Insomniac speaks about Ratchet
by Nick Doerr 
{ Apr 12th 2007 at 11:00AM }
An interview has surfaced regarding the new Ratchet & Clank title as well as a brief discussion about a sequel to Resistance: Fall of Man over at PSU. Not Phantasy Star Universe, which is the only thing I ever see when looking at that acronym. Damn it, they really need to buckle and make a fantastic Phantasy Star V. Come on! Anyway, we'll summarize the good points of the review below.- Development on Tools of Destruction started shortly after the last title, Deadlocked, shipped. So it's been under the knife for a while.
- The engine used to create R&C:ToD is based on the Resistance engine, but has been so enhanced that it really can't be called the same.
- A villain from Ratchet's past has emerged and wants him dead! The story takes place after the other games, so no worries... there's no prequel here.
- When asked about the wacky new weaponry, Insomniac said "we have some more outlandish types like the Tornado Launcher that sucks up enemies and whips them around - it's also controllable by the sixaxis motion sensor in the controller. There's the Plasma Beasts, which are slimy goo-like monsters that spring up and tackle enemies that are in range. And we've got the Groovitron, a disco ball grenade weapon that when thrown out causes the enemies to hypnotically dance to a groovin beat."
- The PS3 has the power to move mountains, once you give it enough time and understand what you're doing. The Tornado Launcher weapon couldn't have been created on any other system (well, maybe the Wii... but it wouldn't look that good).
- Resolution and frame rate are up in the air, still.
- Online? Co-op? They can't say.
- Release date? Fall.
- More Resistance? It's a mystery, but the silence is so deafening!
Okay, that's it. If you want to read the whole interview, help yourself, but we didn't really leave that much out. Still worth a look!
[Via digg]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
massive_98 @ Apr 12th 2007 11:09AM
Insomniac are the most original weapon makers I know. They have great imaginations.
Cmon a Grookitron, that will be so awesome.
Stef Geiger @ Apr 12th 2007 11:34AM
If the resolution is still up in the air, I bet it's safe to say it's almost definitely going to be 720p. 1080i gamers get screwed once again...
Draco @ Apr 12th 2007 12:06PM
another numbered Phantasy Star would sell me whatever system it is on!
Here is hoping PS3 cause thats all I have.
haywood jablomey @ Apr 12th 2007 5:31PM
Looking forward to this title very much. So much so, I may start saving my pennies for it and a PS3.
By the time I reach 71,000 of 'em, I may get them.
Burnt Meatloaf @ Apr 13th 2007 6:30AM
"Resolution and frame rate are up in the air, still."
I did not need to hear that. R&C was the most impressive game I've seen in a LONG time because it did what it did at a nearly perfect 60FPS. Framerates and smooth motion are more important to me than detail. If it's not 60FPS, I'm going to be pretty pissed.
There's really no excuse for anything less with these next-gen machines.