Tweet
Nestled in amongst the studio logos and copyright messages as you boot up Ratchet & Clank: QForce is a logo proclaiming 2012 to be the 10th anniversary of the sci-fi odd couple. The series has averaged one game a year across its decade-long lifespan, with the clumsily titled QForce marking the 11th outing for the quick-witted lombax and his mechanical pal.Most game series have run out of steam after reaching this milestone, with the sort of 3D platform romps that Ratchet and Clank inhabit proving especially susceptible to the rigours of age. Perhaps that's why Insomniac's most recent entries have felt a little... desperate. Between last year's limp and chaotic co-op scramble All 4 One and QForce's attempt to inject mob strategy into the series, it seems confidence in the characters' core appeal is at a low ebb. QForce is a platform game that's apparently terrified of being a platform game.
Instead, it's a tower defence hybrid, and a sadly clumsy one at that. Each level is now a self-contained maze with a mass of generators at one end. If the enemy destroys all of these, it's game over. Access to this area is down two linear pathways, along which are scattered fixed points where you can place turrets, mines and barriers. Periodically, waves of enemies start marching towards your position and you must repel them by any means necessary.
Read more…
More...