Insomniac Games, the company that helped redefine the action platform genre with the award-winning Ratchet & Clank and the popular multimillion unit selling Spyro the Dragon, once again proves its successful formula for innovation by combining the unique, yet familiar, single-player experience gamers have come to love, with robust multiplayer offline and online gameplay modes, as well as challenging 2D side scroller modes.
"With more than four million fans of the Ratchet & Clank franchise, the implementation of online gameplay will appeal to a wider variety of players and attract more network 'adopters' to the PlayStation 2 online community -- the leader in online console gaming," said Grady Hunt, senior producer, product development, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "By preserving the franchise's style and sense of humor, while incorporating online functionality, Insomniac Games has played a tremendous role in delivering a product that both hardcore and casual gamers will enjoy."
The third installment of the Ratchet & Clank franchise returns gamers to Planet Veldin to battle Dr. Nefarious, a robotic supervillain who has devised a diabolical scheme to wipe out all organic life in the galaxy. To fight back, Ratchet and Clank recruit Captain Qwark, a favorite from previous games, out of retirement to lead the Q-Force, an unlikely band of heroic space cadets comprised of some of the most memorable characters from the Ratchet & Clank franchise. Together with the Q-Force, Ratchet and Clank set off on another hilarious interstellar romp to uncover the schemes of the sinister Dr. Nefarious and keep the galaxy safe for organic life. Players can explore 29 single-player locations filled with perilous combat spanning huge, vibrant jungles, arid, craggy deserts and treacherous, icy caverns. Players will be able to earn up to 20 weapons (including online and offline) with up to five levels of upgrades for most weapons during the first playthrough, plus seven new high-tech gadgets to help them through their journey.
For those looking to expand their gameplay experience, the multiplayer online mode accommodates up to eight players over a broadband connection. In order to promote community gameplay, voice communication is supported online via the USB headset (for PlayStation2) and SOCOM headset allowing players to communicate with fellow team members during online games, either in-game or in the main lobby. Additionally, up to four players can compete offline via the multiplayer split-screen function utilizing the Multitap (for PlayStation 2).
The online lobby features a friends' list, allowing players to be matched up based on their gameplay statistics, and offers the ability to select from more than 20 player skins. In addition, gamers can track more than 100 different types of statistics, including types of weapons, vehicles, gadgets, skins and more in order to customize the type of online game they want to play. The game also supports clan gameplay for up to 64 players as well as a "Quick Play" option for gamers looking to jump immediately into the action.
Ten new levels featuring Siege, Capture the Flag and Deathmatch modes are introduced for online play to provide players plenty of diverse surroundings to destroy environmental obstacles. Commandeering multiple vehicles such as the TurboSlider or Hovership further encourage strategic co-op gameplay by allowing players to work together. Two players can team up to operate vehicles simultaneously as one person controls the vehicle's direction while the other unleashes its powerful weapons arsenal to combat enemies in intense battlefield missions.
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal has been creating quite a buzz among the gaming press in recent months, already garnering three perfect scores from PlayStation Magazine, Official PlayStation Magazine, GMR and Game Informer. "Fit to carry the title of perfection, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal is a towering accomplishment that absolutely blows away the team's previous efforts with its razor-sharp gameplay, diversified missions, and flawless balancing," said Andy Reiner, Executive Editor of Game Informer, the world's largest multi-platform gaming magazine on the market today. "The missions show great variety, online play rocks, and the enhanced controls streamline the experience."
To prepare for this holiday season, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal is receiving full marketing support in the following categories to extend consumer awareness for this innovative title.