To be fair, given that Tools of Destruction did end on something of a narrative cliffhanger, that might not have been necessarily possible unless Quest for Booty specifically chose to set aside those events for the time being.Īlthough the general aesthetics of Ratchet and Clank have survived the transition to a shorter title intact, one unfortunate downside to the brevity of Quest for Booty is the lack of exploration. A $15 title that lasts only a few hours would neither make nor break the series, but fundamental conceptual changes could have been easily experimented with. Although Quest for Booty is quite enjoyable, as Ratchet and Clank games largely are, this might have been the perfect opportunity for such exploration. In my review of Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, I claimed that in a post- Super Mario Galaxy landscape, it may be time for the Ratchet and Clank formula to evolve. But it appears that Quest for Booty is a one-off effort, again raising questions as to its motivation.
#Ratchet and clank quest for booty full
Further, Ratchet and Clank episodes released between now and whenever the next full title is released might have better served as something to keep series fans busy. Releasing platformers every few months that each take a few hours to complete and yet contribute to an overall story would have been rather unique. Given that the concept of episodic gaming has been struggling to gain a strong foothold, and moreover that it has been largely focused on resurrecting the classic adventure style of gameplay, it might have been more interesting for Insomniac to dip its toe into the episodic gaming waters, bringing a platformer to the mix. By and large, the quality of the bigger Ratchet and Clank games is intact, but with Tools of Destruction not even a year old, and the next title over a year away, the few hours spent here cannot really be viewed as a holdover for series fans. As such, it occupies something of a strange space. Rather, it is a relatively short continuation, bridging the gap to the next full Ratchet and Clank title. Although it continues the storyline of Tools of Destruction, it is not, strictly speaking, an expansion. Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty, a new downloadable title from Insomniac, doesn’t neatly fit into any of these categories. Older console content, remakes, and independent games are also starting to make quite a splash. Geometry Wars was one of the first early successes in this market, and its impact is still being felt in the frequent releases of simple, addictive, arcade-driven fare.
But as time has passed, it seems clear that it’s the full games and meaty expansion packs available on these services direct from the comfort of one’s couch that makes downloadable content appealing. When the idea was first introduced, too much attention was paid to the concept of microtransactions. New Pirate Puzzles: Mix brew, manipulate shadows, and play tunes to find hidden booty.The market for downloadable content for home consoles has arguably become one of the most important aspects of this generation of consoles. New Light/Dark gameplay: Illuminate dark areas and use your wits to survive encounters with enemies that live in the dark.
Push, pull, and manipulate objects as you solve various puzzles using Ratchet’s new wrench. All in the pursuit of clues that lead Ratchet to the treasure of Captain Angstrom Darkwater, Slag’s former commander and keeper of the only known link to the mysterious Zoni: the Fulcrum Star. Our Lombax hero must overcome life-threatening challenges, encounter hostile new alien races and even form an allegiance with dreaded Captain Slag’s first mate, Rusty Pete. Ratchet’s desperate search for Clank resumes with a bang as he finds himself engulfed in ship-board combat - only to be cast adrift and washed up on the shores of a remote island on the planet Merdegraw. The swashbuckling action in Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty begins one year following the intense ending in Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction.