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Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction Official Thread
- Thread starter steve
- Start date
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
I'm not a huge fan of unnecessary difficulty in games either, but come on, R&C? The only place in R&C I thought was even remotely difficult was the end-boss. I can't really remember anything difficult on the dyno planet.
Systems_id
Banned
One thing I don't agree with is where he claims that the difficulty level should be stagnant the whole way through. Super Mario World is the perfect example of a game with a difficulty curve that's perfect for both casual and hardcore gamers. Hell my sister was glued to my GBA when I first bought it and beat it the whole way through so I'm not sure if Gaffe is correct here. I think overly complex game mechanics are more to blame then difficulty.
viralmarketeer
Member
follow up
sidebars:
david jaffe said:#1- RATCHET AND CLANK LOVE
Ok, I just could not stay away! There was this longing to keep playing, this desire to feel- once again- just how good that game controls, to see the amazing graphics. I just felt CALLED to go back and keep playing, even though I was really frustrated by hitting 4 difficulty spikes in a row. I also saw alot of folks comment on this blog about how I really should not give up, as there is tons of cool stuff is waiting for me post dino island. So I'm back to playing it...and back to loving it! I never was a massive Ratchet fan before, but this thing has made a true fan out of me...so much so that Ratchet is my new wallpaper! Check it!
So I figured out where the game- for me- broke down. And it's not so much a design issue as it is a communication issue.
See, I had only played the earlier Ratchet games for about an hour or so each. I always respected them but they never engaged me to the point that I ever wanted to play for any other reason than to just see the game, get the idea, and then move on. And because of that, I never understood the importance of buying new weapons and powering those weapons up. As I played, I found a few weapons I dug and powered those up and then was like, 'cool, I got the 2-3 weapons I dig, I'm gonna pass on the rest'. And up until dino island- I forget the actual name- that served me fine; gave me a nice, even difficulty level that I was loving. But then the AI got tougher and since I had not bothered to power up more than a few weapons- or even bothered to ever really USE any of the 10-15 other weapons I had purchased (beyond an initial 'lemme try this out and see what it does' phase), I got my ass kicked and subsequently, lost heart and lost interest.
Thanks to many commenters on this blog for explaining that in Ratchet the multiple weapons and powering those weapons up are key to the game. For me, this was not made clear at all in the game itself- the only real flaw I can find in the title so far-and if it was not for your comments, I would have missed out on what is probably going to be my Game of the Year. So thanks!
sidebars:
david jaffee said:PLAYING:
Love this damn game- my GOTY so far! The R&C games have always been fun but I always got bored a few hours in. But this one is just so damn good...the pace, the graphics, the difficulty...it's just a great game all around, a real celebration of all that is great about the medium.
david jaffee said:PLAYING:
Only got 2-3 stars so far, so I imagine- with the amazing reviews- this will change. But right now, I LIKE this game but don't LOVE it. The controls are cool but I get tired of playing a game like this with the Wii controls. As of now- for me- Ratchet is a better platformer than this. But I'm going to give this more time cause I could see me reversing that position considering the amazing reviews this game has gotten...
hukasmokincaterpillar
Member
JB1981 said:
Yep. I don't see why designers insist on hiding harder difficulty levels away from you. If anything they should be focused on offering more difficulty options. Let the player calibrate the experience to his/her liking.
One way I found to up the difficulty in Ratchet was to tick off the quick select pause. That gives you hell on the later levels.
~Devil Trigger~
In favor of setting Muslim women on fire
JB1981 said:
same here
and my favorite ones too
~Devil Trigger~
In favor of setting Muslim women on fire
JB1981 said:
Really? I restricted myself exclusively to the weapons that had not yet been maxed out. Even when I only had a couple left, I still had enough ammo to just fight with those.
Have you played UYA recently? In many Arena levels, you have to fight with a wrench or have enemies kill each other because your ammo is so scarce. I enjoyed that. I hope we at least get some harder Arena missions with more variety in DLC.
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
I found those levels ridiculously easy on Challenge mode, because I had RYNO which I now (1/4 maybe through Challenge mode) upgraded to RYNO4EVER EX. I feel that weapon makes the Challenge mode so ridiculously easy that I almost see no point playing it any further, other than to see how big multiplier I can get. But hey, that's what the warning about that weapon said about it, so I can't act surprised now.JB1981 said:
Just ran into a nasty bug where the game got stuck in this never-ending state of loading. The music skipped for a good 10 min, i died, screen went black and the game never recovererd. So hard restart and my R&C save file is corrupt - all data lost. Weapons maxed in challenge mode and everything
viralmarketeer
Member
jstevenson
Sailor Stevenson
Interesting presentation that Brian Hastings recently gave to the company about the Fantasy of the Familiar in games:
http://www.insomniacgames.com/tech/articles/1107/fantasy_of_the_familiar.php
http://www.insomniacgames.com/tech/articles/1107/fantasy_of_the_familiar.php
Ken Masters
Banned
question once you beat the game
In challenge mode: Do you lose all your golden bolts and bolts and the pieces of the secret weapon plan you collect throughout the game. because I am still missing a few? Also, do you keep the treasure map you pick up towards the end of the game in the final pirate level?
Ken Masters
Banned
what/how do you get when you find all the parts of the weapons plan
and what's the difference between RYNO 4ever and RYNO IV? and do you need to get all the holo plans to buy the RYNO 4ever in challenge mode?
and what's the difference between RYNO 4ever and RYNO IV? and do you need to get all the holo plans to buy the RYNO 4ever in challenge mode?
GitarooMan
Member
Just finished today and I have to say I came around on this game quite a bit, the first few levels weren't doing much for me, I thought the design was a bit uninspired. Later, though as I powered up weapons and got into the later levels I started enjoying it much more. Not a huge fan of massive cliffhangers though, as no matter what the franchise there is never a guarantee of another game.
Unfortunately I think i fucked up my save though, wasn't big on manual saving and instead of going back to before the final battle I chose challenge mode, now i don't think I can go back and collect all the plans/bolts. Not a huge deal though.
Unfortunately I think i fucked up my save though, wasn't big on manual saving and instead of going back to before the final battle I chose challenge mode, now i don't think I can go back and collect all the plans/bolts. Not a huge deal though.
dirtmonkey37
flinging feces ---->
Okay, I have played through this game nigh three times, each time with the intent of enjoying it more than I did the previous time...and it still hasn't worked.
No matter how hard I try to love this game, I can't. Ratchet and Clank is one of my favorite series of all time and is the reason I bought my PS2 (and PS3) but ToD just lacks in several very important areas, the most important of which I learned of today: the satisfying feeling of firing a weapon has vanished in relation to the previous installments of the Ratchet series.
I popped in Ratchet UYA (Ratchet 3 in Europe) and just upon the first few seconds of playing, I had a wide grin spread across my face. It was subconscious until I noticed it -- at this point I was amazed by the game like I was three years ago.
Why the giant smile? I'll tell you, and bear in mind that this is the aforementioned most "important" flaw of ToD: the weapons in ToD lack that "oomph" or that sense of impact and satisfaction that I received when I played Ratchet UYA/3.
As soon as I fired the shock blaster (UYA), the control rumbled with a perfectly synchronized and measured shake, the enemies were kicked back, the particle effects were over-exagerated, the sound effects that are played when the projectile(s) makes contact with the surface of the enemy's body (instead of just the sound effect of the projectile being fired), and giant, can-the-PS2-actually-do-this explosion that I was treated to made pressing the 'O' button unbelievably fun each and every time I did it. Expanding on the last point there, all that happens in ToD when you defeat an enemy is the display of a brownish-orange fiery cloud while in ToD, the player is rewarded with a magnificent explosion with each of the individual pieces of geometry scattering everywhere and spontaneously combusting.
So, in short, because of the factors mentioned above (and I hope JStevenson
reads this post), UYA's weapons were far more satisfying to use than ToD's.
Now, the other flaws with the game: there is little challenge and the weapons are not as well designed and imaginative as the ones featured in the previous Ratchet games. As I mentioned before, most of the weapons here were available in previous Ratchet and Clanks with their only difference now being their cosmetic design and firing-effects. And on the note of weapons, while the previous Ratchet games often introduced new functionality to the weapons as they were upgraded (shock blaster from UYA being one of them), ToD includes no such elements. As they upgrade, things like "increased # of missiles" and "poison gas" are used to enhance the weapons instead of "now you can hold down the 'O' button to charge up a shot!".
So there are my final impressions. Clearly they're all negative but that's only because there's already enough positivity in the posts above and before. I would personally score the game in the 8 range.
No matter how hard I try to love this game, I can't. Ratchet and Clank is one of my favorite series of all time and is the reason I bought my PS2 (and PS3) but ToD just lacks in several very important areas, the most important of which I learned of today: the satisfying feeling of firing a weapon has vanished in relation to the previous installments of the Ratchet series.
I popped in Ratchet UYA (Ratchet 3 in Europe) and just upon the first few seconds of playing, I had a wide grin spread across my face. It was subconscious until I noticed it -- at this point I was amazed by the game like I was three years ago.
Why the giant smile? I'll tell you, and bear in mind that this is the aforementioned most "important" flaw of ToD: the weapons in ToD lack that "oomph" or that sense of impact and satisfaction that I received when I played Ratchet UYA/3.
As soon as I fired the shock blaster (UYA), the control rumbled with a perfectly synchronized and measured shake, the enemies were kicked back, the particle effects were over-exagerated, the sound effects that are played when the projectile(s) makes contact with the surface of the enemy's body (instead of just the sound effect of the projectile being fired), and giant, can-the-PS2-actually-do-this explosion that I was treated to made pressing the 'O' button unbelievably fun each and every time I did it. Expanding on the last point there, all that happens in ToD when you defeat an enemy is the display of a brownish-orange fiery cloud while in ToD, the player is rewarded with a magnificent explosion with each of the individual pieces of geometry scattering everywhere and spontaneously combusting.
So, in short, because of the factors mentioned above (and I hope JStevenson
reads this post), UYA's weapons were far more satisfying to use than ToD's.Now, the other flaws with the game: there is little challenge and the weapons are not as well designed and imaginative as the ones featured in the previous Ratchet games. As I mentioned before, most of the weapons here were available in previous Ratchet and Clanks with their only difference now being their cosmetic design and firing-effects. And on the note of weapons, while the previous Ratchet games often introduced new functionality to the weapons as they were upgraded (shock blaster from UYA being one of them), ToD includes no such elements. As they upgrade, things like "increased # of missiles" and "poison gas" are used to enhance the weapons instead of "now you can hold down the 'O' button to charge up a shot!".
So there are my final impressions. Clearly they're all negative but that's only because there's already enough positivity in the posts above and before. I would personally score the game in the 8 range.
Prince of Space
Banned
Just picked the game up tonight... and it's telling me I don't have enough memory to install the intial save data (or something to that effect). I have 40 gigs left on my PS3. Uhh...
archnemesis
Member
Prince of Space said:
It's a bug. Try to delete or download a demo and it will install just fine.
I just beat the game and during the cutscens
the screen just goes black and it's all over. I have to keep resetting. This is bullshit. Happen to anyone else?
EDIT: After 2 attempts I checked the disc. GF fingerprints all over it. Cleaned them off and all is good.
Great game Insomniac.
after clank says "we are home Ratchet"
EDIT: After 2 attempts I checked the disc. GF fingerprints all over it. Cleaned them off and all is good.
Great game Insomniac.
Goldrusher
Member
sigh
Could someone help me with the Rakan Star Cluster level ? For some strange, unknown reason, it's a level that freezes on my console. (see earlier in this thread) Sometimes instantly, sometimes after 10 seconds, but it always (!) does. Controller stops responding, image freezes, but the music keeps playing.
Never had a single problem in the earlier levels, and after a friend completed it with my save file (when going through the "normal game") I didn't have any bugs or freezes in all of the later levels. Including similar "space flying" levels.
Anyway, I'm going through the challenge game now and guess what...it freezes again...again in the Rakar Star Cluster level.
If someone has the time (and skill
), here's my save file, make sure to get the golden bolt, as well as the 2 skill points, I can't even play the damn level.
edit: Thanks to a friend who plated the level, I can continue the game...
Could someone help me with the Rakan Star Cluster level ? For some strange, unknown reason, it's a level that freezes on my console. (see earlier in this thread) Sometimes instantly, sometimes after 10 seconds, but it always (!) does. Controller stops responding, image freezes, but the music keeps playing.
Never had a single problem in the earlier levels, and after a friend completed it with my save file (when going through the "normal game") I didn't have any bugs or freezes in all of the later levels. Including similar "space flying" levels.
Anyway, I'm going through the challenge game now and guess what...it freezes again...again in the Rakar Star Cluster level.
If someone has the time (and skill
), here's my save file, make sure to get the golden bolt, as well as the 2 skill points, I can't even play the damn level.edit: Thanks to a friend who plated the level, I can continue the game...
Goldrusher
Member
From GameFAQs...
And for the bolt...
Thanks.
And for the bolt...
Thanks.
Goldrusher
Member
I have the Asian version of the game if that matters...probably.
But didn't Resistance (same dev) save games work with every copy of the game, no matter what region ?
Anyway, thanks for trying though.
Now, is there anyone else with an Asian disc out there ?
But didn't Resistance (same dev) save games work with every copy of the game, no matter what region ?
Anyway, thanks for trying though.
Now, is there anyone else with an Asian disc out there ?
hey Insomniac! challenge++ option with stock weapons/no upgrade please, challenge was way more fun than the first time through but on the other hand some weapons are just too powerful and kill the gameplay (and the framerate btw). I'd pay some good cash for a DLC pack with some extra levels and more arena challenges too.
Lince said:
Speaking of challenge mode, has anybody purchased the upgraded Groovitron for 1 000 000 Raritanium??
I have about 550 000 and I really couldn't be assed getting 1 000 000 just for this but I'm curious as to waht it does. Anyone tell me or have a youtube link please?
Just finished the game and I dont know if I should love Insomniac for an awesome fun game or hate them for all the wasted possibilities.
This game has weapons, tools, gadgets and general ideas for three games or one that is 3 times as long. I dont think I even tried all weapons on my first playthrough, they are too easy to get and without the challenge (of getting them as well as general challenge from the game) it isnt the fun to use them it should be. This game could at least need a little bit of Metroid to make all the stuff really worthwhile. There is some though put into different weapons for different enemies, but sure not enough.
The game design could really be seen as bad. They have a nice ramp in difficulty with those decoder mini-games, but with everything else the difficulty ramp is just flat (it is fun grinding and using that gyro-cycle, but even for a weaksauce gamer like me there is zero difficulty, the last grind rail feels like the first).
Same goes for the bosses. No strategy needed, just let those nano-swarmers do the work. The bosses in space are not better, just hold the fire button and dodge. How hard could it have been to force the player at least to target and destroy different parts?
OK, I know this sounds bad, still the game is fun with all the different stuff to do and some really really nice and funny ideas. But it could have been so much better with only some thought put into game design and some challenge. Uncharted has some pretty hard fights, but it leaves you feel satisfied, even if the reset points are much more forgiving.
The graphics are very good, no question, but the water and some of the trees as well as some textures look downright ugly. In general I was not too impressed, the worlds felt limited, more like 'levels', there is no feel of epic dimensions. And even if the stlye of the worlds varies, it could have been a little less of the same objects repeating through the game.
This gets a solid 85% from me and it could have easily been 95% with some more care put into really making use of all the great elements introduced. I cant understand rating lesser than 80% though, as the game is solid and fun, but I must say it left me more hyped for the next Resistance than next R&C (I will of course buy it regardless).
btw. they absolutely nailed the Sixxaxis support. I nearly wrote that off, but they implemented the 3 gamestyles I would have too (gliding, shaking off enemies and some mercury style stuff). It is not too challenging, but I found it fun and they even let you use the stick if you want.
This game has weapons, tools, gadgets and general ideas for three games or one that is 3 times as long. I dont think I even tried all weapons on my first playthrough, they are too easy to get and without the challenge (of getting them as well as general challenge from the game) it isnt the fun to use them it should be. This game could at least need a little bit of Metroid to make all the stuff really worthwhile. There is some though put into different weapons for different enemies, but sure not enough.
The game design could really be seen as bad. They have a nice ramp in difficulty with those decoder mini-games, but with everything else the difficulty ramp is just flat (it is fun grinding and using that gyro-cycle, but even for a weaksauce gamer like me there is zero difficulty, the last grind rail feels like the first).
Same goes for the bosses. No strategy needed, just let those nano-swarmers do the work. The bosses in space are not better, just hold the fire button and dodge. How hard could it have been to force the player at least to target and destroy different parts?
OK, I know this sounds bad, still the game is fun with all the different stuff to do and some really really nice and funny ideas. But it could have been so much better with only some thought put into game design and some challenge. Uncharted has some pretty hard fights, but it leaves you feel satisfied, even if the reset points are much more forgiving.
The graphics are very good, no question, but the water and some of the trees as well as some textures look downright ugly. In general I was not too impressed, the worlds felt limited, more like 'levels', there is no feel of epic dimensions. And even if the stlye of the worlds varies, it could have been a little less of the same objects repeating through the game.
This gets a solid 85% from me and it could have easily been 95% with some more care put into really making use of all the great elements introduced. I cant understand rating lesser than 80% though, as the game is solid and fun, but I must say it left me more hyped for the next Resistance than next R&C (I will of course buy it regardless).
btw. they absolutely nailed the Sixxaxis support. I nearly wrote that off, but they implemented the 3 gamestyles I would have too (gliding, shaking off enemies and some mercury style stuff). It is not too challenging, but I found it fun and they even let you use the stick if you want.
R&C needs to go places. As much as I loved playing ToD through on challenge mode and finding all the secrets, the next one could do with a change of direction to keep the series going. Don't get me wrong, this was awesome as a refined classic R&C game but there's stacks of potential there with the weapons and exploration. For a start there needs to some context to the grinding/leveling rather than doing it for the sake of it - the main game just becomes a cake walk once you've found everything. I wouldn't mind seeing a more open ended game as well perhaps with a deeper rpg slant for those who want the challenge. It's going to take something special to top this.
Congrats Insomniac!
Spike TV Awards:
BEST PS3 GAME
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (Sony Computer Entertainment/
Insomniac Games
Spike TV Awards:
BEST PS3 GAME
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (Sony Computer Entertainment/
Insomniac Games
jstevenson
Sailor Stevenson
[CFD] El Capitan said:
Thanks! Al and I may be on TV sitting at the table with the trophies... no idea if that made the cut or not, but it was in the "Previously announced winners section."