RATCHET and Clank, heroes who have saved the universe many times over, are at it again.
This time, they will stop an evil dictator belonging to an ant-like race of creatures known as the Cragmites from enslaving the entire galaxy.
Simultaneously, they will delve into the mysterious disappearance of Ratchet's own species - the cat-like race of Lombax.
At the dynamic duo's disposal are a slew of fantastical weapons like a shotgun that disperses explosive shards, and tongue-in-cheek gadgets such as the Groovitron, a disco ball that forces all enemies (even bosses) to dance temporarily.
Gameplay chiefly involves mowing down swarms of enemies, watching them explode into shimmering pieces of bolts and crystals, and rounding up said spoils to purchase or upgrade weapons. Jumping, shooting, collecting - it's mindless fun, like a Dynasty Warriors with guns.
Unfortunately, even more mindless is the idiosyncratic tale that punctuates the action, all the while lacking detail. For instance, you learn what happened to the Lombaxes, but never the reasons behind it.
The lack of detail is most evident in the ending, which disappoints on so many counts as it puts the game's promising prologue to waste.
Without revealing too much, I'd tell you that upon defeat, the final boss teases that he knows Ratchet's true purpose in being the sole Lombax in this universe. But before he can spill the beans, he is hastily banished.
Following that, an important Lombax treasure gets unduly destroyed, something sad happens to robot pal Clank, and as the credits begin to roll, everyone - including the player - is left in a state of melancholy.
Which essentially robs you of any sense of satisfaction that you might have briefly tasted after defeating the Cragmites, and saving the galaxy.
Fortunately, after the credits, the game offers appeasement: it asks if you would like to play a harder mode that retains your previous play-through's arsenal. To that I say, 'Sure, why not?' Despite the skimpy narrative, smiting Cragmites is the best therapy for dejected PlayStation 3 gamers yet.
