Critical Myth-Interpretations

The previous “relaunch” novel for “The Next Generation” was a disappointment. Not only was the plot difficult to reconcile, but it did very little to move the story forward past “Nemesis”. It also conflicted greatly with the material in the “Voyager relaunch”, which has itself sputtered to a complete halt.

As it turns out, this novel helps to place these new installments into perspective. If the previous book was meant as a kind of “final statement” on Picard and the Borg, then this could be seen as the grand conclusion to all the Q-related stories since the series premiere. In other words, the novels are poised to be either a “relaunch” or a novel-driven denouement, given the decision to reboot the film franchise. This is a mixture of both, which is better than it sounds.

The book is full of grand ideas, despite its relatively short length, and it will likely spark debate among fans. Was everything related to Q really so directed, so full of long-term purpose? The pleasant reality of any Q novel is that one cannot be sure. Q could be telling the truth, or he could be spinning yet another situation towards his own designs. It’s impossible to tell, but that’s just part of the fun.

The author manages to pack a lot into less than 300 pages, and the readers should be thankful. This is a much better effort than “Resistance”, and if it happens to be the final Q book, then at least it brings his part of the story to a relative close. This may not be the best Q book available in the extended Trek library, but it’s definitely worth the read.

Rating: 8/10

The final installment of the franchise on the PS2 was a complete departure from the familiar design of the “Ratchet and Clank” series.  Most obvious was the elimination of Clank from the action, which was less than ideal for fans of the original.  The game was also designed for fans of online multiplayer rather than platformer goodness.  This left many fans on either side of a very large fence.

There is a single-player story, but it is very short compared to the other games.  This PS2 games can be completed in less time than the PSP game “Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters”, which is very disappointing.  The single-player campaign can be tackled at several challenge levels ranging from very easy to nearly impossible, but the difference is the density of enemies to destroy.

Most of the action is incredibly straightforward.  Play is either in an arena against waves of enemies and a final boss competitor, or a well-defined planetary setting with clearly delineated objectives.  All of the arena and most of the planetary action boils down to constant destruction with very little nuance.  Some of the planetary challenges involve hoverbikes, hoverships, or landstalkers (the best part of the game), all of which seem designed to break up the monotony.  However, if you hated those elements of the previous games, having them all concentrated in one game is probably not a positive note.

The default controls are also completely different.  The quick select menu cannot be modified, which is unfortunate.  Jumping is a straightforward affair without Clank to help out.  The left analog control moves Ratchet in a strafing stance, with the right analog stick controlling turns and the camera.  Shooting is mapped to R1, though the traditional circle button will also work.  This is designed to appeal to the fans of FPS games, a genre I generally dislike.  Thankfully, you can adjust the controls here and there to match the previous control schemes more closely.

One interesting change is the ability to customize weapons with different modifications, which is a trend that continued into “Size Matters” and will probably continue into future installments.  Ratchet has two “bots” as partners, and they can also be upgraded as the game progresses.  On the downside, there are no special bolts and very little in the environment can be destroyed for bolts.  Money comes easily, but mostly through constantly wiping out hordes of enemies.

There are 15 skill points in every location.  All of them are identified, so it’s easy to figure out what to do to complete those challenges.  Most of them involve killing a certain number of enemies with a certain weapon, finishing a challenge in a certain time, and so forth.  Many of them are completed without trying, which takes some of the fun out of it.

All in all, this is a game meant to appeal to fans of multiplayer online carnage and destruction.  For fans of the original game and its successors, this is likely to disappoint.  It gets repetitive very quickly, and before long, the game is over.  Science fiction fans will enjoy the constant insults tossed at the FOX Network, but that’s hardly a reason to play this game.

Rating: 5/10

This is the second book of the “Legends of the Riftwar” set, a collection of tales told within the Midkemia mythos but written by other authors.  These books were originally written during the same period as the atypically poor “Riftwar Legecy” books, a time when Feist was dealing with personal strife.  That makes it very difficult to determine where Feist and his ideas end and Rosenberg’s influence begins.  In fact, the three main characters are transplanted out of Rosenberg’s original fiction into Feist’s world, which makes it an unusual hybrid akin to professional fan fiction.

The end result is hard to quantify.  On the one hand, this is a completely different kind of Riftwar novel, detailing the political maneuvering at a council in LaMut during one particular winter, while the battle against the Tsurani was at a lull.  Several barons and lords vie with each other, with the three mercenaries at the heart of the story trying to stay alive and out of the whole mess.  That novelty is one of the best aspects of the book.

Unfortunately, it’s also very dense material, and Rosenberg’s writing style can be difficult.  If nothing else, Feist keeps the story moving and his prose tends to flow nicely.  Rosenberg’s work requires a lot of plodding, especially at the beginning.  Add to that a story that contains very little action, and it can be a battle to get from chapter to chapter.

Rating: 6/10

This is the sixth volume in the “Legacy” saga, and as one would expect, this covers the fallout from “Sacrifice” and further complicates an already insane situation between the Alliance and the Jedi.  Unfortunately, two major issues, one of which cannot be avoided in the Star Wars universe, conspire to drag the book down.

The first issue is the pacing.  The entire story is basically a repeat of the “prequel” trilogy of films, updated to reflect the setting of the post-“New Jedi Order” period.  While the authors have generally improved on the idea of a prominent and powerful Jedi falling into the dark side of the Force, even the endless string of complications cannot justify the decompressed nature of the story.  Events feel artificially extended and postponed to ensure that the full nine volumes.

The second issue is one I’ve discussed before.  Once a character falls into the dark side, all justifications seem to fall to the wayside.  Actions are driven by the need to be Evil.  Jacen continues to talk about how his actions will bring peace to the galaxy, but his orders and methods are over the top and rarely justified by the circumstances.

Given the amount of page count in the saga, how hard would it be for the writers to give Jacen an ally within the Jedi, someone who can debate his thought process and perhaps recognize that there could be a justified reason for some of his actions?  Instead, he is a complete tyrant, his forces are neo-Stormtroopers, and his internal debates are specious at best.

This takes away the ability of the reader to understand and sympathize with Jacen’s plight.  As the story has been written, Jacen was tricked into adopting the Evil Sith ways.  Ironically, Jacen’s journey over the course of the Extended Universe novels would support the notion that the dark side can emerge from “good intentions”, which is often cited.  Why, then, rely on the crutch of simplistic black/white, good/evil thinking?

Rating: 6/10

This is the third installment of the classic Insomniac Games franchise, following up on the original and its sequel “Going Commando”.  This particular game takes the previous formula and takes it in a more military direction.  The premise is simple: one of Captain Quark’s former adversaries, Dr. Nefarious, has returned, launching a campaign against organic life in the galaxy.  Ratchet and Clank are recruited when Ratchet’s home planet is invaded by Nefarious’ allies, the alien Tyrrhenoids.

The game is quite extensive, but in the end, it’s a series of missions to invade Tyrrhenoid space for information and lead various military campaigns against Tyrrhenoid forces.  The typical racing sequences are replaced with long, multi-part military missions involving an airship, making them a bit more strategic.  The puzzles are minimized in favor of a series of 2D Quark platformers that advance the plot and break up the constant gun-slinging.

The emphasis on combat is not necessarily a bad thing.  Some players may miss the mixture of exploration and mass destruction, but the canvas of this game is wide enough that the exploration components are a necessary function.  On the other hand, if a strong military tone is bothersome, the two earlier games (and the PSP incarnation “Size Matters”) might be a better gaming choice.

Visually, the game looks a bit washed-out compared to the first two games.  The production values are still quite high, of course, so that difference is a minor nuisance at worst.  The graphics are about as good as they get for the PS2, and the action seldom slows down, even during the best frenetic battles.

Gameplay gets an update in small but significant ways.  The “quick select” function upgrades from one ring to two fully-customizable rings.  This is incredibly convenient.  The dynamo and slingshot are combined into one device, and most weapons have an automatic lock-on function.  All weapons can be upgraded a total of five times in the initial playthrough, and the differences between levels are significant.  Weapons from the first two games can be uploaded over time, making loyal fans of the franchise very, very happy.

The game took me about 22 hours to complete, including all sidemissions, arena battles in Annihilation Nation, and collection of all 40 titanium bolts.  Skill point hunting will no doubt take a lot longer.  That’s far better than the anemic length of “Size Matters” (which became a rather ironic title in the end), and comparable to the first two games.

As usual, the game offers a challenge mode once the game is completed, giving the player the ability to upgrade the weapons even further and chase after the elusive skill points.  There’s also a relatively primitive multiplayer function, essentially the precursor to what would eventually become “Ratchet: Deadlocked”.

For many, this was the last game in the franchise to remain more or less true to the preferred franchise format.  “Deadlocked” would be largely designed for online multiplayer madness, and “Size Matters” was an effective but incredibly short side dish for the PSP.  The next true installment, “Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction”, will be coming to the PlayStation 3 in late October 2007.  If nothing else, it’s worth playing this game to make sure all the weapons are fully available for the new adventure!

Rating: 9/10