6.6 /10 1 Votes
6.4/10 IGN Composer(s) Michael Bross Initial release date 27 November 2012 | 7/10 GameSpot 64% Metacritic Series Ratchet & Clank | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment Similar Ratchet & Clank games, Insomniac games, Platform games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault (known as Ratchet & Clank: QForce in PAL and Japan countries) is a 2012 platform game developed by Insomniac Games for the PlayStation Network and published by Sony. Like the previous downloadable game in the series, Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, in Europe, as well as the United States for this time, it was released on Blu-ray Disc as well as the PlayStation Store. It was produced in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Ratchet & Clank series. It is available on the PlayStation 3 with the PlayStation Vita version delayed for a May 21, 2013 release and available for free with the PlayStation 3 version. It is a spin-off from the series.
Contents
The game received mostly average reviews from critics. It was criticised for its short length, lack of a proper story, the new tower defense element (which greatly contributed to the game's already brutal difficulty), lackluster campaign experience and severe deviations from previous games in the series, with many calling it the worst game in the series. However, it did receive praise for its soundtrack, multiplayer mode and replay value.
Gameplay
Full Frontal Assault uses the camera angles, weapons and third-person Ratchet gameplay used in previous versions, while adding a new tower defense element. It features five levels set on three different planets. The game allows players to play as Ratchet, Clank (in either his Giant Clank or normal forms), or Captain Qwark. This title also features the ability for co-op play, both on and offline.
Plot
Former president Captain Qwark is on the Starship Phoenix II with Ratchet and Clank complaining of boredom at how there's nothing to shoot in the Private Sector. In an attempt to entertain Qwark, Clank suggests that there are some "rogue" cleaner bots in the engine room. After destroying the robots they're summoned to the bridge where a transmission from an enemy of Qwark comes in, explaining that several Planetary Defense Centers are going to be taken by Grungarian Marauders. In response to this threat Qwark reassembles the Q-Force.
The QForce then heads to the Korgon Refinery where they defend the QForce base, capture several QForce weapon nodes and reclaim the planet. They are then able to restore the Planetary Defense Center's power by destroying the Grungarian generators. They then restore power to the defense center and a second transmission from Qwark's enemy arrives. In the transmission the enemy reveals himself as Stuart Zurgo, the Qwark fan boy, who wants revenge for being let down by Qwark many times.
The QForce then goes to the Hidden City of Balkai and after activating the West and East Key Node, they retake the Planetary Defense Center and then reboot the system. They repeat this feat at the GrummelNet Plasma Harvester before a distress call from the Plumber is received. They travel to the Korgon Refinery and help fix his ship - at this point they realize that the Plumber could have not have been on the Starship Phoenix II so they head back to the ship and find it has been hacked. Zurgo reveals that he has been using a hologuise to disguise himself as the Plumber and has taken control of the ship. He also tells them that he has taken over the weather grid and has turned the Hidden City of Balkai to become covered in snow. After destroying the weather beacons and ending a snow twister, the QForce activates and protects a reformatting device, escorting it to the Planetary Defense Center where it restores the planet's weather.
After pinpointing Zurgo's location to Ebaro, the QForce then sets out to Zurgo's Lair of Doom. After disabling an explosive they encounter Zurgo and defeat him. When leaving the Lair of Doom with a subdued Zurgo, Qwark accidentally throws him off a bridge.
Reception
{{Video game reviews | MC = 64/100 Reception for Full Frontal Assault has been mixed, with the game holding a 64 average rating from 52 critics on Metacritic as of October 27, 2013.PC World said that the game lacks a story. Gameinformer gives it a 7.5 average score stating the game's features. It estimates that the single player campaign mode can be completed in about four hours and is a Tower defense style game, unlike the previous versions. The review stated that the multiplayer version is where the game "really shines" but "it isn't enough to outweigh the lackluster single-player experience".