I'm going to be completely frank, this game is the reason I finally bought a PS3. I have been a fan of this series ever since it first appeared, and I'm not about to abandon my furry, cat-like friend now. So imagine my trepidation when I got home with my $400 monolithic machine, thinking to myself that if this game sucks, then all those late nights servicing the ladies has been for naught and all I'll have to show for my hard work is a severe burning when I pee. Thankfully, this is the sort of game that makes you proud to own Sony's latest console, and you'll have so much fun you'll forget all about the burning discomfort "down there." The Valtrex helps too, because it's about suppression.

A Long Time Ago, In a Galaxy... No, No, I Refuse to Go There.

   The basic story arc of the Ratchet and Clank series goes something like this. Ratchet is the last known Lombax, a cat creature with big ol' ears and a penchant for invention. Clank is his robotic sidekick, an adorable little automaton that, if you didn't know any better, you'd swear had a soul. In this particular installation, Ratchet is attacked by the malevolent Cragmite emperor Percival Tachyon, an irritating little scamp who has it in for Ratchet seeing as how the Lombax race banished Tachyon's people years ago.

   As the game progresses, Ratchet and Percival (good GOD, is there a geekier name under the Sun?!) find themselves in a race to track down an ancient Lombax weapon, rumored to be so powerful that it can destroy whole planets. The trick is, the only person in the entire galaxy who knows the whereabouts of this mysterious weapon is the nefarious space pirate Slag, and you can bet all the grog in the world won't make him tell. And thus, the stage is set for our space opera, complete with arias and fat women dressed like Vikings.

Hey There Little Furball, What'cha Gonna Do With that Rocket Launcher?

I'll Tell You One Thing, the Graphics Whores Are Gonna Love This.

   With all the frantic action a game like this provides, it's easy to miss just how pretty it is. The various planets you'll visit all have their own distinct flora and fauna, and they're presented with painstaking detail. Whether you find yourself shivering on a frozen comet, breaking a sweat as you zip across the surface of a lava world, or fighting malaria and licking toads on a jungle planet, it's all so eerily real. For enhanced realism on the jungle planet, I suggest you procure your own psychedelic toads, it makes it all so "real," if you get my meaning... and I think you do.

   The most impressive aspects of the game's graphics are not the immersive worlds or impressive water effects, it's the title's ability to throw all kinds of action on screen and keep right on humming. You'll often find yourself beset by enemies on all sides, fire coming from every conceivable angle, your own weapon blazing, and the frame rate never stutters... not even once. It's a testament both to the PS3's processor and the developers' programming prowess to be able to make a title that, just five years ago, would have caused consoles to crash and burst into flame. That's what happened to my Gamecube you know. I put in Metroid Prime 2, and then the little box just went poof! Gone forever. In a way, it was beautiful to watch.

LOL, ROFL, LMAO, and Other Nonsensical Expressions of Amusement.

   In an age when games pride themselves on super-solemn storylines and badass heroes whose only interest seems to be shooting bad guys and spouting clichéd one-liners, it's great to have a title like this come along that, above all, refuses to take itself too seriously. The writing and voice acting in the Ratchet & Clank series has always been exceptional, and this time is no different. The script is incredibly well-written, mixing dry witticisms with just enough potty humor to keep you laughing throughout. Throw in some memorable new characters (the aged "war bots" Cronk and Zephyr who sound like your grandfather are terrific), and a touch of over-the-top physical comedy and you're left with a title that will keep you playing just to see what they're going to say next.

It's Official: This Game is Reason Enough to Own a PS3.

   This isn't a perfect game, but then again, what is? There can be a bit of trouble selecting the right weapon from the quick-select menu, and the difficulty is wildly inconsistent. You'll likely find yourself breezing through most of a level, just to be stopped cold by a boss or particularly strong baddie. While your health levels up as you play, it never really makes a difference. It seems like no matter how strong you get, the same enemy can kill you in two or three hits regardless of whether you're seeing it for the first time or the hundredth. Finally, the story can sometimes be frustrating, and a LOT of loose ends are left dangling. In actuality, the game presents more questions than it answers, which is troubling. By this point in the series, we should really start to get some closure on a few issues, but Insomniac doesn't seem interested in that.

   However, the complaints are minimal, because this game shines in all other aspects. It's nice to look at, a breeze to control, and will keep you laughing all the way up to the end. In addition, there are tons of collectible items, skill points, and weapons upgrades that mean you can't play this game just once. Personally, I'm on my third trip through the title's worlds, and I'm enjoying it just as much as the first time around.

   So if you've been holding off on buying a PS3, you now have the perfect excuse to head to your local game store and pick one up. Oh, and if you see a furry little critter running around with a very large firearm, you may just want to go ahead and get out of the way. If you try and pet him, he will likely blow you into many, many pieces. I learned that the hard way. Sigh, I'm going to miss my mom...

       ... Brad