Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time Trophy Guide & Road Map

Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time
Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time Trophy Guide

Overview:
-Estimated trophy difficulty: 2.5/10
-Offline: All 37 (1, 5, 6, 25)
-Online: None
-Approximate time to Platinum: 20-25 Hours
-Minimum number of playthroughs: 2
-Number of missable trophies: None
-Glitched trophies: None
-Do cheat codes disable trophies: No
-Does difficulty affect trophies: Yes

Roadmap

Introduction
Yet another great PS3 exclusive from Insomniac! Not only will you have a blast playing this game, but the trophies are not that difficult to obtain. Here are my suggestions for getting them all in about 25 hours.

First Playthough
Start your first game on the Hard difficulty - luckily for us it's not that hard at all! While playing through every chapter, visit all the planets and mini-planets in order to obtain Zoni, Gold Bolts, Constructo Mods and RYNO V schematics. Grab what you can, but if for whatever reason you cannot collect them at that certain point, don't worry about it - we'll get to them later. Just be aware that certain amounts of Zoni must be collected during the story in order to land on some planets. Along the way, be sure to break all crates and kill all enemies so you can eventually become a millionaire. At the Agorian Arena, complete the Bronze, Silver and Gold Tournaments.
***Please note that you will not obtain the trophies for beating the game on Medium or Hard during the Challenge Mode playthrough, irregardless of your difficulty setting***

After beating the final boss
Do not immediately begin Challenge Mode. You should instead select to go back to the point before the boss battles. Now you can roam around and do whatever you wish! Go to the Agorian Arena and complete the Raritarium Tournament. As a reward after the fourth challenge, you will be given a treasure map which pinpoints the locations of all Zoni, Gold Bolts, Constructo Mods and RYNO V schematics. Now you know which planets you have to go back to as well as the exact location of each collectable. After collecting all Zoni, go back to Lord Vorselon's ship and finish him once and for all. Then take in some culture by visiting the Insomniac Museum.

At this point in the game (after beating the game on Hard but before entering Challenge Mode), if any section of the game is kicking your ass, feel free to change the difficulty to Casual.

Challenge Mode
After having done all your clean up work, you will only have one trophy to go - Challenge Mode. You DO NOT have to beat the final 2 bosses again to begin this Mode. Simply enter the "Extras" menu, select Challenge Mode and create a new game save. By this point, you should be a millionaire, with most if not all weapons upgraded to level 5. Everything carries over from your Hard playthough, so just complete the main chapters of the game (no detours to mini-planets or anything) and you're done!
Your difficulty setting does not matter during the Challenge Mode playthrough. You will get the trophy if you beat it either on Casual, Medium or Hard!

Clank's Temporal Puzzles
These were my favorite parts of the game! By the end, especially when collecting all Gold Bolts, some are very challenging. I recommend to first look around and see what each switch activates. Remember that each recording only gives you 60 seconds, so be efficient. Don't be afraid to record over an image to make the best use of your time.

Due to high demand (even from Moose_PS3T. Weird...), here is a text guide for the Sector 4 Temporal Challenge at the Great Clock. To make the language easier, when i say "Blue Switch" for example, that means the switch next to the blue temporal recording pad.

1. send Blue over the "Blue Switch" on the right (assuming you are facing the exit)
2. use time bomb in order to cross Red over to "Yellow Switch"
3. send Yellow up platforms activated in step # 1 and place him in the nearest now open tube (FIRST DOOR SWITCH ACTIVATED)
4. send Green up same platforms which were activated in step # 1. Reflect blaster to flip platform and have him stop in front of closed tube.
5. Re-Record Blue. repeat step #1. Once you see Yellow and Blue have traversed up the platforms, head over to "Blue Switch" on the left (assuming you are facing the exit).
6. Re-record Red. Repeat step # 2. Once you see that Yellow has activated the door switch, use time bomb to head back to starting point. Go up platforms activated by Blue in #5, reflect blaster to flip platform and have him stop in front of closed tube.
7. Re-record Blue. repeat steps 1 and 5. Once you see that Red has gone up platform activated in step # 5, go to "Red Switch" which opens tube which he stops in front of. Give it some time so you know for sure Red will have time to enter tube. Then head over to "Green Switch".
8. Re-record Red. Repeat all previous steps. Thanks to step # 7, tube door should be open by the time you get to that point. (SECOND DOOR SWITCH ACTIVATED).
9. Re-record Green. Repeat all previous steps. Again, thanks to step #7, tube door should eventually open. (THIRD DOOR SWITCH ACTIVATED).
10. Re-record Blue. Repeat all previous steps. After you see Green has activated the switch, cross over to claim your prize!

[PS3T Would Like to Thank billygolden78 for this Road Map]

The Lombax Triumphant

Collect all trophies in the game.
(34)
My Blaster Runs Really, Really Hot

Score 10,000 points on My Blaster Runs Hot.
(31)

Found at the Agorian Arena after getting off the elevator. The easy multiplier kills in the first 2 waves should net you more than 2,000 points. Be sure to always concentrate on the enemies firing blasters and on the landmines; grunts can be saved for last since they cannot kill you. Whenever possible, use the landmines to take out surrounding enemies. Also try to save civilians as they drop upgrades every once in a while. If you're lucky, you will get the 10k before the wave 15 boss battle because it can quickly kill you. Can be a bit frustrating but you'll eventually get it.

If you're still having problems getting this one, check out the video below. ***Much thanks to berts08 for creating and sharing his video guide with us!***
Q-Force Cadet

Complete the game on Casual.

See "Q-Force Champion."
Bronze Champion

Win the Bronze Tournament.
(1)

Found at the Agorian Arena. Requires you to survive 5 challenges of varying difficulty. The war grok at the end is rather simple. Its' only attack is a jump/swipe manuever which can easily be avoided with a double jump. Toss grenades and rockets at it and it'll go down.
Silver Champion

Win the Silver Tournament.

Found at the Agorian Arena. Requires you to survive 5 challenges of varying difficulty. The tank at the end is rather simple. Dodge its' attacks and hit it with whatever you wish, but just make sure to pull off the protective shield each time it goes up so it can't re-energize.
Gold Champion

Win the Gold Tournament.

Found at the Agorian Arena. Requires you to survive 5 challenges of varying difficulty. The last challenge matches you up against the war grok and tank described above. Just take them out like you did before and you'll be done!
Raritanium Champion

Win the Raritanium Tournament.
(6)

Found at the Agorian Arena. Requires you to survive 5 challenges of varying difficulty. I found these much harder (...that's what she said....) than the ones in the previous tournaments. It would truly be best for you to finish the main game first, that way you have all the available weapons and they are upgraded. Also be sure to collect all RYNO V schematics designs (using the treasure map - see "The Gunsmith" below) then go to Axiom City Spaceport so you can get a bad ass weapon from The Smuggler. That weapon is a godsend in the final challenge! For the final challenge, I suggest using only the wrench for about the first 7 waves since ammo crates are nonexistant at first. After that, use your own discretion, but when the screen gets filled up with enemies, be sure to use grenades and the groovitron ball so it is more manageable. Just conserve your ammo and health because waves 19 and 20 are the war grok and tank (again) previously discussed.
Fastoon Warrior

Upgrade one weapon to level 5.

Pick any weapon and kill enemies with it over and over again. Easiest done at first with the main blaster.
For a Rainy Day

Collect 10,000 bolts.
(1)

See "Thrifty."
Greed is Good

Collect 50,000 bolts.

See "Thrifty."
Q-Force Hero

Complete the game on Medium.
See "Q-Force Champion."

NOTE: This trophy cannot be obtained in the Challenge Mode playthrough.
Zoni Collector

Rescue all Zoni.

See "The Gunsmith". Please note that in order to land on certain planets, you need to bypass some satellite security which can only be done by upgrading your ship (by collecting Zoni). You can see which mini-planets have Zonis, and since they aren't hidden on these worlds, just traverse the obstacles to get to them.
Bolt Collector

Collect all gold bolts.
(5)
See "The Gunsmith" below. Also, be sure to revisit The Great Clock after beating the main game. When back at certain sections, Sigmund will tell you to try out new challenges. You will have to re-enter Clank's subconscious chambers and beat additional temporal puzzles in order to obtain some Bolts. I found these to be the most challenging puzzles in the game, so have fun with them!

Please refer here for all Gold Bolt locations (credit to RatchetAndClank45 for the playlist)
The Gunsmith

Collect all Constructo modifications.

Zoni, Gold Bolts and Constructo mods will be found on every planet and in space. Some of the ones you see at first will be unattainable since you need to level up and collect new gadgets. This is my recommendation with regards to all of them (and you wont even need to print out a map!):

***Finish your runthrough, visiting every planet/mini-planet, collecting whatever you can. Do not worry about missing any as none of the items are "locked out" after leaving a specific area. After beating the game, go back to the Agorian Arena and complete the Raritarium Tournament. When you beat the 4th challenge, you are given a treasure map as a prize (this map also provides locations of the RYNO V schematics). When you hit "select" on the controller to bring up the space map, it will tell you how many you are missing from each category on every planet. Go to that planet, hit "select" again, and the area map will tell you exactly where the item is. Even with the map some are tricky to get to, so examine your environment and use all gadgets at your disposal. They actually make for a fun challenge!***
The Samaritan

Complete all space missions.
(9)

While in space, look at your map for yellow triangles. Approach them and complete the mission. You also need to visit each space depot which are found more or less in the center of each sector (square shaped on your radar, rather than circular). Once there, speak to the Vullard in front of the booth who will give you either one or two missions.

Note: If you no longer see any yellow triangles in space but have not unlocked this trophy, it is because you have not yet completed all the necessary missions at the space depots. Revisit each one and speak to the Vullard to see if he has a mission for you.
Retirement Fund

Collect 250,000 bolts.

See "Thrifty."
Preferred Customer

Purchase all GrummelNet weapons.
(3)

Go to the weapons hub found in many areas throughout the game. There are a handful of weapons which you have to buy. As a reference, you should get the trophy after the only option in the weapons hub menu is "Full Ammo". Pretty straight-forward, and easily affordable by the middle of the game.
Thrifty

Collect 1,000,000 bolts.
(4)

Just smash any boxes you see, complete samaritan requests, defeat all enemies you come across and you'll be a millionaire before you know it. Note that the million is cumulative, so you can spend your bolts freely without jeopardizing this trophy.
Q-Force Champion

Complete the game on Hard.
(4)
To be honest, I did not find any sections in the game overly frustrating. Just play this difficulty level on your first runthrough and you'll unlock the Casual and Medium difficulty trophies as well. Be sure to purchase the 3 armors (which will reduce the damage you receive by 50%) and strafe with L2 as you fire so you are more mobile. If you come to an area with many enemies and keep getting killed, just try different gadgets. The most helpful in those situations are the grenades, groovitron ball and the grenades which freeze your enemies.

***NEVER change the difficulty during your Hard playthrough otherwise you will not get the trophy***

NOTE: This trophy cannot be obtained in the Challenge Mode playthrough
Glutton for Punishment

Complete a Challenge Mode playthrough.
(6)

Challenge Mode was unlocked after finishing the game on Hard. I cannot be sure if beating the game on Casual or Medium will also unlock it. Luckily you start off with all your cash, armor, upgraded weapons and Zoni, so the game will feel pretty easy. If you can afford it, I recommend buying the Omega RYNO V (for 1 million bolts) since its' awesome firepower will help you out greatly near the end of the game. Just concentrate on the main story levels, and you should be done with this playthrough in about 2 to 3 hours.

It Belongs in a Museum

Retrieve Chief Zahn's Zoni Vessel.
(1)

This is a story related trophy and can't be missed. It is obtained during Ratchet's mission after traversing the Temple of Zahn on Planet Quantos.
Rude Awakening

Complete Great Clock, Sector One.
(1)

This is a story related trophy and can't be missed. It is obtained during Clank's mission after completing Sector One of The Great Clock.
Junior Caretaker

Defeat the Hypersonic Brainwave Scrambler

This is a story related trophy and can't be missed. It is obtained during Clank's mission after completing the boss battle at the end of Sector Two of The Great Clock. As Clank would say, "Hypersonic Brainwave Scrambler.....scrambled!".
Senior Caretaker

Repair temporal damage caused by Dr. Nefarious.

This is a story related trophy and can't be missed. It is obtained during Clank's mission after completing Sector Three of The Great Clock.
The General's Pupil

Master the hoverboots.

This is a story related trophy and can't be missed. It is obtained during Ratchet's mission after completing General Azimuth's final hoverboot course in under a minute at Monoloth Fields on Planet Torren IV.
Savior of Axiom City

Destroy the VX-99.

This is a story related trophy and can't be missed. It is obtained during Ratchet's mission after the boss battle in Axiom City on Planet Terachnos. Once you destroy the VX-99 and escape to safety in General Azimuth's ship, the trophy will pop up.
Apogee Explorer

Find the Obsidian Eye

This is a story related trophy and can't be missed. It is obtained during Ratchet's mission after finding the Obsidian Eye in Krell Canyon on Planet Lumos.
Time Keeper

Unlock the Orvus Chamber.

This is a story related trophy and can't be missed. It is obtained during Clank's mission after completing Sector Four of The Great Clock.
88 MPH

Defeat General Azimuth and save the universe
(2)

This is a story related trophy and can't be missed. It is obtained during Ratchet's mission at The Great Clock after being revived by Clank. Complete the rail section and then the final boss battle against General Azimuth and you will be done with the main storyline.
Leave no Lombax Behind

Save General Azimuth from Lord Vorselon's clutches.

This is a story related trophy and can't be missed. It is obtained during Ratchet's mission after rescuing General Azimuth from Lord Vorselon's warship.
Paradox Hero

Confront Dr. Nefarious in the past

This is a story related trophy and can't be missed. It is obtained during Ratchet's mission after traveling back and forth through time at the Tombli Outpost on Planet Zanifar.
Somebody Call For Backup?

Stop the Agorians from destroying Gimlick Valley.
(2)

This is a story related trophy and can't be missed. It is obtained during Ratchet's mission after traveling back and forth through time in the Gimlick Valley. The trophy will pop up once you've defeated Commander Argos and brought peace to the land.
Just Like Old Times

Reunite with Clank.

This is a story related trophy and can't be missed. It is obtained during Ratchet's mission after defeating Casseopia in the Valkyrie Citadel on Planet Vapedia.
Party Crasher

Destroy Dr. Nefarious' armada.

This is a story related trophy and can't be missed. It is obtained during Ratchet's mission after stealthily using the Hypernova Defense Laser to destroy Dr. Nefarious' docked battleships at the Nefarious Spacestation.
Revenge of the Squishy

Defeat Dr. Nefarious

This is a story related trophy and can't be missed. It is obtained during Ratchet's mission after returning once again to the Nefarious Spacestation and defeating the crazed doctor.
Insomniac

Visit the Insomniac Museum.
(1)

Available once you obtain the "Terraklon Assassin" trophy. Land on the planet and the prize will be yours when you click on the information booth.
Terraklon Assassin

Vanquish Lord Vorselon.
(8)

Assuming you've been following my guide, you should be fighting him after beating the game on Hard but before entering Challenge Mode. If you feel he is way too tough for you even after reading my tips below, feel free to change the difficulty to Casual. **Thanks to LostJon48s for providing this idea!**

Face him before starting Challenge Mode. Once you collect all 40 Zoni and have also beaten the game once, you will be given a new mission to defeat Lord Vorselon. Surprisingly, I found this boss fight to be the most rigorous of the entire game.
Go to Vorselon's spaceship and get on the gun turret. After taking out the first wave, your reward will be a battery bot which needs to be inserted at the door behind the turret. Get on the gun turret again, take out the second wave and you'll be given another battery bot.
Vorselon's deadliest attack is his laser blaster. Make sure you always keep a good distance from him otherwise they will be pretty hard to avoid. When he fires, I thought it was best to look at him directly, strafe with L2 and double jump to avoid the blasts. Constant jumping, double jumping and floating will also avoid his other attacks, but be careful about it. Make use of Mr. Zurkon and the Rift Inducer so that way he is always taking damage. When he's at about 25% strength, just make sure he does not sneak up on you from behind. Also, make sure to not be standing on those sections of the floor which he will fill with energy - simply hover to clean areas of the floor so not to take additional damage. I had to use Telsa Spikes, Buzz Blades, Grenades, Rockets, Blasters and the RYNO V to finally take him down. After he explodes, make sure to destroy his head and you're done!