Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

[KnackChap]

 

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

 

Developer:Insomniac Games

Publisher:Sony Computer Entertainment

Genre:Platformer, shooter

Player:Single player

Platform:PlayStation 3

Release:October 27, 2007 (US)

 

The Ratchet & Clank Future story opens with the shocking discovery that a villain from Ratchet's distant past has tracked him down and wants him dead. This revelation brings up many questions as to Ratchet's origins and launches Ratchet and Clank into a mysterious adventure where they begin to learn about his past, the villain's current evil plans, and a glimpse of the future. The story takes place after the past R&C games. Captain Qwark will also be featuring in this game, working undercover to give Ratchet and Clank clues that help guide them on their journey

Official website

 

 

IGN preview

One of my favorite things to do during the entire demo, however, was to use the latest transformation device to turn baddies into penguins and then bust out the Groovatron to force them to dance. But even without the bird-morph, the Groovatron is a fun little distraction and adds even more personality to an already-personable game. Other notable moments included an a*s-load of super jumps, some cool rail-sliding (versus trains), and fun little Sixaxis-controlled skydiving sequence.

 

My only real gripe at this stage of development is that my preferred method of playing wasn't in the demo (I favor the first-person controls introduced in Up Your Arsenal, but they weren't in here), but given the history of the series it's likely a momentary problem. Also, the response times for turning and jumpiong seemed a little slower than in past title, but otherwise, this Ratchet fan is happy.

 

Oh and one final thing. When asked about the chances of seeing a Ratchet and Clank demo on PSN sometime in the near future, Insomniac's Ryan Schneider couldn't confirm that one would be coming, but he did offer an acknowledgement -- "We know it's something that our fans want," he said. "But we have no announcements to make at the moment."

 

Start writing those request letters now.

 

 

 

Screens

official trailers and videos http://www.gametrailers.com/game/4572.html

 

Reviews

IGN-

Gamespot-

1up-

CVG

[CarbonCore]

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction Exclusive Update

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/ratchet...slot&page=1

 

The team focused on four key pillars during development: mystery, adventure, variety, and spectacle. The mystery element comes in two big plot points for the game: TOD delves into Ratchet's background and that of his race, the Lombax. The game will also toss some mystery at Clank in the form of a new race called the Zonie, which only he can see. Adventure comes courtesy of the whole new galaxy the pair will explore, and the new weapons, gadgets, and abilities. Variety will come from the meaty chunk of gameplay Insomniac is cooking up, which offers a return to the game's platforming roots, as well as minigames, space combat, and unique uses for the Sixaxis controller. Finally, the spectacle will roll Jerry Bruckheimer-style with a bevy of special effects, detailed visuals, and rich animation that the team hopes will match the quality found in CG movies.

 

The biggie is obviously animation. Not only are Ratchet and Clank moving more smoothly than they ever have before, they come packing a host of very cool animations for when they're in motion, hit, or even idling. We also appreciate little touches like the pair getting their groove on and bobbing their heads in time when the groovinator is in action. The groovinator also offers a funky testament to the animation team's insanity, because every enemy in the game has its own dance, even the goldfish that you can knock loose from the giant mechs they control. Though they'll lie on the ground helplessly after being knocked free, they're up and doing a jig after one groovitron.

 

 

 

 

 

One bummer though, you can't use the save files from previous R&C games to get discounts here. And "Stayin' Alive" has been cropped off due to copyright issues.

[KnackChap]

cmon tell me that "stayin alive" thing is not true

[CarbonCore]

From the sacond page..

 

Though we'll admit to being a bit bummed that the groovinator no longer compels your foes to shake their groove thing to "Stayin' Alive," the non-licensed tunes that now play are still catchy

 

Ya its a bummer, but still, groovitron rocks..literally

[KnackChap]

they need to put some himesh's tunes into that groovitron,

cmon insonmiac give users the option to select the music for groovitron-make it happen

[CarbonCore]

they need to put some himesh's tunes into that groovitron,

 

:D That'll be the ultimate groovitron, fully upgraded. It will not make them dance, but will make their heads explode in their glass helmets, like those aliens in Mars Attack.

[Snake]

Oh man no more "Stayin Alive"....dang!!

Give us Custom Groovirtron soundtrack...INSONMIAC ROCKSS!!!!

[SchizoidFreud]

5 things you'll hate about Ratchet & Clank Future

 

Right now, every other major game-news outlet on the planet is telling you about the trip they took down to developer Insomniac's headquarters in Burbank, Calif., last week to play Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, and how awesome the game is going to be. We took the same trip, but even though we liked what we saw, and even though we're confident Insomniac won't release anything less than a top-notch product, there were a few things that got under our skin. They got under a lot of other people's skin as well, judging by the conversations after the event, but these complaints are typically the sorts of things game journalists vent angrily about in private and then gloss over with a quick "oh uh we're sure this will be fixed before the game ships" in writing, assuming they even mention them at all.

 

Look, you already know Ratchet & Clank Future is going to rock. Telling you that would be a waste of time. So instead, we'll be brutally honest and focus on the five worst things we noticed about the game. And because we're not total bastards, we'll then point out a few things that particularly impressed us about the game, as well. Let's get started:

1. Next-gen coolness aside, this is the same old Ratchet

 

 

Granted, we've only played through a few of Ratchet & Clank Future's levels, but the gameplay therein was almost indistinguishable from the last five Ratchet games. There are new weapons, new levels and a new story, but every other Ratchet & Clank had that stuff, too. Underneath it all is the same wrench-swinging, rail-grinding, crate-bashing, gadget-happy platformer-meets-shooter gameplay you came to love on the PS2.

 

And that's good, right? Well... not when you can play a PS2 game and get an experience that's eerily similar to one you could get with a flagship PS3 title, no. We realize many of you are going to read this and have the same knee-jerk reaction: "That's not something to hate!" We also realize that the last game to tamper with the formula was Ratchet: Deadlocked, and that it kind of sucked as a result.

 

 

 

Think about it, though: aside from Deadlocked, which chapters of the Ratchet & Clank saga really stand out as memorable? Take Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal, for example; they were both great games, but if you haven't played them recently, can you really remember the differences between them?

 

We're certainly not suggesting Ratchet should be squeezed back into his dark Master Chief armor and flanked with robot gunmen again, or that we don't want to play this because it's too familiar. But considering that the "Future" in its title is supposed to denote the beginning of a whole new series, Tools of Destruction plays it way too safe.

 

 

2. It even looks like the same old Ratchet

 

One common complaint we've heard from other journalists is that - while the first screens we saw of Ratchet & Clank Future looked like something out of a Pixar movie - the game doesn't have the same polish up close. After playing it at developer Insomniac's headquarters, we have to agree: we weren't nearly as blown away by the visuals as we had hoped to be.

 

It could be we're just jaded after nearly two years of seeing next-gen graphics; there's certainly no question that the game looks great, after all. The animation is fluid, the environments are beautifully rendered (while still looking cartoony) and the level of detail is much higher than anything the PS2 could ever dream of. As was pointed out to us by Chris Nicholls, the game's animation director, Ratchet on the PS2 had about 120 "bones" in his entire body - on the PS3, he's got 90 in his face alone.

 

So what's the problem? Somehow, the game frequently looks like the old R&C games with a fresh coat of next-gen paint. Maybe it's just difficult to appreciate awesome visuals when you're frantically bashing hordes of angry red beetles into paste or dodging tractor-mounted missiles fired by fish-looking Kerchu aliens. Whatever the case, we're still more impressed by the screenshots than we are with the game in action.

 

 

3. Sixaxis flight controls are awkward

 

 

We don't care what anyone says about how revolutionary and cool the Sixaxis' motion-controls are; until you get used to them, it's an absolute bitch to try and fly around by tilting your control pad. There's no tactile feedback, it's easy to slip up and precision is a near-impossibility. Lair, Warhawk and Blazing Angels all suffer from this problem, and now Ratchet & Clank Future has joined their ranks.

 

See, one of the key plot points of Ratchet & Clank Future is that Clank comes into contact with little floaty aliens that only he can see, who help him unlock strange new powers. One of these is an ability to sprout bright green Robo-Wings, which Ratchet can use to fly if he launches himself from special pads.

 

This is all fine and good when you just want to soar freely around the level; the problem is that you'll have to fly Ratchet through a series of tight rings and narrow passageways using motion controls before you can do that. Miss a ring or hit a wall, and you'll have to start over again.

 

To be fair, Sixaxis controls work really well for some aspects of the game, such as steering the giant twisters spat out by Ratchet's Tornado Launcher, or controlling his floating Visi-Copter, for which precision doesn't really matter. We just hope it's optional, is all.

 

4. Space missions are like StarFox for idiots

 

You won't use Sixaxis controls during the space missions Ratchet and Clank tackle between planets, but you won't really be doing much else, either. Space combat in Ratchet & Clank Future is all on rails, and your input is limited to moving the duo's ship with the left thumbstick, aiming its cannons with the right and shooting.

 

The levels are long and pretty - the one that we played took us past ginormous space-pirate frigates and directly into a black hole, where we fought a skull-faced boss amid a 2001-style light show - but the simplicity of it didn't hold our interest for long. We couldn't even do a barrel roll. The hell?

 

 

5. Your old weapons are gone for good

 

 

If you were hoping to port over your old PS2 Ratchet saves and unlock your arsenal from the first three games, we have some bad news: that tradition ended with Ratchet: Deadlocked. The real reason the feature was scrapped, however, was that the designers would have had to either bring over the old, low-res weapons - which would have looked weird and out of place on the PS3 - or redesign them entirely, thereby wasting valuable time that could be spent coming up with newer, more interesting weapons. Goodbye, Lava Gun and Sheepinator; you'll be missed.

 

 

Are you fired up yet? Ready to go and angrily tell the Internet how much we suck? Good. Here are three things we really, really liked about Ratchet & Clank Future, and we think you will, too:

1. Everything dances. Everything.

 

 

Of all the stuff we've seen while playing Ratchet & Clank Future, the Groovinator is easily the most entertaining. It's also an essential combat tool: toss out one of these disco-ball grenades, and every nearby enemy will be effectively paralyzed as they perform some of the finest synchronized dance routines the '70s had to offer. And from the tiniest Drophyd fish-creature to the biggest horned T-Rex stomping around the swamp planet Sargasso, they'll all put on unique, entertaining dances, daring you to stop and watch instead of just blowing them away.

 

This is even cooler when you use it in conjunction with the Transmorpher gun, which turns any foes it hits into adorable penguins, complete with little top hats, scarves and earmuffs. They're awful cute as they dance around with their stiff little wings, and apparently huge enemies won't lose their size if they're transformed - meaning that you can make colossal, achingly cute penguins dance to disco loops. How can you resist?

 

Interestingly, dance also factors into one of the R&C Future's minigames, in which you'll have to dress up like a short, one-legged robotic space pirate (the disguise comes complete with an "Arrr!" button), and dance a pirate jig to get through certain doors. This really just amounts to hitting a direction on cue a la Simon Says, but it's still a neat addition.

 

 

2. The weapons kick more a*s than ever

 

 

You won't be getting your old guns back, but Ratchet's new arsenal is huge even without them. In addition to more standard guns like the Combustor plasma rifle, the hyperdestructive Negotiator rocket launcher and the rapid-fire Buzz Blades, you'll have more esoteric weapons at your disposal. These include the Plasma Beasts (which sit around looking tiny and cute until an enemy gets close, at which point they get beefy and angry and bull straight into them), the lock-on Predator cluster rockets (the longer you hold down the button, more and more appear) and the Death Springs, which spawn a swarm of killer Slinkys that bounce around absurdly, looking for enemies to explode.

 

As always, not all of your devices are necessarily lethal. Toward the end of the Sargasso level, for instance, we were able to try out the Gelanator, which spits out gelatinous green cubes that grow as you lob more shots at them, thus enabling you to create your own platforms. There's also a Geo-Laser, meant for obliterating otherwise impassable rock formations by slicing it through a series of little targets in a first-person view.

 

All of the weapons can be upgraded using a substance called Raritanium - hoarded by space pirates and hidden in chests throughout each level. Each gun has what amounts to a flowchart for upgrades; plug some Raritanium into one of its slots, and you'll unlock its power-up as well as opening up whatever slots are adjacent to it. In order to keep things simple, however, this system is optional; your weapons will automatically grow in power the more you use them.

 

3. The kid stays in the picture

 

 

Ratchet's robot bodyguards from Deadlocked aren't completely gone; they live on in the form of Mr. Zurkon. Deployed like any other weapon, Zurkon is a floating robot goon with a huge chin who refers to himself in the third person (e.g., "Mr. Zurkon is only for kill!") and shoots lasers. But if you don't like putting up with his creepy mutterings, there's an alternative: James Westbrook, aka Captain James the Galactic Defender.

 

Created by Insomniac in cooperation with the TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Captain James is based on nine-year-old James Westbrook, an avid gamer who was paralyzed in a 2006 car accident. In Ratchet & Clank Future, he's a big-headed stand-in for Mr. Zurkon who can be activated with a code, at which point he darts around in a novelty flying saucer and blasts everything that gets in your way. Due to the difficulty of getting him into a nearly finished game, James apparently didn't make it in as a fully playable character - as he was shown when Extreme Makeover aired - but it's still good to see that Insomniac was committed to keeping him in the game.

[KnackChap]

This is even cooler when you use it in conjunction with the Transmorpher gun, which turns any foes it hits into adorable penguins, complete with little top hats, scarves and earmuffs. They're awful cute as they dance around with their stiff little wings, and apparently huge enemies won't lose their size if they're transformed - meaning that you can make colossal, achingly cute penguins dance to disco loops. How can you resist?

 

:lol: :lol:

[CarbonCore]

The first two points are plus, I wouldn't want Future to play like Halo and look like Viva Pinate

[KnackChap]

here are 5 more complaints from the comment sec

 

1. You have to wait for it

2. You have to pay 60 bucks for it

3. You have to take that annoying shrink wrap off

4. You have to walk over to the ps3 and manually put the disk in

5. You have to walk back to the couch.

[KnackChap]

very nice,cant wait for jak and daxter

naughty dog > insomniac (only by a bit)

[KnackChap]

shd come around oct-nov

[CarbonCore]

You can always feed you trigger finger with 'up your arsenal'. Every time I read about ToD, it makes wanna go back and play it. No groovitron though, I can't believe they cropped it from all these games.

[CarbonCore]

very nice,cant wait for jak and daxter

naughty dog > insomniac (only by a bit)

 

Insomniac+PS3=R&C+Resistance

Naughty Dog+PS3=Uncharted+Jak&Daxter

R&C+Resistance+Uncharted+Jak&Daxter=über-pwnage

[KnackChap]

R&C+Resistance+Uncharted+Jak&Daxter+WOWHAWK=über-pwnage

 

fixed

[CarbonCore]

Upgrading System- The weapons have a new upgrading system, in which the weapons can be given modifications and a variety, like the branches of a tree. You will be able to have the regular upgrade, and pick some from a set, buying them with Raritanium. The new set is an improved version from the Deadlocked System. You'll be able to rearrage prearrange, and place them in a particular part of the grid. This sort of system is officially called "The Modification Tree" and "Multi Grid". The selectable mods can be increase of ammo capacity, firing speed, and radii. From this, you'll be able to reveal unique upgrades for each weapon and secret mods along the way.

 

Combat Devices- Combat Devices are weapons that take care of things easily-very powerful.

 

Magnet Launcher: The Magent Launcher surrounds enemies with an electromagnetic field, crushing and electrifying them all. It upgrades to the Magnet Cannon, which now does brain damage to the enemies, and causes them to attack their own. Weapon

 

Mr. Zurkon: A little floating combat bot that has his own mini arsenal, and even a skin of Captain James. Mr.Zurkon can be called by Ratchet to help him take out enemies. Guess what else! he taunts enemies and makes comments on the battlefield!

Some quotes include:

 

"I will spare you, little alien creature. Psyche! Mr. Zurkon is only for killing. Okay. Mr. Zurkon will take note, now.

"I shall make you kneel, little alien!"

Combat Device

 

 

Death Springs: Like slinkies of doom, they home in on enemies, and create explosive results. Hope you enjoy it, since it was inspired when an IG employee fidgeted with a slinky during Resistance's production, and made the other employees fo crazy. Combat Device

 

Predator Rockets: Similiar to the Spitting Hydra in Ratchet and Clank: UYA, but uses homing missiles instead. Its upgrade creates a yellow napalm effect after impact. Weapon

Render1 | Upgrade

 

Alpha Disruptor: A powerful laser that can be charged up for damage, and can clear an area. Weapon

 

Negotiator: The Negotiator is the new single-shot missile launcher. Weapon

 

Groovitron:A disco RPG, which uses an auditory stimulus to make enemies dance. Each enemy will have its own dance. Ratchet and Clank also feel free to do some dance moves of their own! Combat Device

 

Tornado Launcher: Launches a SIXAXIS controllable cyclone, which picks up enemies and debris. When upgraded, lighting bolts spring out of the tornado to cause additional damage. Another ability with maneuvering the tornado, is that you can create a scatter effect, meaning that once you let go, it'll immediately oblitereate the enemies. Weapon

 

Plasma Beasts: Launches elemental-type slimy monsters that attack enemies. Upgrades to Plasma Stalker. Their ammo units are measured in 'pods'. Weapon

Icon has a devious face.

The Plasma Beasts have been mentioned to have their own medial AI.

 

Combustor: It seems like the ho-hum standard weapon of the game, and fires heavy, akimbo bullets, within a medial range. On impact, light scatters onto the gorund, setting it ablaze.Weapon

Icon shows a swirled fireball, and it has 100 ammo. It's upgrade does rapid fire, with more damage.

 

Buzz Blades: The fast-rate chopper ammo launcher. It also has recessive sub-projectiles, making it good for shielded enemies. The functional version allows the saws to stick to walls, grind into them, and ricochet or seek heat. Weapon

 

Pyro Blaster: Unleashing superheated energy, the Pyro Blaster is the architypal flamethrower. Weapon

 

Visi-Copter: Controllable by the SIXAXIS, it's a small helicopter that launches missiles, and is a good, strategic compatibility with the Groovitron. Combat Device

Although it uses the SIXAXIS, the Visi-Copter will use it differently than the Tornado Launcher, whereas it uses an alternate tilt. Enemies also try to swipe or hit the Visi-Copter at some points, proving the AI.

 

CONTROLS-

 

Tilt- Hover

Circle Button- Fire Fusion Rocket

X Button- Ascend

Square Button- Descend

Triangle Button- Self-Destruct

 

Fusion Grenade:It's a plump bomb that has a large blast radius. It's a more powerful, effective thing of the (Acid) Bomb Glove). When upgraded, after the main impact, the Fusion Grenades launch smaller sub-nades, which sound like fireworks. Weapon

 

Transmorpher- This is obviously the new morphing weapon...changing enemies into penguins. Combat Device

 

There are different penguin types-some with beany scarves, some with Qwark caps, and another chin-starp penguin. Others include the variety of the hats- some are black, others are red, green, white, or blue. Don't forget the monacles!

It's a combat device, rather than an actual gun.

They will too, have a dance to the Groovitron.

When smashing the penguins, it causes a snow effect.

 

Gelanator: Fires a jello substance called gelatonium, both compatible as a minor weapon, and can be used to climb, and make structures of. It is retrieved on Planet Cobalia. Gelanator ammo has to be refilled by collecting jello liquid from tubes, and the Jell-O cubes can change in size, by combining various shots. Gadget

 

Swingshot: The swingshot returns, and can be used to swing around with versa-targets. Gadget

 

Gravity and Grind Boots: They return, and become more useful than ever. The Gravity Boots also now allow Ratchet to double jump. Gadget

 

Pirate Costume/Holo-Pirate: Why not transform Ratchet and Clank into a short, peg-legged pirate, and infiltrate Pirate HQs? That's what this gizmo does. Gadget

 

GeoLaser: the GeoLaser is a Clank-powered gadget that is used to cut away at large obstacles. SIXAXIS is incorportaed to it. Gadget

 

Robo-Wings: The Robo-Wings allow Ratchet and Clank to soar into the air. they're mainly Clank-Powered, and are an ability given to him, by The Zonie. Gadget

 

Decryptor: A minor item used in specific locations for powering down, and powerng up systems, being a hacker-type/bypass gagdet. Gadget

[CarbonCore]

onAXIS: Ratchet & Clank Demo Impressions

 

http://onaxis.blogspot.com/2007/09/onaxis-...mpressions.html

 

Alright, as you know, I've picked up the demo for Ratchet & Clank yesterday at my local GameStop, and I promised impressions today. So that is what your going to get.

 

Lets start off with the CG cut scenes. They are marvelously done, you can tell the developers of this game spent a lot of time perfecting them.

 

The weaponry in this game is great, and some are quite entertaining. The weapons in the demo are the Combuster, Fusion Grenade, Transmorpher, and the Groovitron. The Groovitron and Transmorpher are quite funny. The Groovitron gets your enemies into the beat and they start dancing while you get a chance to attack. The Transmorpher turn your enemies into penguins.

 

The gameplay in Ratchet & Clank Future is also very fun, with a little bit of new, with some old school mixed. We still have the wrench as our secondary slasher, we have the double jump, Clank helipcoter, crouching, bolt collecting, etc.

 

The demo also uses jump transfer, you go on a green triangular platform and jump, when that happens, you jump really high on to the next platform. There are pink ones too, they automatically shoot you up when you touch them.

 

The demo uses rails a lot, picture Sonic, but slower, but you can't blame Ratchet, he's not the world's fastest hedgehog. The railing is quite fun, pieces break, electric cords come about, and you have to dodge all those bits. You can even grind on train rails, which you will have to switch between before the train hits you. The fighting is pretty much the same as other games. Use your cool weapons and wrench to take down the enemies.

 

The game also has some SIXAXIS functionality. When your falling, you use your controller to avoid the Rush Hour.

 

Thats about all there is to this demo. It ends just after it looks like your about to fight some giant 5-6 legged robot. Then we get the sad screen of disappointment that states "Coming Fall 2007". I guess we will have to wait.

 

All in all, if I had to give this demo a grade, based on categories, this is what it'd get:

Graphics: 9.4

Gameplay: 9.3

Music: 8.3

Replay Value: 8.8

Overall: 8.9

 

Congratulations Insomniac, for making such a great game!

[KnackChap]

Ready for the first Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction review? Well here it is, ready or not, from UK PSM3 Magazine.

"Intense, beautiful, and accessible. A return to the series roots and a stellar game indeed."

 

93/100

 

[Ne0]

KICKASS !