A Crack in Time

Lore & Background

To counter this temporal assault, Clank travels to the Great Clock to fix the timeline, while Nefarious obtains the Chronosceptor during the story. This sends Ratchet on a journey across different planets and locations, but not through different historical eras or encountering younger versions of allies. The story explores themes of destiny versus free will, ultimately revealing that some bonds are strong enough to withstand even the most chaotic shifts in the timeline.

In Their Own Story

The temporal rift shimmered violently above the ruins of the old laboratory, casting a sickly violet glow across Ratchet's fur. He gripped the wrench tightly, his knuckles white as he watched the timeline fracture. In one blink, the sky was clear; in the next, it was filled with the jagged silhouette of Nefarious's dreadnought from a future that hadn't happened yet. 'We have to fix this now,' Clank chirped, his voice trembling slightly as he adjusted his goggles. Ratchet looked back at the portal where his family waited, unaware they were moments away from ceasing to exist. With a roar of determination, he leaped into the swirling vortex, ready to fight for yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Reader's Guide

A Crack in Time follows mechanic Ratchet and robot Clank as they face Dr. Nefarious's ultimate scheme to rewrite history using time-travel technology. After Nefarious escapes imprisonment, he steals a device that allows him to alter the past, threatening to erase Ratchet's life and the galaxy itself. The game tasks players with traversing multiple timelines, solving puzzles in altered environments, and battling enemies across different eras. Key plot points include Clank traveling back to prevent Nefarious's rise, while Ratchet fights through a fractured reality to stop the villain from destroying the present. Released in late 2009 for the PlayStation 3, this title serves as the definitive end of the original trilogy. It advances the timeline by resolving the long-standing conflict with Dr. Nefarious and setting the stage for future adventures by introducing new technologies and deepening the lore of the Lombax race.

Did You Know?

• This game introduced the ability to travel through time, a mechanic not seen in previous entries of the Future trilogy.
• Dr. Nefarious serves as the primary antagonist, marking his first major role since the events of Tools of Destruction.
• The story features significant emotional stakes regarding Ratchet's family and their potential erasure from existence.
• It was one of the few titles in the series to be released exclusively on a next-generation console at the time.