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Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 12/04/2012 - 08:38
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Overall Feeling: 

Even though it’s the 10th anniversary of the R&C franchise, Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault fails to recapture the magic the series once had or feature it in a small way that would’ve served as a nod to fans. A nice level of humor is still present thanks to good writing, but the action oriented gameplay leaves a lot to be desired as only a few key mechanics show up with little to no major context or thought put into making them actually be fun to do.  The multiplayer mode does provide some good moments, but the simple basis of it does make it far from being the next big thing to hook people in from a long-term point of view.  The Ratchet & Clank series has had a lot of good moments in the past but Full Frontal Assault is far from being one of them.

The Pros: 

+ Art style and graphics are still superb.
+ Voice acting and writing is top notch as expected thanks to the talents of James Arnold Taylor and David Kaye.
+ Multiplayer mode handles action well without being too overwhelming.

The Cons: 

- Single-player feels weak as far as content and direction goes.
- Ratchet & Clank not being at the forefront of the story is both disappointing and frustrating.
- Certain gameplay elements feel under utilized, thrown in for the sake of it, and recycled.
- Lack of platforming, or sections that are unique in their design and accompanying mechanics, is disappointing.
- Multiplayer mode doesn’t have a load of content in it.
- Some of the expected Insomniac craftsmanship is missing as evident in unexpected technical issues.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
5

Injecting a bit of variety into an existing game series is something I think gamers as a whole can appreciate. At times we can be a bit fickle as to what advances or additions are made in a sequel to a popular gaming franchise since tampering with the perfect recipe can often lead to disastrous results.  But at the end of the day I think most people don’t mind a little variety here and there as long as the core remains the same.

Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault Gets A Release Date + Price

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Fri, 10/26/2012 - 12:04
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After ten years of providing entertainment to gamers the Ratchet & Clank series doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon as evident by the latest entry, R&C: Full Frontal Assault. After being announced earlier this year, the newest R&C adventure has somewhat gone under the radar aside from a short closed multiplayer beta that went on earlier this year.  Even though the marketing and hype may not be in full blitz mode, the dynamic duo of Ratchet & Clank are once again poised to arrive on the PlayStation 3.

Fuse Debut Trailer May Fail To Ignite Your Hype

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Sat, 09/15/2012 - 14:25
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We may have only had some simple in-game screens to wet our longstanding appetite, but we finally have the first footage from Fuse – the game once known as Overstrike. The 3rd person action shooter from Insomniac Games has garnered a lot of attention as of late, some of which isn’t that positive since the game has undergone a rather obvious and substantial change in the art direction department which is devoid of the original flair and style we were originally presented with.  

First Details And Screens For Fuse, The New Title From Insomniac Games

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 05:50
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The long awaited return of Overstrike, now dubbed Fuse, has finally happened and the game looks to be what we expected, both in the good and bad department.  It was two weeks ago in which we were promised a Fuse reveal and today we have our first in-game screens from the title along with some basic gameplay details.  If you expected Insomniac to deliver in the action department then all is good but if you wanted the 2011 premier trailer to be indicative of the final product then you may be a tad disappointed.

Ratchet & Clank Collection [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Fri, 09/07/2012 - 10:54
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Overall Feeling: 

Joining exceptional HD remasters such as the Sly Collection, the Ratchet & Clank Collection retains what made the original games so much fun and in the process injects more visual flare thanks to high-res textures. The first three R&C games included in the collection exactly mirror their originals in the gameplay department so there may not be any surprising elements such as sudden integration of the PS Move or brand new content, but the games are still pure enjoyment from top to bottom.

The Pros: 

+ They may be old, but the gameplay in each of the three R&C games holds up incredibly well.

+ Insomniac’s style of writing is nearly flawless as there are loads of brilliant one-liners or pure gags in the games.

+ Idol Minds has done an excellent job at porting the R&C games in addition to giving them a visual boost.

The Cons: 

- Not having any supplementary content (bts videos, audio commentary, etc.) is kind of disappointing since this year marks the 10 year anniversary of the series.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
9

Years ago if you told someone that the video game industry would release old games done up in a higher resolution you probably would’ve been laughed at.  After all we didn’t see such a thing occur going from the PS1/N64 to the PS2/Xbox/GameCube outside of special things such as Capcom remaking the first Resident Evil game or Konami putting a twist on Metal Gear Solid via the Twin Snakes. These days it’s common practice to see a popular game from a previous generation surface again with HD visuals and perhaps a few other things to make gamers willing to double dip.

Insomniac Teases Overstrike, Albeit Now Under A Different Name

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 09/03/2012 - 07:41
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After being absent for a year, Insomniac’s first multiplatform game has surfaced again but it’s now under a new game and possibly a different art style as well. After capturing the attention of gamers at E3 2011, Overstrike from Insomniac Games looked like it would be a fun co-op centric game that played up the strengths of the studio (crazy weapon design + blowing stuff up), but then it vanished. Believed to be a possible victim of the EA Partners program, gamers wondered if Overstrike would ever return and now such a thing has happened.

Details On Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault Are Finally Uncovered

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 07/18/2012 - 12:40
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Perhaps forgotten about amidst all the exciting titles Sony showed off at E3 this year, a key PlayStation franchise is returning for what could be its final appearance on the PS3.  Announced earlier this year to mark the 10 year anniversary of the franchise, the Ratchet & Clank series is returning yet again in Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault.

Ratchet & Clank Returns For Some Old-School Fun

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Thu, 03/15/2012 - 14:47
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In some ways it may seem like an easy way to make a profit, but HD collections have picked up a lot of steam this generation and to some they’re an absolute godsend on the PS3.  Based on what we’ve received so far, a lot of the core franchises people hold dear to their heart have been re-released with a nice HD sheen applied to them and now the last major PlayStation franchise folks wanted to see released again is getting the special treatment.

Insomniac Games Prepping Second Project For EA [Rumor]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Thu, 02/02/2012 - 12:38
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Since leaving Sony, or at least becoming an official 3rd party developer, Insomniac Games has kept their upcoming plans close to their chest.  Even the announcement of Overstrike, their first new IP since 2006, was kept somewhat low key outside of it being a co-op centric action game that’s being published via the EA Partners program.  Overstrike looked good in the initial CG premier trailer, but considering that neither the public nor the press has seen the game in action the verdict is still out on whether or not Overstrike will be the next big thing from Insomniac Games.

Insomniac Games Has Officially Called It A Day With The Resistance Franchise

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 06:40
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This may be sad news for some PS3 gamers, but Insomniac Games is officially done with the Resistance franchise. After releasing Resistance 3 last September it was unknown if Insomniac would continue with the series some point down the road given the ending of the game and the new 3rd party focus of Insomniac.

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