The latest Ratchet & Clank adventure is a tower defence strategy title, which is great fun and even better value for money, writes John Walshe.
Everyone’s favourite intrepid intergalactic duo are back but this time around it’s not a typical action adventure. Following last year’s multiplayer All 4 One, this time around our big-eared Lombax and his robotic sidekick are embroiled in a strategic tower defence battle, with the emphasis firmly on multiplayer and online, rather than single player, gameplay. There is a single player campaign, but it’s fairly short, and the real longevity of this budget priced adventure is in multiplayer mode.
The basic premise is that you jet around the various planets, protecting your Q Force base from attack, while taking out enemy power nodes. Your base is powered by generators that must be guarded at all costs. If they’re destroyed, you lose control of the planet, allowing the nasty Grungarian robots to take over. To help your defence, you can purchase automatic flame-throwing turrets, anti-personnel mines to guard the generators, and laser barriers to slow down your enemies, so at least the bad guys will have something to keep them occupied while you rush to your base’s defence.
The game looks like a typical R&C title, with big, bright, cartoony graphics being the order of the day. You have to follow power cables to find battlefield key nodes, the epicentre of Grungarian authority, and take them out, reclaiming the planetary weapons system for Q Force. Along the way, you collect bolts, similar to other R&C games, which can then be exchanged for all manner of exotic weaponry, such as the Doppelbanger, which sends a heavily armed hologram of your character to attract the bullets of the bad guys, while doling out some serious firepower of its own or the Warmonger, a slow but seriously powerful rocket launcher that’s vital for boss fights.
As you progress, your weapons and defences get stronger, like plasma mines, fusion turrets etc, but your enemies also get more difficult to kill, such as bombers, whose aerial capabilities make them immune to mines.
The key to success is finding the fine line between attack and defence. You must be brave enough to go up against an army of powerful Grungarian fighter robots, but you’ll have to ensure your base is well defended and on occasion, you’ll find yourself having to leave a weakened Grungarian power node as you’re on the cusp of victory in order to attend to your base’s defence.
The game enjoys the same goofy sense of humour as previous adventures, and the co-op and multiplayer elements (where you can play as Ratchet, Clank and the hilarious Quark) make for a hugely enjoyable spin on a much-loved franchise, particularly with its budget price point. Recommended.
Platform: PS3
Publisher: SCEE
Age Rating: 7
Score: 4/5
John Walshe
