Ratchet and Clank are back – well, Ratchet is, anyway. The last time we saw the powerhouse duo, the mysterious Zion alien clan kidnapped Clank in Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. Ratchet has since been in hot pursuit, and he adventures onward in the downloadable Quest For Booty. The wily Lombax teams up with an unlikely space cadet and two cyber-pirates as they attempt to re-establish contact with Clank. Along the way, they run into various character type -- some want to lend a hand. Others, meanwhile, want to stop them dead in their tracks, including a few pirates that aren't allies of Rusty Pete and his "friend on a stick," Captain Slag. Although it's missing a few things, this enjoyable action romp has excitement to spare.
Like Tools of Destruction, Quest For Booty has an abundance of solid platform action. Ratchet has several high-tech weapons, including a cannon that launches temporary tornadoes and his trusty Combuster gun. Later in the game, he loses them and must use his trusty wrench, Swingshot grapple gun and gravity boots. The boots enable him to climb up magnetic walls, handy for ascending towers without having to climb. As for the wrench, he throws it, swings it or uses it to grab platforms and springs.
Even with the loss of Clank, Quest for Booty plays remarkably. The levels are vast and creatively put together, whether you blast open doors with a mounted cannon or dodge obstacles as you walk up walls to wind turrets. You'll also find challenges galore, with a few puzzles to solve and the need to occasionally backtrack for an item.
In addition, Quest For Booty's visuals look great, with plenty of attention given to the water, the character animation and a smooth 60 frames-per-second speed. The audio is equally sweet, with memorable character voices and an upbeat soundtrack. We do miss Captain Quark, though.
While it's a fun game, Quest For Booty is shorter than Destruction, lasting a meager three to four hours (depending on your skill level). Once you're done, all that's left to do is play through it again. There are no bonus arena missions, no Captain Quark 2-D segments, no vast weapon power-up rooms, nothing. Granted, it's a fun game, but we expected something a little more to last us until 2009, when the next Ratchet and Clank game is slated to arrive.
If you can accept its shortcomings, this Ratchet and Clank should suit your needs. After all, $15 is a small price to pay for blasting things to bits. For that money, make sure you take this Booty call.
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