• Posted October 27th, 2009 at 19:09 EDT by Adam Dolge
• 11 Comments

(continued from previous page) ...swap parts to get not only different gameplay effects, but also paintjobs and visual modifications. My ultimate custom weapon is the Constructo Shotgun with the “stunning” Galvanic Mod. It’s basically a shotgun with an electrical taser strapped on to it. It’s pretty awesome.”

PSU: We know time travel will play a part in the story, what can you tell us about how time travel will be incorporated into gameplay? Is this a mechanic purely for storytelling, or will there be in-game results?

Bernal:  “In addition to Clank’s time recording puzzles in The Great Clock, we also have entire levels where Ratchet will have to travel through time to solve mysteries that aid him in his quest to reunite with Clank. While these serve as key plot points in the story, there are also massive in-game changes to the world that can occur when successfully completed. In addition to the time travel levels, there are also places throughout the galaxy where time is “broken” and once fixed, it will allow you to access secret rewards that were previously unavailable to you.”   

 

PSU: How do you think the recent price drop of the PS3, and the related PS3 Slim, will impact sales of the game?

Bernal: “The new 120GB PS3 is one of the hottest pieces of hardware on the market right now and we’re obviously very happy with its positive reception so far. For Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time specifically, we hope that the new price point makes it even easier for Ratchet players on the PS2 to take the next step and see what they’ve been missing.”

PSU: Are there any plans to incorporate online play?

Bernal: “Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is primarily a single player game, but you can still get a competitive flavor by comparing a variety of online game stats against friends on insomniacgames.com and on PSN.”

PSU: There are a lot of anticipated games coming out lately. What about this title do you think will attract new players to the franchise?

Bernal: “Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (and Ratchet in general) uniquely appeals to adults and younger gamers alike, which is fairly uncommon in the videogame marketplace with very few exceptions. While the story, colorful characters and lush environments are appealing to most players, many of the younger gamers that are just stepping up to PS3 will probably be really into blowing stuff up using our crazy weapons and gadgets. The more seasoned gaming crowd on the other hand will probably gravitate toward the deeper puzzle mechanics we’ve introduced with Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time. There really is something for everyone and I don’t think many games out there can say that with confidence.”

PSU: Finally, is this the final Ratchet & Clank Future, or are you planning more entries into the series? Have there been any thoughts or discussion about branching out to other platforms/consoles/handhelds?

Bernal: “This game concludes the Ratchet & Clank Future story arc. But the good thing about Ratchet & Clank as a universe is that it's wide open and still popular among millions of fans worldwide. As far as different platforms or handhelds, Sony owns the Ratchet & Clank property so it's safe to say you won't be seeing our heroes on Wii or Xbox 360 anytime soon. High Impact Games has also produced two Ratchet & Clank PSP titles so far.”