Ratchet & Clank: Good looking booty for gamers

It's no wonder some stores have been offering a special promotion of a free copy of the new Ratchet & Clank game with every PS3 sold.

It's a showcase for high-definition gaming with crystal clear graphics, vibrant colours and bump mapping, a polished gameplay experience and with impressive lighting and shading.

And the fun of Ratchet games shines through as always.

Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty

(Insomniac Games: rated PG) is set a year after the intense ending in

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

.

Ratchet washes up on the shores of a remote island, battles for survival, deals with hostile aliens and forms an alliance with Rusty Pete as he looks for Captain Darkwater's treasure.

It's back to being more of a basic puzzle-solving platformer without all the minigames and concentration on shooting, but retains the trademark R & C humour that has made this a long-time popular gaming companion through the PS2 era, onto PSP and then eventually PS3.

My only complaint is that, while it has pace, it's short life-span doesn't hold youngsters' attention for too long - maybe four or five hours of gameplay, but then if you download from the PSN shop you have to factor the download time as well.

MadGamer's rating: 8 / 10

Fracture: Broken Pathways

Sometimes you can be happy you won't be around in the 22nd century, and that your only glimpse of it will be through a third-person shooter like

Fracture

(Lucas Arts: rated M on Xbox 360 and PS3).

The USA has been split in two after climate change pushed a big sea through the middle of the continent. On the West Coast, your DNA is being altered while on the East Coast, the Atlantic Alliance has outlawed genetic engineering and opted for cybernetic enhancements instead. The two coasts don't see eye to eye, and go to war over their differences.

The Alliance sends you to sort out the 'Pacificans'.

Lucas Arts have pushed the multiplayer aspects as they show in this demo:

Prize for the most cool feature: both sides can use 'terrain deformation' - or manipulate the terrain, like raising land so you can get to higher places. Raising and lowering the land is fun, annoying your enemy immensely and shielding you from their rapid-fire. The deformation tactic is a good gimmick and it takes a bit to master, but it's not exploited as much in the game as it should be. I hope the technique starts to appear in other games along with destructible environments which always appeal.

It's another case of an almost-good game that you wish could have just been a little better. The game qualifies for a chill-out shoot 'em up after work, and lasts a good ten hours.

It's worth checking out but in the end it's rather a formulaic run and kill experience, has enemy AI issues, the graphics (I played it on 360) aren't as good as many other recent next-gen titles, but it holds its own. The somewhat annoying 'do this, do that' objective approach disappoints, and the game in general lacks the originality the story promises.

MadGamer's rating: 6 / 10

ALSO OUT:

NBA 2K9

(2K Sports: on PS3, PS2, Xbox 360) 2K's sports offering has made its name for a fast, stylish, fun and technically superb basketball sim. The latest has improved the AI and texture engine even more - and adds a flashy new dribble system, realistic player expressions (including smirks and eye movements). New options include player ambitions, and a player scouting system plus a close to the real thing experience with the Total Team Control mode, allowing for 5-on-5 basketball online. See the sweat run!

MadGamer rating: 9 / 10

NHL 09

(EA: rated PG: on PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, PC) is another extremely impressive sports offering where the presentation and gameplay have got so slick, it's as close to the real thing as it can get with current technology. Controls are great and fluid and game mode offerings are just what the ice hockey fanatic loves.

MadGamer rating: 9 / 10

And

two updates

on familiar themes:

Buzz Junior Ace Racers

: (Sony; rated G, on PS2): For the juniors another Buzz, this time with 16 cartoon vehicles and land, sea and air racing-themed challenges..

Singstar Hottest Hits

(Sony: rated PG, on PS2): Avril Lavigne, Maroon 5, Nelly Furtado, Vanessa Amorosi, Fallout Boy...you know what audience will love this one.

Just ahead:

PS3's Little Big Planet and Microsoft's Gears of War 2 which both looked awesome in the two hour previews of late. Which one will be under your Christmas tree?