Ratchet & Clank: QForce

The delay of a video game isn't always a bad thing. Half-Life 2, for example, was delayed by more than a year - and look how that turned out.

The warning bells started to ring on the PS Vita version of Ratchet & Clank: QForce when it emerged that it would arrive a full six months after the PS3 version.

What was developer Tin Giant doing during that additional time? It was frantically trying to squeeze the PS3 experience onto the Vita - and failing miserably.

Forceful

QForce, or Full Frontal Assault in the US, is essentially classic Ratchet & Clank gameplay mixed with tower defence.

As enemies come storming towards your base you need to build up defences to keep them at bay. Once a wave has been repelled you have a window of opportunity to move towards the enemy base and unlock a path to victory.

It's a delicate balance that is often well-struck. The attacking parts feel like classic Ratchet & Clank, while the defensive elements give the usual experience a bit of an added edge.

Imagine Ratchet & Clank 3D platforming and blasting, but slightly dumbed down and messy (yet still quite enjoyable), and you'll have a good idea of what to expect from QForce.

Along the way you're awarded skill points that allow you to unlock additional elements of play. The story is snappy, too, as per usual for a Ratchet & Clank game.

Take a ratchet to it

Unfortunately, this PS Vita version is one of the worst porting jobs I've seen in a while.

The loading times are regularly in excess of 20 seconds. The frame-rate is consistently terrible, and sometimes even renders the game unplayable.

The textures have been watered down to a horrible degree. The camera, which is controlled via the right stick, feels flimsy and not-at-all up to the task at hand.

The text in certain parts of the game is tiny, and barely readable without squinting hard. Lots of content has been cut from the PS3 version in its move to the Vita.

Need I go on? Whether QForce is a good game or not, any potential fun is hidden under a pile of problems. If you want to play QForce and you have a PS3, play it on there instead. Otherwise, don't bother.

Ratchet & Clank: QForce

Ratchet & Clank: QForce is good fun - on the PS3. This PS Vita port is incredibly shoddy and not worth your time
Score
Mike Rose
Mike Rose
An expert in the indie games scene, Mike comes to Pocket Gamer as our handheld gaming correspondent. He is the author of 250 Indie Games You Must Play.