Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault arrives on PS3 and PS Vita with a premise that sounds bold and a 10th anniversary tag attached to it. The game takes classic Ratchet & Clank shooting and wraps a tower defense layer around it, letting players pick between Ratchet, Clank and Captain Qwark across five levels set on three planets. It is a small package with a large ambition, and that ambition does not fully pay off.
Trailer, via PlayStation.
The Core Idea
The concept is simple: base defense meets action hero. Players build up a base, call in weapons, and fight off waves of enemies. That setup sits alongside the series’ usual running, jumping and shooting, so the game never commits fully to one mode. That split focus is the game’s central problem. The shooting is sharp and familiar, but the tower defense layer rarely feels essential to it.
The game’s strengths are its guns and its characters. The weapon roster remains outrageous, with the series’ signature humor intact. Clank can switch between his normal form and his giant form, and Captain Qwark gets his own level, which is a nice touch for longtime fans. The multiplayer modes, including cross-play between PS3 and PS Vita, are the strongest part of the package. The campaign is short, which is a problem that critics have pointed to.
What’s Missing
The campaign is where the game stumbles. It is short, and it lacks a proper story. The tower defense element, while a novel twist, is not explained well and rarely feels necessary within the missions. Players can feel like they are doing two different games at once, and that tension never fully resolves. The game’s deviations from previous entries in the series drew criticism, and many players called it the weakest entry in the franchise.
“The game’s deviations from previous games in the series drew criticism, and many players called it the worst game in the series.”
The Vita version was delayed to May 21, 2013, and when it arrived, it was free with the PS3 version. That move helped the game find an audience, but it did not fix the core issues. The game’s length is a real concern. A short campaign means players get a taste and move on, and the replay value, while present in the multiplayer modes, does not make up for the absence of a strong single-player experience.
The Good Parts
The soundtrack gets praise, and the multiplayer modes are the strongest part of the package. The camera angles and third-person shooting feel solid, a direct carryover from earlier games in the series. That consistency is a comfort in a game that is otherwise asking players to accept a new direction.
The co-op play, both online and offline, is a welcome addition. Playing with a friend is where the game feels most like the series at its best. The replay value in those modes is real, and they give the Vita version a reason to exist beyond the PS3 campaign.
The Verdict
Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault is a mixed bag. The shooting is good, the multiplayer is strong, and the presentation is solid. But the campaign is short, the story is weak, and the tower defense layer never fully earns its place. It is a game that tries to be two things at once and succeeds at neither fully.
The game is not a failure, but it is not the best entry in the series. It is a game that will satisfy longtime fans looking for a quick fix and little else. The free Vita version makes it a worthwhile pickup for owners of the PS3 campaign, but newcomers would be better served by one of the earlier entries.
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