For more on Ratchet & Clank: Q Force, check out our full Ratchet & Clank: Q Force review. Or, for more of the best Playstation 3 games for a 10 year old, why not try our Family Game Finder
Rather different to the previous Ratchet and Clank games, Ratchet and Clank: Q Force is actually a tower defence game - a type of strategy game that sees you defending a base against regular waves of enemies by building turrets, mines, and other defences across a selection of emplacements.
The trick here is a question of balance. As waves of enemies attack your base, you'll have to alternate between defending (you can also attack enemies with a variety of weapons), and exploring the planet, as you collect money to buy new defences, find new weapons, and gradually disable the enemy's defences as you push towards disabling their base.
Fully playable in two-player split-screen co-op, Ratchet and Clank: Q Force has been designed for family play - to the point where it's actually a lot, lot harder if you play on your own. With a second player in tow keeping an eye on the base, while the other player's out collecting things, and pushing towards the enemy, it's a game that makes good use of teamwork, and could down particularly well with siblings.
While it may be a strategy game, it's worth bearing in mind that the strategy doesn't get much higher than "which gun should I put where", and "can I afford to build this yet", and with a robust tutorial explaining how everything works (albeit without voiceovers, so decent reading skills are a must), it's fairly easy to get the hang of how things work. It is also, however, rather difficult, with tough bosses, unrelenting waves of enemies, and a sometimes confusing map serving to make the game one that would likely be best suited to older players.
While much of the game revolves around shooting at, or otherwise beating enemies up, Ratchet and Clank: Q Force isn't all that violent. There's nothing in the way of gore on display here, and enemies don't react in a realistic way to impacts. While the weapons range from the ludicrous (a slug that burps at people) to the more realistic (a flamethrower and rocket launcher), there's nothing for parents to be all that concerned about here - you can't set fire to enemies, and when killed, they simply drop to the floor and disappear in a comic way.
Age Ratings
Format Reviewed: Playstation 3
