Ratchet & Clank turns 20 today! Did someone tamper with the Big Clock? It's almost hard to believe, but it's true! Insomniac Games released the original game in 2002, kicking off two decades of grand adventures across space, time, and dimensions. Since its humble beginnings on the PlayStation 2 console, the franchise has introduced us to a variety of beloved characters, a variety of iconic weapons and gadgets, a myriad of wacky alien worlds, and much more.
So, starting today, we're kicking off our Ratchet & Clank celebrations, #Ratchet20, if you will, by dropping a few surprises and briefly reminiscing about the franchise.
Let's cut to the chase: We're excited to announce that Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is getting a 20th Anniversary Armor Pack TODAY in honor of #Ratchet20, available via an in-game update at no additional cost. * The pack includes five armors inspired by games throughout the history of the franchise, and we have an incredible selection:
- Command armor inspired by Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
- Holoflux Armor inspirado en Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
- Quest Armor inspirado en Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty
- Prowler armor inspired by Ratchet: Deadlocked
- Clank rmor to celebrate the best of friends
This is not everything. We're also excited to announce more of the Ratchet & Clank franchise coming toPremium but PlayStation Pluson November 15.** This includes:
Actualmente en PlayStation Plus Premium:
- Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Loot (PS3)
- Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (PS3)
- Ratchet & Clank: The 4 One (PS3)
- Ratchet & Clank: Full Front Assault (PS3)
- Ratchet & Clank: To the Nexus (PS3)
Coming to PlayStation Plus Premium on November 15:
- Ratchet & Clank (PS3)
- Ratchet & Clank: Marching Command (PS3)
- Ratchet & Clank: Sub tu arsenal (PS3)
- Ratchet & Clank: Deadlock (PS3)
- Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
Now that we're out of news, let's go over the aspects of the franchise that have made it a PlayStation icon over the past 20 years. We also invite Insomniacs to share some of their memories!
Hello Fuzzball….
After three mystical, dragon-filled adventures, it's time to venture into the depths of the cosmos and explore a new galaxy of opportunity. The premise was simple: a fluffy-eared alien and a small robot travel from planet to planet, collecting weapons and gadgets and saving worlds in the process. Cue Ratchet and Clank. One, a Lombax with a penchant for mechanics and a desire to explore beyond his desert planet Veldin. And another, a robot, an intelligent and logical being with a sincere heart and a desire to do good. These headline underdogs would leave an imprint beyond their planets and into our hearts.
–Ted Price, President of Insomniac Games“When we were early in production on the original Ratchet & Clank in 2001, we were trying to find the right tone for the story. Brian Hastings came up with the core concept for the game and we quickly moved into prototyping. The tricky part was finding the right comedic tone for our scenes.
As someone who is incapable of writing humor, I was looking forward to seeing if Brian, John Lally and Oliver Wade, who collaborated on the scripts, could thread the needle and come up with something funny without being slapstick.
I remember many of us gathered around an old CRT TV watching our first screen test. It was the ad for Al's Roboshack, where Captain Qwark (voiced by the great Jim Ward) says in his typically sarcastic tone, "There's nothing worse than taking on a Blargian Snagglebest... inside." Although I knew the script by heart, after watching the scene I laughed out loud. The lines, the delivery, the animation, the subtle social commentary - it all falls into place. For me, that ended up being the scene that set the comedic tone for the entire franchise."“
Naturally, over the course of 16 games, we've come across an incredible roster of characters: the lovable, muscle-bound Captain Qwark, the evil Dr. our star in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
Weapons and gadgets...
In addition to its characters, Ratchet & Clank is known for its savage arsenal of weapons. I mean, who could forget those live-action commercials during the PS2 era? From the Shock Blaster in Up Your Arsenal to the Groovitron in Tools of Destruction, unleashing an all-out frontal attack on your enemies is key to the Ratchet & Clank gameplay experience. Let's not forget the gadgets that also help you on your adventures: the Swingshot! The Helipad! Hooverboots! hologuize! Hydroscroller! Magnetic boots!
20 years is a long time to design weapons, upgrade them and test new ones. Blasters, cannons, melee weapons, deployables, blades, Morph-o-Ray, rocket launchers, wrenches, hammers,…. There's a gun for everyone and we're always excited to see where our community favorites stack up! (eg: comment below!)
–Brian Hastings, Director of Creative Strategy at Insomniac Games“I remember the first time I did a half-pipe hoverboard jump on a spherical world and saw the little planet receding into the distance below me. This was in the middle of developing the first Ratchet game, and it was one of many moments that made me think "wow, we've got something really special here." The funny thing is, as amazing as the spherical worlds were, we ended up deciding to save them for the sequel.
Two other favorite moments that made the cut: sucking up an entire nest of sand sharks with the Suck Cannon and throwing them at each other, and the first reveal of Metropolis in Kerwan when you walk through the tunnel and see the city and rivers booming. of air cars in front of you. But there are at least a hundred other unforgettable moments from the making of that first game you could pick from. That first year was a magical period where every day someone added something new and amazing to the mix.“
(Video) Ratchet & Clank: 20th Anniversary Retrospective & Development Deep Dive
…Not fit for this world!
Iconic planets set the stage for great adventures. From the sprawling skylines of Metropolis to the dark pirate coves of Hoolefar Island in Quest for Booty, each location is filled with bolts to collect, gadgets to unlock, weapons to purchase, and secrets waiting to be discovered. Aesthetically, the worlds range from the towering Battleplexes of the DreadZone, the industrial sectors of the Megacorp facility in Going Commando, and the lush tropical resorts of Pokitaru, ensuring that each world is distinct and engaging as you progress on your galactic journeys.
–Jacinda Chew, Senior Art Director at Insomniac Games“I started at Insomniac when we were making 'Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando' for PS2. We used to name all assets by number, so there were no letters in any of the asset names. The artists would write long lists of numbers with a description of what the asset was for their own reference.
When he wanted to share a resource, he would ask the artist for the number or use a photocopier to make a copy of his resource listings for his own use. The designers also created level maps in Illustrator that the artists would print on large rolls of paper to use as guides for building levels. Concept art was made on paper and given to the artists. Needless to say, the artists' desks were covered in lots and lots of paper even though we were modeling in 3D.“
In Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus, our team even explored spooky environments, from haunted orphanages to destroyed space stations, giving the game its own identity. Visually, the Nexus is one of my favorites because of how much it leans into that aesthetic and that tone.
“Have you seen any good holo movies?”
The PlayStation 2 unlocked new capabilities beyond the original PlayStation, including the power to create entire scenes that rivaled big-budget movies of the day. Our animation team has upped the ante in recent years, truly uniting game design and visual storytelling into one.
Animation is key to our storytelling and gameplay. The final moments of Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time are a testament to the work of our team: a roller coaster of animated stories, with an emotional impact and integrity that left many of us in tears!
Looking a little more recently, the 2016 reimagining of the first game gives us a direct before and after between modern Ratchet & Clank and the visuals of the original. When it comes to animation, it's a substantial leap and a testament to our team's years of experience bringing Ratchet & Clank to life.
“"Call it a 'screenshot heard around the world...'
It was December 2014, just a few days before our annual winter office closure, when I received an email from one of our European SIE producers. The subject read "Milestone Update" and the body a single question mark.
For what it's worth, this is exactly the kind of thing you'd expect to hear from a producer right before a milestone. Especially one as important as the one we were working on: our first test of Ratchet & Clank on PS4.
The compilation included the first few levels, but more importantly, it included clips from the Ratchet & Clank movie mixed in with our new in-progress cinematics. For the first time, we would find out if our approach to a reimagined R&C origin story would resonate with players.
(Video) Ratchet and Clank Celebrate 20 Years!! - TheWorryWartGamerAs we got closer to delivering the milestone, I had a million things going on and I cheekily snapped back at the producer with a screenshot someone on the team had recently posted:“
–Shaun McCabe, Head of Technology at Insomniac Games“Initially, he thought that he had sent him a scene from the feature film as a joke. So she thought I sent her a scene from one of our pre-rendered cinematics. However, she eventually got the hang of it: it was a gameplay frame captured on the PlayStation 4 console.
The producer was so amazed by what he saw that he sent the screenshot to the folks at SIE Europe, who in turn sent it to others. Word soon got out that Ratchet & Clank (2016) was not a remaster, but something completely new.
RCPS4 would become our most successful title in years and reinvigorated the Ratchet & Clank franchise within the PlayStation community!“
Fast-forward to June 2021, our latest entry, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, sets a new standard for the franchise: great spectacles, emotional moments and combat animations that bring you closer to the action and combine our art with the power of PlayStation. . 5 console Here is my shameless plug: you canLearn more!
And so concludes our brief retrospective. We hope you are as excited as we are about turning 20.ºThe Anniversary Armor Pack arrives today in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and returns to the beloved classics in PlayStation Plus Premium. On behalf of Insomniac Games, thank you for joining Ratchet and Clank on their adventures for the past 20 years. As always, we'd love to hear about your favorite Ratchet & Clank memories, so tag us on social media (@insomniacgames) and use the hashtag #Ratchet20 to celebrate the franchise's 20th anniversary.ºbirthday!
Play the latest title in the Ratchet & Clank franchise,… Now with 20 freeºAnniversary Armor Pack featuring five new armors inspired by previous games in the series!
*Game update v.1.004 requires internet connection.
**Game availability varies by country/region. PlayStation Plus is recurring until cancelled. Age restrictions apply. Full terms: play.st/PSPlusTerms.