RATCHET & CLANK: INTO THE NEXUS (2013) REVIEW

An untriumphant return, but a welcome one.

PS3 exclusive.

Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus is a platformer published by Sony and developed by Insomniac Games for the Playstation 3.

GAMEPLAY
Quite fun, although I found the game a bit more clunky than the previous ones in the series, perhaps things like the switched buttons, where now you throw the wrench differently and unlike the last Future instalment it seems pretty redundant in combat. Things like strafing and auto-aim aren't as prominent either.

The game felt a bit like a love letter to Going Commando, with the return of  the jetpack and Thugs 4 Less, the upgrade system from Tools of Destruction also returns. The problem the game really has it that it doesn't really take any steps forward for the franchise, it only reintroduces elements that were dropped from it.

I also found this one to be much more pushed towards the shooter genre, as puzzles were rarely in the game outside the Clank sections, which are sparse as well as short.

STORY
I didn't really feel the story was very strong, it seemed pretty rushed, and while the humour was alright, I didn't find it as funny as A Crack in Time.

I'm glad they tried out some new antagonists but I didn't really find them very captivating.

I also found it a little odd how the game was promoted as the epilogue to the Future series, despite it not really having many connections to the previous games aside from a few references, mostly of which came in the museum level too. Especially as the previous Future games all rolled into each other.

GRAPHICS

Looks decent, although I preferred the character designs in A Crack In Time.

SOUND
Soundtrack is solid

VALUE FOR MONEY

The game should probably take around 5 to 8 hours depending on difficulty, I think the £20 price tag was a little steep, maybe cut it by at least a few pounds, although they did include challenge mode, which was absent in the other shorter Future game, Quest for Booty.

OVERALL
If you're a fan or the series, or a fan of platformers this game is worth a look, especially with so few in the market at the moment, but if you're looking for the best Ratchet & Clank has to offer you should check out Tools of Destruction or A Crack In Time instead.