainment and decent challenges.
The Ratchet & Clank series has always been known for vibrant, beautiful visuals, and Quest for Booty is no exception. Like Tools of Destruction, the world and characters are brought to life through a playful and colourful design approach. The large environments are impressively detailed, with the pirate theme beautifully realised throughout. Character models are brimming with a stylish cuteness, but that has always been a series staple. The graphics engine seems to have gotten a few updates since Tools of Destruction, as textures appear just a bit more detailed and crisp, and the water rendering in particular looks significantly better. The frame rate does get a little inconsistent and choppy at times, but it’s barely noticeable. The end result is easily one of the best-looking titles currently available on the platform.
The visuals are complemented by an equally impressive soundtrack, consisting of sweeping and comically exaggerated orchestral scores. The pirate theme is brought in here as well, making for a game presentation that is not only coherent and consistent, but simply dazzling for a downloadable title.
One thing that works against the game’s favour is its length: Quest for Booty clocks in at around 4 hours from start to finish, although thorough exploration of each environment could stretch it to around 6 hours. As it lacks the extensive collectibles of previous Ratchet games, it doesn’t offer much incentive for repeat plays either. It must be said though that many gamers will play through it a second time, if only to experience the game’s rich and quirky charm yet again. The game also ends in a major cliff-hanger, so gamers will have to play next year’s full-blown installment to see how the story ends. Still, this is a pretty awesome way to spend the time between regular Ratchet releases, and both long-time series fans and newcomers are strongly advised to give the game a go.
Another thing to consider is the reality of South African internet. Most local PS3 owners will find that it not only takes longer to download the game than to play it, but that the bandwidth required for the download could very well cost more than the game itself. In light of this, local gamers might want to wait for the upcoming Blu-Ray release instead.
Pros: Fun and streamlined game play; charming world and characters; beautiful presentation.
Cons: Short length; download option difficult for South African gamers.
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| Contributor: |
Mark |
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