Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty is the eighth installment in the Ratchet & Clank series. It was released worldwide on the PlayStation Network on August 21st, 2008 and will also be released on Blu-Ray Disc in Europe on September 12th, 2008. It continues from where Tools of Destruction left off. Clank was kidnapped by the mysterious Zoni, and Ratchet is determined to get him back. Due to its length, approximately 3-4 hours of playtime, it was released at a lower price point than most PlayStation 3 games.

Plot
The Story of Quest for Booty is focused on Ratchet searching for Clank and continues the story from Tools of Destruction. Ratchet and Talwyn are on a floating pirate base on Planet Merdegraw, where they are searching for Captain Darkwater, who was an expert on Zoni culture. They soon learn that Darkwater is dead, but he left behind clues. Ratchet and Tawlyn get shot out a cannon and end up on the shore of Hoolefar Island. They are greeted by the Mayor of Hoolefar Island, who tells them the supply beacon won't work so they can't send out messages. Ratchet fixes the 5 wind turbines and powers the beacon. The Mayor shows Ratchet The Obsidian Eye, a device that can communicate with the Zoni. It does not work as the Eye's power source, The Fulcrum Star is guarded by Darkwater's body in his ship. Ratchet decides to find it.Rusty Pete arrives at the island. He tells them of Darkwater's ship and brings them to the cove where it is hidden. As soon as Ratchet boards the ship he finds Darkwater's dismembered head. He picks it up and a map falls out. Suddenly Rusty Pete sticks the head of Captain Slag on Darkwater's body. Slag posseses the body, but so does Darkwater. Ratchet runs from the cove with Talwyn, with Slag/Darkwater sending re-animated pirates after them. They get Hoolefar island just as Slag/Darkwater attacks and defend the island from him. They get the The Smuggler to decipher the map. It is the map to Darkwater's cove, an island where Darkwater hid his treasure. Ratchet and Talwyn battle there way in and get in to the treasure room, but as Ratchet runs to the star, a hole opens up and he falls down. Slag appears and takes Tawlyn. Ratchet escapes from the cave he was trapped in and flies with the Smuggler to Slag's fleet. He frees Talwyn and they confront Slag/Darkwater. They defeat him, which breaks the curse that brought the pirates back to life. Slag falls into the sea and Rusty Pete drops the Fulcrum Star and jumps in after him. Ratchet grabs the Star and heads back to Hoolefar Island and powers the Obsidian Eye. He sees Clank surrounded by Zoni. They tell him "The Doctor" is coming soon. A door opens and a figure descends down the stairs. He slips on a duster and falls down. He gathers himself up and reveals himself to be Dr. Nefarious followed by his butler, Lawrence. The coordinates lead Ratchet to Breegus Nebula.



Gameplay
Gameplay was first shown at E3 2008. This game features more puzzle solving and platforming than previous games in the series and will also introduce some new features, such as the ability to pick things up with the new OmniWrench Millennium 12. There is also Light/Dark gameplay where Ratchet must pick up creatures called Heliogrubs with the OmniWrench, in order to light up a dark area. The Omniwrench also has tether ability. The top of the wrench comes off and an energy tether beams out. It can be used to manipulate objects and move obstacles. The game features 4 levels, starting and ending above Azorean Sea, providing 3-4 hours of gameplay. Like in Secret Agent Clank, you can't return to locations for fun, instead you can play only missions. There isn't a challenge mode either. For the first time in the game series Captain Qwark and the Plumber were niether seen nor mentioned in the game. Though a statue a Qwark can be found in the at the bottom of the lake in Hoolefar island. It is shiny silver and is buried from the waist down.



Reception
1UP.com's Nick Suttner described the game as "a rollicking few hours, polished to a sheen and even better-paced than its full-length predecessors" Suttner also said that the game looks slightly better than Tools of Destruction due to improved lighting and better textures.

IGN reviewer Jeremy Dunham says "Quest for Booty has been designed as a quick four-hour experience and it feels shortchanged because of it. Though its shooting and platforming sequences are fun and of high production, it still seems like there's something missing." but said that "there are some really cool puzzles and new gameplay elements".



Weapons

 * OmniWrench Millennium 12
 * Combuster -> Magma Combuster
 * Fusion Grenade -> Fusion Bomb
 * Nano Swarmers -> Toxic Swarmers
 * Predator Launcher -> Raptor Launcher
 * Shock Ravager -> Lightning Ravager
 * Tornado Launcher ->Tempest Launcher
 * Alpha Disruptor ->Alpha Cannon



Gadgets

 * Grind Boots
 * Gravity Boots
 * Hypershot
 * Kinetic Teather (attached to OmniWrench)