First Look: Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal

The last time we saw Ratchet and Clank, in 2003's Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, the two had once again catapulted themselves into the celebrity limelight with another high-profile save of the universe. Rather than let the pair soak up the "celeb vibe" that comes with universal fame, developer Insomniac games is sending them off on another adventure in Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal. Despite the fact that the third outing for the now-seasoned duo on the PlayStation 2 is slated to ship almost a year to the day from its predecessor, the game is looking to be anything but cranked-out. We recently had the chance to take a look at the upcoming sequel at Insomniac's Southern California-based offices, where the developer unveiled what is arguably the most ambitious Ratchet & Clank game yet.

As mentioned, we last left Ratchet and Clank on top of the world after they saved the universe from the protopets. Unfortunately, the passage of time has made for a somewhat depressing development, at least for Ratchet, anyway. As happens with most famous duos over time, it starts to become clear that there's one standout star. For instance, take Sonny and Cher, Ike and Tina, Mario and Luigi, and the list goes on. When we check in with Ratchet and Clank, we find that Clank is now the star of his own popular television series, "Secret Agent Clank," and is well on his way up the road traveled by Cher, Tina, and Mario. Ratchet, on the other hand, guest stars as Clank's butler on the show and appears to be headed down "Sonny, Ike, and Luigi Way." Fortunately (well sort of, anyway), Ratchet's home world of Veldin comes under attack by the evil Dr. Nefarious, who is on a quest to wipe out all organic life-forms, which he dubs "squishies." The crazed alien backs up his insane wishes with the mutated muscle of the thyrranoids, who are powerful, bizarre alien creatures. In the face of such a threat, the Galactic president sends the pair off to find the only man to have ever defeated Nefarious (just guess where this is going) on the planet Florana. Following a chance encounter and a race with Skidd McMarxx, hoverboarder extraordinaire, the pair sets out to find the mysterious hero, who turns out to be...Captain Qwark. Unfortunately, for those who remember the end of last year's game, the good captain isn't at his best. While we won't say he's a vegetable, we will say Qwark isn't playing with a full deck when you find him. However, once he's brought back to his senses, Qwark remembers how he once defeated Nefarious and assembles an elite team of freedom fighters to stop him again. Actually, we probably shouldn't have said "elite," because any team made up of Skidd McMarx, Big Al (of Big Al's Robo Shack fame), and Helga (she of the enormous bosoms and testy attitude), can't be that discerning about membership. At any rate, that's pretty much what Ratchet and Clank have to work with to save all organic life in the universe (Lord help them).

The game's story will send you adventuring through a series of old and new locales as you set out to stop Nefarious with the "help" of Q Force. Thankfully, Insomniac hasn't thrown you to the wolves on this one and has beefed up Ratchet and Clank's arsenal of weapons and gameplay mechanics. The game will feature a new mix of weapons and gadgets, with more than 14 weapons that feature four levels of upgrades. While Insomniac didn't show us the whole arsenal in the game, we did take a look at a few choice weapons and gadgets. The N60 storm gun can be upgraded to a hurricane, which doles out the kind of damage you'd expect. The shock blaster is a powerful gun whose upgrades become increasingly more lethal. The rift inducer is a sweet gun that generates black holes, which is always handy when facing overwhelming odds. The Infector is a slick, little weapon that makes enemies who are hit by its blast turn against their comrades in battle. The weapon's first two upgrades increase the length of the infection, while the final upgrade lets you fire off an "infecto bomb" that infects all foes within a certain area. The last weapon we saw, the plasma whip, was probably our favorite, given the satisfying control and animation for it. On the gadget front, we took a look at the refractor, which is a device that lets you redirect laser beams. The multipurpose device is essential for solving some of the puzzles in the game, but it is also pretty handy in combat, since it can reflect certain types of beam weapons. If you get the angle right, you can even use it to take out your attacker with his or her own blast. For those fans of the weapons in Going Commando, you can look forward to five of the weapons from that game popping up in Up Your Arsenal.

The gameplay in Up Your Arsenal won't stray too far from the mechanics seen in the previous games, although there are the expected assortment of tweaks and additions. This time around, you'll use a hub system to get from level to level. In this case it will be the Starship Phoenix, which is home to the Q Force and Sasha, the Galactic president's daughter (who serves as both a pilot and a love interest for Ratchet). The weapon-upgrade system works roughly the same, although you'll find that the experience you earn has been tweaked to make it a little easier to manage your various weapon-upgrade needs. Zip lines and minigames are back, but spherical worlds appear to be out. You'll find a new gameplay sequence, which Insomniac is dubbing a "gauntlet challenge," that sends you through tight action sequences that mix combat and platforming through dangerous areas. Clank will once again be playable, but his sequences will be more than just rehashes of those seen in Going Commando. Space battles are back, but they're being implemented in a new way. Of course, Insomniac wouldn't elaborate too much on what that was. The upgrade system has been tweaked a bit to accommodate the different levels of upgrading, and the artificial intelligence has been improved to make enemies smarter about how they try to take you out.

While it sounds as though the single-player game in Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal will hold its own when pitted against its predecessors, the game will also feature a fully loaded multiplayer game as well, for online or offline play. The broadband-only mode will support up to eight players, with voice support via the PlayStation 2's USB headset. The online mode will feature a full-on lobby system with friends lists. At the moment, Insomniac is only talking about one particular game--capture the base--which plays like it sounds. You and your team will set out to capture your opponent's base. The catch is that both of you can spawn cannons around your base to protect it. While this particular mode offers six massive battlefields (based on environments in the game) to duke it out on, it sounds as though other modes may include other battlefields. As far as firepower goes, the available arsenal of weapons has been scaled back from the single-player games to keep things balanced. You can expect to have roughly five weapons available to you, as well as your wrench, when playing. The exact weapons will vary based on the maps and game types, but the total number of available arms should be somewhere around five. While this may not sound like a lot when compared to the single-player experience, Insomniac has thrown in some nice bones to those longing for more. You'll be able to make use of hoverships that two players can work in tandem to operate. One player pilots the ship and mans the front guns, while the other serves as the bomber and doles out some hurt. You'll be able to make tactical use of the destructible environment, and you'll be able to man vehicles or turrets to take out bridges to stop your opponents. The developer's even thrown in some AI-controlled drones, which will provide some extra firepower when you need it. Combat is also enhanced by the use of some of the gadgets from the game, such as gravity boots that let you run up walls and ceilings while blasting your foes and swing shot points that let you negotiate large crevasses. As you play through the mode, you'll be able to unlock some content, which we expect to include new skins or possibly new environments. As far as the game's offline mode goes, you'll be able to play all of the different game types in split-screen mode with up to four players. The only hitch to this is that the frame rate will drop to accommodate all the action.

After having played through a bit of both modes, we have to say we're impressed. The single-player levels were satisfyingly action-packed and had a good feel to them, even in the first-person mode, which was pretty cool. The online multiplayer was a nice bit of addictive madness that had some surprising echoes of Battlefield 1942. The only hitch to it at the moment is that the damage model is pretty brutal. Aside from this, however, the mode we played was fun and hectic. While the weapon count may seem a little low to some, the options open to you, such as the hoverships, drones, gadgets, and turrets, more than make up for it.

The graphics in the game are looking good, and Insomniac has revisited the technology used for Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando and has added to it. While at first blush it may look as though Up Your Arsenal offers just a modest upgrade over its predecessor, there's actually quite a bit going on underneath the hood of the game. The environments are larger and are more varied in their geometry and geography. The forests in Forana feature a multitiered layout and effects that haven't been seen in the series before, which are a direct result of the work that's been done on the graphics engine. You'll also see higher detail in the water and environment, as well as greater numbers of enemies onscreen. Little touches, such as specular effects, help enhance the overall look of the game. While most of the cinematics will, once again, be handled by the main graphics engine, you will see some snippets of CG, such as the amusing clip of Secret Agent Clank's intro, which finds everyone's favorite robot sporting a tux and kicking ass in a casino, James Bond-style. The team's familiarity with the technology in the game and the PlayStation 2 hardware has let them have a little bit of fun this time around. As a result, we actually got to take a look at a very playable first-person mode in the game. The most impressive aspect of the game's presentation is that, despite all the additions and tinkering that's been going on, Up Your Arsenal's frame rate is already very stable.

The game's audio was still fairly early in development but was coming along fine. The seasoned voice cast sounds to be on point when it comes to bringing the motley group of characters to life. The clips we heard were definitely on par with the previous games, and they complement the genuinely funny script. The music in the game is still pretty early, so there wasn't a great deal to take in, but what was there sounded on par with the style and aesthetics of the previous games.

From the looks of things, Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal is shaping up to be a promising entry in the Ratchet & Clank franchise. The genuinely funny story, amusing voice acting, and improved gameplay have all the makings of a strong game. The addition of a full-on multiplayer mode in the mix is surprising but appealing. Our only real concern with the mode is its balancing, but we expect that Insomniac will spend a healthy amount of time tweaking it. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal is currently slated to ship this fall for the PlayStation 2. For more on the game, check out our exclusive video interview with some of the Insomniac team members who are currently working on the game. You'll also find a retrospective on the developer, which recently turned 10 years old.