Game: "Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction"

Console: PlayStation 3

Developer/publisher: Insomniac/Sony Computer Entertainment

Genre: Action/adventure

Number of players: One

Rated: E for everyone

The premise: You'd think that after five games (four consoles, one hand-held) Ratchet and Clank would get a break. But Emperor Tachyon has it in for the Lombax race — and Ratchet happens to be a Lombax. It turns out that Tachyon's Cragmite race was "big stuff" during the Great War, but the Lombax race was key in defeating the Cragmites and destroying their planet. Needless to say, the Cragmites still hold a grudge against the Lombax. Where does this leave Ratchet?

Game play: If you have played a third-person action game, nothing will surprise you in the way of control. The game plays like every Ratchet and Clank game. The controls will quickly feel familiar even though you are using that same wacky Sixaxis wireless with no-rumble feature and a tilt function. Like the other games, there are role-playing elements in which weapons can be strengthened through upgrades. Your body and the weapon you are using "level up." This means that when your body "levels up" you gain a hit point. When your weapon "levels up," it morphs into something stronger. If you get your weapon to Level 4 with a (flame) gun, you will have three barrels firing at once.

The good/bad: This game updates the graphics and sound of an already great series. Unlike the last two console games, this game does not include online play. Unlike "Metroid," this game does not make you collect your gear all over again; you start out with all the items you had from the past games. I would have liked the option to not have to use the tilt function.

Tips: Be sure to upgrade every weapon in your arsenal whenever possible while using Raritarium. The more you use your weapons, the more levels you will gain and power up. Buy armor whenever possible to help with any damage inflicted.

My take: I'll start with what is missing: Every game in the series has had a rumble feature attached to all the different booms and bangs the weapons produce — except this one. "Tools of Destruction" seems almost quiet in comparison to the others. The game has no online play, which I always felt was kind of tacked on anyway.

The game looks great and the music fits the mood. The controls are basically the same but with an "over the shoulder" as opposed to the first-person mode. This new mode takes some getting used to. This is a great sequel that dives into the origins of Ratchet. You may find yourself playing longer than you should just to see what happens next.

This game would be a reason to buy the PS3. This game, coupled with "Drake's Fortune," is what the PS3 has been sorely lacking in original video games.

Jeffrey Davis, of Honolulu, is a video game enthusiast.

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