Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
- October 27, 2004 16:36 PM PST
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Ratchet and Clank are preparing to launch an amazing display of cartoon destruction in order to save the galaxy--again.
Ratchet, the extraterrestrial doggie dude, and Clank, his mini-mechanical sidekick, are entering their third orbit in a silly space opera shootout for the PS2. Was there ever a more fun way to blow stuff up or otherwise cause mass destruction on a planetary scale? After a thumb-blistering run-through with the preview version of Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, survey says, "No way!"Space Cadets
Oh yes, the storyline of this crazy space cartoon: Tyhrranoids...Dr. Nefarious...diabolical scheme to wipe out all organic life in the galaxy. But when the Galactic President recruits the boys to save the day, they wind up teaming with...well, since the "no spoilers" rule is in effect, let's just say "a former hero" from Going Commando. Let the shooting and laughter begin.
And speaking of animated combat, the early version revealed gameplay that hasn't veered far at all from the 360-degree run and gun style of the original Ratchet and Clank. You can play the entire game in first-person view for a different twist, but then you don't get to enjoy watching these newly refined character graphics of the dynamic duo in action. The controls felt tight and on target with a game cam that kept good pace with the action.
The inventory system in the early form was pretty nimble, too. You can acquire 15 new weapons that sustain four levels of upgrades and cycle through them with the action buttons for fast fighting. And start dusting off your Going Commando memory card, because you can score five weapons from that second game, too.
Spaced Out
Looks like the action's going to be as wild and wacky as expected. Your opponents are the usual suspects: hordes of mechanized menaces of all shapes and sizes and an oddball E.T. menagerie. The enemy A.I. is being seriously schooled, and the bad guys are all over you like yellow on the sun.
There's serious attention being paid to the multiplayer game, too. Offline supports up to four players, but online you can pack in eight. There's a bunch of games, but in the capture-the-base contest you can commandeer two-person vehicles for I-pilot-you-shoot action or some sick bombing runs.
Space Aced
Sony and Insomniac may be souping up a formula here, but the future's already looking star bright. If making big noise with outrageous weapons for the greater galactic good sounds like fun, be prepared to stick this one up your arsenal.
