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Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Developer: Insomniac Games
Platform: PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system
Genre: Action Platform
Players: Single-player (single console), Multiplayer (split-screen, up to four players, single console), Online Play (via Broadband play, up to eight players)
Peripherals: DUALSHOCK®2 analog controller, memory card (8MB) (for PlayStation 2), Network Adaptor (Ethernet/Modem) (for PlayStation 2), USB Headset (for PlayStation 2, sold separately) or SOCOM headset
Launch Date: November 2004
Target Age: 13 +
Rating: “RP” for Rating Pending

OVERVIEW

Created and developed by Insomniac Games, Ratchet & Clank®: Up Your Arsenal is the team’s third installment in the critically acclaimed PlayStation 2 franchise, Ratchet & Clank. Since their explosive entry into the marketplace less than a year and a half ago, Ratchet & Clank® and Ratchet & Clank®: Going Commando have sold more than 4 million units worldwide. During that time, the Insomniac team has continued to grow, as talented designers, programmers, artists and animators have joined together to create the first PlayStation 2 action platform game to feature online gameplay, as well as boasting the much-anticipated return of the dynamic duo, Ratchet and Clank.

In Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Ratchet and Clank once again team up for an all-new adventure combining diverse gameplay with elements of action, exploration, adventure, puzzle-solving, strategy, role-playing and fierce gunfire into one riveting experience. Featuring single-player and introducing new multiplayer offline and online gameplay, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal aims to push the action platform genre even further to deliver one of the most exciting and fulfilling single-player and multiplayer experiences ever.

STORYLINE

After word spreads of Ratchet and Clank’s recent conquest in Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, Clank finds himself recognized as an interstellar robot of mystery and intrigue after starring in his own television series, Secret Agent Clank. While Ratchet is dismayed by his new sidekick status, the feelings are put aside when the twosome is called together by the Galactic President to bring peace to the universe. They find themselves traveling back to Planet Veldin to battle Dr. Nefarious, a robotic supervillain who has devised a diabolical scheme to wipe out all organic life in the galaxy. To reach his goal, he has instructed the Tyhrranoids, a race of multi-eye aliens to annihilate the organics, not knowing that if the Tyhrranoids are successful, they will end up causing their own extinction.

To fight back, Ratchet and Clank are able to recruit Captain Qwark, a favorite from previous games, out of retirement to lead the Q-Force, an unlikely band of heroic space cadets comprised of some of the most memorable characters from the Ratchet & Clank franchise. This includes Helga, the robotic seductress; Big Al, a techno-geek with the ability to encrypt technology systems; and Skidd McMarxx, a former hoverboarding champ and pro slacker turned spy. Together with the Q-Force, Ratchet and Clank set off on another hilarious interstellar romp to uncover the schemes of the sinister Dr. Nefarious and keep the galaxy safe for organic life.

KEY FEATURES, SINGLE-PLAYER

• Ratchet and Clank return to Planet Veldin (the setting of the original Ratchet & Clank) to explore a multitude of diverse planets filled with perilous combat and challenging gameplay.

• Players will have the ability to earn up to 15 new weapons with up to four levels of upgrades for most weapons. Weapon upgrades can be unlocked by killing enemies and can increase the amount of damage to enemies as well as change the weapon’s functionality.

• Not only can players control Ratchet, they can also play as Clank and Captain Qwark, with brand new abilities in level-specific areas.

• Ratchet and Clank will be able to earn new high-tech gadgets along the way to help them navigate through the universe.

• Players will gain access to new vehicles, like the Turbo Slider or Hovership, to compete in races and combat enemies in intense battlefield missions.

• The Starship Phoenix, headquarters for the Q-Force, is the flagship in the fight against Dr. Nefarious and serves as a key information hub. The Starship is also where players receive new missions and training, and can purchase armor and weapons.

• Using a memory card from Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, players will have the ability to obtain a few favorite returning weapons for free!

• Intuitive enemy artificial intelligence (AI) means non-playable characters (NPCs) behave more intelligently by gathering information about their environments and forthcoming attacks and ultimately providing more of a challenge for players.

KEY FEATURES –MULTIPLAYER/ONLINE

• The split screen multiplayer offline mode supports two or four players offline.

• The multiplayer online mode accommodates up to eight players over a broadband connection.

• Six additional levels for online play provide plenty of diverse surroundings featuring destructible environment obstacles – perfect for creating more havoc!

• By working with their team, players can capture and destroy their competitors’ base by using their arsenal of weapons to overpower their enemies. Other modes for online play will also be available.

• New commandeer vehicles in the multiplayer mode are equipped for co-op gameplay, allowing players to work together as one person controls the direction of the vehicle while the other unleashes the powerful arsenal of weapons included with the vehicle.

• Nodes represent certain strategic locations on an online battlefield where players gain ground to capture their opponent’s base if they secure these. So, if a player captures a Node, but his character is terminated later during a match, the player’s next turn can begin at the Node – instead of being sent back to the player’s home base.

• Voice communication will be supported online via the USB headset (for PlayStation2) allowing communication with fellow team members during online games, either in-game or in the main lobby.

• The lobby area will feature an online friends list, allowing players to be matched up based on their gameplay statistics and providing the ability to select from a variety of player skins.