Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal

Written by Chris Reiter  on August 23, 2004

Hands-On Preview: There's another screw loose in the galaxy, and this duo's got just the toolbox you need to fix it.

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Ratchet. Clank. Together again at last, since...last time, last year. What?! Yeah, it's not improbable or impossible, but just the opposite of both. Just like last year, the makers of the fine fancies in one of Sony's most beloved platform franchises (Insomniac Games) and continuing directly from one of 2003's best-known platform titles (Ratchet and Clank 2: Going Commando), is at it again to reproduce a fully upgraded sequel in only a year's time, a third time. Can they do it? Are they Insomniac enough for this job? We went to E3 and visited Sony's booth to get our paws on the crazy coffee drinker's latest upcoming batch of goodness to find out the answer to that in Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal.

Having saved the universe from imminent danger the first time around, Ratchet and Clank became utterly bored with their mediocre lives. And when they completed this mission again, the tables had turned, at least for one of them. Word of mouth has spread awfully quickly for Clank, the interstellar robotic super spy now starring in his own television hit. Ratchet, on the other hand, still has no life. Heroism was definitely his one and only gig. When that opportunity comes knocking on his door again, he (and obviously Clank too) jump at the chance to become the efficient platform duo they're renowned for being around the galaxy. This time the main villain of the plot is Dr. Nefarious. A robot himself, he's given orders to the multi-eyed race of aliens known as the Tyhrranoids, to dispose of all organic life forms in existence. Saviors to the very end, Ratchet, the fuzzy fur ball and Clank, the butt busting metallic bot, will set forth to show these aliens and their villainous cyborg master the meaning of pain.

What's different about Ratchet and Clank this year? Nothing. That is...everything. Well, not everything, but some things. Yeah... But seriously, how do you go about innovating a popular platform game that's already gotten a whopping load of extra weapons and upgrades in last year's Ratchet and Clank release? Insomniac Games' answer: You take the offline game online. Ratchet and Clank 3, as we know it, will be the first platformer to step onto the arena that connects us with them, and you with me, or I with others. You know how it is. A broadband-only element will show other platform games how it's done online with Capture the Flag-like gameplay. Up to eight players and two-player teams will vie to gain control over other bases using not only jumping skills and weapons to destroy challengers and the environments as well (such as a bridge to prevent outsiders from getting across, forcing them to figure out a new way to proceed), but also with vehicular combat. The driver and the Missy Daisy in the behind can both fire together (with primary in front and turret in back), or just the butt buddy. Even for those who don't have access to the PlayStation 2's online network won't have to worry, as offline multiplayer via four-player split-screen will be available to those with true blue buddies (lucky s.o.b.'s).

If online isn't where it's at, then where else? Oh yeah, there'll be a totally new offline platform adventure too. Where the second Ratchet and Clank lent out 41 devices with a RPG-style the-more-you-shoot-the-more-your-gun's-ultimate-form-grows system, the third game is giving players 20 this time, and 14 of these can be enhanced up to four times in a row now. What does that mean? Let's count...14 x 4 = 56, and 56 + 4 = 60. Sixty! Some of these types of gadgets will consist of the Rift Inducer, which creates a black hole of sorts for enemies to get sucked into. Yet another interesting addition will be the Infecto Bomb, with its purpose to target enemies and turn them from harmful to hurtful as they'll stop attacking you and turn on other foes in a rapidly spreading plague. The more enemies infected, the lesser enemies you'll have to terminate yourself. While I didn't get a chance to check out the online portion of the game (or any of the cool weapons just mentioned), I did stop by a bit to see how the action was coming along and it looked solid as usual.

While playing, the visuals also help to keep up to a nicely detailed polish in their respective categories. The spacey level consisted of some new large creatures, as well as some old ones like the robot dogs. It seemed like more enemies will be involved this time around. Playing as Ratchet, his animations and overall demeanor were finely tuned. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to really formulate a base for a bigger set of firsthand impressions upon the game. But I can say that even though not vastly different from Ratchet and Clank 2's appearance, Ratchet and Clank 3's graphical strengths should be just as smooth as they've ever been.