Latest Gaming News

Ratchet and Clank 2 Game Overview - PS2

28th August 2003, 12:35pm
OVERVIEW

Ratchet and Clank 2TM is the follow-up to Insomniac's 2002 smash hit, which sold over 1.8 million copies worldwide and won five 'Platformer of the Year' awards. It's action-adventure with an exciting twist, giving gamers the chance to play with some of the coolest guns, gadgets and gizmos ever.

Ratchet and Clank 2 takes place over 20 brand new locations, each one up to 50% bigger than those in the original game. Players get to explore new 'spherical worlds', small scale planets that Ratchet can literally run rings around. It's an amazing and innovative new element that has to be seen to be believed!

Gameplay is an incredible mix of genres, including action adventure, platforming, RPG, racing and strategy. There are a host of 'Maxi Games' to play, fully fledged challenges that take the form of everything from hoverbike races to space-age gladiatorial combat.

Ratchet is now a highly trained commando, and he's got a whole new arsenal of awesome weapons at his disposal - sniper rifles, grenade launchers, gravity bombs... You name it, Ratchet's ready to blow something up with it. All of the weapons are great fun to use, with superb special effects and satisfyingly loud explosions. Plus an RPG-style upgrade system has been introduced, whereby the more Ratchet uses a weapon, the more powerful it will get.

This system also applies to Ratchet himself; seeing off opponents earns him more experience in the form of 'nanotech points', which means he can handle a lot more hits. His armour can also be upgraded to offer more protection. And he'll need it, since enemy A.I. has been greatly improved. Players will need to think and play more strategically in combat situations, and carefully consider the best ways to build up their strength.

By combining a mix of genres, highly innovative gameplay elements, some really big guns and a lot of cool gadgets, Ratchet and Clank 2 is much more than just a sequel. It's one of the most original and entertaining games to be released this year, and it's destined to be a massive hit.

STORYLINE

Work-wise, things have been pretty slow for Ratchet and Clank since they defeated the evil Chairman Drek. But then Abercrombie Fizzwidget, the eccentric CEO of a company called Megacorp, calls on them for assistance.

It seems that a masked intruder has broken into Megacorp's HQ and walked away with the firm's latest invention: the 'Protopet', a super-cute little creature designed to be the perfect household pet. Fizzwidget is confident that everyone in the Bogon galaxy is going to want one, so it's essential that he gets the Protopet back fast, and who better to help him than Ratchet and Clank?

But as his mission progresses, Ratchet discovers that Fizzwidget has neglected to mention a few things, and the Protopet may not be as sweet and harmless as it first appears. He embarks on a personal mission that to uncover the truth, once and for all. And if he gets to blow up loads of stuff with some really powerful weapons along the way, so much the better...

For more information on SCEE titles, please visit our website www.playstation.com

Developer: Insomniac/SCEA
Genre: Action Adventure
No. of Players: 1
Platform: PlayStation®2
Peripherals: Analog Controller (DUALSHOCK®2), Memory Card (8MB) (for PlayStation®2)
Release Date: Winter 2003

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd.
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PS one and PlayStation 2 hardware and software in 102 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. By 15 January 2003, over 38 million PlayStation and PS one units had been shipped across these PAL territories and over 95 million worldwide. Between its European debut on 24 November 2000 and 15 January 2003, over 16 million PlayStation 2 units have been shipped across the PAL territories, over 50 million world-wide, making it one of the most successful computer entertainment products in history.

PlayStation and the PlayStation logo, PS one, PS2 and PSP are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

More information about PlayStation products can be found at http://www.scee.com and http://www.playstation.com .

About Insomniac Games
Insomniac Games is an independent developer which creates cutting-edge technology, graphics and gameplay for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Additional information can be found on the company's web site at http://www.insomniacgames.com
by Matt Robertson