Ratchet & Clank (Insomniacs platformer)

http://www.gameinformer.com/

Cover Story: Ratchet & Clank
A platform game is nothing new to this industry. Indeed, any such game that comes along must be bigger and better than the legions which have come before it. Join us as we embark on a voyage into the innards of what could be the next big platformer to hit the market - Ratchet & Clank.

not much info but now we know the title. They share game engine data with Naughty Dog so the graphics will be top notch

I just hope to god they do something special in the gameplay department, cause as most of yo ualready knwo I was not keen on the same old been there done that 100 x\'s before gameplay in J+D

Well, its great that it will look nice. Just hope it plays good (and I don\'t care if it isn\'t completely original. If it is fun, it is fun. Innovative gameplay or not).

But whats with this buddy system all of a sudden? Ratchet & Clank? Jak and Dekter? I don\'t remember either Crash or Spyro needing a partner to help them in their cause (they had friends along the way, but they helped then either as a seperate charecter to play with in some other scenario or just a guild to help them on their journey. Not as a buddy fighting along side the charecter).

Didn\'t realize Banjo Kazooie could be a "trend setter". :rolleyes:

:eek:

Does it have any more pictures beside the cover?

Originally posted by Simchoy
Well, its great that it will look nice. Just hope it plays good (and I don\'t care if it isn\'t completely original. If it is fun, it is fun. Innovative gameplay or not).

 

But how long before essentially playing the same game (gameplay) over and over again will you get bored and fed up

J+D was essentially Crash Bandicoot but free roaming. I played alot fo Crash Bandicoot and really loved the series, but I wanted something new and really had high expectations with Naughty Dog to do something that would step them out of Nintendo\'s shadow


I am now hoping Insomniac can fill that platformer void for me with some frsh gameplay element.

knowing that its shares alot fo naughty DOgs engine the game will be AA (grpahics and presentation) so all I need is some game


fastson  no that is all the info out there. I just wanted to be the 1st to introduce it to some of ya\'s

[Bobs_Hardware]

"Has Insomniac Games created a ground-breaking product that re-animates the tired old action/platform genre? IN terms of technology, scope of gameplay,and intergal story telling--- yes. Those GI staff members who were lucky enough to see and play the game were completely blown away by the shear size, depth, and the dedication that went into this project. R&C could be the mascot type of game the PS2 so direly needs. It could also make nintendo and Rare take a good, hard look at the games they consider to be the cream of the platforming crop."

^^^from the mag

With an extremely advanced particle effects system, the visuals are said to be much more impressive than the aforementioned Naughty Dog platformer.

^^^
http://www.psxnation.com/news/newsstory?idnumber=001113

:eek: :eek: :eek:

hope its not PR bull****, because this should be SWEEEEEET if its true

pity about the name.. shoulda thought up something original  

eh well

:fro: toot on

Do you have any screens?


I hope we see something at E3!

no screens just prelimianry info

found this as well  (sorry Bob didn\'t see yur reply above )

http://www.psxnation.com/news/newsstory?idnumber=001113

For what seems like an eternity, the next project from the creators of the acclaimed Spyro the Dragon series has been a well-kept industry secret. Names such as Project Racoon have been tossed about with wreckless abandon, with the sole piece of concrete information known about the game being merely that it would be mind-blowing.
Well, the secret is finally revealed, and it\'s set to be the hottest holiday title of 2002 exclusively for Playstation 2.

Ratchet & Clank, developed by Insomniac Games, is the development team\'s first project for PlayStation 2. Since shifting development to the PS2 immediately after finishing work on the final Spyro game for PSone, the team has been working feverishly behind closed doors trying to re-invent the wheel, so to speak.

In what\'s being described as a "new dynamic, action-filled, weapons-based adventure game set in a fantastic sci-fi universe", Ratchet & Clank will allow gamers to travel through a fantastic sci-fi universe, visit planets and encounter mutiple species.

You play as Ratchet, and your sidekick, Clank, is somewhat along the lines of Daxter from Naughty Dog\'s recent PS2-platforming hit, Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. It\'s unknown if his role at any time becomes playable. Not much is known about the story as of yet, but a few gameplay details have been leaked.

The gameplay focuses mainly on the action/shooter genre, as you can blow up pretty much everything that stands in your way.

The scope of the game is utterly massive, and the few lucky staffers that have been fortunate enough to see the game in action have been left completely speechless. With an extremely advanced particle effects system, the visuals are said to be much more impressive than the aforementioned Naughty Dog platformer.

More details are sure to flood the net in the coming days, just remember where you read it first. We\'ll have screens and more info on the storyline shortly...


  .

so its not a platformer, but action shooter that has graphics sweeter then J+D

sounds even better

someone typed ut the gameinformer article at IGN forums so here it is for ya\'s

Here\'s the text of the article.

Ratchet and Clank.

While exciting for consumers, the 2001 calender year proved to be incredibly frustrating and overly competitive for game manufacturers. If a product didn\'t have a significant historical backing, or an innovative feature that really stood out as extraordinary, it was essentially destined to be buried within the overwhelming amount of new software hitting the market. Two shining examples: Grand Theft Auto 3 offered an enticing and completely original gameplay experience, while Metal Gear Solid 2 sold by namesake alone. On the other hand, a title like Jak and Daxter, which was at the top of its genre, didn\'t have the name recognition or the unique appeal to truly make it stand out as a must-have property. Upstart franchises are subject to failure---no matter how impressive they may be. In this day and age, the driving force behind success of games is immediate recognition and the ability to deliver a revolutionary playing experience. With the overabundance of quality titles on the market, there really is no place for complacency.
Following up on the release of Jak and Daxter, Naughty Dog\'s President Jason Rubin expresses frustration with the current shape of the industry. "Movie people will go watch Meg Ryan fall in love with the actor of the day; break up; cry; get back together; and have a happy ending once a year, every year to the tune of 50 to 100 million dollars in the box office. They never say,\'Wait a minute! That\'s the same plot with a different city!\' They never say \'madlib movie\'. In our industry, the gamer doesn\'t want to see another Meg Ryan movie. They want to see something new in every game that they play. The consumer has expectations for the movement of the video game industry that outweigh anything that\'s happening in any other entertainment medium."
Insomniac Games, creator of the critically acclaimed and best-selling Spyro the Dragon series, has run headlong into this dilemma. Despite having assembled one of the most talented teams in recent memory, Mark Cerny, who contributed in the creation of Crash Bandicoot, Spyro and Jak and Daxter games, questions "Is it still possible to make a genre breaker in the year 2002?" Even if this goal is attainable, another hurtle tower like a monolith in front of the Insomniac team. Does the PlayStation 2 still cater to the actio/platformer audience? As of now, it doesn\'t appear so.
One can\'t overlook the fact that Grand Theft Auto 3 and Metal Gear Solid 2 went on to sell millions of copies within the blink of an eye. Violence and serious themes are the current trend-setters. The success of these games clearly shows that a significant portion of the PS2 adopters are, in fact, adults. Right now, the majority of gamers are looking for the next experience along these lines. A fuzzy character doesn\'t even register to them at this point. So, can the action/platformer genre reclaim the spotlight? Most definitely.
All it really take is a groundbreaking effort.

 

here\'s the rest

Main Article

If the Spyro series is any indication as to how creative the team can be, conceiving a groundbreaking project shouldn\'t be a terribly frustrating endeavor. As Insomniac soon found out, however, starting with a clean slate is an exciting proposition, but one filled with infinite possibilities. On a daily basis, the team would meet---on the roof of their development studio of all places---to discuss what they wanted to do next. Hundreds of interesting ideas were thrown around, several of which could have been transformed into inventive games in their own right; but the team wasn’t in complete agreement until Brian Hastings, a veteran designer at Insomniac, proposed a concept of a character traversing space to visit different worlds. This idea intrigued the entire staff, and would allow for the creation of an expansive Star Wars-like universe where discovery is constant and uncertainty lurks around every corner.
Ted Price, Insomniac’s President, comments. “At this point, the team immediately began toying with this concept. We knew what we wanted to do.” Even though the design screamed for a character who embodied the essense of Marvin the Martian, Insomniac wanted to create a hero of a mascot proportions that reflected the true nature of an action/plat former game. As luck would have it, the team knew exactly what they wanted in terms of a hero. Within just a matter of minutes, a fuzzy, attitude-driven mammal named Ratchet was born. His name stems from his love for mechanics and gadgetry. Most action/platform characters, even Mario, have a distinct look, but don’t really have an identity. Insomniac wanted to shatter this perception. Thus, a monumental story was penned---one that brings Ratchet into the forefront and expands upon his personality throughout the course of the adventure.
The game takes place in a galaxy very different from ours; a place where robots, spaceships and high-tech gizmos are the norm. Ratchet lives on a backwater planet at the edge of the galaxy. Much like Luke Skywalker, he has always wanted to explore the cosmos. The similarities with George Lucas’ most famous hero are such that we wouldn’t be surprised if Insomniac incorporates a panoramic shot of Ratchet, looking longingly at two setting suns.
Working as a mechanic, Ratchet comes to the conclusion that the only way he’ll leave this boring rock is through the construction of his own spaceship. Although extremely talented and dedicated to his cause, Ratchet knows that his odds are slim, especially since he doesn’t have a robotic ignition system---a component that is extremely hard to obtain. All, as it would seen, is lost.
Meanwhile, in another part of the galaxy, an evil race know only as the Blarg have come to wits end with their living arrangements. The Blargarian planet is overpopulated and heavily polluted. All life will perish if action isn’t taken immediately. The Blargarian leader has devised a brilliant plan to save his people, but the consequences will be immeasurable. Whether his intentions are just remains to be seen, yet this mysterious being has decided to create his own synthetic utopia by cutting pieces of other worlds and joining them together. Naturally, every planet he dissects will be destroyed.
To ensure his plans aren’t foiled, he’s strategically placed robot factories throughout the galaxy. Working around the clock, these factories continually spit out heavily armed automatons with the goal of making every planetary race an endangered one; thus reducing the threat of planetary forces resisting the eradication of their world. All is working to plat until one of the war factories malfunctions and spits out a defective robot. Unarmed, minute, and surprisingly intelligent---the exact opposite of the original design---the robot emerges with a personality all his own. His name is Clank.
No mindless drone, Clank is self-aware and intent on stopping the leader’s plan. Clank manages to flee the factory and rockets into space. After a laser-filled escape through the stars, the robotic hopeful is shot down, crash-landing on Ratchet’s planet. As fortune would have it, Ratchet stumbles across the unconscious machine, tossing Clank on his back, believing some of his parts can be used as scrap.
As Ratchet labors away on his spacecraft, Clank awakens and frantically urges his newfound companion to help him save the galaxy. While a little reluctant, Ratchet agrees; but at this point, he would accept any offer if it resulted in leaving this boring place. Clank’s ship is demolished, but it just happens that he has the components needed to finish Ratchet’s ship. Out of convenience, the two team up and blast off to combat the cosmic scourge.
This is how the game, which bears the appropriate name Ratchet and Clank, begins. Although fate brought them together, our two protagonists have little in common and are basically using one another to get where they need to go. The conflict between the two of them will play a large role in the game’s storyline, which is much more complex than the average game of this type.
With his robotic accomplice at his side, Ratchet is finally fulfilling his lifelong dream. Little does he realize, though, that Clank is jeopardizing this endeavor. Without warning, the Blarg swoop in and pursue their ship. Armed to the teeth and intent on destruction, the Blarg assault the escaping vessel with laser fire, quickly disposing of it. The remnants of the craft trickle down onto an unknown planet’s surface. Miraculously, the two passengers are unharmed---but are once again stranded.
Although brimming with lush scenery, this world is hostile…even more so with the Blarg invasion.
At this point the players are thrust into the action at hand and we begin to see what kind of gameplay experience Insomniac has in store for us. Right off the bat, you can clearly see this isn’t your typical “Easter egg hunt” platformer. There isn’t a damsel in distress who has been taken hostage by an overgrown turtle. Nor will you be required to find a specific number of items to progress. The only concern at this point is survival.
When you take your first steps into this foreign land, you can’t help but look on in disbelief. (Insomniac will henceforth be call In in this message). In has always excelled in delivering visually stunning works, but the level of detail in this game is staggering. Seeing our reaction to the graphical magnitude that unfolded before our eyes, Al Hastings, head programmer said, “The sheer size of this project would not have been possible until now.” The artistic direction that accompanies this portrait-like environment has a distinct feel of this developer, where vibrant colors blend in perfect harmony with harsher steels and magnificent constructs. Much like J&D, the entire world is rendered in real-time and is not hidden beneath fog or shrewd programming techniques. If you see something a mile off in the distance, there’s a good possibility you will eventually reach it.
We found ourselves equally impressed with the gameplay mechanics. The general movements are user-friendly and controls lend themselves nicely to the complexity of play. When you move, you can almost feel the character making each step. The same applies to jumping and the essence of gravity. At this point, your only weapon is a wrench found in the wreckage. He’s quite agile and can perform quick three-slashes with ease. Ratchet can also jump and bring the wrench down on a foe. You soon realize that you won’t get a neat little tutorial or a lead by the hand through this, you’re on your own to do what ever the heck you want. No objectives presented, or exit sign. You can explore every inch of it. And you have an intricate map to keep you righted. It tells you where you’ve been and where you need to go eventually, to get on a ship to get out of this mess. The game has a economic system of nuts and gears that defeated robots drop, nuts are worth 5 bolts, gears equal 10.
The 2nd planet has shopkeepers that will sell you weapons (RPG-like). The action will work around the 35 types of gadgets and weapons you can acquire to defend yourself with, short, medium, long-range and special. There’s a bomb glove, flamethrower, and even guided missiles to take out enemies from far, far away. The more bolts you get, the more weapons are you disposal.
A lot of blow the crap out of enemies stuff, but certain weapons are best for certain enemies. Clank has upgrades too, helicopters, rocket sled propellers.
The plot though is an important part of the game. The two characters are associated because they both need something from one another. This won’t always be the case for the whole game. The personalities of both characters change dramatically and tensions will flare up between them. They even break up at one point and Clank will become an individual, playable character, with his own unique abilities and movements. Incorporate the best elements of action/platform, adventure and RPG games, you’re continually exploring new planets. You have to navigate alien cities, terrain, you’ll need to keep your eyes peeled for friendly locals, stranded visitors, and little robots called info bots that will allow you to go from planet to planet by giving you their coordinates, they also tell a little story in the form of an ad, distress call or newscast from another planet. Both characters talk, fully lip-synced and animated. Cinematics between levels and in them. The world are quite life-like, and loaded with looping and scripted sequences. On one planet, a war is erupting. Planes are storming the skies, later on, swoops in and bombs a bridge.
This game should be coming out for this holiday season.

[Bobs_Hardware]

that actually sounds pretty interesting..

Jak & Daxter meets Jet Force Gemini  

Yeah I agree

I\'m trying not ot get my hopes up too much

but its sounding like a possible winner

Looks and sounds great IMO.

Im really looking forward to this one. I hope it offers you the freedom to do whatever you want.. Do mission in whatever order you want ect.

Bring it on!
Thx Ddaryl

Just a bump

I really like the fact that the game is not going to be an "easter egg hunt" something that J+D was and something that IMO is a tired concept for platformers