Way back in March of 2008, we reported on a pretty impressive Bioshock 2 fan art collection by then student Ben Mauro. The art was so well done that it caught the attention of 2K Games Community Manager Elizabeth Tobey. That was just the beginning for a kid who “never expected anything to come” from his school assignment.

Shortly after discovering our post, Elizabeth contacted us asking how she and 2K could “track down the artist, and thank him for his work”. We happily helped out and suggested they thank him by offering him a job. In fact, my exact words were:

“I’d love to be able to report that this talented kid was able to land something with your team. Even if it is just an internship. He is very talented and humble as well.

When I told him you were looking to contact him he seemed shocked and said he never expected anything to come out of his assignment.”

A few months later I shot an email over to Elizabeth asking if they ever pulled the trigger on hiring Ben. She responded letting me know that they “didn’t hire him or anything but he did get some big kudos from [the team].”

Unfortunately, kudos don’t pay the bills. As it turns out though, Ben got his break anyway. According to his updated blog, portfolio site, LinkedIn profile, and countless other social networking interweb devices sure to be monitored from this point forward by news hungry bloggers, Ben is working on some pretty exciting game related projects.

Two projects under the client “Insomniac Games” titled “RCF2″ (most likely likely Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time) and “R3″ (guessing Resistance 3 on this one), recently caught the attention of Joystiq’s Ludwig Kietzmann. Ludwig then proceeded to contact “the parties concerned” at which point Ben wisely removed the info from his personal blog.

Well, I’m happy to say that I finally got to report on the successful hiring of Ben Mauro. Sure, it wasn’t for 2K as I had originally hoped, but as the title says, 2k’s loss is Insomniac’s gain. On that note, I look forward to the possibility of stomping around in a Ratchet & Clank Future 2 or Resistance 3 Ben Mauro inspired level with weapons blazing.

Congratulations Ben, you deserve it.

Shacknews reports that Insomniac have announced a new addition to the Ratchet and Clank series on the PS3, entitled “A Crack in Time”. The title will pick up where Quest for Booty left off. There are no further details at the moment, but assume that it will launch on the PSN for about $15 in the US, and that it will answer some questions you might have been left with at the end of the previous game.

Likely to be another outstanding game, but if it follows the PS3 original closely enough, it might be ruined for me by a spawn-point famine. It’s increasingly frustrating getting three-quarters of the way through a level, only to die, and have to do the whole thing again. It might have been acceptable back in the day, but it’s just archaic now. Let’s hope they fix it, eh?

If you’re anything like me, you like to multitask, so here are a bunch of new Resistance 2 screens to browse through while you celebrate (or curse) the newly elected 44th President of the United States.

Resistance 2 Image Gallery – Click Here To View

The fundamentals that make up a good Ratchet & Clank game are all present: from the whacked-out weapons, intense action sequences, gravity-defying platforming, and head scratching puzzles to the slick dialogue, charming story, and subtly perverse game title. At face value, these features would seem like a recipe for success; however, after two hours of playtime, Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty is more of an appetizer than a full course meal.

The aforementioned Ratchet & Clank gameplay staples are present, but each one of them feels stunted due to the game’s underwhelmingly short game time. The abrupt nature of this game robs the coolest features of previous Ratchet & Clanks, like upgradeable weapons for example, of their purpose. With an insignificant change in damage dealt, there is no real reason for a player to invest the time it takes to max out their weapons.

Compared to other Ratchet & Clank games, there is only one location with legitimate puzzle solving for the player to figure out. Sadly, the puzzles are bland, and they follow the generic video game puzzle structure: a move-the-box-make-a-pattern puzzle, a solve-the-riddle puzzle, and a memorization-then-mimic puzzle. Those three puzzles would not stand out as much as they do if it wasn’t for the fact that these are the only three legitimate puzzles the game offers. That’s right — there are only three of them.

The rest of Quest for Booty leans toward the action/platforming of its predecessors. At times, the game has the player traverse rudimentary platforming segments, while other levels assault the player with wave after wave of enemy onslaught.

Graphically, the game is one of the best looking downloadable titles out currently and matches one to one with its retail counterpart, Tools of Destruction. This game showcases Insomniac’s grasp on the PS3 hardware in ways other developers should imitate. I wish there were more colorful, daytime levels like the game’s Hoolafar Island, but beggars can’t be choosers.

And then as soon as it begins, it ends.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not against short games, but I do get slightly agitated when short games don’t provide me with a fulfilling experience. The game is so streamlined that the player is funneled through each world with little or no choice as to how to tackle each challenge that presents itself.

This is not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, but it leaves a lot to be desired. Sure, this is not a full-fledged retail game, but I expected something meatier coming from Insomniac.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty is a solid experience and a definite must buy for any fan of the series, but I just can’t shake the feeling that this game would have been served better coming a few months before the next retail Ratchet game, instead of a full year.

What does this score mean? Check out our review scoring breakdown.

Want into the Resistance 2 Beta program? Well, if you live in the US, you will be able to log into the PSN, buy episode three of Qore (Sony’s online monthly subscription based programming) for $2.99, watch some advertisements, and boom — you are cleared for Resistance 2 Beta action.

Of course, according to Insomniac’s Community Manager, James Stevenson, this is only one of the many ways you will be able to get into the beta. However, as he explains on myresistance.net, their will be a pre-order option that will allow the earliest form of access, but that has yet to be announced.

Stevenson’s clarification of the Beta announcement is available below.

Hey guys,

Lots of confusion thanks to the Qore announcement.

Here’s the deal. We are running a Public Beta, and you will have many ways to get in. The best way which will give you the earliest access to the beta will involve a pre-order program that should be announced soon, (for those of you who don’t know what pre-ordering is, you essentially reserve your copy with five dollars down, and that five dollars will go towards the price of the game when it releases).

For all of you folks outside of North America are up in arms because Qore is NA only, please don’t worry. This is one of many ways to get in, and we plan to make the beta available in all territories, as we need to test all servers and worldwide play.

Further details on how to get into the beta will be forthcoming.

I apologize for any confusion that has happened given the various offers beta codes. Rest assured, we understand how excited you all are to play Resistance 2, and we’re going to do our best to make sure the beta program runs as smoothly as possible.

If you have questions, post below. I’ll try to answer over the course of today.

JS

So there you have it. Other options are planned for access, but as for now, the only way in is going to require US residency and three bucks of your hard earned money.

Source: boardsus.playstation.com (via CVG)

Over the weekend GametrailersTV premiered the first work-in-progress Resistance 2 gameplay. To watch meant filtering through the entire show and as much as we love Geoff Keighley, we wanted to get to the good stuff.  Thankfully, now we can.

First up are the Grims – a new melee enemy in the Resistance universe.  Parkour little beasts who rush to meet your shotgun in the windy streets of Chicago.

The next video shows off classic Resistance gameplay, along with fellow human fighters and the new weapons system: Resistance 2 won’t sport a weapon wheel.  Instead you’ll only have access to two weapons at a time, allowing the developers to force you into particular weapon use.

I’m a tad reticent about this, since having a large selection of weapons at your disposal has always been an attractive proposal in Insomniac’s previous games.  Nevertheless, as long as a raft of inventive weapons remain, in their hands we shall trust.

You can watch HD footage over at Gametrailers.com, as well as peak at the new 60 player multiplayer.

Playstation Day. Tomorrow. London.  Be there or be round.  Sadly we weren’t invited, but much of the top tier European press will be getting a lucky look at Playstation’s exclusive 2008 titles.  Resistance 2 is confirmed, and the slight promise of a new Killzone 2 demo should make tomorrow a day to remember.

The potential was always there for a storm, with Sony’s new worldwide president Kaz Hirai flying into the capital to give a keynote speech.  Appearances of Playstation Home, Play TV and even LittleBigPlanet are expected, but further surprises might be waiting. 

Insomniac have confirmed the first playable demo of Resistance 2, but only excited press previews and screenshots will exit closed doors.  The first gameplay footage will have to wait until June 13th. However, everything appears to be set for Resistance 2 to impress tomorrow, as expressed by Insomniac’s James Stevenson on Neogaf:

We are off to dinner, but rehearsals went well, Resistance 2 is up and running on its three kiosks and we had a nice game going with the boys in Burbank.

It’s Insomniac’s podcast host who also lifts the curtains on a possible Killzone 2 showing.  In response to a pessimistic neogaffer who said Killzone 2 won’t make an appearance tomorrow, James Stevenson simply says:

Wrong.

Consider us intrigued. So what do we get out of all this?  Well, tomorrow will see an early European Playstation Store update, with a HAZE demo at top billing.  That’s not all.  Two more demo’s, The Bourne Conspiracy and Race Driver: GRid, will take their place on the store this Thursday, along with footage from tomorrow’s event. Interest rising…

*Update* - Here’s the list of content to be shown at Sony’s Playstation day held in London’s O2 venue (the failed Millennium Dome to you and me):

Music:
* Guitar Hero 3
* SingStar PS3 Vol. 2
* SingStar Summer Party
* Dancing Stage Supernova 2
* Movement

Film and Art:
* Blu-ray / BD Live – Sphe
* Lego Batman
* Wall-E
* Kung Fu Panda
* Ghostbusters
* Siren: Blood Curse
* Photo Application
* Movement
* Sponsorships – FWIC Video

Travel:
* Go! Explore
* PlayTV – PSP
* Buzz!: The Master Quiz
* Everybody’s Golf 2
* Secret Agent Clank
* Echochrome
* Crisis Core
* Space Invaders Extreme

Sports:
* MotorStorm Pacific Rift
* Everybody’s Golf: World Tour
* GT5 Prologue
* Euro 2008
* Beijing Olympics
* High Velocity Bowling
* WipEout HD

Friends and Family:
* Buzz!: Quiz TV
* Buzz!: Master Quiz
* EyeToy: Pom Pom Party
* EyeToy: Heroes
* PlayTV
* Echochrome
* Go! Messenger / Skype
* Buzz! Junior Jungle Party
* Elefunk
* PixelJunk Eden
* PlayStation Network
* Folding@Home

Creation:
* LittleBigPlanet
* My SingStar Online
* PlayStation Eye

Intense Action:
* Killzone 2
* Mirror’s Edge
* Super Stardust HD Team

Clan:
* Resistance 2
* SOCOM Confrontation
* Haze
* Warhawk Operation: Broken Mirror
* PlayStation Home

Source: Eurogamer

Geoff Keighley of Gametrailers promised “something special” from Insomniac and Sony in this Friday’s GT:TV episode, along with a number of other exclusives (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed being the stand-out.) Many hoped it would be the first trailer of Resistance 2, and those hopes have not been dashed.

A Resistance 2 teaser trailer is on its way this Friday, as confirmed in the below ad for GT:TV. In it we hope to see the first in-game footage of Insomniac’s upcoming shooter, since this developer rarely releases CG footage.

The trailer reveal adds to the increasing reliability of this leaked release schedule, which penned the Resistance 2 trailer for April 15th – which we’ll re-pen onto the relaunch of the Playstation Store – the 17th.

Last week several media outlets received a leak from an unexpected source claiming to be a tentative schedule for downloadable content on the PlayStation Network. Initially, the leak was treated with cynicism, but, as many are beginning to discover, cold hard evidence is painting a much brighter picture.

What is this hard evidence then, you might ask? The best way to find out is by looking at what lies inside the schedule.

You have your HOME; your Resistance 2 trailer, Wipeout HD, and WarHawk: Operation Broken Mirror. If you take a closer look, though, you may find a small little title known as Ratchet: Quest for Booty. This title just popped out of nowhere. At least, so it would seem. Not so for the forum members who frequent MyResistance, Insomniac Game’s official forum for their latest franchise, Resistance.

For the better part of the last month, these members were busy cracking codes. Codes? What for? Well, that was for them to discover. The codes were released as Easter Eggs in the music video Insomniac put together for the Game Developers Conference weekend.

Within the video they had hidden four codes in the form of magnets. One of those codes was the infamous QBLDC4. This was the code that needed to be broken.

Thanks to several hints offered up by Insomniac’s Community Manager, James Stevenson, and fellow comrade Rolf Mohr, the members of MyResistance narrowed down their options to a few select guesses.

The first correct part was DLC being Downloadable Content, but the rest of the letters were illusive: Beta? Quarter? These didn’t appear to fit with Downloadable Content.

On top of this, Rolf tipped the fledgling interpreters that they were very close to the answer without even knowing it. Still, the code crackers went from hot to cold, boiling to freezing.

After weeks of discussion and intense debates, the board members started getting disillusioned and fell into a rut. Hoping to rescue them, JS tried to set them on the right track. They were told to think outside of the box. Many ideas came up and only divided the unit more.

Eventually, one of the members asked that even if they had guessed the correct answer would JS confirm it. Regardless, the team continued to work, but demanded more hints. In response, he decided to reply with a cryptic message:

Hmm… *glances around the network drives*

I see lots of hints…but will I post them on the message board?…not so much.

“You know, it’d be sort of inconvenient if you guys figured it out, [be]cause it could probably be a magazine exclusive or something[.]

Shocked by the response and overcome with confusion, the small band continued to persevere. They attempted several more guesses, but were then informed that they had missed a clue entirely. As a result, the team doubled back and looked through a long list of hints given throughout. Gradually, they began to weed out most of the guesses that did not abide by what was given. Finally they arrived at an approximation of two values. The answer either had to do with quests or characters/races.

Their final guess before the leak broke out was Quest for B_ Downloadable Content, with no word for B.

(Click to enlarge)

When the image made its first wave on the net, the forum members caught it and noticed that within the list was a title known as Ratchet: Quest for Booty. With that, they had their final word. As of now, Insomniac has made no comment on the title’s existence, but many believe that this is due to other developer projects.

By confirming the identity of one game on the list, the theory is that the rest of the items on the list are also correct. Since then, an uncomfortable silence has followed in its wake. Should we be expecting these titles to be released, or not?

What gives even more credence to the DLC holding true, is the fact that there was yet another Easter Egg within the (pin)Ballz video reported earlier. An obvious one which we noted on the video’s release, were the numbers 0708.

It had always been thought to have been a date for something, but now we can confidently claim that this date, July 2008, was referring to Ratchet: Quest for Booty, since this is the date listed on the leaked schedule.

To add to the turmoil, Sony released a statement with the following remark:

Internal working documents naturally have proposed dates against titles, but these change frequently and dates are not confirmed until issued as part of a press release or formal announcement. The same applies to titles of games, which may be working titles or placeholders subject to later confirmation.

As a result, no weight should be given to titles or dates that appear in this document, other than to those which have already been formally confirmed

Naturally? Really? Besides the obvious no comment reply, notice how the press brief included “subject to later confirmation.” Ratchet would follow this rule. An exclusive magazine reveal is expected.

This Sony comment hasn’t stopped others from believing the list to be true in its entirity. On top of the typical HOME is being released around the same time as E3 theory, there has been one interesting deduction to go along with this state of affairs. Educated gamers have begun to notice that the same day the R2 trailer goes live, along with several other add-ons and expansions, the PlayStation store is reported to undergo a major revamp.

These ideas may seem highly convincing, but any hopes for a formal confirmation continue to slip rapidly away. We’ll just have to keep our eyes open. As we draw closer and closer to the timeframe the schedule details, we will discover more and more about this increasingly suspicious reveal.

Releasing a quality game each year, Insomniac are at the top of their game and put most developers to shame. Letting us in on their methods of genius is a treat, and today they bring us an exploration of how they create single player levels. From paper to game in nine “easy” steps.

1. Designers create rough map.

From paper to screen, a level goes through many iterations. Often times designers start sketching out setups with paper and pencil, then transfer to a vector map for the Environmant Artists to start fleshing out. The Designer and Artist will work closely to define what these spaces are, how they should look, feel, etc.

(Please click on the images to enlarge them.)

2. Designers create scale rough of their map.

3. Changes are made to the map based on scale rough.

The Designer scale rough is a crude model built by the Designer to check out their spaces and make sure it will work for what they were thinking. Sometimes a space just doesn’t feel right when you get it in 3D from a paper map, so adjustments can be made with little effort. From here, the map is retrofitted before handing it off to the Environment Artists.

4. Map gets pitched to Environment artists, who work closely with Designers to flesh-out the spaces.

Many times, the designs change radically once Designer and Environment Artist begin problem solving.

5. Environment creates Environment rough, where the space is made to feel “real” (i.e. Where does that road go?)

6. Design and Gameplay programmers wire enemy encounters and stub in story elements (usually text on screen at this point)

7. People play the game. A lot.

8. Design and Art make changes as needed.

9. The polish work begins.

There you have it, a day in the life of Insomniac level creation. Rather them than me! To look at HD screenshots of Resistance 2 please follow this link.

Note, multiplayer maps get much more time in rough so they can be play-tested for balance, action funneling, exploits (like camping grounds) and player capacity.

Thanks and Credit goes to Insomniac.

In all the commotion some details were lost in a web of forum excitement. Insomniac enlighten us on some misconceptions, in addition to letting us in on some new nuggets of information.

Firstly, Insomniac’s recent Full Moon Show podcast lets us in on how much progress has been made on Resistance 2. The 8 player online co-op mode is coming on nicely, where they are making it as fun and feature full as possible before they pretty up the visuals.

Described as “freaking awesome”, with enemies on all sides in the co-op creates a sense of chaos, with cooperation the key to succeeding in this visceral, always on edge gameplay.

As for the single player, you’ll be amazed to know that so soon after thee completion of their second PS3 game (Ratchet and Clank Future), Insomniac have roughly completed all of the levels in Resistance 2’s single player campaign. That is, the campaign’s outline is finished, with the next step being tuning and moulding the levels to form the game.

It’s also divulged that the quality and success of Resistance 2 can be measured by the amount of ideas and content they’ve already cut from the game, to make sure only the very special content is left. This contrasts to a typical developer view of “we’ll make it work before the time is up”. Think of Insomniac’s method as picking out the weak plants in your cabbage patch to ensure you achieve the best crop.

Now onto dispelling some of the misconceptions that arose from the exclusive Game Informer article. A new enemy was revealed in the text – the Chameleon. Described as an enemy that stalks its prey, many presumed that it was an upgraded Stalker shown in the new screenshots. This is not the case. The screenshot was of the redesigned Stalker. The Chameleon is not a vehicle, but a living creature that stalks its prey.

Secondly, the “random level generation” mentioned is only for co-op levels, and not for the tightly designed single player campaign. Furthermore, the co-op levels will not be procedurally generated, but their diversity, variety and set-up will change.

Lastly, new soldier classes were mentioned to be part of the competitive multiplayer. This is also untrue. These different classes have only been confirmed for the 8 player online co-op, and not the online 60 player multiplayer.

With three misconceptions put to rest, we can end with a final piece of positive news. Resistance: Fall of Man was criticised as not looking that spectacular up close, especially when compared to the high-res textures of Gears of War. However, with the addition of texture streaming, advanced shaders and normal maps – Resistance 2 will look much better up close than it’s predecessor.

We’ll inform you as soon as new information comes our way.

Not too long ago, an interview was conducted with Ryan Shneider, Insomiac’s marketing director, in which he stated that it was his belief that Mario Galaxy’s spherical worlds were inspired by their own Ratchet and Clank series.

Ryan even went so far as to say he was “flattered”. I wonder if he still feels that way after reading Miyamoto’s response to his comments?

In a four page interview published inside the pages of the Official Nintendo UK Magazine, Super Mario “super daddy” Miyamoto, was asked about the comments made by Insomiac regarding Ratchet and Clank’s influence on Super Mario Galaxy. Miyamoto responded by asking “Is it a PC game?”

Miyamoto continued to elaborate on the origins and time frame attached to the spherical worlds concept by stating:

“we had the original idea as soon as we finished the development of Mario 64 and had been experimenting with it for many years, even on the N64.”

We are as “surprised” by all of this as Miyamoto claimed to be himself, and will be looking forward to (and hoping for) a response from Insomniac, till then our made up response courtesy of Ratchet above will have to do.

Via: CVG

There have been smidgens of review scores from PSM3’s Christmas Edition, but not so much has been seen of the news section in the magazine. And oh, there are a bunch of treats held within its pages. There’s news on Resistance 2, as well as next-gen outings of Hitman, Prince of Persia, and Syphon Filter. Carry on reading after the jump.

For those of you that missed PSM3’s review scores, this is for your benefit:

PS3
Assassins Creed – 81
Call of Duty 4 – 94
Need for Speed ProStreet – 79
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga – 80
Beowulf – 41
The Simpsons Game – 70
Kane and Lynch: Dead Men – 58
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock – 90

PS2
Crash of the Titans – 62
Thirllville: Off the Rails – 69
Jackass: The Game – 60
Singstar R&B – 70
The Sims: Castaway – 55
High School Musical: Sing it! – 32

PSP
Silent Hill Origins – 82
SOCOM Tactical Strike – 78

A lower than expected review score for Assassin’s Creed, but make sure you come back here for our thoughts on that game next week. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, we can move onto the good stuff. Within the pages of this Christmas Edition lies nuggets of insider news. From Warhawk downloadable content, to EA working on a snowboarding game…which just might be a next-gen SSX.

However, there’s more exciting stuff. Firstly, Infinity Ward is rumored to be working on an all new IP, expected to hit in 2009. Second, a next-gen Hitman should be coming in the Summer of 2008, and thirdly Ubisoft Montreal is bringing Far Cry to the PS3 in 2008, possibly even early 2008, but at the moment they are busy working on Prince of Persia (!).

Yet, perhaps even more exciting than all of this, is the news that Insomniac is in full swing with Resistance 2. We told you a few weeks ago, based on information we received from a trusted source, that Insomniac was looking to hire game testers for the sequel, and it appears now that our source was right on.

With the games global unveiling due for early next year, Insomniac hopes to release the game late 2008. That is insane. A strong PS3 game every year without fail just shows how incredibly talented those guys at Insomniac are. At this rate Resistance 2 might even release before Metal Gear Solid 4 (I jest). Finally, the magazine states that Sony is busting their butts to have Syphon Filter ready for release on the PS3 in 2009.

So there you have it, lots of exciting things going on away from the publics eyes. Here is PSM3’s remaining insider news:

- Street Fighter 4 won’t look like the teaser trailer.
- NBA Ballers 3 in April 2008.
- Sega has selected Eurocom to develop the official 08 Beijing Olympics game.
- Lego Indiana Jones to tie in with the new movie release date.

A trusted source has let us know that Resistance 2, the sequel to the PS3 launch title, is ready for the pre-Alpha testing stage. According to our source, Sony is going to be hiring a ton of testers in January to put Resistance 2 through a stress test.

Resistance was one of the best PS3 exclusives, and without a doubt we’re sure Resistance 2 will be on everyone’s wish list when a release date is announced.

With almost no other information released about this game so far, and with no screenshots to gawk at, it’s hard to say how good it’s going to be. But if it’s anything like the first, with its crazy weapons and great looking monsters, they could probably stick to the game’s roots and please old fans. Another option might be for them to go crazy with the story and offer us a completely new experience.

After the initial testing is over, we may see a lot of buzz around this game as testers talk about their experiences. Whatever the case may be, I’m hopeful Resistance 2 will be a smash success just like the first.

There are some games that have an aura (subtle field of luminous multicolored radiation) about them, and from the moment the title screen appears before your eyes, you will believe that Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is one of those games.

You see it in the attention to detail, and we’re not talking about detail found in the places you expect to see it, like in game animation and cinematic cut scenes — no, we’re referring to the detail we found in places that are often overlooked in lesser quality games, such as the menu system, loading screen, and in game audio.

Ratchet and Clank’s use of color is breathtaking, character personalities are instantly believable and compelling to say the least. The title screams “well thought out and imaginative” from beginning to end. While some have commented on the games slight departure from its comedic roots, we found the storyline (a bit more serious this time around) to be highly entertaining and funny in its own right. In fact, if Captain Qwark doesn’t make you laugh out loud at least once, we suggest you seek immediate counseling for whatever ails you.

Graphics, while never an issue in the PS2 versions of the game, are simply stunning on the PS3. On par with what you would expect to see in a Disney Pixar film. Enemies lash out in packs, bolts litter the air, and vehicles constantly buzz overhead. The foreground and background in Ratchet & Clank are almost always in a constant state of motion, yet the frame rate is near perfect at all times. Insomniac dishes out, and the PS3 responds beautifully.

Cutscenes are well done, and showcase the amount of time and talent spent developing the much anticipated sequel. If this is a glimpse into the future of both the series and the capabilities of the PS3, we want more!

Weapons, which have always been a mainstay in series, are back with a vengeance, as Tools of Destruction offers a selection that is second to none. From classics like the Shock Ravager to new additions like the Mag-Net Launcher, gamers will find endless ways to devastate (and even levitate) would be attackers that get in their way.

Destroying enemies sends bolts flying through the air along with pieces of Raritanium (the rare crystal which appeared in previous iterations of the game), and in addition to being highly addictive, collecting these remnants is extremely beneficial. The items act as a form of in game currency, allowing you to purchase weapon upgrades throughout the game. Upgrades take place automatically based on a particular weapons use.

While the arsenal in Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction make for spectacular on-screen entertainment, some of the weapon controls may be a bit tricker to master than others, so bust out your disco ball and start testing that Transmorpher. Here kitty kitty….

Gameplay controls are fluid, responsive, and shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to grasp. The camera system, while free of glitches for the most part, lacks a reset button, making it a tad bit difficult to get your bearings straight when you are being attacked from multiple directions. Switching over to “lock-strafe” mode remedies the issue somewhat, however there is an instance in the game where strafe mode gets overridden, and you will be forced to adapt to the change in game play controls on the fly.

Overall, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction will open the eyes of Playstation 3 critics, as it delivers a colorful and upbeat gaming experience that newcomers and die hard fans will both thoroughly enjoy. From its adrenaline pumping high speed chase sequences, to its intergalactic slugfests, Insomniac’s latest and greatest has a little something for everyone.

After some confusion Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is being released today in the U.S. Is this the family friendly system seller the Playstation 3 has been waiting for? Early reviews say so.

Many thought Insomniac’s new addition to the Playstation3 was going to be released in America on the 30th of this month, after the developer let us know that the little Lombax and his metal friend needed a bit more polish time. But what came as a surprise to us and even them, was that the printing of the game happened in double quick time.

The Delaystation3 is no more! This little baby was going to be hitting shelves early, and stores were showing their excitement by advertising that the game would available for purchase on the 23rd of October, a full week early then originally planned. The 23rd is here, and Ratchet and Clank are not far from making your Playstation3 feel a whole lot more “futuristic”.

So is this a quality title for PS3 owners and prospective PS3 buyers? To simply say yes would be an understatement. This is a game with qualities you will be hard pressed to find on any other system. From its bright and colorful action suitable for the entire family, to its sharp witted humour, and solid game play. The early reviews are in, and it appears that Ratchet and Clank is in position to be the classic holiday game Sony and their fans have been waiting for.

PSM, PSM3, and EGM gave the game a 9.5, 9.3, and 9.0 respectively. We will be posting our review of the game tomorrow, but in the mean time, check out the list of reviews that are currently available online below.

IGN: 9.4/10
Gametrailers: 9/10
Gaming Age: A-
Pro-G: 9/10
Gamesradar: 9/10
PSXExtreme: 9/10
Gamernode: 9.5/10
1up.com: 8.5/10
Gamepro: 5/5
Gamezone: 9.3/10

There has been some discussion about the recently released demo of Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction for the Playstation 3 on the well known gaming forum Neogaf. A very select few have been having some visual troubles with the game, resulting in a pixelated mess on their HDTVs. This is surprising, since most who have experienced the beauty of Insomniac’s game can see that it is very sharp and pretty damn special to say the least. So what is going on here?

On some 1080p HDTV’s Ratchet and Clank appears to be pixelated, or in the best possible words – a garbled mess. Now reports of this have been few and far between, but it seems that although being a 720p game, when 720p is selected on the display options for the Playstation 3 the game does not appear as it should on some HDTV’s (a 52inch 1080p Sony Bravia is one of the mentioned televisions). When 720p is unchecked, leaving only 1080i and 1080p the picture in fact clears up but at the bottom-right of the screen is a block of broken up, fuzziness.

What could be the problem? Well some research has been done at the Beyond3d forums, suggesting that Ratchet and Clank is 704p or 704by1280 pixels instead of the regular 720by1280. This is unlike the Halo 3 problem of being a 640p image (or even Conan at 576p) being upscaled to 720p (and higher) since Ratchet and Clank is not upscaled by the Playstation3.

Upscaling from 640p to 720p would cause some strange exaggeration of aliasing, and other minor problems with picture quality. Instead, Ratchet and Clank cuts off 8pixels above and below, meaning the remaining image will still be rendered at 720p but with small black bars above and below, such as you would see when you watch an HD film on your television. A 1080p film will have black borders above and below, thus not using all the pixels, but the quality that is displayed still means it is 1080p. Ratchet and Clank is even less extreme than this, since the black borders would be almost unnoticeable if your HDTV didn’t use overscan to remove them completely. This image is sent from the Playstation to your television, and then the overscan of your television will make the final picture fit the screen, thus not showing the black bars.

Ratchet and Clank being 704p is thus a clever way to save some pixels without impacting visual quality, for Ratchet and Clank is so gorgeous to experience, especially at 60fps, that you will double check to make sure you are not playing through a Pixar film. But could this be a problem for some 1080i/p HDTV’s? It’s not clear if it is, but it could be due to these televisions upscaling from 704p without overscan.

Whatever the problem is, Insomniac seems to be keen to get it fixed for every HDTV out there. While we have yet to confirm that the following is indeed from an employee of Insomniac, it appears that one One of the Insomniac team members has personally posted on the Neogaf forum asking exactly what the trouble is. If it is a member of Insomniac, it would be This is proof of just how down to earth the developer is.

“Hey guys,

Can you send me any brand/model numbers of TVs you have if you are having issues and what the issue is, plus what settings you are running (screen caps are helpful too).

We believe the lower right corner garbling issue appears to only be happening with 1080i/p output forced and with no-overscan. The vast majority of people shouldn’t experience it, and we highly recommend ensuring your PS3 has 720p output enabled as RCF will look best at that resolution and it should correct the issue.

If you’re having the strange pixelation issues, we want to try to replicate that here. We’ve never seen it in-house on all of our various HD sets, and knowing what TVs we need to track down would be helpful.

Appreciate your help
JS”

So let’s hope Insomniac gets this fixed for those that have the problem, otherwise some sorry sods will be missing out on one of the best looking games the Playstation 3 has to offer.

(Note: Insomniac has not confirmed that the game is rendered at 704p.)

Sources: Neogaf, Beyond3d

Update – 10/16 7:36 PM EST
The poster on the Neogaf board has been confirmed as an actual employee of Insomniac. Well known to the board, and featured in several of Insomniac’s Podcasts.

You want to see the future? Understandable, heck time travel has been an obsession of many for a very long time. When you stop and think about it, what is there not to love? Apron wearing robots named Rosie and cars powered by twigs that soar high above the city streets.

Well, while a time machine may be a ways off still, we can get a taste of the future through Insomniac games and our buddies Ratchet & Clank. The latest in the series titled Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction pits the fan favorite duo in a futuristic setting full of wonder and plenty of blunder.

Our preview took place soley in the games Metropolis and as the game starts off you will find that it is hard to focus on the enemies as you begin to take in the stunning surroundings pieced together by the games amazing design team. The world loosely resembles Twentieth Century Fox’s movie Robots and we mean that in the best way possible.

As you make your way through the city streets you are ambushed by Drophoyd a graceful yet surprisingly annoying aqua critter who has nothing but the worst intentions in mind. At this point you will notice that the games animation is extremely fluid and just flat out fun.

Each surge of would be attackers can be dismantled in a multitude of ways … would you expect any less from an R&C game titled “future tools of destruction”? When you get tired of tossing regular grenades, give heave to a transmorpher and watch your enemy turn into a a rabbit or a penguin upon impact.

Aim in the direction of an enemy, take your shot, and send them spiraling into the air piece by piece, literally. The detail in the destructive animations is astounding, and you can actually make out the individual pieces of the enemy you just destroyed if you look closely.

The games disco ball attack is pure genius and adds a touch of comic relief to a game that is entertaining with or without it. Is there anything more fun then blasting away a dancing an enemy in mid stride under a gleaming disco ball? No, there simply is not.

Insomniac has just raised the bar yet again, as this itteration of Ratchet & Clank gives gamers more than they could have possibly hoped for. Colorful yet far from cartoonish, Future Tools of Destruction packs enough futuristic punch to satisfy hardcore fans and newcomers alike

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Game Trailer

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E3 07 Gameplay Video