Ratchet & Clank

Synopsis

by T.J. Deci

Join space mechanic Ratchet and his robot pal Clank on a platform adventure that spans multiple worlds. A greedy race of aliens called the Blarg has ruined its own planet and now seeks to build a new homeworld, by stealing the choice parts of other inhabited planets and destroying the rest. The game features team-oriented play in which the heroic duo must combine their assets to overcome obstacles and defeat enemies, reminiscent of the recent Jak & Daxter or Rare's classic 1998 N64 game Banjo Kazooie.

Though Clank usually rides on Ratchet's back, the little robot is crucial to the pair's success. He can be upgraded to give Ratchet new abilities, such as more powerful weapons, or the ability to access new areas by jumping farther and gliding through the air. The game is also notable for its RPG-style character development, as Ratchet uses cash he and Clank earn to purchase from a selection of equipment which will enhance important skills and bestow new powers. Ratchet & Clank is by Insomniac Games, developer of the popular Spyro the Dragon series.

Features

• Created by the developers of Spyro the Dragon
• Purchase new, more powerful weapons for Ratchet to use
• Explore eighteen different planets

Extra Credits

by Matthew House

Ratchet & Clank uses Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy's engine and shares the same visual style (though both games look quite different), controls, and feel. The game is much like other titles in the 3D platform genre in that players must complete various missions in large, open-ended levels and collect items. However, Ratchet & Clank differs in that it features a RPG-like inventory system and vendors from whom weapons can be purchased. Also, there are missions that require the use of Clank, an otherwise immobile and unusable sidekick character; in most of the titles in the genre, the sidekick character is almost never used.

Insomniac Games is best known for creating the Spyro the Dragon series, and Ratchet & Clank shares similarities with those titles as far as level design and game progression is concerned.

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