Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time


 * Narrator: "...if that ever happens, the universe will need a true hero to stop it."
 * Alister Azimuth: "Are you ready?"
 * &mdash;Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time teaser trailer narrator and General Alister Azimuth commenting on evil beings trying to control time for their benefit. [src]

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, titled as Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time in Europe, is the upcoming sequel to the game Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty and the next, and final, installment in the Future series. It is currently scheduled for release in November 2009. It was stated that this will conclude the story that starting in Tools of Destruction and continued in Quest for Booty, therefore hinting it may be the last of the series; however, it is likely that it would just be finishing the Future sub-series.

Concluding the events that began in Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time will answer some of the biggest questions raised in previous games. After discovering that Clank’s disappearance was engineered by Dr. Nefarious, Ratchet sets out to save him. Along the way both Ratchet and Clank are going to uncover truth behind their origins and discover what to do in the future. As the two come closer to be reunited they will have to decide if their destinies still lie together. Why Clank was taken by the Zoni is another question that will be answered in A Crack in Time. Captain Qwark will apparently have more screentime then in previous games to make up for his lack of appearance in Quest for Booty and Deadlocked.

thumb|left|280px|Comic-Con 2009 storyline trailer.

The story focuses on Ratchet and Clank's origins and what they will do in the future. Another large aspect of the storyline is Ratchet, still searching for Clank. During his search for Clank, Ratchet went to Lumos in search of an Obsidian Eye that would allow him to communicate with Clank. In order to receive help in finding the Obsidian Eye, Ratchet and Alister Azimuth, another Lombax, had to fight off the invading Agoreans. Qwark will also accompany Ratchet in his search for Clank. One of Ratchet's other goals is to find and rescue as many Zoni as possible who are scattered across different locations.

According to the end scene in Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, Ratchet will be fighting Dr. Nefarious and his butler, Lawrence, who both somehow managed to get off of the abandoned asteroid they were stuck on. The Zoni have also got Nefarious to 'repair' Clank, although it is unknown what connection they have to him.

The game will possibly show more details and information about Max Apogee, what happened to the Lombaxes, the Zoni, and other background information about the Ratchet & Clank universe. Ratchet will discover that Clank’s capture is just the beginning of Nefarious’ latest diabolical plot. Brian Allgeier said in an interview after Comic-Con that the ending of this game will surprise many players.

thumb|280px|left|The Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time teaser trailer.

Gameplay



 * "A Crack in Time should feature a good balance of both platforming, puzzle gameplay, and shooting without leaning toward  any one type too heavily."
 * &mdash;Bryan Bernal[src ]



The new levels will allow the player to explore more, and will have hidden areas. Boss battles in the game will be larger than in previous games. The game will also feature a level called the Krell Canyon, which was shown at E3 (see the E3 section).

A Crack in Time, was revealed to be a full-length game, possibly longer than Tools of Destruction, not downloadable from the PlayStation Network. An image of Pause Menu was also released.

The secret locations seen in previous Ratchet & Clank games will be expanded with many secret areas appearing in the game, it is likely that the Hover Boots will have to be used to reach many of these areas.

Minigames similar to those seen in the previous games will return in A Crack in Time.

Space gameplay
The game will offer space action gameplay, allowing the player to take part in space combat and exploring star systems, including 3 in order to gain items. Space gameplay was not shown at Gamescom, due to a change of plans but there was a small glimpse of space gameplay in the GamesCom trailer. Shortly after Gamescom, Insomniac Games revealed some space gameplay. Space gameplay also features Space Radio.

Aphelion
Ratchet's ship, Aphelion, will be customizable in A Crack in Time, in a similar way to Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal.

Clank gameplay
Clank will have a larger role and Clank gameplay will allow the player to manipulate time in new ways. One way he will be able to manipulate time is by duplicating himself through time travel instead of using robots such as Gadgebots to help him. It was revealed in the GamesCom trailer that Clank`s father is Orvus, which means Clank is probably a Zoni. thumb|300px|left|[[Clank gameplay at Comic-Con.]]

Online multiplayer
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time will not be a massive multiplayer online game. The game will possibly feature a multiplayer game mode or element, however this has not yet been announced.

In a temporary box art image used by the US PlayStation website, the PlayStation Network tag is included in the corner of the box, this could mean that the game includes online PlayStation Network (PSN) multiplayer. Alternatively it could just be a standard pre-release box art image with the A Crack in Time logo on it. The game itself is currently marked as single player.

At comic-con it Brian Allgeier said that "the team was focused on closing the story arc started in Tools of Destruction and Quest For Booty while creating an epic single-player experience", making it very unlikely that multiplayer will be featured in A Crack in Time. PlayStation world (PSW) said that no online options will be available in their game summary, however this was a preview and could change before game release.

PlayStation Network
Despite all of this, Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time will most likely be involved with PlayStation Network in some way as some game trailers from GamesCom and Comic-Con end with the PlayStation Network logo and some of them don't. This connection could simply be that those trailers will appear on the PlayStation Network, or it could mean the game will be downloadable from the PlayStation Store or online features, such as multiplayer, will be in the game. It has been confirmed by James Stevenson on the PlayStation Blog there will be a downloadable demo for Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time on the PlayStatioon Storer. It will be released a couple of weeks before the game launch, no exact release date has been announced.

Weaponry
The new weaponry in A Crack in Time will be brand new to the series, and will allow the player to customize and modify their weapons, perhaps expanding on the Raritanium upgrades seen in Tools of Destruction. The new weaponry will apparently offer a "much more engaging player experience".

Weapons with a lava effect will be used. Some "classic" weapons from previous games will also be returning. . Confirmed weapons included the CryoMine Glove, a glove which deposited homing mines which froze enemies, the Sonic Eruptor, which was described as being 'a bloated creature held by a harness' which emitted a powerful sound wave when fired, and the Plasma Striker which zooms in on enemies and shows their weak point which if hit does a lot more damage. Also shown in the demo were the Negotiator and the Buzz Blades from Tools of Destruction. If a previous game save from Tools of Destruction contains these weapons then they will be obtainable earlier in A Crack in Time than they would be otherwise. There was a weapons contest and the winner of which was the Spiral of Death which was desribed as a "deadly yo-yo" because the blade would always come back. A new line/type of weapons were introduced at comic-con called constructo weapons that were highly customizable weapons that allowed the player to change how they look and how they functioned. There were two types of constructo weapons; a pistol and a bomb glove. The Constructo Pistol could allow you to change the barrel, the stock of ammo, and the shots it fired. The Constructo Bomb could also allow the player to change the type of explosions. Ratchet could also change the paint of the weapons, and the Weapon Mods for the Constructo weapons could be found throughout the galaxy.

Different uses for the Wrench will be seen in the game, expanding on what was seen in Quest for Booty. The OmniWrench Millennium 12 returns in the game, along with the kinetic tether which can now be used to pull out parts of enemies, for example the Hydra can have it's rechargeable ability destroyed by pulling out VersaGear. Ratchet can also pick Zoni that are scattered across the galaxy, which will lead him to Clank. He can also pick up Battery Bots with the wrench to open secret doors.

A new way of using weaponry is currently in testing by Insomniac Games. It is possible that this was the now announced Constructo Weapons.

In an interview with Brian Allgeier, a few GrummelNet vendors could be seen in the background, showing that GrummelNet would be the main weapons supplier in the game.

Weapon contest finalists
thumb|300px|right|Brian Allgeier revealing the winning weapon.

Five finalists were chosen for the weapon contest and announced on April 17 2009, they were held up for voting. The finalists were:
 * Plasma Sprinkler Glove
 * Spiral of Death
 * Bubble Shot
 * Qwark Machine
 * Super-Sized Sticky Hand Toy

The winner was announced at the Comic-Con 2009 event, between on the 23 of July. The winning weapon was the Spiral of Death. This weapon upgrades to the Spiral of Carnage, which releases 3 multiple blades at once.

Trophies
James Stevenson from Insomniac Games has confirmed that there will be PSN trophies in A Crack in Time, however this was to be expected with Sony making an announcement stating that all game releases for the PS3 in 2009 onwards will contain trophies. Most PS3 games also contain a platinum trophy which is gained by getting all other trophies in the game, making it very likely that A Crack in Time will contain one.

Characters

 * Azimuth, Alister
 * Clank
 * Lawrence
 * Nefarious
 * Qwark, Copernicus Leslie
 * Ratchet
 * Sigmund
 * The Plumber
 * Orvus
 * Fongoid Cheif
 * Fongoid Children
 * Fongoid Mother
 * Junk Trader

It is possible that Skrunch will appear in the next game, as an action figure of him will be made, however, this is unconfirmed. It is also possible that Klunk will appear in A Crack in Time, since Nefarious (Klunk's creator) is in it, but given Klunk's defeat in Secret Agent Clank, this is unconfirmed; although he blinked at the end which often indicates that the character will return. As Talwyn Apogee had a large role in Tools of Destruction and Quest for Booty it is also possible that she will appear in A Crack in Time. As The Smuggler appeared in both Tools of Destruction and Quest for Booty, it is likely that he'll also appear in A Crack in Time.

Species

 * Lombax
 * Robots
 * Agorean
 * Fongoid
 * Zoni
 * Robots

Planets and locations

 * Lumos - Krell Canyon - Vogal Caves
 * Great Clock - Paradox Substation 2
 * Axiom City

Organizations

 * The Elders

Weapons

 * Double-ended wrench
 * Wrench
 * CryoMine Glove
 * Sonic Eruptor
 * Mag-Net Launcher
 * Negotiator
 * Buzz Blades
 * Plasma Striker
 * Spiral of Death
 * Contructo weapons
 * Constructo Bomb
 * Constructo Pistol


 * A RYNO

Gadgets

 * Hoverboots
 * OmniSoaker

Devices

 * Groovitron
 * Mr. Zurkon

Items

 * Gold bolts

Other collectibles

 * Zoni
 * Battery Bots

Action figures


Action figures for the game have been announced. They are scheduled to go on sale at around the time of game release.

Behind the scenes

 * "Just returned from RCF: A Crack in Time studio show-n-tell. Cutscenes = hilarity. If legal doesn't make cuts it will be a miracle."
 * &mdash;Insomniac Games[src ]

The title for the game was released in late March 2009. A teaser trailer was released a few days after the title was announced. The game will feature new weapons and gadgets, including one weapon designed by a fan.

Title



 * "I don't know if I should really explain the "Crack" part though it does have something to do with the story..."
 * &mdash;Brian Allgeier[src ]

The title for the game was chosen through a poll of Insomniac employees after narrowing down a list of titles. As time is a part of the storyline A Crack in Time was seen as appropriate for the title.

Pre-order content
Special pre-order packages allow buyers to buy A Crack in Time with different in-game bonus content. Specific packages can only be bought from specific retailers. The four packages are the power package, space package, discovery package and bolt package. Each bonus can be unlocked without the pre-order package but later on in the game.

E3
An Insomniac Games employee has played a game titled RCF2: Pre-E3 Krell Canyon Playtest while being online on the PlayStation Network. This indicated that a demo level would be shown at E3 titled Krell Canyon. This was also confirmed by Insomniac Games, who also confirmed that videos and screenshots would be shown. Screenshots and videos of Krell Canyon did appear at E3.

Audio
The same voice cast from Tools of Destruction will be returning for A Crack in Time. Charles Martinet, voice of Mario, will be voicing a new important character in A Crack in Time, as was announced in an episode of the Full Moon Show. As Dr. Nefarious will appear in the game, Armin Shimerman will be returning to voice him again in A Crack in Time.

The game score will be composed by Boris Salchow, who also made the music of Resistance 2. The music in the teaser trailer was also composed by Boris Salchow. The soundtrack is more film-like and orchestral then in previous games to add more emotion to the game, but it is still similar to previous soundtracks.

Special edition
Insomniac Games confirmed on Twitter that there will be a special edition for Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time in Europe. The special edition will include an art book and the discovery package. A special or collector's edition for other regions has not yet been confirmed.

Videos

 * A Crack in Time GamesCom 2009 trailer.
 * Space gameplay preview.