Ratchet & Clank (2002 video game)

This article is about the 2002 video game. For the series, see Ratchet & Clank. For the 2016 re-imagining, see Ratchet & Clank (2016 video game).
Ratchet & Clank

Ratchet & Clank

North American PlayStation 2 box art
Developer(s) Insomniac Games
Idol Minds (HD edition)
Mass Media (Vita port)
Publisher(s) Sony Computer Entertainment
Designer(s) Brian Allgeier
Composer(s) David Bergeaud
Series Ratchet & Clank
Engine Kinetica (modified)
Platform(s) PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 (HD) , PlayStation Vita
Release date(s)
Genre(s) Platformer
Mode(s) Single-player

Ratchet & Clank is a 2002 3D platform video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. Ratchet & Clank is the first game in the Ratchet & Clank series and precedes Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando.

The game follows the anthropomorphic character Ratchet meeting the robot Clank on his home planet. Clank discovers that the villainous Chairman Drek of the Blarg race plans to create a new planet for his species, destroying other planets in the process. Clank convinces Ratchet to help him in his mission to gain the help of the famous superhero Captain Qwark.

The game offers a wide range of weapons and gadgets that the player must use to defeat numerous enemies and solve puzzles on a variety of different planets in the fictional "Solana" galaxy. The game also includes several mini-games, such as racing or hacking, which the player must complete to proceed. The game was positively received by critics, who praised the graphics and variety of gameplay, along with the comic and humorous style to the sci-fi story.

Gameplay

Ratchet, with Clank on his back, using the Blaster. Visible are the ammunition, health, and bolt counters at the top of the screen.

In Ratchet & Clank, the main playable character is Ratchet, whom the player controls from a third-person perspective, though a first person mode to view the player's surroundings is available. The player traverses diverse environments with a large collection of unusual gadgets and weapons, using them to defeat enemies and pass obstacles. Up to 36 weapons and gadgets can be bought or found in the game.[2]

The player begins the game with only two weapons:[3] the "OmniWrench 8000", a standard melee weapon with a variety of uses such as interacting with puzzles in the environment, and the Bomb Glove, a short-range grenade thrower. As missions are completed across the game's various planets, more weapons and gadgets become available, including the Blaster, an automatic pistol; the Pyrocitor, a flamethrower; and the Suck Cannon, a vacuum gun, which sucks up smaller enemies and converts them into projectiles. Weapons are either found, or can be bought with bolts, the game's form of currency. The OmniWrench remains the standard melee weapon for close combat, with its own button, as all other weapons assume the role of secondary weaponry and can only be equipped one at a time, though all weapons can be carried in the player's inventory.[3]

Bolts can be found in crates, along with ammo, or dropped from defeated enemies.[3] The player also needs to buy ammo for most weapons, but a small number can function without the need for ammo.[3] Vendors, which sell weapons and ammo, are situated at strategic points throughout levels.[3] After completing the game, the player may choose to enter "challenge mode", in which the game's difficulty level rises considerably, but all bolts and weapons acquired the first time are carried through. There is also the option to buy "gold weapons", more powerful versions of existing weapons. The game's health system, Nanotech,[3] starts at four health bubbles equivalent to be able to take four hits, but upgrades can be purchased, giving the player a total of eight hit points.

Normally, Clank rides on Ratchet's back, acting as a jet-pack or similar device.[3] Occasionally, however, Clank becomes a playable character when Ratchet is unable to explore certain areas. Clank can control "Gadgebots", smaller robots similar to Clank, who perform certain actions for him. Racing, in the form of hoverboard races, appears in the game. Some racing missions are necessary to progress in the game, while others are optional. One level of space combat and a level of flying through the air shooting tankers is also present. Mini-games to unlock doors, extend bridges, or elevate platforms appear in most levels.[3]

Plot

On the desolate planet of Quartu, a mysterious factory is busy churning out mechanical soldiers. A flaw in the manufacturing instructions produces XJ-0461, a small, self-aware robot who quickly discovers the factory's true purpose. He steals a ship and tries to escape, but is soon shot down over the desert planet of Veldin. Ratchet, a young Lombax who lives alone, investigates the crash site and rescues XJ-0461, whom he nicknames "Clank". Clank reveals that he was created by the Blarg, an alien race led by the corrupt Chairman Drek. Having ruined their home planet of Orxon through uncontrolled industrialization, the Blarg intend to create a new homeworld by systematically harvesting large portions of other planets, killing their inhabitants. Ratchet offers to help him as long as Clank agrees to serve as the ignition system for his ship, which Clank accepts.

Shortly after takeoff, the duo is shot down over Novalis, which has already fallen to the Blarg. After getting another ship from the Novalian chairman, they travel to several different planets looking for information on the whereabouts of legendary space ranger Captain Qwark, who Clank believes is their only hope to stop Drek. They trace him to a racetrack on Rilgar, where Qwark offers to train them as rangers at his private compound on Umbris. After surviving a deadly obstacle course, Qwark reveals that he works for Drek, and leaves them to die in a pit holding a deadly Blargian Snagglebeast, which they manage to kill. Ratchet, who had always mistrusted Qwark, blames Clank for being naive, to which Clank responds by calling him a coward for putting his personal feelings ahead of the galaxy's survival. Despite their mutual distrust, the two continue to fight the Blarg, forcing Drek to send Qwark to destroy them with his personal warship. Following a brutal dogfight in an asteroid belt, Qwark is defeated and Ratchet and Clank patch up their friendship.

With his new planet nearly complete, Drek orders the destruction of Hoven so that he can move it into the planet's ideal orbit. The duo successfully destroy the warhead built for this purpose, so Drek unveils his ultimate weapon: the Deplanetizer, a laser capable of reducing a planet to molecules. Learning that his new target is Ratchet's home of Veldin, the two heroes sabotage his fleet and confront the Chairman himself on the surface. Drek admits that he was responsible for Orxon's collapse, which he engineered to force the Blarg to settle on his artificial planet for inflated prices, and that he intends to repeat the process over and over again until the entire galaxy is destroyed. Ratchet launches Drek into space, killing him when he collides with his new planet, and then destroys it with the Deplanetizer. The planetary fragments raining down upon Veldin knock both Clank and Ratchet off the platform, but Clank grabs a ledge in an attempt to save them both, injuring his arm in the process. He is unable to pull himself and Ratchet up to safety, but manages to break their fall using his thruster-pack. Although the initial purpose of their partnership is done, Ratchet and Clank set aside their differences and Ratchet takes Clank home with him to fix his arm, ultimately strengthening their bond and friendship. In a post-credits scene, Ratchet and Clank (whose arm has been repaired) watch an informercial featuring the now-disgraced Qwark, who advertises a product to improve one's hygiene, which he demonstrates, but this greatly disgusts the duo. Clank immediately turns off the television, ending the game.

Development and release

After finishing work on the Spyro the Dragon series, Insomniac originally intended to launch a game codenamed I5 (Insomniac game #5) for the PlayStation 2. The developers, however, were never enthusiastic about it, and the idea was dropped after six months. Ratchet & Clank was based on an idea by Brian Hastings, which would feature a space-traveling reptile alien who would collect various weapons as he progressed through the game;[4][5] Ratchet's final form was decided upon after Insomniac considered a space lizard with a tail[6] and various terrestrial creatures, including dogs and rats; feline features stood out to the developers because of the associated sense of agility.[7] Another early idea was to have a number of small robots attached to Ratchet, which would perform different functions.[7] However, Insomniac realized that having the three robots was both complicated and created confusion about Ratchet's appearance, leading them to have only one robot, Clank.[7] Very little was cut for the final product, apart from a few weapons and gadgets that "just weren't fun".[5]

Shortly after changing the game from I5 to Ratchet & Clank, Naughty Dog asked Insomniac if they would be interested in sharing the game technology used in Naughty Dog's Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, asking that Insomniac in turn share with them any improvements that were made. Insomniac agreed, resulting in most of the Ratchet & Clank engine technology being developed in-house by Insomniac, but some very important renderers were those developed by Naughty Dog.[8] Looking back on the agreement, Ted Price said that "Naughty Dog's generosity gave us a huge leg up and allowed us to draw the enormous vistas in the game."[8] Some years later, Ted Price clarified Insomniac's stance on engine technology while obliquely mentioning the shared renderers:

"We've always developed all our own technology. It's been a little frustrating in the past for us to hear people say, 'Oh yeah, the Insomniac game is running on the Naughty Dog engine.' People assumed that we were using Naughty Dog's engine for Ratchet, and that was not true. We shared some technology with Naughty Dog way back when, and that was great, but we are a company that puts stock in developing specialized technology and we will continue to do so." -- Ted Price, Independent PlayStation Magazine, September 2006[9]

Pre-production of the game began in late March 2001, with a team of approximately 35 people. The game went into production in November 2001, and by the end of the project, the team had grown to 45.[5] The game was first released in North America on November 4, 2002,[10] and then in Australia on November 6, 2002.[11] It was later released in PAL regions on November 8, 2002,[10][12] and in Japan on December 3, 2002.[10] In November 2003, Sony added Ratchet & Clank to their Greatest hits series of games for the PlayStation 2 when Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando was released at that time,[10] and the game was similarly added to Sony's Platinum Range used in the PAL region on August 22, 2003.[10] The game was added to Japan's The Best range on July 3, 2003;[10] it was also the only game to be bundled with the PlayStation 2 in Japan.[4][7]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings89.88%[13]
Metacritic88/100[14]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame[15]
CVG8/10[16]
Eurogamer8/10[17]
Famitsu34/40[18]
Game Informer8.75/10[19]
GamePro[20]
GameSpot9/10[21]
GameSpy78/100[22]
GameZone9/10[23]
IGN9.2/10[24]
OPM (US)10/10[25]
Gameplanet[26]

Ratchet & Clank was met with positive reviews from critics upon release.[14] After playing a preview of the game, GameSpot described it as having "excellent graphics, varied gameplay, and tight control[s]".[27] The game's use of weapons, rather than simple melee attacks, was cited as one of the main features that made it stand out from other platform games;[15][23] Computer and Video Games said that "Going berserk with your giant ratchet [...] is seriously satisfying [...] Every time you thump an enemy with the hefty tool, it looks, sounds and feels remarkably solid. [...] What's more, the same can be said for all the other weapons you collect and use over the course of your intergalactic adventure".[16] GameSpot noted that the player does not need to follow the same paths multiple times, as was common in platformers at the time.[21] Gameplanet said that it was "Quite simply the best platform game on the PS2 right now and possibly the best on any format!"[26]

Reviewers praised the game's graphics, specifically pointing out the character and background designs as being high-quality for PS2 games of the time.[17] GameSpy called the graphics "mind-blowing",[22] and GameSpot praised the game's smooth frame rate.[21] GameZone noted the animation of Ratchet, praising the details in his animation.[23] Reviewers found that the game's voice overs and other audio elements were generally well-done.[24] IGN commented on the game's artificial intelligence, saying that it was not as well-done as that of Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, but still "purposefully comic and somewhat sophisticated" in others.[24] Gameplanet felt that the game's levels were well laid-out.[26]

Criticism was aimed at the game's camera angles, which Eurogamer felt were "idiotic" at times, giving the example of boss fights in which the camera centers on the boss rather than being freely movable.[17] Allgame found that it was hard to form an emotional bond with Ratchet & Clank's main characters, saying that Ratchet is "your typical teenager [...] who desires nothing more than excitement and adventure" and that Clank is "the stereotypical intellectual; stuffy and almost prudish to a fault", feeling instead that the characters of Jak and Daxter from Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy were "infinitely more likeable."[15] Some criticisms were also aimed at the story, with GameSpy saying that the game became predictable, boring, and "just bland".[22] Reviewers also noted that the first half of the game was "yawn inducing", but once the player reaches planet Rilgar, it becomes much more intense and difficult;[19] GamePro found that the player does not "engage a single thought process" for the first parts of the game.[20]

Legacy

In June 2014, it was announced that the game would be re-imagined for the PlayStation 4, with the intention of remaking the original game as if Insomniac Games were to make the game again today.[28] It has also been confirmed that the re-imagining will tie-in with the upcoming film. The game was originally planned to be released on the PlayStation 4 in 2015, but was delayed along with the film to April 12, 2016.

References

  1. ↑ Stevenson, James (May 29, 2014). "Ratchet & Clank HD Trilogy hits PS Vita in July". PlayStation Blog. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  2. ↑ Chris Roper (October 25, 2002). "The Weapons of Ratchet and Clank". IGN. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ratchet & Clank Instruction Booklet. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. 2002.
  4. 1 2 McLaughlin, Rus (October 30, 2007). "IGN Presents The History of Ratchet and Clank". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 24, 2009. Retrieved June 25, 2009. Additional pages archived on June 24, 2009: 2, 3, 4.
  5. 1 2 3 "Big Gaz" (December 14, 2002). "Ratchet and Clank Interview". Gameplanet. Retrieved July 10, 2009.
  6. ↑ http://www.gamesradar.com/Ted-Price-Collected-Works/
  7. 1 2 3 4 Talon, Durwin S. (2004). "David Guertin on Comics & Video Games". Comics Above Ground: How Sequential Art Affects Mainstream Media. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 80–82. ISBN 1-893905-31-4. Retrieved July 12, 2009.
  8. 1 2 Price, Ted (June 13, 2003). "Postmortem: Insomniac Games' Ratchet and Clank". Gamasutra. Retrieved July 19, 2009.
  9. ↑ Slate, Chris. "PS3 Trailblazing: PSM Chats With Ted Price, President of Insomniac Games." Independent PlayStation Magazine Sep. 2006
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ratchet & Clank Release Information". GameFaqs. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Ratchet & Clank". Ratchet & Clank Australia. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
  12. ↑ "Ratchet & Clank". PlayStation Network UK. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  13. ↑ "Ratchet & Clank". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  14. 1 2 "Ratchet & Clank PS2". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  15. 1 2 3 Frankle, Gavin. "Ratchet & Clank". Allgame. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  16. 1 2 Cooper, Michael (November 11, 2002). "Ratchet & Clank". Computer and Video Games. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  17. 1 2 3 Reed, Kristan (November 11, 2002). "Ratchet & Clank". Eurogamer. Eurogamer Network. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  18. ↑ プレイステーション2 - ラチェット&クランク. Weekly Famitsu. No.915 Pt.2. Pg.83. 30 June 2006.
  19. 1 2 Reiner, Andrew; Helgeson, Matt (December 2002). "Ratchet and Clank". Game Informer (Game Informer Magazine): 114. Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  20. 1 2 Dingo, Star (November 4, 2002). "Ratchet & Clank". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2010-02-01. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  21. 1 2 3 Gerstmann, Jeff (November 2, 2002). "Ratchet & Clank Review". GameSpot UK. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  22. 1 2 3 Turner, Benjamin (November 13, 2002). "Ratchet & Clank (PS2)". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  23. 1 2 3 Bedigian, Louis (November 12, 2002). "Ratchet & Clank Review". GameZone. GameZone Online. Archived from the original on June 7, 2003. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  24. 1 2 3 Perry, Douglass C. (November 4, 2002). "Ratchet and Clank". IGN Entertainment. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  25. ↑ Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 166. December 2002. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. 1 2 3 "InFiLtRaToR" (November 13, 2002). "Ratchet & Clank". Gameplanet. Retrieved July 12, 2009.
  27. ↑ Torres, Ricardo (October 15, 2002). "Ratchet & Clank Updated Preview". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
  28. ↑ Dyer, Mitch (June 10, 2014). "E3 2014: Original Ratchet & Clank Getting PS4 Remaster". IGN. Retrieved June 10, 2014.

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Ratchet & Clank

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, April 24, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.