Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus

If this is your first Ratchet & Clank game, you might feel a little bit lost in the characters or story but it's still an enjoyable experience overall.

Ratchet and Clank: Nexus is not a full-length gaming experience that will last you months. What it is, however, is a loving goodbye to a pair of gaming heroes.

By publishing the game three days before the launch of the PS4 without any hoopla, Sony has all but guaranteed that sales of this game will be abysmal. It really is a shame, because it is a game worthy of the top billing that an excellent first party game should get.

This is a triumphant return to glory for Insomniac. Like Quest for Booty, NEXUS is a short game, but the level design, the writing, the weapons and the overall experience are probably the best we've witnessed in the PS3 era of R&C.

Nexus will delight new players and veterans alike with its humour, enjoyable gameplay, and captivating story.

For R&C fanatics, Into the Nexus is a return to its traditional, glorious form.

Bright, funny and with a ridiculous array of weaponry - a fitting finale on PS3. [Jan 2014, p.84]

As likely the last Ratchet and Clank game on the PS3, the series could hardly ask for a better send off.

It returns to its strong roots without depending on nostalgia alone to drive it, embracing the adventurous spirit that birthed the series over a decade ago. Into the Nexus is a wonderfully strong note for Ratchet and Clank to go out on for this generation.

It brings back the classic experience of the series, and except for not being as big as it used to be, this Ratchet & Clank has more strengths than weaknesses. A game any fan of the series should, at least, try.

Ratchet and Clank: Nexus has enough content to keep fans happy, and despite the abrupt ending, caps the Future series off nicely. Solid and charming, it’s most likely the final game in the franchise that’ll appear on the PS3, but it bows out with a bang.

Ratchet & Clank: Nexus is a worthy final addition to a long running series and offers everything that the duo is known for: humor, fun gadgets, innovative weapons, puzzles and enough climbing and jumping. Everyone that enjoyed the series shouldn't miss Nexus, but it's also a great place for newcomers to take a look at what it has to offer.

The characters are offbeat and funny, the story is well-paced, the art direction is distinctive and above all else it’s a blast to play, with always evolving gameplay and an ever-escalating arsenal.

The final episode of the PS3 Ratchet & Clank chapter is more of a small game than a fully-fledged one. Considering its purchase cost is adequate along with the overall game's intensity, it is a perfect ending of another period of Lombax' colorful life. Moreover, there's a bonus on the disc, Quest for Booty, an old but totally awesome mini installment certainly worthy of your attention. So get cracking!

An effortlessly explosive adventure on your PS3. [Jan 2014, p.89]

These guys are still hot. Their newest adventure offers fast paced gameplay, amazing weapons and heaps of laughs. Unfortunately, it’s all over too soon… [Issue#237]

It’s a little short, but still manages to satisfy, is dirt cheap and sure to leave you a smile on your dial. [Christmas 2013, p80]

With a batch of fresh weapons, one or two fun new gadgets, the introduction of a bit of 2D puzzle platforming, and a slew of references for old hands to recognise, the game works as the perfect closer to the series as we know it.

Ratchet & Clank: Nexus offers (as an epilogue to the Future trilogy) exactly what you'd expect. The same gameplay as in the main parts, with a handful of new weapons and gadgets and on a much smaller scale. A lack of surprises is compensated for with the timeless quality we're used to from the series.

Even though it was a little shorter than I had hoped for, Ratchet & Clank: Nexus is still much longer than Quest for Booty and ties up the story of our heroes (and Quark) nicely. For now at least.

Ratchet & Clank: Nexus is a blast to play, with a solid mix of everything that’s defined the series over the last eleven years. It’s only a shame the story doesn’t hold up, being the least memorable of the franchise.

The "Challenge Mode" is a decidedly harder New Game Plus option that started me off with all the weapons, bolts and raritanium I had acquired by the end of that first game.

Intuitive controls, excellent pacing, a smart script and sublime visuals mean there is much fun to be had here. If this is the last time we get to control Ratchet and his robot buddy, then it’s a rock-solid way to go out.

Into the Nexus’ gameplay holds true to what we’ve known and enjoyed for over a decade. Should we be demanding bigger and better things? Maybe, but there’s something about this formula that just works. I walked away from it hungry for more.

If you’ve been craving a more traditional entry to the series since A Crack In Time, then this will suit you perfectly. It’s not the longest or best game in the series, but it’s a budget title and full of fan service, though that may turn non-fans away and it’s hardly the best entry point into this universe.

While the action can wear the player out, and the campaign itself isn't particularly lengthy or deep, fans will get their money's worth from this concentrated blast of Ratchet & Clank action.

This is a traditional Ratchet & Clank game that sticks to the humour, imaginative weaponry and gadgets what has served the series so well over the years. It might be short on new ideas but this still feels fresh and it's a lot of fun.

Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus doesn't entirely break from the series' classic roots, but its focus on action over platforming makes it a fast-paced thrill ride, and the short length makes running through it again with Omega weapons in Challenge Mode irresistible.

Nexus is short, sweet, and to the point, with hardly a dull moment in sight, making it a fitting conclusion to the Future series. When you add in the fact that the game is budget priced and you get Quest for Booty for free, it only sweetens the deal.

Ratchet & Clank is an enjoyable action adventure for PS3.

Ratchet and Clank: Nexus is Insomniac's failed attempt to make a triumphant exit. Short and easy, its general unfinished feeling ruins the sensation of playing a new chapter of the saga. However, its careful optimization, graphics, sound and localization are, as usual, almost perfect.

Insomniac does it again. While it is rather short, the latest adventure of this duo is a well executed epilogue to a trilogy that shaped action platforming in this console generation.

New Ratchet & Clank does not bring anything fresh to the table in terms of gameplay, but it skilfully borrows from other games and offers something interesting all the time. It’s unpretentious, charming and fun to play. [01/2014, p.71]

Ratchet & Clank return to their roots, though their "comeback" isn't exactly a homerun. You'll have a lot of fun with Nexus, to be sure, but certain aspects - some weapons are useless, there isn't any innovation to speak off and Clank's moments in the spotlight are more frustrating than enjoyable - could have been done better. In the end, fans will definitely want to get this, though newcomers should think twice.

With Nexus two beloved characters of Sony, Ratchet & Clank, are back and we love it. With the motto of ‘never change a winning team’ developer Insomniac Games doesn’t change too much about the game. It’s still fun to play, with some original weapons and good graphics. It is, however, too short to be brilliant and doesn’t have too many innovations.

A fun and immediately engaging game, with some new ideas, but nothing that really brings forward the series. The budget price should make it particularly appealing to the fans.

Into the Nexus is a solid return to Ratchet & Clank's world, but hopefully PS4 will take the series to more creative exciting heights.

Ratchet & Clank Nexus is a good return to the roots of the series, but the lack of new features and the briefness of the campaign are simply unforgivable.

While Into the Nexus is short, there is a lot of replay value, some decent challenge on the harder difficulties, and a lot of stuff to unlock.

Nexus is not the ending we all were hoping for. It's just a more of the same way less inspired than its predecessors. Still enjoyable for the hardcore fans of the franchise.

A good epilogue to a great trilogy. If only it wasn't so short.

A fitting miniature to end this generation. [Issue#143, p.106]

It’s funwhile it lasts, has some good ideas and shows that the series’ formula is still compelling. But after a five-year hiatus, it feels way too short.

All in all, Into the Nexus is an entertaining and well put together Ratchet and Clank installment with some flaws here and there that drop the experience from good to just okay.

Ratchet and Clank: Nexus is a kind of mini Tools of Destruction and A Crack in Time. As Quest for Booty, this is a smaller game with reduced price, trying to offer the same whole essence of the series with half of the time.

It offers scant few new ideas, but it's a great balance of fighting and puzzling and its humorous story still offers a really breezy diversion for as long as it lasts.

Nexus is a title designed for the die-hard fans, that will also keep thinking that Ratchet & Clank would have deserved a better farewell at the end of this generation.

Ratchet & Clank: Nexus keeps playing with the typical gameplay of the Insomniac Games' series. The new elements provided by the Nexus are quite interesting, but the smaller levels along with the short story may be a problem for people interested in longer experiences. This game does worth your money, but you should wait for a price cut before giving it a try.

Yeah, it’s pretty short, but those are some good five hours that’ll remind you of why you fell in love with Ratchet and Clank in the first place. Its $30 / £20 price tag makes it a great incentive to pick it up, and it delivers what you’d expect from the series.

Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus represents a decent—though overpriced—sendoff for the second generation of R&C action-adventure titles. Into the Nexus mostly plays it safe by remaining largely familiar, introducing only a few new mechanics that, while not overtly bad, seem underdeveloped and are definitely underused.

The Ratchet & Clank series has seen several iterations over the years, but the core gameplay loop of constant progress and upgrades remains as fun as ever. Insomniac just had to strip out some of the extraneous bits and give us a condensed version to show off how well it stands up.

To conclude their futuristic series, Ratchet & Clank focuses on gravity, in both senses of the word. It is applied not only to the tone through a desolate world, but also to the gameplay mechanics. Although such experiments give more freedom to explore the environment and develop new puzzles, they are too limited and, therefore, overshadowed by the unbridled evolution of the arsenal. This relentless quest for power takes the main role into the Nexus, making up for the briefness of the adventure. Let's hope that the next generation will help Insomniac Games to really move forward with this proven, yet aging formula.

As a game in its own right, it feels short-changed and recycled for the most part – Fans of the series will likely bask in the familiarity of it, but ultimately Nexus is a hollow offering.

Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus is a short epilogue that may leave dedicated fans of the franchise a bit disappointed. Those that look past its length, however, will find an adventure worth having. The writing, humor and beloved characters are all there along with addicting classic Ratchet & Clank gameplay. Even with its flaws, you can’t really go wrong with this finale considering its low price tag.

The budget price may still be a teensy steep for the rather slender running time, but the focused campaign and enjoyable action mean that this is certainly worth a punt if you’ve got the bolts to spare.

The final Ratchet & Clank game on the Playstation 3 offers a couple of evenings of good entertainment. But aside from some new ideas everything is the same. It’s a nice send off for the series as a whole but not one that stands on its own in any particular way.

It undoes some of the damage of the last few games, but taking the series back to its roots is an admission that Ratchet & Clank has done nothing but go in circles all generation.

An underwhelming conclusion for Sony’s duo on the PlayStation 3. It’s a fine game; it’s pretty, it’s got the series’ trademark weaponry, and yet, it’s just another Ratchet game.