Ratchet and Clank

After two days of violent video games, I decided it was time to play something a little more fun and geared towards everyone. After all, it is Christmas time and that generally means time with the family. I honestly can't remember how my son got started playing Ratchet and Clank games, but it started with the PS2. I believe my brother sent me one or two games and my youngest son loved them. I thought the titles were hilarious: Going Commando, Up Your Arsenal, and Size Matters. Then the PS3 came out and the titles weren't as funny, but the games still were.

Sometimes my scouts will show up at my office and have some spare time. I ask them if they want to play any video games and their eyes light up. When I ask them what they want to play, those same eyes gaze over with confusion. Ratchet & Clank is my first suggestion and all the boys give it a shot. It is easy to pick up and play for a short amount of time, but it is also full of different missions and can last a long time.

Tonight I pulled out my copy of Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and played it with my 17-year-old daughter. She said it looked like fun as I went through the first several adventures. We couldn't play too long and this game was the perfect for the time that we had. I also have Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time as well as the new release of Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One. They are all very similar in humor as well as play. All 4 One adds the element of cooperation in that you and 3 of your friends can play at the same time on the same console as long as you have enough controllers. The other two titles have the advantage that they have been out for a while and can be purchased for around $30 new.

All 3 games are rated E 10+ because of alcohol reference, animated blood, crude humor, fantasy violence, and language. While that sounds like a lot, there really isn't much to worry about except the fantasy violence. The games are created by Insomniac games which is a Sony Computer Entertainment America studio. That means they are only available for the PlayStation 3 console. I would recommend the games for any family looking for a fun game they can play together.