Last week I received a very cool preview packet for a new game – Ratchet and Clank 2 : Going Commando, the second release in this Platform series from Insomniac Games. Instead of the normal image discs and fliers this preview package contained a DVD with live action of the game play and interviews with the developers at Insomniac. Based on my enjoyment of the original I couldn’t wait to see what is in store for the next release and I am sure I am not the only one since the original shipped more than 1.7 million copies. Here are the highlights from the DVD.

New Features

• Experience-based character growth system – the original game only had 4 levels of nanotech or hit points.  Going Commando allows you to get up to 80 levels of nanotech, by killing enemies you gain experience and experience = hit points.  There are also upgrades in Ratchet’s armor to help keep those precious nanotechs and reduce damage.

• Weapons upgrades and mods – sounds just like what it is.  Each weapon can gain nanomites or experience as you use it to kill enemies. When the nanomite meter fills up the weapon is upgraded automatically to the next class.  Upgrades increase the amount of damage the weapons inflict and usually change the functionality of the weapon too.  Twenty new weapons await you in Going Commando 18 of which can be upgraded.  On to the mods, some of the weapons also allow modifications that do post-attack damage such as the poison-mod and electricity-mod.  Another cool feature is the ability to purchase all of the original weapons from Ratchet and Clank if you have a saved game on your memory card.
   
• Maxigames – different from mini-games because they can be replayed repeatedly with new challenges being introduduced that provide more depth than a typical mini-game.  Three of the maxigames in Going Commando are:
   
• Hoverbike racing – similar to the hoverboard racing in the original with multiple racing competitors and different race courses. The competitors get tougher the more times you race making it a maxigame.
• Gladiator arenas – Rachet enters the arena to battle wither tons of competitors or boss characters.  Other options include even timed killing sprees or kill x amount of enemies also making this a maxigame.
• Space combat – makes the travel time between planets worthwhile with a shoot-em up maxigame to earn points and improve your ship
   
• Spherical worlds – a typical platform game is very flat and continuous.  Going Commando introduces small spherical worlds called moonlets that allow Ratchet to circumnavigate all the way around.  Jump pads on the planet send Ratchet way up into the atmosphere where there are platforms that form a world above the world.
   
• More sophisticated enemies – the enemies in this edition are mercenary type enemies from the organization “Thugs for Less.”  The enemies now have different levels of hit points just like Ratchet.  Some characters can have up to 120 hit points where in the original enemies had up to 3 hit points at most.  Enemies can now cause different attack damage too, up to 35 points per attack, instead of like in the original where every enemy caused 1 point of damage. Plus enemies now get armor and the armor gets tougher as the game progresses.  The intelligence of the enemies has also been increased with new rules for enemies:
   
• No sleeping on the job – no standing around waiting to get attacked
• Stylish entries – enemies teleport in, ambush ratchet etc.
• Keep an eye on Ratchet – enemies continue to fire at Ratchet when he is hiding or chase after him when he leaves an area
• Teamwork – enemies work in groups now
   
• New technology –
  • better lighting
  • multi-pass renderer
  • better effects
  • better compression
  • progressive scan and 16:9 support.
     
• New story – a new story picks up where the last victory left off.  Ratchet and Clank are kind of just hanging out waiting for someone to need a hero.  Abercrombie Fizzwidget the CEO of Megacorp comes to the rescue.  Fizzwidget needs help getting back The Experiment that was stolen from him.  Captain Quark makes a return visit in a cameo role as well.

New Weapons

Lancer, Heavy Lancer – laser shooter

Gravity bombs, Mini-nuke – grenade launcher

Gadgets

11 new gadgets

Ratchet and Clank 2: Going Commando coming to a Videogame store soon, I know I will be there.