Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction [PS3]

WATCH GAMEPLAY VIDEO 1 DOWNLOAD HI-DEF VERSION

When ace Sony developer Insomniac released the shooter Resistance: Fall of Man as their debut PS3 title, we were a little disappointed. Not because Resistance wasn't good - our 4.5/5 score argues that it was great - but because we really wanted to see Insomniac's classic platforming series Ratchet and Clank powered by the PS3.

After slightly less than a year-long wait, we've got our wish. The title of this episode (Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, continuing a general gaming trend that suggests game names might soon be at least a paragraph long) is the only awkward thing about this otherwise supremely polished, playable and fun game.

The story is a pretty typical 'save the universe' deal that serves to send Ratchet and robotic sidekick Clank to various locations all across the universe. The plot arc is more serious than other games in the series and the humor not quite as clever, with more general jokes that don't elicit the laughs we got out of Up Your Arsenal and Going Commando. It's quite informative, though. Revelations abound about Ratchet's species, Clank's unknown powers and history, and a lot more Captain Quark, which is a nice surprise.

Future's intergalactic tale takes a definite backseat to the look and feel of the game, however, and in that respect this is an amazing success. Not only is this the best-looking PS3 game to date, it's also a stunning culmination of the design sense that has powered the series since the first chapter five years ago. Insomniac has always pushed PlayStation hardware further than just about anyone else; here their hardware magic is manifested in incredible draw distances, a sense of detail pushed into hyperdrive and characters that are more expressive than those in most animated films. That goes for everything, from the little quivering blobs left in the wreckage of some enemies to furry protagonist Ratchet.