It's taken a while but the PS3 finally has a game worth getting excited about. Yup, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction launches this week. If you've played any of the previous games in the series you'll know what to expect - platforming, shooting and exploration in a retro sci-fi playground.
The series' debut on PS3 adds in a pile of new stuff - including some rather gimmicky usage of the sixaxis controller - but the main "next-gen" update is the graphics. The visuals really are something special and combined with the sheer amount of on-screen action - an early level looks like a day-glo Blade Runner, with all sorts of craft zipping around the sky - make for some serious eye candy. And the game itself does a good job of living up to the looks, although grizzled gaming veterans may find it a little easy. But then this isn't really a game for the hardcore.
Compared to the FPS/racer/sports axis that seems to define "next-gen" gaming, the colourful world of R&C is a pleasure to experience. And platformers have gone so far out of fashion that playing one designed for a next-gen console (and adults at that) is a rare treat. Yes you are still shooting things, but this is lighthearted stuff that will appeal to kids as much as 20-somethings.
Worth buying a PS3 for then? Potentially, although the 360 is still the best bet if you want to play the largest number of quality games this Christmas. But Ratchet and Clank is a triumph and easily the best PS3 game to date.
