Kotaku
Today, in between our sprinting between Moscone centers to cover all of Microsoft's news, we had a chance to sit down with High Impact Games' Lesley Mathieson. She was the Lead Designer on Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, worked a bit on its PS2 port and is now Design Director on the second Ratchet & Clank minus the Ratchet title to hit the PSP: Secret Agent Clank.
And, between my heavy pants of hyperventilation at meeting the brains behind the PSP's best game to date, I was able to sputter out a few questions regarding the direction of the franchise and what sweet features we could expect in the new game.
"Why Clank?" I asked. When Ratchet has been the star of so many successful games before, what's the motive behind firing the star?
Fan demand, she answered, without a pause. "People love the character...beyond that, Ratchet has stuff on PS3..." And it supports what appears to be a new strategy for Insomniac/High Impact Games. Ratchet will push the technical boundaries through big explosions and epic landscapes on the PS3, while Clank will represent the PSP platform with a few less gallons of napalm and a touch more stealth. (Whether or not this platform distinction will continue beyond this title is uncertain. Though, we're guessing if Clank is successful in his solo career, he ain't rejoining the boy band.)
The new PSP style is a tough balance to find, as the last thing developers ever wanted is for Clank to "feel like secondary version of Ratchet." And at the same time, Clank's trademark puzzle-oriented levels could wear on the player over an entire campaign. Spy gadgets are the compromise here between bazookas and bowie knives—boomerang bow ties, for instance—and "Clank Phu" melee compliment Clank's mini bots.
What's this new protagonist mean for porting your old guns from Size Matters to Secret Agent Clank? Not happening, it appears, though small playable Ratchet levels will feature some of your favorite guns of old.
Then again, many of you aren't reading this article to hear about stinky old gun ports anyway. You want to sync your PSPs with your PS3s, unlock new content, be treated as "special" for spending so much money as a company-loyal consumer. But if these cross-platform features exist, Mathieson is playing coy. All she'd offer was the code most of us have heard about from Tools of Destruction that will unlock goodies for PSP owners.
So as for exploiting hot possibilities like the PSP's Wi-Fi connection for a little bow tie boomerang backup on the PS3...it appears to be just another sticky dream for the time being.
UPDATE: A special thanks to Stephen Totilo for tactfully pointing out the game's real title...that I'd incorrectly pasted no less than four times.
Comments
I feel a PSP purchase on the horizon
... I thought it was Secret Agent Clank
If anyone is still at the stage of *thinking* about getting a PSP, perhaps now is the time to act impulsively.
I remember the code-From the worst part of a Ratchet game ever.
Seriously, I had to put the game down there, that Clank section was so bad (I had my little brother play that part, and I went back to the real game).
This game better be better than the Clank sections in ToD, or this game will be the worst game ever made.
If it's as good as Size Matters, then it will be fantastic.
Which side will the coin land on?
Oh Clank, if I only got a $1 every time your image makes me giggle. <3
Super? If they changed the name the charm is gone. :(
When I saw the picture of Clank dancing with the apparently female robot, I had visions of Casino Royale with Clank as bond.
Clank and Daxter should just team up. Clank would be the cool hero, and Daxter would be the irritating sidekick.
Woot. Looking to be a good year for the PSP, along with Crisis Core and God of War.
@Bernard McGraw: Oopsies! I blame Crecente.
@gamadaya: Then what would be the benefit to Daxter?
i really need to pick up size matters. wellz i'm playing one picking up some psp games tomorrow so if i see it..
@gamadaya: Or we could forget about Daxter altogether... Just sayin' >.>
As for this game, it's a pretty smart idea to keep it lower key for the PSP, rather than try to caricature what is being done much better on the PS3...
And who knows, I'm currently enjoying Splinter Cell (1, how many do I have left, 8?), maybe the spy premise will hold some weight.
I loved Tools of Destruction, the only parts of the game I didn't like were the Clank parts, I hope to god this game isn't just one of those parts stretched to fill a full game.
@Mark Wilson: YOU ARE OFFICIALLY A BIG SILLY :) I forgive you though.
psp has been getting good titles lately.
Size Matters was good but the things I liked about it were too short. I loved the Clank mini-games. I loved the Clank space shooting.
The game itself was average, but I am strange I felt the same about Daxter. Everyone else seems to love both of them.
@Kirbytheslayer: In-Kirby XMB: I agree. I hated the Clank levels and I didn't have anyone to beat them for me.
@nabils6:
I reckon it's been getting great titles from the start. Sure, they didn't start arriving en masse till about the fourth quarter 2006, but it's got a solid library. A lot of naysayers seem intent on using the "no good games" argument like it's 2005 all over again.
I'd still challenge anyone to find a better portable racing experience than Ridge Racer. Pure launch gold.
If I still had my PSP I would so buy this game, I love all R&C's.
Best platformer after Mario now.
Huh, I totally read "heavy pants" wrong the first time, and I'm kinda weirded out at some of the things crossed my mind. Nothing dirty. Just weird.
"And it supports what appears to be a new strategy for Insomniac/High Impact Games. Ratchet will push the technical boundaries through big explosions and epic landscapes on the PS3, while Clank will represent the PSP platform with a few less gallons of napalm and a touch more stealth. (Whether or not this platform distinction will continue beyond this title is uncertain. Though, we're guessing if Clank is successful in his solo career, he ain't rejoining the boy band.)"
um, as a long-time r&c fan, i'm guessing you're waaay off on this one...
The screenshots are gorgeous too. PSP can really pull of great graphics, it has really evolved so to speak since launch.
I preferred Daxter to Size Matters, mostly because it had more fluid platforming and the run and gun sections of Size Matters were kinda bland.
Still, it was a great game, and this is probably going to be a fantastic game as well.
Yes, the PSP graphics have gotten much better. On par, sometimes beyond the PS2, even some Wii games.
Where is my FFX port? :[
I didn't really like Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters, but I will definetly give this game a whirl.
Fans wanted a Clank-only game? Damn you, fans! I admit, Daxter was a pretty great game without Jak, but Clank with no Ratchet? I'll at least give the little toaster a fair shake.
@Rockwallaby: i got mine, i feel a preorder for the game coming on. :D
Since the Zony are in it, does it take place after R&C Future?
@Kyle81: No. As far as I know, it's set before ToD, after Size Matters.
What's with the sidekicks getting games on the PSP? First Ratchet, now Clank. Although one shouldn't complain, Daxter made for a pretty good game.
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