Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus

Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus is a third-person shooter, action, platform video game created by Insomniac Games and published by Sony for the PlayStation 3 in November 6, 2013. It was the twelfth installment in the Ratchet & Clank franchise, the 8th chronologically, and the fourth of a quadrilogy of games in the Ratchet & Clank Future series.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) The visuals are good, particularly during action sequences where the screen is covered with explosions, particles, and flying nuts and bolts.
 * 2) It has an enjoyable soundtrack.
 * 3) The weapons and gadgets are enjoyable and provide gameplay variety.
 * 4) The controls are good and responsive.
 * 5) The game has decent replayability.
 * 6) The atmosphere and effects are very well done, adding to the creepier direction the game takes.
 * 7) Clank has unique 2D gameplay featuring gravity switching puzzles, which are a nice change of pace.
 * 8) The final level contains a museum which provides some interesting lore about the series.
 * 9) The game has unique gravity hopping mechanics between platforms which are extremely fun and well used.
 * 10) Series staples such as the Arena, Captain Qwark, the Plumber and the Smuggler are present.
 * 11) New gadgets such as the jetpack, which are fun to use.
 * 12) All physical and most digital releases came with a download code for Quest for Booty for no extra cost.
 * 13) Like the previous game, the RYNO plays music when used. In this case it plays a creepy rendition of the song 'Night on Bald Mountain.'
 * 14) The game sets a more serious tone than it's predecessors even in the first level, having 2 allies killed of for real, and ending with ratchet stranded in the middle of a haunted sector with little help available.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) While the visuals are good for the most part, they are a step down from A Crack in Time, and it does show it's age with its dated texture work and character models.
 * 2) While not as short as Ratchet & Clank Future: A Quest for Booty or Full Frontal Assault, the game is very short, only having around six levels. This was due to the game being rushed out for the holiday season.
 * 3) *As a result, the plot twist villain comes rather suddenly without much build up, and the initial villain isn't expanded on properly.
 * 4) *Additionally, one of these levels is an arena, while another is simply a large fetch quest area, meaning there's really only 4 true levels, one of which can't be revisited.
 * 5) The game has a lower base framerate of only 30fps, but fails to maintain consistent speeds, making it an eyesore.
 * 6) Since the soundtrack was not made by David Bergeaud, it is also somewhat forgettable.
 * 7) The game only allows one save file, which must be erased from the hard drive if you want to start over.
 * 8) There are an abundance of control changes from the previous entries that cannot be altered, such as changing the fire and wrench throwing buttons, which may cause confusion.
 * 9) Throwing the wrench while running isn't as smooth as before, now functioning as a strafe command with an aiming crosshair.
 * 10) While featured, captain Qwark doesn't play a big role in the game, instead being limited to a couple of cutscenes.

Reception
Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus received mostly positive reviews upon release.