The only time wasted in getting you into a bit of a shoot-out is the time it takes for a to-be-expected cut-scene to run its course. It’s best if you get used to those from the word go.
Baring in mind how quickly the controls come back to a returning
Ratchet and Clank player and the lack of new stuff to learn, the early stages ought to feel annoyingly easy, but they don't.
So intuitive is the control system to anyone who's ever played a platformer (or even an FPS) before with a dual-analog controller that I've had to go back and check it. Basically, my brain didn’t enter the equation – at least no part that isn't slimy, reptilian and sitting just at the top of my spine. The left analog stick controls movement, while the right one allows for rarely-needed rotation of the camera. [X] will give you a jump, while [square] swings your faithful wrench. [O] (or [R1], if you prefer) arms then fires your weapon, while [triangle] enables you to access the Quick Select menu for your weapons and gadgets. It's time to shoot some of the least morally ambiguous of all targets: robots and bug-like things: Tutorial over.
Actually, there is no tutorial as such. I still can't decide if that's an oversight or if the control system's so bloody simple it doesn't need one. The mildly (and I really mean mildly) more complicated manoeuvres such as gliding or the long jump are explained as you go, with instructions also given on the pause menu. All the moves you remember from Ratchet and Clank's PS2 outings - such as the Hyper Strike (jumping up and bashing someone with your wrench) and the aim mode - are present and accounted for. The only noticeable absence is the sideways flippy-type jump move that enabled you to let loose a shot in previous games, and while it's lack of inclusion is mildly baffling, I didn’t miss it all that much.
Anyway, after being plopped straight into the first map it's off to fight some stuff. As with
Ratchet and Clank 3, the balance of genres (genre balance?) swings in favour of action and shooty-shootiness. This is obvious from the word go when, rather than just your oversized wrench (anyone with a wrench that big should probably be treated as suspicious, frankly) you kick off with a Combustor – your pistol equivalent - and a Fusion Grenade glove. It's also a sign of things to come.
Things progress at a steady pace. If there's one thing I hate (hate!) in a game involving weapons, it's being over-faced with more gadgets than I'm ever going to use or even suss out.
Tools of Destruction eases you in gently, however, meaning that by the time your sizeable Quick Select menu fills up, you are comfortable with how they all work. There are three selection wheels to fill up, meaning no annoying trading of different weapons on and off the menu.
