Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction- Platform: PS3
- Developer: Insomniac
- US Release Date: October 23, 2007
- Demo: Confirmed w/ release date TBA
- Official Site
Insomniac is bringing the boys back for a PS3 exclusive that the system so desperately needs. They aren't taking to many chances this time around and taking a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude, but they are using the power of the PS3 to create some truely epic looking scenes. The story this time is going to revolve around Ratchet's past and the history of his species, the Lombax, which is something none of the previous games have ever touched on. Insomniac has stated they are also going back to the platforming feel of the first game. I'm a horrible writer so I'm going to leave it up to the experts ...
IGN Hands OnGamespot PreviewPS3 Fanyboy's newest hands onIGN Hands On - August 17thCliffnotes from IGN Hands On
The folks at Insomniac said that the nature of this title's gameplay will emphasize variety. You'll see a plethora of mini-games and alternative modes of play, like space combat, that break up the usual 3D platforming and shooting sections. Their goal, furthermore, is to probe deeper into the emotional side of things, not only in regards to Ratchet's past, but also in his relationship with Clank. Apparently, strife will erupt between our two heroes, due to Clank's sudden visions of ethereal, semi-robotic creatures known as the Zoni, visible only to him. However, it's unclear as to whether or not this drama between Ratchet and Clank will affect the overall gameplay experience.
On the more technical side of things, Insomniac is targeting a solid frame rate of 60 fps for this title, though the builds we saw were running between 40 and 60 fps at the time. Regardless, such a high frame rate makes this game quite thrilling to watch, since there is rich graphical detail not only in the character designs, but more noticeably, within the environments. Insomniac seems to be striving for very colorful and vibrant planets, with an equally colorful cast of characters. Each character was planned from the ground up to sport a captivating and enticing silhouette, which should lead to inherently gripping character designs. The developers at Insomniac commented that their experience with Resistance: Fall of Man has given them incredible insight into developing "next-generation" titles, and thus far, it shows.
However, as many gamers know, Insomniac prides itself on fun and interesting weapons, and we saw quite a few at the press event. Some of the more typical weapons included the Predator Launcher - a rocket launcher with multi-lock capabilities, the Negotiator - a single-shot, highly explosive rocket launcher type weapon, and the Combustor - a futuristic take on an automatic rifle. On the more creative side of things, we also saw the Plasma Beasts, which started as small, docile globs of goo, and transformed into raving slime creatures when an enemy approached, as well as the Buzz Blades, long-range bladed discs that whirl about in a veritable frenzy. But even if those don't satisfy your hunger for insanity: fear not. We were also privileged to see a new weapon called the Death Springs, a group of slinky minions that seek out enemies, of their own slinky-will, and destroy them in a flurry of slow-moving metal. Fantastic.
The weapons will feature a seemingly complex upgrade system, somewhat similar to the License Board in Final Fantasy XII. Using collected metals, you can "unlock" a particular upgrade, which enables you to unlock all the spaces around it on a pre-arranged grid. It is in this way that the power of a weapon spreads out across the grid until you eventually enable brutal, special abilities for each weapon. But don't expect the weapons to be dramatically over-powered; devices like the Goovatron and the Death Springs are not categorized alongside your other arms. They belong to a new item set called Combat Items: rare, over-powered equipment that can only be used on occasion, and they come in short supply.
The next demo we sat down with took place in/on the IRIS Supercomputer. While this name might invoke visions of sprawling networks and neon-lit passages, the majority of the world was actually covered with snow. Although standard combat was a major part of this level, our attention was drawn more to the atypical segments, which included several scenes showcasing Ratchet dressed as a robo-pirate (he even had a peg-leg!). By using this disguise effectively, Ratchet could sneak past his foes and infiltrate their base more quietly than an all-out frontal assault, though such a strategy was still possible. The antics didn't stop with the costume, however, since Ratchet could also participate in a jig-dancing mini-game in order to open up a sealed hatchway. As you can clearly see, the game will be using liberal amounts of humor. We noticed that a lot of work had gone into the "little details" as well, since Insomniac's humor extends into far less obvious mediums than slapstick. If you stand near some of the pirates while in disguise, you can listen in on their conversations as they candidly discuss their various health and dental plans, as well as their 401k options. It's moments such as these that made us smile the most during the demos.
VideosFirst TrailerSecond TrailerGameplay Footage - MUST WATCHSixaxis and story overviewTwo new videos showing SIXAXIS and new gameplayPS3Fanboy continues it R&C coverage with two videos of the space shooter portionPretty Pictures
Spoilered for your viewing pleaure
Well guys there she is, my first OP. It's not the greatest, but I'm a huge fan of this series and felt my love for it needed to be spread. So please fellow gamers, discuss.
* I used GIS for all pics. If a site isn't playing nice, someone please let me know ASAP** Replaced a few screenshots to try and save LewieP's eyeballs, and added the second trailer
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Edit: Looks great from a technical standpoint, just the designs.
I always enjoy what the Insomniac guys do visually with the R&C games, but opinionlol
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it's the 2nd and 3rd ones that really get to me, something about them just grates me...
Downloading the trailer now, to see how it is in motion
Because man fuck him.
Yea, those two weren't the greatest, but I wanted to show a little variety in the screen shots
It looks like he's back to his usual self, but hopefully with the focus being on Ratchet's past there won't be too much on Qwark.
http://DocumentingLaziness.blogspot.com/
Btw, THIS trailer is IMO the most impressive one they've released.
I swear every time I watch this trailer all i think of is Pixar.
At the beginning it does, and towards the end it looks like some crazy action movie Pixar has yet to make
http://DocumentingLaziness.blogspot.com/
Is it just me, or is the lack of buzz for this game a little deafening? Few people seem to care about this game, but (if past Ratchets are any indication) this may very well be the best exclusive game in the PS3's holiday lineup.
I get what you mean. He and the other stuff looks great on it's own, but it's all kinda blending together. He doesn't 'pop' out of the background.
Uncharted is another game that I think deserves a lot more buzz.
Also to add to the thread, PS3 fanboy just posted a new hands on and it is much more positive then their E3 impression.
PS3 Fanboy hands on
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With GTAIV's departure, R&C Future is my October game. It beat the Orange Box because I think I will need a break from the first-person perspective after BioShock and Halo 3.
This will also be my first R&C game. The series always intrigued me, but I never got around to it. This looks like a nice place to start.
http://DocumentingLaziness.blogspot.com/
I'm a huge fan of all the games, but I have to agree. The original isn't horrible, it's just Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal are so freaking awesome they make it look boring in comparison.
http://DocumentingLaziness.blogspot.com/
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/820/820231p1.html
Demo is sitting in a gamestop near you right now 8-) . Also since I resisted bumping before, the demo will be on PSN October 4th.
http://DocumentingLaziness.blogspot.com/
not enough to actually buy one but still
Weapons upgrade like previous R&C games, but there is now a sphere-grid like system for more enhancements.
http://DocumentingLaziness.blogspot.com/
What, no. The second one may have done just about everything else way better but the first had by far the best level design. It's like the first one was a shooty platformer and the others are platformy shooters.
Problem is that the platformy bits of the first were really, really dull.
Start with the second.
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/19/future-comes-one-week-early-for-ratchet-and-clank/
http://DocumentingLaziness.blogspot.com/
I pretty much agree that you're not missing too much if you don't play through 1. It's still plenty of fun, but the gameplay got refined a bit after the first game, and it wasn't until 2 that all the "level-up" features (health, weapons, etc.) that became a big part of the game were implemented.
As a side-note, was Deadlocked worth playing through? I kept hearing mixed things and never ended up playing it in the end, and I've yet to hear a word about it here.
Most R&C fans like the series because it's a colorful platformer with guns. In my experience most people that liked GC and UYA, didn't like DL so much. Deadlocked turned the franchise into a shooter with some platformy bits.
My personal opinion is that it's by far the best one, in terms of simple enjoyment I got out of it. I've played them all, and hunkering down to defeat Deadlocked on the highest difficulty was exhilarating - you literally cannot survive the beginning levels if you get hit at all. Plus it really nailed the lock-strafe mode, essentially turning it into a third-person shooter.
TL;DR - Deadlocked is a shooter, not a platformer.
I'm personally less than thrilled that the series is going back to the platforming focus, because I really loved the challenging shooter elements. However, the sheer technical advances are amazing - the Ratchet model in Deadlocked had 110 joints in his body. In TOD, he has 90 in his face alone. (And they did some amazing things with his fur)
I keep hearing rumors this is in some stores as early as this weekend? Has anybody managed to find a store with it in stock?
I have not and I sit by my phone praying for EB to call. Now that it's the week I've lost hope till Monday afternoon
http://DocumentingLaziness.blogspot.com/
Also, controlling the tornado with the sixaxis and being able to move Ratchet at the same time is a really fucking cool mechanic. Bravo Insomniac, bravo.