Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time Retrospective & Development Deep Dive

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is widely considered the peak of the R&C franchise, thanks to its heartbreaking story and character moments, its gameplay innovations, and its larger-than-life feel - the energy of a game greater than the sum of its parts. However, to me, it's not the best Ratchet and Clank game...it's another good one. It's the game where Insomniac's years of rushed development finally caught up to it. A Crack in Time is a game that simply shouldn't have been possible in its 10 short months of production, but it's a game that falls very short of its own goals because of that crunch. This is the story of reward over consequence.
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#RatchetAndClank #CrackInTime #TheGoldenBolt

[@TheGoldenBolt]

You're not done yet, time for the R&C SPINOFFS RETROSPECTIVE: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oITYmmuNZstgsJY

[@mikecollier80]

If I don't get a teleporters are B!+@#es T -shirt. LoL

[@robred123s]

Will you be covering Nexus? It's the only future I haven't finished. I just wanted to take a break after ToD, QfB, and CiT all back to back. Seems fine so far outside of the frame rate and control changes. Visually it looks almost like it could be a PS4 game.

[@The_Light_Guardian]

I have Ratchet and clank a crack it time (somewhere in my house but can’t remember where) and this game is my favourite game on the ps3 and it will always be like that, my main problem with the game was the new game+ you had to pick your save file that you finished but i didn’t do that and i just had so many save files either done or not done and i don’t think i got everything from each map/planet/mini moon etc. But i know i have one save file that has the ryno and there is one save file that is in new game plus (also i don’t think any of the save files were higher difficulty than normal or hard i remember there was an extreme and nightmare difficulty but i didn’t touch those difficulties)

[@puffpuffpassmako]

I tell you, turning Azimuth into the final boss instead of nefarious was an amazing plot point and one of the most gut wrenching climaxes in a video game. The fact that Ratchet has to fight his father's best friend, and potentially the only remaining other Lombax is just heart breaking. It gave me huge Superman vs Zod from Man of Steel vibes. Such a fantastic story

[@hurricane7727]

Their is a Chance he is Alive in Rivet's Dimension( This would be a Great opportunity to bring Him back in Ratchet's story since her dimension had its own version of Ratchet's Father).

[@italianfoodname534]

Man of Steel sucks balls

[@alfiobonanno5100]

So far, Ratchet has met 3 lombaxes and shot 2 of them, I just find that funny given the angle the future series took.

[@casperryborg4869]

Wait, your go to for a fantastic story is the movie Man of Steel, made by Zack Snyder that openly admitted to not knowing anything about Batman and Superman. The movie that removed EVERYTHING that people have loved since his beginning in the comics? HOW IN THE FUCK...

[@arrownoir]

I love how mature Ratchet looks in this. He looks really grown up, the best design in the series. Easily my favorite R&C.

[@Rachebart]

Yes and than we get nexus where ratchet looks younger and not really good. And i dont understand why.

[@Rachebart]

Crack in time best ratchet design. ❤

[@arrownoir]

@@Rachebart Yeah, that was pretty jarring, considering it came after ACiT. But we can blame that on All 4 One and Full Frontal assault…especially the former. That’s when they were messing around with his design, trying to make him look “cuter”.

[@RonaldoPerez-if1gc]

I think he also looks mature in his Deadlocked versión, I love that versión of Ratchet

[@erenyeeagah204]

@@Rachebart idk ratchet seemd more mature in nexus to me, it felt like a logical evolution from crack in time, the dessign coudlve been better but the character made sense imo, he was more chill and nicer, not in a kiddy kinda way like the ps4 remake but just more mature.

[@ethejumper6568]

"Say hello to..." "Not the Hyper Sonic Brainwave Scrambler" "...THE HYPER SONIC BRAINWAVE SCRAMBLER"

[@baileydwyer453]

one hypersonic brainwave scrambler, scrambled.

[@Duplicitousthoughtformentity]

@@baileydwyer453 I’d actually like a hyper sonic brainwave over-easy-er.

[@myself2noone]

"Whats the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Ratchet and Clank a crack in time?" Well... "Give or take 50 feet." Just a weird extraneous detail that everyone seems to add.

[@localatticus4748]

I still say this, often completely out of any context. "When was that?" "6 years ago, give or take 50 feet."

[@Duplicitousthoughtformentity]

@@localatticus4748 lmao same here, it’s a great little gag

[@Dzzy123]

My biggest disappointment with this game is that they dropped Talwyn's arc. Her story is directly related to the Lombax plot thread since her dad was last seen with Angela Cross and knows about the Dimensionator. I was sad to see that she didn't appear in Rift Apart.

[@TheOneNamedMrLife]

She showed up in Rift Apart's credits but it's very minor appearance

[@Dzzy123]

@@TheOneNamedMrLife Yeah, but that's not good enough.

[@bwaah0_0]

she’ll most likely be in the next r&c game i absolutely loved crack and time i don’t really mind the majority of the issues listed in this video i played through this game so many times i never get bored of it but that’s jus me, but yea talwyn will most likely be in the next game

[@Scorpionspear77]

The confrontation with Nefarious at the beginning is one of Nefarious’ best moments because it manages to keep him menacing while also letting him ham it up and be funny. “And constructed in the EXACT CENTER OF THE UNIVEEEEERRRSSSEEEE! Give or take fifty feet.”

[@MrMaxta]

I love how it is mentioned again when orvus is explaining what the great clock is to clank, he also says that it is in the exact center of the universe, give or take 50 feet lol

[@bandicootsauce4569]

Lawrence: (sighs) "Not the Hypersonic Brainwave Scrambler..." Nefarious: "THE HYPERSONIC BRAINWAVE SCRAMBLER!!!"

[@vireo2543]

“What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time?” “He does not understand that being a hero is 45% strength, 60% bravery and 10% raw intelligence” “That’s 115%!” “You’re welcome!” I always loved Ratchet and Qwark’s banter in the games, it leads to funny interactions. :)

[@UltimaXVI]

If there’s one thing about Crack in Time I love without any hesitation, it’s the RYNO V Who doesn’t love a weapon that’s a mini gun-rocket launcher that plays the 1812 Overture as you fire, destroying everything while laughing like a maniac?

[@electroeel148]

Really? Because for me, the RYNO V is probably the weakest one in the series for me. It feels like when you mag dump the thing, only like half the rounds seem to hit the target you want dead. Could just be me though

[@andrewaftontheandroidhedge2780]

It's amazing truly amazing

[@Kage-Yami]

@@electroeel148 Definitely a sentiment I agree with, though personally, I'd consider the RYNOCIRATOR (Up Your Arsenal's [3] upgraded form of the RY3NO) the worst. I hate the screen-blinding effect, and it just doesn't _feel_ powerful (at least the RYNO V still has a bit of a powerful feeling to it); which, for being the first Ratchet and Clank game I played, did not give me high hopes for the RYNO when I went back and played the previous two games - I'm glad it was only an outlier in the end.

[@ryno4ever433]

Funny, the RYNOCERATOR is actually my favorite because the screen nuke makes it feel more powerful to me.

[@Firestorm422]

@@electroeel148 Yeah because it's not a single target weapon lol. It's a crowd weapon. It's a minigun rocket launcher. RC2's RYNO was the same kinda way

[@cliffturbo2146]

I can't thank Insomniac Games enough for making such amazing games like Crack in Time, but at the same time, I can't help but feel sorry for the developers. I am sure people can wait a few more years for the release of these games. They got the ambitions and they got great ideas, and if they chose to put more time on them, I am sure there won't be as many issues or that they had to remove contents. Still, they exactly how to deliver a good games, even today.

[@spriterkid1997]

"I am sure people can wait a few more years for the release of these games." That's the thing. People can wait. Investors can't. While investors are around wanting more and faster money, crunch will plague even good games.

[@kameronhailey-m7076]

Ngl. I cried a little when Clank repaired the Dimensionator to be a good friend cuz he remembers what his closure did for him.

[@mjc0961]

Learning that information makes me hate the plot of Rift Apart before I've even had a chance to play it. How many times did Clank warn about the Dimensionator? But then he just fixes it because Ratchet has a sad, and puts the entire universe back in danger? That's ridiculously stupid, and insanely out of character for Clank. Completely idiotic.

[@kameronhailey-m7076]

@@mjc0961 i can NOT lie when i say i felt the EXACT same way. And so does Ratchet. You can see it on his FACE that he's not sure it was a good idea🤣 I always liked the whole "it's so heartfelt it's tone deaf to consequence" angle And then Nefarious literally steals it directly after

[@mahtimonni97]

"Yeah, it's good. But it could have been so much better." That's a frustratingly common theme among these games.

[@mattkugelman4369]

Well you know the thing about art, there’s always room for improvement

[@Trispefear]

It's pretty annoying how we got to miss out on some great games because the suits at Insomniac wanted to push yearly games

[@megamike15]

say that about alot of games in the last 5 years. i can only think of like 3 or 4 that arnt like that.

[@civilwarfare101]

You can say that for a lot of games.

[@gabzOG]

I'd rather wait an extra year or two then have an unfinished game

[@JackieKog]

"There are worse stories of this era of Insomniac that I still can't tell" is such a sad line to say. I really do get how you feel when saying that as I have a friend who worked for Insomniac and the brutal crunch culture that was there alongside a bunch of other questionable things from that time may never be mentioned to anyone but a few close friends that already know all the problems that were going on. People working to the bone, working themselves sick and beyond.

[@KnightRaymund]

that's horrible.... The industry needs to change.

[@Firestorm422]

@@KnightRaymund As far Insomniac is concerned, they have. They actually have by eliminating crunch from they're last couple products.

[@Vikumax]

Despite how much I STILL like A Crack in Time, I can see where you're coming from. There is SO much this game, heck, this entire Future saga, could have made which simply was restricted by so tight deadlines (It really sucks that "Super tight un-changable deadlines" always seem to be one of the big issues in most franchises I love). Still, there's just something about this game. Perhaps the atmosphere, the fantastic ending, I dunno, something about this game that forever has engraved into my heart whenever I think of Ratchet. Regardless, this was a fantastic video and can't wait to see what else is in store in both the franchise's future and this retrospective's future as well!

[@raze2012_]

Yeah, I agree with you. IDK, I feel like the criticisms come from something addressed in the beginning, EVERY game has a cutting room floor. EVERY game wants more time. And I've seen the alternate future where some games try to jam that content in and it's for the worse, both on a technical and writing level. I'm never really one to say "I wish there was more X" as a result unless the game ends up feeling severely underdeveloped as a result. In CiT's case, I never felt that. It closed nicely with loose ends that most series have these days. I'd argue Jak had bigger questions to answer (and Lost frontier answered NONE of them unlike Tools of Destruction's follow up). Maybe TGB's criticisms mostly came from simply not enjoying the pacing and structure of the game. But I liked it and it was a nice change of pace from the usual flow the games know. I liked the small moon minigames and appreciated that they were never required when I did want to get back to the story. The space minigames were pretty much like every other space minigame in the series; not my favorite, but it adds to the atmosphere of being a space adventure. I would remove them if it meant we got 3-4 more planets to explore; unlike ToD juggling 3 plot points at once, CiT has two tight plot point tackled from 2 viewpoints. I'd argue more levels wouldn't help secure much for those plotlines.

[@natenatenate10]

@@raze2012_ Well, the Ratchet and Clank series is known for its extremely strict and brief deadlines--they flourished from this pressure in the beginning but, according to The Golden Bolt, this wasn't the case for this game.

[@Bordpie]

@@raze2012_ I agree, TGB criticisms of the limited development times is a horse that has been beaten to death several times already and I'm only a third of the way through this video. He's viewing everything through this lens which seems to make him overly cynical I think (and maybe because he's played this so many times). While this isn't purely a review but a retrospective, I think what the games achieves and does well is lost in this video, or maybe he genuinely doesn't like the things I like such as the moons and the radio world building (House of Synth + Pirate Radio ftw). Edit: It turns out TGB doesn't like two of my favourite things in the game, the moons and Krell Canyon. In fact I think it's one of the best levels in the game since it has lots of branching paths, collectibles, gadget puzzles and skill points like all good R&C levels. Plus the big Argorian battlefield. The Nefarious outpost on the other hand just felt underdeveloped while interesting with the time portal mechanic. I think he just doesn't like some of the key features of this game which is fair but perplexes me still. What the game is and what the game could have been are two different things which should be adressed separately. The former as a standard review (which I think The Completionist is doing a good job as someone going through the games for the first time) and the latter as an investigative journalism type thing, which assumes you already played or understand the game and expands on what could have been. Mixing them together in these retrospectives has not been good I don't think.

[@557deadpool]

@@raze2012_ the problem is the stuff they cut makes the game objectively worse. I never liked this game because it felt empty. And this video explains ehy

[@557deadpool]

@@Bordpie or you're just a whiny fanboy that doesn't like when KZbinr man shits on a game you like

[@Loggymonster]

Sigmund playing that recording BROKE me. His whole character is pretty tragic. He seems like he was made out of a trash can and left as a worker at the great clock while Clank was created more in his fathers image to become a time god. Like… bruh… Sigmund was definitely the second favorite of 2 sons… but he loved his father so much. He lived with him and despite not having all the chosen one crap did everything he could. He had to watch his father go on some mission to go after his other son and never come back. I feel like giving him that one poignant moment just wasn’t enough

[@BugsyFoga]

From what you’re saying, Acit definitely feels like it was in a Crash Twinsanity situation where it didn’t have enough time to reach its true potential, regardless of that I feel what the game did offer are the things that make me consider my all time favorite video game title out there, though I totally understand why you personally didn’t as much, and I’m completely ok with that.

[@ringer1324]

I think a better comparison is That Acit feels like it was in a George of the jungle on Ps2 situation.

[@BugsyFoga]

@UC_I0dVZXJbn5xTwhgb04lbg Aw yes, it felt like George definitely needed more secrets to search for in that game.

[@kernium]

@@BugsyFoga Crash Twinsanity is in my Top 3 of Crash Games, just thinking about how the game would have turned out with more time is fun, nevermind how it is to play.

[@dylandonis4590]

@@kernium 100%. Insane how many concept maps and character designs never made it into the game, alll look so damn cool

[@thefreelancequeen]

Mr Foga my guy why are you in almost every single comment section I see

[@FlameOfUdun96]

Here it is, my favorite game in the series. Personally I think this game did the whole separating Ratchet and Clank concept way better than Rift Apart, and I prefer this games portrayal of Nefarious as well

[@BugsyFoga]

I’d honestly say rift apart got pretty close to reaching the level of Acit for me.

[@Wolfstarzan]

I think Rift Apart wasn't about separating Ratchet and Clank again. It was more like to introduce the new heroes better.

[@undertakernumberone1]

@@BugsyFoga for me it didn't.

[@undertakernumberone1]

@@Wolfstarzan eh... for me it didn't really do that well.

[@deadlocked5337]

Rift Apart is about Ratchet and Clank collaborating with their dimensional counterparts to get back home. A Crack in Time is an emotional and very personal story about Ratchet and Clank, a story that marks a before and after in the lives of our protagonists.

[@lunik1]

I think one of the reasons this game is so fondly remembered is the ending. The last battle and two boss fights is R&C firing on all cylinders gameplay and story wise, one of if not the absolute highlight of the series. Many years since my last playthrough it's my main memory from the game.

[@shadowthedragonoid]

The funniest thing remains how they shot themselves in the foot regarding Angela Cross, as one of the radiostations mentions her disappearing with Max Apogy, and then confirms that she is infact a Lombax. They could have easily made a comment of Angela being from a closely related species, or a species that just looks similar to the Lombax. If i recall correctly they had never confirmed her to be a Lombax before this game so it wouldn't directly contradict anything to claim that she isn't a Lombax.

[@Idazmi7]

Then you have another problem: Angela looks more like a lombax than the other lombaxes do.

[@kingcesar8104]

To be honest, I always thought that both Sasha and the galactic president form R&C UP YOUR ARSENAL was Lombax’s as well. As I thought they where like cat’s as they could come in different hair colors and sizes

[@Idazmi7]

@@kingcesar8104 ...I never thought that.

[@kingcesar8104]

@@Idazmi7 it was mostly just my head canon as I never read up on what they actually was. That and their race was never brought up in any cutscenes, which was the same case for Angela.

[@mjc0961]

@@Idazmi7 Not really. Angela cannot "look more like a lombax than the other lombaxes do". Clearly in that situation, the lombaxes look like lombaxes and Angela doesn't look like a lombax.

[@JMotion]

I'm glad somebody other than me gave this game's closing line of dialogue the recognition it deserves. Contrasting it to Azimuth's line earlier in the game, it's such a great quote that has lived in my head rent-free for the better part of a decade now. It's that whole "make something good out of a bad situation" mindset that has helped me a lot throughout the past 2 years of COVID craziness. I may not site the line on a regular basis, but it's a quote that I whole heartedly feel resonates with me very strongly.

[@CKestus2187]

The thing that immediately comes to mind is definitely the space exploration. No other game in the series (or otherwise,) replicated the feeling that this game in particular gives me when flying through space.

[@NoahMonroe_]

Honestly, if there's anything I've learned from this series, it's that the devs deserved a fucking raise and some sleep, for God sakes. I remember really vibing with CiT when I was younger, so seeing it put under a very critical microscope like this was definitely eye-opening for me. At least Rift Apart was eventually able to cash in a good chunk of the checks of the Future series, without all the crunch (seriously, Imsomniac is putting out critical darlings like crazy, how in the blue hell do they do it without pushing themselves too far?).

[@DELTARYZ]

"how in the blue hell do they do it without pushing themselves too far?" Until recently, they didn't.

[@rexthewolf3149]

@@rac1equalsbestgame853 really are you talking about miles. Rift apart was pretty solid when it comes to length. Same with Spider-Man ps4

[@Yzerbruh]

It's refreshing to see someone critique A Crack in Time so honestly. Ever since I first finished the game and visiting the Insomniac museum I felt like I missed out on a great game. A great game that never got made because Insomniac didn't have the time to make the game they wanted to make. There is some cruel irony to a game that's about time not having enough time to be fully developed.

[@WaltuhBialy]

"Sometimes the universe has a cruel sense of humour" Boy, was Alister right...

[@thegolden4th]

Now i'm super excited to see what you have to say about All 4 One, Q-Force and Nexus, the series' most confusing and scattered games

[@mattkugelman4369]

There not really that confusing, especially if your able to find and read the comic

[@Wolfkaosaun]

I really liked A Crack In Time. It laid a lot of great ground work and a tremendous foundation that they could build off of. I loved the story but I totally feel you on the "what if they were given more time" because it certainly was swinging in the right direction, it just didn't reach the finish line in some occasions. Even with that said, A Crack In Time is in my top 4 favorite Ratchet and Clank games (Rift Apart bumped it out of my top 3)

[@Darkfawfulx]

I always felt A Crack in Time was too short and wanted a proper sequel. They could have had fully 3D Space sections and more constructo weapons. It was a direction I wanted but to my knowledge didn't. I'd like to try Rift Apart, I hear good things but PS5s are a fictional console.

[@decadentgamer3108]

@@Darkfawfulx I feel like ACIT was long enough but still lacking in some areas that could've been ironed out with a sequel and that is what makes Into he Nexus so depressing because that game could've followed up from where ACIT left off.

[@undertakernumberone1]

and for me ACiT reigns far above Rift apart. When Golden Bolt makes a video on ACIT i have a loooong rambly opinion on Rift Apart

[@undertakernumberone1]

@@Darkfawfulx in my opinion Rift Apart is a good bit overrated. It was so often touted as "OMG MEG AWESOME! Blabla". I found it to be OK but weaker than ACiT. And if you think ACiT was too short. In my opinion Rift Apart was worse because it had like 5 hours more time for TWICE as many Main Characters. For me RA feels like Ratchet is essentially a glorified side character.

[@Darkfawfulx]

@@undertakernumberone1 It is of some concern to me that Rift Apart does seem to get only good coverage. Perhaps the lack of PS5s is a factor. As for length I've said A Crack in Time felt too short, the first game and Tools of Destruction felt right, and Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal overstayed their welcome. Now to when I talk about length I refer to the games paceing and not overall time. That confuses some people but that is how I can feel an overall shorter game can overstay it's welcome.

[@RapDog62]

Watched the video in one sitting. I really enjoyed how in-depth it was, and you gave some new perspective on the game; I didn't even know the frame rate was around 40fps during combat. In the end my opinion (that A Crack in Time is amazing and the best in the series) remains unchanged considering how much this video actually reminded me of its high points, but even for that alone this retrospective was great.

[@557deadpool]

Wow that's....the best huh? Fuck you

[@Pkgameromega]

While it’s not a big thing, I think it would have been cool to have the cracks in time happening for a while and Azimuth has been using them to save people in this galaxy. That way you can do more with the time travel and cracks in Ratchet’s sections, and it would give Azimuth’s story even more emotional resonance, as he believes he can go back and save the Lombaxes and ignore the consequences since he’s been doing that for other people. It would make his tragedy even stronger as he’s been able to revert other people’s pain and mistakes but never his own

[@gumerzambrano]

I absolutely loved this game and hope they remaster it next year for the 20th anniversary like how the HD Collection was remastered 🙌🏼

[@TheGoldenBolt]

You and me both - I'd love to see how the Future tetralogy could be touched up! I'm hopeful that we very well may see that remaster, since they'll want easy access to those games before the next R&C may finally answer the Lombax Question. Rift Apart had to cater to three types of fans (day one fans from 2002, fans that played CiT and wanted a sequel to it, and new players that weren't alive in 2009 when CiT came out!) and they'll wanna narrow it down for their own sanity!

[@spoiledsalad1851]

@@TheGoldenBolt I hope they remaster all 6 original games or atleast re release r&C 1-3 and then remaster tools and crack and then nexus. But I also want them to take their time with it because I hate seeing all the missed content because of deadlines

[@giannigrand4928]

I never really played Crack in Time as much as the other ps3 titles (not including spin offs only played A4O with friends) and i always heard it was held in such high regard by everyone. Hearing your opinion on this can really give you two sides of the story and gives me a more fresh look to look at these games. Also knowing that his game was the shortest developed game is really weird, never expected that, especially since the leap in technology was huge from ps2 and ps3. And hearing that the Qforce was a big part of this game in the beginning breaks my heart. The thing I never liked about Ratchet and clank games is how they suddenly forget big characters exist from the lore. I loved the Qforce in UYA and I will continue to beg for them to come back in some sort of way. Also, talking about UYA and I might be the only one says this, I really miss the Galactic rangers (not the gross ones from the remake :P) But anyway great video, I was waiting for this for a long time and the waiting paid of, It is a high quality video! and I cant wait for future projects (Ratchet and other games) as a side note: watching the gameplay of both ToD and CiT really make me appreciate what the ps3 could output when dedicated developers were programming for this system.

[@TheGoldenBolt]

I do wanna clarify that I don't think it's ever been confirmed that the Q-Force was outright planned for CiT! My point there was more that Fixman had specifically called out wanting to write the classic characters into games in general - there are a lot of folks in that more critical side of the fanbase that for some reason think he and Insomniac suddenly hated the PS2 games, when in reality they were just writing too many things into their new stories to even think of adding more work.

[@triledink]

''Whats the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Ratchet and Clank A Crack In Time?'' Pirate radio And then everything else with this masterpiece of a game.

[@lethauntic]

26:54 I loved the constructo weapons even if mostly for the concept. Replaying the game recently I had to intentionally hold off on using the weapons much until later into the game just so that I could taste the mods. Yeah, I was going to play challenge mode a couple times anyways, but still. *I always have to comment this as well, but I think that they could potentially fix the problem with using maxed weapons. Have there be a mechanic that saves some of the XP obtained from a given enemy if the weapon can't hold it, with it visually placed into a bar (with a limit of course) under the weapon icon that is shared between all weapons. Any time an incomplete weapon is used (it gains XP like normal as well) it takes a portion of the saved XP from the aforementioned bar; amount being based on a percentage of the enemy killed. So a stronger enemy will sap extra from the saved XP bar to keep you from draining it on swarms for balancing. So the excess XP is effectively recycled into newly used guns naturally* Maybe it's not a great idea, but I figured that it would address the problem that is never wanting to use a maxed weapon because you feel like you're wasting experience. At least with this type of system I wouldn't feel as bad about maxing weapons like the constructo guns, because if I do then chances are I'll never use them again. I do have to say that while I don't think that anything like this is in the new RaC, I won't have the chance to play it for who knows how long and I'm not about to look anything up about the game, just a disclaimer. I'm curious if anyone has thoughts on this idea and if it sounds silly or not, just for the fun of it.

[@joshwillcox7141]

This could honestly fix the problem if I read it right.

[@doublet6118]

Oh man you have no idea how much I love these rac retrospectives. They are simply top-notch icing on a delicious nearly 2 hour long video. Literally just watched the whole thing in one setting. How much would I have to pay you for a straight video discussing Nefarious and how his constant inclusion in the series has affected fans over the years because that is a video I'd happily pay to have made. The doctor would be such an interesting thing to discuss.

[@TheGoldenBolt]

I think that'll inevitably end up being part of the Rift Apart video in some form, because Nefarious's portrayal never sat well with me in CiT until these most recent runs. I still love him, I just wanted more of that menace back (which a revisit mostly gave me, so no issues there now) - OR at the time I wanted them to just lean into making him a joke...which Rift then did, and it did it so well while giving us a good reason _and_ a menacing (other) Nefarious!

[@robinsonsonic]

I'm so happy that I stumbled onto this channel and have been making my way through these fantastic retrospectives. Insomniac is my favorite studio, and Ratchet and Clank my favorite gaming francise. Getting to learn the absolute pressure this phenominal studio was under for each and every game while making such a massively important franchise in my life has been so stellar. I cannot complement the work you've done here hard enough at the Golden Bolt, man. Crack in Time is, no contest, my favorite in the franchise (followed by 3, Rift Apart, 2, and Deadlocked), and watching this retrospective has been so interesting and wild. I never realized playing it back when I was 19, how shallow and flat it was compared to the previous games in the franchise. But by that point, I had played every game in the franchsie and was neck deep in my love for it. It was a stellar expereince when I played it a dozen times back in the day, but now at 33, its definitely time to give it another run to see if I love it just as much as I did then. Once again, really appreciate your outstanding work and humor throughout these retrospectives. Really looking forward to finishing this essay series!

[@littlebigx1106]

My rose-coloured glasses make me unable to see anything negative about the future trilogy. And a Crack in Time will always be my favourite. I must have injected hundreds of hours into this game and it will always be a special part of my childhood. Edit: After watching the entire video, while I agree with everything that was said, I think that with how little time they had, they still made such a big impression on me as a kid and I really commend Insomniac for that. I agree that it could have been more, but... for me, it has always been enough and I look back fondly.

[@stonedweeb6998]

dude i wish i could just comment and chat during the videos, its so nice to learn more about the development process of these games and how that made what we played, and as someone who just finished his first run of the game i totally agree with you in your opinions on it. great vid keep up the good work man

[@PornEqualsHappiness]

WhiteLight and you are the only KZbin reviewers I could watch a 3hr retrospective on and not only not feel bored but come out learning something new or feeling something new. Thank you!!!!

[@Driff97]

So here's a very funny train of thought I had as a kid. As soon as I saw Ratchet Deadlocked for the first time, I imagined what the opening scene would look like. Keep in mind I have autism so this setup may sound weird and coincidental. It starts off with Clank trying to escape via ventilation shafts from some evil force in a factory. This is also the only time Clank is playable. Once he gets out in the darkness, he gets zapped by said force and the title shows up, shifting back to Ratchet in a more desperate tone trying to get his friend back. Yes. This scenario my 8 year old self came up with, as a way to try and justify Clank not being on Ratchet's back in this game, just so happened to be eerily similar to the opening of a Crack in Time. There are obvious differences but holy shit I was not expecting this!

[@DELTARYZ]

I'm also autistic & I definitely relate to coming up with extensive headcanons to explain the small little inconsistencies I would notice in media like this. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only person who notices minute details and continuity errors like this, since I rarely see anyone else point them out & often am left in silence and disinterest when I try to discuss it with anyone.

[@joshwillcox7141]

@@DELTARYZ Also am autistic. I definitely do the whole "if something doesn't make sense, I overthink it until it does".

[@SaintOh]

Dude I will never get tired of listening to you analyse my favourite game series of all time

[@Ambyssin]

Ah, yes, the game that started off the fandom's seething dislike of the franchise's more cinematic music direction. Even today you can still find people desperately begging for David Bergeaud to return, even though I don't believe he's done any video game compositions since 2014. (Niels Bye Nielsen, his collaborator, worked on the current Hitman trilogy.) And they ignore that, aside from the pirate-based tracks, his compositions in Tools of Destruction were much weaker, even compared to the stuff he did for the PSP games. FWIW, I really enjoyed Boris Salchow's score. It was nice to finally get a Ratchet & Clank game with a real orchestra backing it. I think part of the problem is the bad sound mixing which mutes the music on the default settings. I do wish Insomniac had given him another chance with Ratchet & Clank, but after hearing what Mark Mothersbaugh put together for Rift Apart, I hope the Mutato Muzika team return for any future installments!

[@TheGoldenBolt]

Insomniac desperately needs a stronger sound mixing team in my opinion, you're on the money with that. I do like Salchow and Mothersbaugh's respective work when I tweak my audio settings to get it to an audible level (and when the tracks actually play in CiT's case, because it's full of streaming issues). I think a lot of the cinematic hate is super unwarranted - but in the same breath, this saga aimed high and landed right around where the games already were before, that's what I critique more than anything. Rift Apart nailed that cinematic vibe (and shocker, that's the game they actually had time to make!).

[@Ambyssin]

Yeah, Rift Apart particularly seemed mixed in a way that favored using 3D audio, as things sounded notably crispier when I finally shelled out for a decent pair of headphones that supported it. I was impressed with Salchow's passion for scoring A Crack in Time. On his website, it mentioned he went out and got moog synthesizers and a real Theremin to back up the orchestra. I do like the cheesy B-list sci-fi movie villain vibes Nefarious' themes give off. IIRC the Insomniac Museum mentioned that was their mindset for making the Nefarious Troopers. It worked well, but I think Rift Apart does it better thanks to giving the Troopers so many more unique dialogue lines to work with, instead of "Would you like to go have some pie?" for the hundredth time. 😆

[@Ambyssin]

Eh, agree to disagree there. I'll say Rift Apart reuses music to probably the highest degree of any RaC game, but considering Mothersbaugh worked on it through the pandemic (and dealt with a nasty case of COVID himself), I'm willing to let it slide. I also think the sound mixing and weird attempts at making the music dynamic in gameplay made it hard to appreciate in the moment. And that falls on Insomniac's sound team. But the tracks themselves sound great to me on their own. "Blizar Prime'd and Ready" might be my new favorite music piece in the franchise.

[@superlombax1561]

Eh. I even enjoyed a lot of the ToD soundtracks and SM's soundtrack for example is probably my favorite overall soundtrack in the series since I enjoy every track on there. But that being said, I don't really hate the other composers as much as other people. Boris has a lot of good tracks in ACIT, RA has a few good ones too, ones that I can actually listen to outside of the game and get that same enjoyment as in game, and even listening back to A4O to 2016's tracks, there's some good stuff there too if you listen out for it.

[@azadazani9153]

I really enjoy how you incorporate your own journey and feelings into your videos

[@TheStubbzy]

This has been one of your best Ratchet and Clank retrospectives. You argued your points well. A Crack In Time is a very, very close 2nd to Ratchet and Clank 3 as my favorite game in the series. I was so hyped for this game in 2009 and it did not disappoint. I loved this game's story, it's graphics and voice acting, to name a few things.

[@Joey64YT]

Wowie, such an amazing video yet again! Hope you continue to make a video for all the rest if the Ratchrt and Clank games! Your series of Retoreospectives is what got me to finally leap into the R&C series after years of owning all the games but never takeing that leap.

[@cheeseburgah563]

Another instant certified hood classic to add to my list of classics.

[@ryandavie7436]

Ratchet and Clank will always have a special place in my heart. I grew up playing the originals on the ps2

[@MasterofTheUniverse1337]

Same 👍🏻

[@GardenGnome118118]

These videos are so unbelievably good. Well researched, informative, strong analysis. Also for me, nostalgic. I watch them every time they come out. You are awesome.

[@voidhunter2800]

Well probably gonna binge the entire retrospective again as i love these videos, just you going out of your way to be objective and say things as they are and how you see or saw them. Is a breath offresh air, great job Mr Bolt. Truly an amazing series you got here.

[@paleopaleo5109]

The Golden Bolt "say it with me" joke, as of this video, officially has received more closure and payoff than Insomniac gave Ratchet

[@RTDice11]

The honesty and depth of this essay was top notch, great stuff as always

[@pugnippelz69]

Insomniac: The most accurately named studio on earth

[@CaptainCJ97]

Still my favorite in the series. I'm always amazed how fast this one came out after the last two

[@Lazerlight1212]

This is the game that made me realise just how good of a villain Dr. Nefarious is. It's takes a bit of reading between the lines, but think about what his motivation is in every game he's appeared in. He always manipulates his goons by claiming that he has plans that will help them all. In RAC3 he announces a robot uprising to the Galaxy, and in CIT he tells his goons he wants to rewind time to make them all victorious against heroes, and in Rift Apart he wants to go to another dimension where he's victorious. What do they all have in common? He claims that he's doing what he's doing will help a large number of people/villains, but instead, he only ever plans to be the dominant one who stands above everyone and everything else. His greatest strength is his ability to manipulate and lie to a large number of people to follow him. Basically, it's like he's an expert cult leader or something

[@2funnyrockrs]

I was rewatching the tools of destruction video and you POST THIS THANK YOU

[@TheSamBogan]

Just in time seems more appropriate for a title because I was definitely in need of another fair essay video such as this one. While I can appreciate what specific channels such as cinema wins/sins do(I am sure they are wonderful people), I honestly do not like either of them very much as I think that is equivalent to having tunnel vision. They are only looking at one side of the metaphorical coin and I think that mindset is rather limiting. Channels such as yours are what I seek first, as I enjoy seeing the ups and downs. What worked and what did not. It is that balance between the two which I enjoy so much, that of which I think you did brilliantly here. It also helps that I have no emotional tie to this game as I missed this era of ratchet simply due to my circumstances and age growing up, but I am glad to see these games and what they did/didn't do from a more neutral perspective. At some point, I will go back and try the ones I missed for myself, but in the mean time these well made videos will do. From some cold hearted schmuck, thank you again for making these. I hope the holidays go well for you and I'll be there bright and early for when the next one drops!

[@horvathbence4582]

Amazing. This review is just amazing. Despite all the missed opportunities, for me this is THE game for PS3. This game met all my expectations back then, all the gameplay and the story just left my jaws on the floor. Although I pretty much agree with you, that the story left some questions unanswered, but somehow I still felt that this game is complete with Alister's story arc. For me, Nexus was a bit disappointment, because I thought that will be the game, where Ratchet finally meets the other lombaxes. Somehow I feel, that Insomniac is just scared to make that move.

[@TheGoldenBolt]

Funnily, we now know that the original Nexus plot pitch was going to involve the Progs enslaving/brainwashing the Lombaxes, who had ended up in the Nether when they fled the dimension. But then quickly the team realized that the game wouldn't be able to satisfyingly cover that in 4-5 hours...and then the movie's delay likely denied us the possibility of a second PS4 Ratchet to follow the PS3 story...and by THAT point they had to make a sequel to a 10 year-old CiT whole also working for new players. After so many years of time working out in Insomniac's favor, a string of bad timing led us to Rift needing to appeal to 10-year fans, 20-year day one fans, AND kids who weren't born when CiT came out!

[@decadentgamer3108]

+1 as another person who was disappointed with Into the Nexus as well for the same reason. In the trailer where Vendra comments to Ratchet about how she found him pathetic for giving up on finding his race, I was so hyped thinking that this was gonna be the game where he finally meets them and then the game comes out and NOPE. Eugh, so much wasted potential (even though I did like Vendra's character lol).

[@horvathbence4582]

@@rac1equalsbestgame853 I wouldn't say it's my least favourite, because the gameplay is really good, and they made the final boss actually really scary, the whole game has a kinda spooky vibe. I was sad only because it did not answer all the questions from the Future saga. It seems like Insomniac wants to postpone this matter as much as they can.

[@horvathbence4582]

@@rac1equalsbestgame853 I haven't played Rift apart yet, (need a PS5 first). Is it really boring? :O

[@agentoosnake5490]

​@horvathbence4582 no IMO I had a blast playing it recently on PC the port came out a few weeks back.

[@AtlasBlizzard]

To me, the series topped with this game. The great story, the space and planet exploration (unique to this game!), the Agorians (and the Battleplex), the space radio, not to mention Captain Quark's character development coming full circle (the first game where he finally becomes an actual hero). There's just so much to name! I adore this game.

[@Co2Ultraspider]

Another amazing episode, I loved this game as a kid, glad you got to it finally. Super excited

[@stuff4973]

3:25 Best intro and music i have EVER heard i get sooooo excited when i hear it because i know there will be a Great retrospective to watch,Good job man:)

[@josephfox7068]

"what is the first thing that comes to mind?" Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture Finale.

[@mathewwallace3719]

Just finished the TOD review a few days ago and now this is uploaded-- let's go!!

[@Ninrutu]

So I've been binging these videos as I play through the series again, and holy shit you've conditioned me to say "Clank is always right" with you. It's against my will at this point ✊️😔

[@fatpeglegpirate7231]

I love this game so much, the nostalgia of this game gets me every time. I grew up playing this and it will always be my favourite game ever made. Everything about this masterpiece is perfect and I truly thank insomniac for this gem 💎

[@lordsnom5287]

Honestly the first thing i think of when i hear a crack in time is clank levels

[@DigiDestined45]

I think the best generalization for this franchise I've heard hits it right on the head at this point. Ratchet and Clank is the equivalent to comfort food in video games. And I'm sure all the fans want to see it reach for higher and become something that truly no one should even miss out on, it's also refreshing. We've seen franchises evolve and change over the years and in some cases it wasn't for the better and lost those core fans, while Ratchet has, for the most part overall, remained the same. Tools, Crack in Time, even Rift Apart, all still feel in some "spiritual" way the same as the PS2 trilogy. There are differences for sure that have had mixed reactions from the fanbase, but I'd argue the core of Ratchet and Clank is still there just covered in different flavors each time the devs tried to change things up. Should fans expect more? Absolutely, at this point Ratchet is one of Sony's longest running franchises and to still be comparable to a PS2 game is odd. But the gaming industry has also devolved to the point where getting access to a player's wallet has become the primary concern of 3rd party publishers, instead of making even a good or pretty decent game, that having that odd sense of consistency, without the bs monetization methods were drowning in for a lot of big releases, it's a weird comfort.

[@connoringram4948]

Yeah the comfort food is exactly what rnc is. Ive always adored ratchet n clank since the first one 20 years ago at this point. As a fan i want more outta rnc it was my first video game i ever got into and as ive grown older ive gotten into more games and i want rnc to learn from those. Borderlands has awesome gun manufacturers i wanted rnc to take what made them great and evolve its gameplay. As a kid i usta do challege modes were id only use plasma whip or wrench only or only 3 guns etc. Nowadays ive gotten into rpgs where instead of self imposed challenges you jus straight up build your character how ya like or looter shooters where there are multiple types of the same guns and i have real meaninfull choices in loadouts. Gow and doom eternal changes the fundamental formula of their games and i think it was absolutly perfect how they evolved their game formula. Ratchet is 20 years old and they have never tried a mele system enemy weak points armor abilities shield systems gun crafting skill trees nothing new since going commando. I was very disappinted with rift apart it felt like a retread of older story arcs and the gp was so lackluster. When i pointed out in reviews how i wanted new stuff like the swingshot working like a meathook or spidys webs people kept saying that changes the formula too much. I think most fans want the same game repackaged over n over and those that want real change are a small minority. To me Acit is the final ratchet n clank game in the series as its the last time it will evolve the formula to something great and above a mediorce game.

[@bcbitchkkv]

Great timing! I've been binging your videos over the last weeks, after I discovered the Courtney Gears boss fight (which I had seen somebody else play 16-ish years ago) by watching Pongsifu's "Mass Effect 2 but It Makes the Crew Laugh" video - which ended with that pop song of hers. What a crazy rabbit hole, but an awesome one, since I only owned Ratchet (2002) and tried Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal just a little, back then. These vids makes me want to try out some of the later games, especially 2 & 3, and the new PS5 game! 1:36:34 love when a character arc is wrapped up! :D

[@RonaldoPerez-if1gc]

I really love your R&C videos, pleaaase never stop making them

[@matthewfitzpatrick5608]

this was the first game on played on ps3 and was the reason i moved onto the ps3 when i first booted up the game and watched intro and started playing i was absolutely blown away by it all from visuals to just how gameplay felt to me this game has a very special place in my heart so thank you for an amazing review and intresting information about its development

[@SekiberiusWelkesh]

A crack in time really just clicked with me, like every single part of it. From the gorgeous environments, the interesting space content, the dialogue that just hit all the right notes for me, the gameplay mechanics, exploration, art style, combat, clank mission, even to the stylish little comics it had. This for me was R&C's perfect form, I would of loved another one like this game.

[@jumponeverything]

Fun fact: Lord vorselon is actually teased in tools of destruction in a speakerphone announcement when in the prison level saying his prison sentence is up or something similar to thst

[@jumponeverything]

Sorry if you mentioned this in the previous video I watched it a long time ago

[@timinou9915]

I never played any of these games but those huge videos are always a blast. Cheers sir 🍻

[@markymoo2151]

Hello, currently binging through your retrospective of Ratchet and Clank, and funny little fact, this game is my first ever exposure to R&C. Besides my next exposure was Going Commando, they are games that I thoroughly enjoyed the first time I played them. I loved everything I've seen from A Crack in Time, and even knowing the stuff that has been going through in this retrospective, I love this game with all my heart. It's my bias kicking in, regardless of the circumstances of knowing what you said and good job on doing that, it's good stuff learning the behind the scenes. This will still by my favorite R&C game of all time. While I would've loved more from it, it'd be something if some sorta more development would be done and added to it, it'd make me happy to see it all fleshed out had things weren't crunched.

[@remus907]

I never liked Ratchets design in TOD compared to the ps2 era games, and then they did it, with ACIT they fucking nailed it, his design is perfect, he looks all grown up, and then... yeah, why did they stray away from this design, its so good.

[@briantoscano5883]

Binged all your videos happy to see a new one right as I’m out of content to watch

[@dominikschummer6629]

I Downloaded all this Radio songs and i hear this when i drive at night to Austria from Germany. Its Beautifull

[@basilmuyawala]

Turned on my PS3 and played this game again after watching this and I can confirm that it’s as amazing as I remember it. I encourage all of you to play it again for yourselves and come back and share your experience

[@dupedick]

I just saw this was uploaded, can not wait to watch it. ACiT is my second or third favorite in the series(basically tied with UYA but behind GC). I am excited to see what you have to say because throughout this series I have disagreed with things for sure but it is awesome to hear another perspective.

[@devilsdontsleep6829]

Nice to hear someone put to words the way I feel about Crack in Time, it's definitely not bad, but it's not on par with the very best Ratchet and Clank games imo. Great video again bro.

[@Swedishmafia101MemeCorporation]

My favourite game in the franchise, followed closely by Up Your Arsenal and actually Rift Apart. I really hope this classic gets ported over to modern consoles sometime!

[@ringer1324]

That’s literally my top 3 just swap UYA with GC

[@2urh]

22:43 "But instead a plan of revenge" Me: "Vengeance? You think I went through all this trouble for mere vengeance? And they say I'm egomaniacal."

[@BensyBens]

Another great video in one of the best video games retrospectives on this platform. I used to loved a crack in time it’s even used to be one of my top 3 favorite games in the franchise, but before rift apart I played all the mainline ratchet & clank games and honestly to my surprise this is the only game i got burn up. I tried to play it via Playstation now like you did and i also bought a ps3 slim (my og ps3 got ylod last year) just to play ot along with all the ps2 ports, future saga and the ps3 spin-offs and i didn’t enjoy ACIT like i used too back in 2010. There are some stuff i liked about ACIT like arena battles, the time travel levels (i know there are only 2 in the game but they still the most memorable planets in the game for me), the returning moon planets from the ps2 games, the bosses are some of the best in the franchise especially against alister azimuth and the insomniac museum (it’s my favorite ig museum in the franchise as well). I play all the games watched all the retrospectives in this channel and I don’t need to explain what i hated about ACIT because you explain it perfectly but the thing i hate about a crack in time is the difficulty i finish the game in normal mode and starded challenge mode and i trying to get all the trophies (yeah trophies this is the first game in the franchise that’s include playstation network trophies) I tried to change the difficulty to hard because i really got burnout from the main playthrough so at least finishing challenge mode on hard and because of this it’s locked my trophies. I got so angry because of this and really stoped trying to get all the trophies i left acit and started into the nexus and got the platinium trophy in nexus. I learned from ACIT that’s opinions can change with time honestly I don’t hate a crack in time i still loved it but it’s never gonna be my favorite game in the franchise and that’s my opinion and funny enough because this experience I found out that’s i liked nexus way more than a crack in time and i even think the clank puzzles in nexus and rift apart are much better than a crack in time. Thanks again for the entertainment golden bolt i really enjoy this video stay golden 😊

[@1MoreSonicRobot]

After watching this video 3 or 4 times and trying to remember my playthroughs of Crack in Time, I think I can safely say that I felt sparks of what you have said. Mainly on the time mechanic stuff and how underutilized it is after the first act.

[@GTARazer]

Really appreciating these retrospectives. This was actually one of my favorite games in the series for a long time, but the sheer amount of cut content I only learned about later does sting. It's almost as bad in that regard as Crash Twinsanity.

[@evanwestphal3073]

I am going to comment early on and say that this is my second favorite game next to going commando. The reason that going commando is at 1 is because it was one of my first games ever, and it is one that I can go back to and play over and over again. Nostalgia really hits home for me, but I think a crack in time is the best one tbh. I think the villains are hits, the humor works well, the weapons are overall pretty good, and I love the ability to explore in space. It gives me freedom to do what I want. I’ve probably put 300+ hours into a crack in time, beating it 100% on the hardest difficulty and getting the plat trophy on two accounts. It may not be the best game of all time, but it is certainly one of the most enjoyable that I have experienced

[@bboy6ify]

This game was ahead of its time

[@MattTheHuman9]

Very insightful video had no idea about all the cut content this game had and the short development time it suffered. I respect your opinions on the space travel sections but even though it's extremely simple I still enjoy playing through it, hope a future R&C could expand on the idea though.

[@Septer64]

i love your videos man never stop

[@wesleydorneval2077]

I gotta say, I appreciate the effort to follow through on not just an in game analysis, but investigations into the development background of these games. Definitely can't look at Insomniac the same way, but more appreciative of the efforts they are hopefully making to avoid those same mistakes.

[@Ratchetti]

Almost every single video game studio has had crunch.

[@Ratchetti]

@@rac1equalsbestgame853 that's how it works, look at the games nowadays, full of bugs. Crunch sucks, but it works

[@Ratchetti]

@@rac1equalsbestgame853 indeed. Rift Apart had great ideas, but was very underwhelming. It felt like a game Insomniac could've made in 8 months back in 02-05.

[@AboutThatTime420]

This one. This one is one of my favorites in the series. Something about it is so special

[@deeheezed]

Lets go I’ve been waiting for this one I’m exited to watch

[@SuperMac2007]

I'm glad you feel the same way I did about the Ratchet sections of this game. For the most part, I feel it was underwhelming compared to previous games, which was a real shame considering that Clank's parts were some of the best in the series.

[@matthewcorrie3324]

Honestly this game is my favorite in the series, but I love hearing new perspectives on how people feel about it because most of the people I know love this game (the others having never played it not being PlayStation owners) so to hear your perspective on it, what with pointing out the flaws and all, is refreshing.

[@Lyceaos]

i am lookiing forward to you doing the other ratchet and clank games this same kind of treatment, and id LOVE for the sly cooper series to get this level of analysis

[@theoweemasterwho5652]

Thank you. All I can say is thank you. Thank you for doing all that you do. This is what I want from criticism. This is what I need and want from KZbinrs like you. I love this game to death, but you made this so entertaining and explained why so eloquently that I cannot help but applaud you sir. By the way, when you get the chance can you do a breakdown of one of my other fave games of all time (which you named-dropped in here): Super Mario Galaxy This is critical art. And I appreciate it so much.

[@TheGoldenBolt]

I appreciate the kind words, my friend! As far as your request: A video run covering the 3D Marios has been a long time coming, don't you worry. I'm pretty much holding off until either the next time I wanna play 64, or more likely whenever I really figure out what to say about it that hasn't been said before lol - whenever that happens, the rest of the 3D games won't be far behind!

[@JelloDropp]

0:05 I think of all the fun times I had playing this game with my sister when we were younger, good times, good times

[@billymaynard4077]

So glad your getting promos on the videos man. Maybe this means more videos "wink wink", keep it up and continue grinding!!

[@TheGoldenBolt]

A lot of the wait since the summer has honestly been due to my schedule jumping around every other week - a vacation, seeing friends for the first time in 18 months, a few events/shows. So every time I've had to leave projects in limbo and then pick 'em up later, or just decide not to do proper production until after I returned. (That's why I have half of the NEXT Ratchet's work already done, I already recorded gameplay and did research!) But now I have nothing on my social plate for the next like...four months. My hope is that with that, and since I anticipate that videos will end up shorter for a while (30-60ish mins, and thus 1/3 or 1/2 the work of the longer bois), I should be able to bang out projects more frequently for a while and get into that groove I've been trying to find for the last like...5 months ever since I went "full(ish) time" with the channel.

[@billymaynard4077]

@@TheGoldenBolt Yeah I understand things get complicated when you put in as much effort as you do. But also spending time with friends and family should be high on priority as not doing so in my opinion will lead to less productivity so i guess you just need to find the balance and rhythm between the two and if shorter videos is the result of that well so be it, since if videos are shorter due to spending more time enjoying your self the videos will naturally be better and higher quality. Im going to watch them regardless of there length and even though a video the length of a movie is nice to come home and see, everybody watches these videos because there just good and well researched not because of there length. So basically keep up the good work and find that rhythm. :)

[@noahjester8471]

I remember playing this at my relatives house. Now, their tv is massive, with surround sound that made your atoms vibrate. Playing a Crack in Time, it was insane: You heard EVERY gunshot, at a very high volume. Enemy gunshots, as well as my own. The sound that plays when you enter a new area was to me, a statement. I had entered a new world. Maybe I'm biased, but Crack in Time was the best intro to Ratchet and Clank I could've had.

[@spikevampsoul]

im currently doing a playthrough of every r&c clank for the first time, ive been watching each one of your videos covering the game i just finished to see what the general opinion on a game was after i finish it to see if it lines up with mine, watching this one made me realize how deffirent my opinions are about the franchise compared to others, the 2 favorites, a crack in time and up your arsenal are my least favorite games for what they go for, a crack in time i dont feel controls as well as past entries (alot of that comes from the lack fo the long jump) and up your asenals lack of platforming in favor of combat sours that game for me, the platforming has always been my favorite part of these games. honestly my fav game in the franchise is still probably the first one even with the improved controls of its sequals, the more metroidvania aproach to its level design i feel was at its strongest in the first game. granted i still havnt played into the nexus or rift apart so we will see what i think of those, but it has been intresting comparing my opinions to yours after i finish each game

[@johnwaggner9143]

When it comes to Ratchet's silence most of the time when he's with Azimuth, I actually always found that really compelling based on my own experiences. I'm a pretty shy guy, I don't like conflict and I like pleasing others. That's caused me at point in my life to get stuck in toxic relationships with friends and partner, relationships where I had doubts and qualms but I was too hesitant to actually SAY something about it because I was afraid of losing those relationships. And I see that EXACT behavior from myself reflected in Ratchet here, having doubts, being worried about Azimuth's obsessive behavior, but being unable to speak up against it outright. Azimuth is the only other Lombax Ratchet's ever met (shut up), he knew Ratchet's family, he's basically the uncle and father figure that Ratchet's never had and we have to assume he's WANTED for his whole life. And not only does he want to take that role for Ratchet, he has a plan to not only reunite Ratchet with Clank, but ALSO get Ratchet's family back! And he so certain it will work and has such a strong, overbearing personality, that it just puts Ratchet into this quiet, submissive, follow-the-leader mindset, something that I empathize with and see because I've BEEN there. It doesn't matter how headstrong Ratchet usually is, he wants this relationship and he's too afraid of losing it to speak up, so he's just quiet and concerned about Azimuth, and I think for people like me who've been in that situation, that speaks (pardon the pun) more than enough for Ratchet.

[@nickkernan2978]

That manscape ad transition was wild G

[@JustCyanaid]

A few months ago I decided to play through the entire mainline ratchet series (minus the ps4+5 games) which included playing ACiT for the first time since 2011, and I do agree that it isn’t as good as I remember. It is however one of the most memorable games in the entire series with awesome concepts and amazing characters. Definitely some missed opportunities and it doesn’t have the best gameplay of the series, but what it does well it does really damn well imo

[@Dirvinator]

1:07:46 it's funny how hearing your explanation made me immediately think of Rift Apart. Massive empty worlds to boost around instead of tight well designed levels with the bulk of the "platforming challenges" being relegated to those obnoxiously small mini portal things.

[@TheGoldenBolt]

There are a number of crucial differences for me, mainly in that Rift Apart finally just sucked it up and accepted that it's an 8ish hour third person shooter, and leaned into that mechanically. Even in the two big open levels there are a lot of micro-battles in thought out arena areas for example. In all the rest of the levels it leans into a micro version of traditional Ratchet "fishbowl with straw" design (a linear journey between several small combat setups). And the Rifts are a direct spin on the dimension crate that never made it into CiT: A secondary challenge that itself is a hidden reward within the level, rather than being split off into being their own subset of gameplay! It's interesting the clear lessons learned from CiT and to a lesser extent Nexus, that the Rift team clearly took into account when producing that game. Even CiT's Tale of Two Cities story approach doesn't break the pacing like it often does in CiT, because Rivet is just Ratchet and because they 100% lean into Ratchet gameplay again rather than try to give Clank more than a handful of short side sections. Instead the exploration becomes the side gameplay, which doesn't always work but _does_ give Lombax lore (or Ratchet-trope crystals) for those that wanna get distracted for a while. But anyway, I'll save that all for another day!