History VideoGame / RatchetAndClankFutureACrackInTime

The third entry in the ''Ratchet & Clank Future'' saga on the UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation 3}}, after ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureToolsOfDestruction Tools of Destruction]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureQuestForBooty Quest for Booty]]'', and the seventh mainline game in the ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' series overall.

* DevelopersRoom: The Insomniac Moon, unlocked by [[spoiler:collecting all 40 Zoni and defeating [[BonusBoss Lord Vorselon]] for the final time]]. Filled with DummiedOut content.

* DragonTheirFeet: [[spoiler:Lord Vorselon shows up after you beat the final boss as a BonusBoss after he was absent from the game's climax.]]

* ZeroEffortBoss: Lord Vorselon becomes this at the end of Ratchet's [[BonusBoss final rematch against him]]. After you finish the real part of the fight, his suit completely falls apart and he's reduced to a disembodied head. At this point, he can't attack and the only way to lose the fight is by quitting or getting a power outage. You don't even have to attack him--Ratchet can kill him by simply stepping on him. He's as easy to beat as ''[[VideoGame/EarthwormJim Bob The Goldfish]]''.

* OffModel: In the scene where Ratchet rescues Clank, Ratchet uses the Hoverboots to catch up with Clank in free-fall. Except that Ratchet is still wearing his normal boots in the scene. Turns into DevelopersForesight if you trigger the scene with the Hoverboots equipped, as the blue flames match up perfectly with the jets on the boots.

The third entry in the ''Ratchet & Clank Future'' saga on the UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation 3}}, after ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureToolsOfDestruction Tools of Destruction]]'' and ''Quest for Booty'', and the seventh mainline game in the ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' series overall.

* DelayedSafetyFeature: In the first cutscene with Ratchet and Qwark, Ratchet's ship, Aphelion, loses propulsion to an unknown force, causing them to careen onto Quantos. Aphelion becomes stuck in a time distortion and hovers in midair after crashing into and flying off of a cliff, which [[JustifiedTrope neatly explains]] why Ratchet and Qwark have time to talk about the situation for a moment before the airbags deploy on the duo.

* BigBadEnsemble: Dr. Nefarious serves as the BigBad for most of the game, but after he is defeated, [[spoiler:Azimuth is also revealed to be one, and takes over from Nefarious as the BigBad]].

* CensoredTitle: Apparently, "Ratchet & Clank Future: Clock-Blockers" was deemed too inappropriate for the game. But the name later ended up as being a skill point in ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus Into the Nexus]].''

* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: For a weapon; the Combuster from ''[=ToD=]'' is noticeably absent. This wouldn't be so bad if the Combuster hadn't appeared in ''Tools of Destruction'', ''All 4 One'', and ''Full Frontal Assault''.

* ContinueYourMissionDammit: As soon as you rescue Clank, he starts nagging at you to go confront Nefarious.

* EldritchAbomination: The Rift Ripper 5000 summons one of these. It's called [[FluffyTheTerrible Fred]]...

* {{Foil}}: Orvus to General Azimuth. Both are fathers or father figures to our title heroes, heavily involved with their origins and the only two people in the universe to have answers for their existential questions. Both are also [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter Horrible Judges Of Character]] that led directly to their respective downfalls. Both have a sense of ForTheGreaterGood but ultimately very differing perspectives on it. While Azimuth is focused on the Greater Good for Lombaxkind in general and putting them above everyone else, Orvus is thinking for the safety of the entire universe. Azimuth also regularly appeals to Ratchet's sense of loneliness by making him put their kind over himself, while Orvus ultimately wants what's best for Clank [[spoiler:and would've likely accepted his refusal to become the Great Clock's keeper]]. Their philosophies on the universe having "a sense of humor" also does well to show the contrast and similarities between the two. Azimuth bemoans the sense of humor as cruel and punishing. Orvus on the other hand sees it as wonderful and believes that it all boils down to you knowing how to take a joke.

Dr. Nefarious returns to take control of the Great Clock, a "marvel of science and sorcery" that regulates time throughout the universe, and is located in the exact center of the universe... give or take fifty feet. As in ''VideoGame/SecretAgentClank'', the duo spends most of the game separated, trying to reunite and stop Nefarious, while they both learn the truth about their respective pasts.

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: "The Nefarious Space Station: an impenetrable fortress fraught with danger and... uh... windows."
* ArtShift: {{Flash Back}}s and photographs are typically drawn rather than CG rendered.

* CallBack: One of the skins you unlock is [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureToolsOfDestruction Mustachio Furioso]] [[http://ratchet.wikia.com/wiki/Mustachio_Furioso_(disguise) (pride of the Flurbian Galaxyverse).]]
* CaptainSpaceDefenderOfEarth: Captain Qwark is over the top dramatic, runs around with a ray gun, and thinks of himself as the hero of the story with Ratchet as his sidekick despite the fact he's at best occasionally helpful and more often the cowardly comic-relief.

** [[spoiler:Ratchet falling at the Great Clock]] could be considered an echo of the same thing happening on Planet Reepor in ''Tools of Destruction'', OR [[spoiler:the aforementioned "mid-air rescue" of Clank at the Valkyries' base]].
** It's not just that. When we first meet Azimuth, he [[spoiler:tries to kill Ratchet]] which leads to a rail grinding segment. At the end, he accomplishes this [[spoiler:temporarily, anyway]], which -- in the long run -- leads to another rail grinding segment.
* JustBetweenYouAndMe: Hilariously played with in the trailer:
-->'''Ratchet:''' What is it ''this'' time Nefarious?\\

'''Ratchet:''' Well... now we know what he went with...

* LukeIAmYourFather: As revealed from the very beginning of the game, Orvus is Clank's father, in the sense that he's the source of Clank's soul.

* StealthPun: In the second cutscene (the one with the "Orb of Gratuitous Immobilization") you can hear part of the Westminster chime. This is right before we're informed that Clank is in the Great ''Clock''.

* TheWallsAreClosingIn: Happens at the beginning of the last mission, but Qwark can brace the walls forever, and all you have to do is just blow up some {{Mook}}s in the enclosed space before the trap is released.

* FrickinLaserBeams: An unlockable upgrade for the Constructo Pistol.

!!This game contains examples of:

[[quoteright:252:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/crackintime.png]]
[[caption-width-right:252:[[{{Tagline}} Has time run out for Ratchet and Clank?]]]]

** Challenge Mode also allows you to skip all of the Great Clock recording puzzles without having to try them, at the cost of forfeiting the bolt rewards or skill points involved.
** If a recorded Clank ends his recording very close to a button, but not close enough that he presses it, the game will usually move the recorded Clank onto the button so you don't have to rerecord their actions.

* NewGamePlus: Challenge Mode returns once again, letting you start a harder version of the game from the start, but with all your weapons, bolts and Gold Bolts, Constructo upgrades, items and Zoni retained. The only thing you lose are the four gadgets you obtain throughout the game.

* RustRemovingOil: Rusted out machinery will be back in order by splashing them with oil collected by the[=OmniSoaker=].

* SpreadShot: As in ''Tools of Destruction'', the Negotiator's upgraded form, the Judicator, shoots three rockets at once, with one going straight ahead while the others fly diagonally to its sides.

The third entry in the ''Ratchet & Clank Future'' saga on the UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation 3}}, after ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureToolsOfDestruction Tools of Destruction]]'' and ''Quest for Booty'', and the seventh (canon) game in the ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' series overall.

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* DelayedSafetyFeature: In the first cutscene with Ratchet and Qwark, Ratchet's ship loses propulsion to an unknown force, causing them to careen onto Quantos, where the ship becomes stuck in a time distortion. Only after sitting in the air for a few seconds do the ship's airbags deploy on the duo.

* NewGamePlus: Challenge Mode returns once again, letting you start a harder version of the game from the start, but with all your weapons, bolts and gold bolts, constructo upgrades, items and Zoni retained. The only thing you lose are the four gadgets you obtain throughout the game.

** If you have save data for ''Quest for Booty'', Ratchet gets the "Captain Ratchet" costume, which is his current armor with a pirate hat.

* PrecisionGuidedBoomerang: Apart from Ratchet's trademark comet strike, the Spiral of Death/Carnage shoots saw-blades just like a boomerang.

* SmokeOut: Unfortunately, Qwark didn't realize the smoke bomb doesn't actually ''cause'' OffscreenTeleportation.

* SpreadShot: As in ''Tools of Destruction'', the Negotiator's upgraded form, the Judicator, shoots three rockets at once, with one going straight while the others fly diagonally to its sides.

-->'''Captain Qwark:''' The key to surviving situations like this is to refrain from phrases like "[[ItsQuietTooQuiet it's too quiet in here]]" and "everything's gonna be alright".

* ZeroEffortBoss: Lord Vorselon becomes this at the end of Ratchet's [[BonusBoss final rematch against him.]] After you finish the real part of the fight, his suit completely falls apart and he's reduced to a disembodied head. At this point, he can't attack and the only way to lose the fight is by quitting or getting a power outage. You don't even have to attack him--Ratchet can kill him by simply stepping on him. He's as easy to beat as ''[[VideoGame/EarthwormJim Bob The Goldfish]]''.