Superhero Media: Ratchet & Clank - Nexus

I was so hyped for this game that I had it pre-ordered and paid off months in advance; the trailer looked amazing, the last two entries had been satisfying and there were promises of an end to the hanging plot threads. What I got instead was half a game that looked more like a demo for the new Insomniac gravity engine and didn't really add to the existing setting in any significant way. I picked up the game a few days before I left for Europe, but ended up returning it before my flight out when I realised it took less than 10 hours to finish. I was mad at this game for years, in frankly, a petty way, I eventually picked it up 2nd hand for a few dollars to play again, but still held a grudge. Playing Nexus again for this review, mostly for the sake of completeness, my stance has softened a little. 

Yes, Nexus is a disappointing half-measure, but there is still a lot to enjoy, and what is in the game is inoffensive, for the most part. The return of dialog trees instead of cut-scenes and an out-of-nowhere romance between Ratchet and Talwyn Apogee are the only truly annoying elements of the game, with holdover annoyances like too much noise, uninspired weapons and repetitive enemies merely being part of the Future trilogy at this point. The parts that work, work really well, and I feel that the actual hard work of the game gets lost in all of the complaints. The opening of Nexus is probably the strongest of the series, especially fleeing incoming enemy ships on fragments of wreckage just before the credits roll. Exploring the swampy planet inhabited by Gargathons with the hoverboots and new jetpack function is wonderfully cathartic, very much the highlight of the game. 

The problem of Nexus is that individual elements are excellent, like the Museum or Orphanage sequences, but the whole work just feels rushed and incomplete. Of course, it is now pretty clear that Insomniac has lost the passion for the series, but there was certainly potential for Nexus that was never realised. For me, the most disappointing part is that any new fans going back to the old games will be left with a sour taste in their mouths at the end of the Future trilogy and may not want to revisit the Ratchet & Clank universe, letting these great characters fade into obscurity like Bonk, Bubsy and Gex. You know I'll be getting a Ratchet & Clank Totkau figure for "Melee of Champions" as soon as they are released, but I swear I'll have my 28mm version for Ultimate Alliance one day. Until then, the PS2 Trilogy and even the Future games will keep the characters alive for me when I want to see their adventures.