Ratchet & Clank return (with friends?)
Last October, Insomniac Games creative director Brian Allgeier said “Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time” was about tying up many loose ends in the series, which spawned talk about the popular franchise coming to a close.
“Never say never, but people need that closure,” Allgeier said in October. “We hope to be wrapping things up with a bow.”
At the GamesCom event in Cologne, Germany, Insomniac unraveled the bow just a bit with the announcement of a new R&C game, “Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One,” exclusively for the PlayStation 3 console.
The game is a four-player co-op title allowing gamers to play as Ratchet, Clank, Captain Quark or Dr. Nefarious. The demo at GamesCom showed all four characters being used to traverse chasms, being launched by cannon and cooperating to kill a boss fight by flinging each other at the opponent.
The game is called Insomniac’s first ever one-to-four player cooperative, online/offline, drop-in/drop-out title. Chad Dezern, studio director at Insomniac’s North Carolina studios, said they felt a moral obligation to include Quark and Nefarious in the game.
“There was just too much comedy potential in bringing this group together for us to pass up the opportunity, Dezern said. “Their bumbling idiocy, prickly antagonism, and unfettered evil was a perfect reflection of how we play “All 4 One” here in the office. “
Dezern said they began work on the new title in January 2009 and expect to release “Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One” in the fall of 2011. He said they also plan to release more information at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, Washington on September 4.
‘Dragon Age 2′ announced, ‘Mass Effect 2′ gets new home
Electronic Arts announced big news for two of their major non-sports franchises and special package for two other titles at the GamesCom festival in Cologne, Germany on Tuesday.
BioWare and EA announced that “Dragon Age 2” will be available in March 2011, a sequel from their 2009 hit, “Dragon Age: Origins.”
“With Dragon Age 2, we are building on the outstanding role-playing game fundamentals the original delivered while taking the franchise in a new direction with faster, more responsive combat that will allow players to think like a general, but fight like a Spartan,” said Mark Darrah, executive producer at BioWare. “We are giving the franchise’s gameplay a shot of adrenaline. We can’t wait to get the game in people’s hands so they can feel the difference.”
“Dragon Age 2” will have a new hero, revamped art work and an all-new story that spans 10 years in the “Dragon Age” timeline. The new game is expected to be available on the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.
“Mass Effect 2” (BioWare/Electronic Arts), already the highest rated game in 2010 for the Xbox 360, will be headed to the PlayStation 3 console at the beginning of 2011. The release will include the full game and hours of bonus content.
“Crysis 2” (Crytek/Electronic Arts) will be getting to special treatments when it is released later in 2010.
The “Crysis 2 Limited Edition” and the “Crysis 2 Nano Edition” will feature premium packaging and special unlocks for the “Crysis 2” multiplayer game.
The “Crysis 2 Limited Edition” will be available for no additional cost and features four in-game unlocks for the multiplayer experience:
- Bonus XP – Players will jump into multiplayer battles with an edge by starting with enough experience points to gain early access to all 5 preset class load-outs.
- SCAR Hologram Decoy – This special attachment to the SCAR will project a hologram image of the player, allowing them to confuse their opponents with the decoy.
- SCAR Weapon Skin – This digital camouflage skin will allow players to add a personalized touch to one of the more popular assault rifles in the game.
- Platinum Dog Tag – This special one-of-a-kind dog tag is one of over 250 that will be collectible in “Crysis 2” multiplayer, helping to separate you from the rest of the field.
The “Crysis 2 Nano Edition” will include the Limited Edition housed in a steel case plus a statue of the game’s hero, Prophet, on top of a New York taxi cab, a high-quality art book, all packaged inside a backpack modeled after the Nanosuit itself. Not available in stores, the Nano Edition is available in extremely limited quantities via pre-order only for $149.99.
“Crysis 2” will be available for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC on March 22.
Finally, “Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit” (Criterion/EA) will be getting the Limited Edition treatment as well.
The Limited Edition features six of the world’s fastest cars that players can use to race and chase their friends, right out of the box. The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, Ford Shelby GT500, Audi TT RS Coupé, Chevrolet Camaro SS, Porsche Cayman S and Dodge Challenger SRT8 will all be part of the new package.
The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and Ford Shelby GT500 are only available in the Limited Edition – and will not be available at any other time. The Audi TT RS Coupé, Chevrolet Camaro SS, Porsche Cayman S and Dodge Challenger SRT8 can be unlocked by leveling up in the game.
“Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit” recently won the prestigious ‘Best Racing Game’ award at the Electronic Entertainment Expo from the Game Critics Awards. It will be available on November 16, 2010 on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and PC.