Ratchet goes for the Booty in his quarter-sized downloadable adventure.
Nearly a year after Ratchet and Clank's console journey in Tools of Destruction (Click Here for that review), the duo is back with a straight to download new adventure. Insomniac Games definitely likes to think outside the box from time to time, and creating a full fledged console-quality game sequel available as a digital download is one such decision. For 1/4 of the price, you're getting roughly 1/4 of a new game, and for the most part, Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty actually works.
Without giving too much away, Tool of Destruction left off with Clank "disappearing". Quest for Booty follows up immediately on that event, and puts you in control of Ratchet in his mission to locate his robotic sidekick. Booty has been designed as a standalone game, and it does a good job in explaining what happens at the end of Tools. I would still personally suggest playing Tools of Destruction first, as not only is it a great game, but it also provides some contrast for what Insomniac was able to achieve in this new adventure. Needless to say, the game is Pirate themed with Captain Slag, and his first mate Rusty Pete, causing trouble once again.
Without Clank and his abilities, Insomniac had a good opportunity to change things around a bit. To balance out the shooting and crazy weapons, they have provided a little more platforming and puzzle elements. Along with that change of focus is Ratchet's spiffy new wrench which now has the ability to manipulate the environment in certain ways. Platforms can be tilted and moved, objects can be picked up and/or launched, and so forth. Ratchet is still well-equipped with a number of weapons and a few gadgets, although nowhere near as many as previous installments. With the exception of a couple of optional weapons which can be purchased at one point, there's no shop, upgrade tree, or much in the way of customization. It makes sense for such a short focused game. There are still a good amount of battles to contend with and some classic-style boss fights, and overall the gameplay is well-paced throughout.
Shockingly, even though it's a downloadable game, Quest for Booty outclasses Tool of Destruction in terms of visuals. Already a great performing engine, Insomniac's tweaks have made it even more impressive. The lighting, textures and shaders definitely seem of higher quality and the close to 60 fps framerate seems to stay almost 100% solid no matter how much crazy action and particles are on screen.
While some of the story scenes are animated as opposed to video or realtime, there are tons of voices and a high quality Pirate-themed soundtrack. As usual, the writing is top notch and there are plenty of chuckles to be had. Rusty Pete pretty much steals the show.
Even though the game is only 4 - 5 hours long (depending on the difficulty level chosen), the price point chosen for the game seems like the right one. Ten dollars is too little for such a well-produced game, and $20 is too much because of the relatively short length. My primary gripe with the game is the complete lack of replayability. Unlike past Ratchet and Clank titles, there are no hidden gold/platinum bolts, no skill points, no unlockables or extras, and no ability (or reason) to just jump into any of the game chapters after you beat the game. There are also no Trophies. Booty is very linear, so not many of those could work in the same way they do in previous installments, but they could have been worked in some way or another. Just a small handful of Trophies could have nearly doubled the amount of potential play time, without the need to actually extend the adventure. It was also surprising to see that there was no bonus or extras (via a save game scan) at all for completing Tools of Destruction.
Upon finishing Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty, it's fairly obvious that Ratchet and Clank will continue an episodic arc of some sort, and so far, it appears that it may work out quite nicely. If you haven't played Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction, I still suggest doing that first, then following it up with some Booty. Even without the extras we are accustomed to seeing in the series, the updated visuals, new mechanics and enjoyable adventure are worth the price of admission.
