Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault Unzips PS Vita Support and Competitive Mode

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Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault Unzips PS Vita Support and Competitive Mode

Hey everyone, I’m Shaun McCabe, production director at Insomniac Games’ North Carolina studio. Since this is my first PS.Blog post, I’ll briefly introduce myself. I joined the company in 2003 during the development of Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, but I’ve been an Insomniac fan going all the way back to Disruptor on the PlayStation.

As you may have heard, yesterday we announced that our dynamic duo’s latest adventure, Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault, is coming to both PS3 and PS Vita! Working closely with our friends at Tin Giant, who are helping bring the game to PS Vita, we’re delivering full cross-play and cross-save support. So, the ever-popular, “Well, I’d love to be playing Ratchet & Clank right now, but am stuck at the bus stop/office/police station/etc.” can no longer apply. Not only will the game feature cross-play and cross-save, but it’s also part of a super-cool promotional offer where anyone who purchases Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault for PS3 via PlayStation Network will be able to download the PS Vita version of the game from PSN at no additional cost and vice versa.

Ratchet and Clank: Full Frontal Assault

And today, we have even more news to share. A few weeks ago, we revealed the first gameplay details about Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault. We even teased a new online mode, and now it’s time to expose it all right here.

Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault is returning to the classic camera, weapons and third-person Ratchet gameplay that the series is known for, while adding a new base defense element that will have you building and defending a base against invasions using your ultimate Ratchet & Clank arsenal.

Well, the further we got into development, the more we felt like we just had to add a player vs. player mode. We’re big fans of the multiplayer modes in Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal and Ratchet: Deadlocked and got excited about the opportunity to bring back competitive play to the franchise. The result of our efforts is an intense, strategic and “Ratchet-y” experience that combines classic Ratchet & Clank mechanics with MOBA-style head-to-head action.

Ratchet and Clank: Full Frontal Assault

The Full Frontal Assault competitive mode will support 2-4 players and feature ranked and custom games. A match will consist of rounds that are divided into phases. First, there’s a Recon phase where you’ll capture nodes in the battlefield. Then, in the Squad phase, you’ll build your base defenses and minion squads. Finally, it’s time to get nasty. In the Assault phase you’ll annihilate your opponent by attacking their base. The game ends when one side has destroyed all the generators in the opponent’s base.

The game has really taken on a life of its own, and we can’t wait for you to experience it for yourself when Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault launches this fall. Of course, if you really can’t wait, just remember that the Ratchet & Clank Collection hits the U.S. on August 28th.

Stick to this space for all the latest Ratchet & Clank news this summer and fall as we continue to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our favorite Lombax and his diminutive robotic pal. You can also like Insomniac Games on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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116 Comments

  • I am VERY excited about this game, and I am even more excited now that I know I can play it on my Vita, but when will we find out a price?

    Thanks for the hard work, it looks great!

  • Day one buy.

  • GIANT CLANK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!

  • just might get this

  • Yes, what’s the price? It seems like everyone announcing or discussing an upcoming PSN game on this blog is afraid to announce a price until the moment it hits the store.

    • We honestly don’t know yet, lots of departments have to chime in. That said, it’ll be more towards the price of a Quest 4 Booty compared to say A Crack in Time. Ultimately we want it to still be a great value

  • “Not only will the game feature cross-play and cross-save, but it’s also part of a super-cool promotional offer where anyone who purchases Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault for PS3 via PlayStation Network will be able to download the PS Vita version of the game from PSN at no additional cost and vice versa.”

    I guess this means in order for us to take advantage of the cross-buy we have to purchase the games from the PSN network and not from retailers such as Amazon, Gamestop, etc? I like owning a hard copy (disc or card version) of the game. Will the cross-buy still apply for retail stores or is it only exclusive to PSN Store?

    • Honestly, I don’t know how that’s working for Europe or for other disc-based cross-buy games. It’s a good question though and something we’re trying to find out for our European fans who will have access to the disc based version of FFA.

    • Hi all. To clarify, Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault will be coming to PS3 and PS Vita via PlayStation Network in the U.S. For details regarding how this promotion will work in Europe, please visit the EU PlayStation.Blog.

  • Will the Ratchet and Clank collection be coming to the Vita as well?

    • Nothing is planned at this point – but Insomniac would love to see that happen. It’s up to Sony though.

  • @LpSquall

    This game is only available on PSN (at least in the US).

  • Yes! Moar Ratchet! Stick it in my veins!!! MoaR!!!!

    Also, are we ever gonna get another R&C game where it’s just Ratchet running around with Clank on his back as support? I want more of that type of gameplay too, please. :(

    • Who knows what the future holds, though with the HD Collection coming out in North America in 2 weeks, you’ll have plenty of classic Ratchet gameplay now in glorious high definition and with trophies :-)

  • The last Ratchet & Clank PSN title was priced at $15. If this is the case for this title as well, this is a no brainer for Vita owners. All said, this may be a $29.99 priced game , which is as well a welcomed price to land cross-play games. I will be getting this asap.

  • ok so basically you guys arent developing the vita version? i was pretty excited because for the first time ever i was gonna play a portable Ratchet and Clank game developed by you guys but now that i know you arent developing the vita version i dont know what to expect, i hope it turns out to be as great as the ps3 version and i think all psvita games should look like Tearaway and Killzone Mercenary( they look clean with very good graphics ) and sony should stop letting Nihilistic take over big name franchises.

    • We developed the game, but Tin Giant is working hand-in-hand with us to port the PS3 game to Vita simultaneously. They have a lot more Vita expertise and manpower to throw at that issue, as all of our team is working on finishing Full Frontal Assault! So while we aren’t the ones directly putting it onto Vita, it’s the exact same game as the PS3, uses the same save file, and can play with/against each other.

  • anyways its Ratchet and Clank so consider 2 copies bought!!!!! big Ratchet and Clank fan here and of course Resistance fan too!!!!

  • can we have a video of the game running on the psvita?

  • The wording seems to imply that this is a retail and PSN game. It says if you purchase, not when you purchase.

  • This game looks great! I love the classic style Ratchet and Clank games so it’s almost certain I will love this game! I never played All 4 One so I don’t know if I would like it but I’m going to get PlayStation Plus soon so I will get to find out soon! I like how you’ve added a tower defense twist and competitive multiplayer, just as long as it’s awesome! New, fresh things in sequels is always great as long as it’s awesome! I always thought R&C would be perfect with multiplayer, I hope this one is amazing! This game also seems perfect for co-op, add it! And this game better have offline multiplayer too, stop ignoring the best type of multiplayer, offline!

    @7

    Cross Buy has to be with physical versions or it will go from one of the biggest wins ever to a fail. I’m not saying don’t do it on digital versions as well because there’s a couple of people who prefer digital over physical so those few should be able to take advantage of Cross Buy. Also, this game is a PSN game so that’s why it says when you purchase the game from PSN. Sony would be the dumbest and mess up one of the best things ever if they do it digital only.

  • And I now I’m not sure. The last post James Stevson doesn’t seem to dispute when somebody talked about a downloadable only title.

    So Mr. Insomniac, is this a PSN title like Quest for Booty?

    • Yes, this is a PSN title. It’s a much bigger game than Q4B (with a longer campaign, replayability, multiplayer, and co-op), but it’s also not a full retail title like A Crack in Time either.

      In North America it is announced for PSN. In Europe it’ll be at retail and on PSN

  • can’t wait

  • @11

    Just because it’s purchase once, play on all your PlayStation products (Cross Buy) doesn’t mean the price should be higher. The point of this (Cross Buy) and how it is and how it should be is, a game is priced at the fair price that it should be and when you purchase it you get to play it on all your PS products. Just like it is everywhere else, iDevices, Android, etc and even PlayStation, these games aren’t the first games that offer Cross Buy, it has been done before, MotorStorm RC and other games have it and the price is the same, it doesn’t increase because it’s purchase once, play on all your products.

    @15

    This game has always been a PSN title. Sony would be the dumbest and commit the biggest fail if they make Cross Buy on digital versions only. I would no longer take advantage of it or buy a PlayStation Vita because of it if that was the case.

  • Really looking forward to this one. I love all of this Vita/PS3 releases. It’s a bonus that they are buy one, get both. This and PBR will be mine this fall for sure!

  • this looks awsome im ps+member anyalso any price? discounts for us members? cant wait for this game! i love this game! morgon need to know thanks!

  • Please, please reply and clear this for me. Am confused. If I purchase from PS store i get a download copy of vita version. If i purchase from retail store I get nothing?

    • As I said, I honestly don’t know yet. Europe is the only territory with the retail disc at this point, and I haven’t heard how they are working it out. With the PSN Store it’s easy to allow you to download it on both of your PlayStation devices with your PSN account. If it’s retail, obviously tying your disc and the download for the Vita together becomes more hairy.

      Like I said though, I actually DON’T know. We’re trying to find out, and of course I’m sure this is still being figured out with upcoming games like PSAS and Sly supporting Cross Buy too.

  • Will there be split screen co-op? If so, how many players?

  • Double Platinum?

  • OK, time to use the TAKEMYMONEYNATOR!

  • Oh man, I just thought of a better way to ask that question: “You know those platinums that are like Double Platinums?”

    “Chocolate Microscopes?”

    Seriously though awesome news, thanks James.

    Another question: Will the game be playable at PAX Prime?

    • Not sure yet on PAX Prime playability… though we do have a trick up our sleeve.

      AND if you’re coming to PAX, come to our Ratchet 10th Anniversary Panel on Sunday at 1:00pm in the Pegasus Theatre!

  • The MP sounds really cool. I think MOBAs are very interesting but I don’t have a Gaming PC so being able to play both a great R&C game and a MOBA is awesome. Will this game have Cross Controller support? Since this is tower defense, we could use the Vita’s screen as a map showing where the enemies are coming from, where are our allies,etc. Oh and since you see the price will be similar to Quest for Booty, could you tell me how much Quest for Booty was when it launched?

    • No cross controller support at this time.

      Q4B was 14.99 in the US when it launched. Though that may not be the exact price for FFA. FFA will be closer to $15 than $60 though

  • @ people saying they want this game as a retail release

    You people just aren’t reasonable. Think about what you’re asking for. They’ve already said that price-wise, they’re looking to be around the price of Quest for Booty. Now, I didn’t buy Q4B, but just off memory and common sense, I assume that was a 15-20 dollar game, right?

    So if this game is 20 dollars, how can you expect them to also do a retail release for that price? You do understand the high costs of manufacturing and distribution (and the polution these things cause), don’t you? Not to mention retailer’s cut. And taxes.

    My point is, for a $20 digital game to be put on disc and also sold at retail, it would probably end up being twice the price just for Insomniac and Sony to make the same profit as they would selling it for half the price digitally. Marvel vs Capcom 2’s physical release this gen is a perfect example, and they still didn’t even give you a disc, just a box and a download code, LOL.

  • ok thanks for the update your doing a really great job anwsering my qusetions! im really thankful for u guys at playstation! thanks alot, kep up the good work!

  • hey also will there be trophies? just asking i love trophies!

  • Thank you one million times for putting this on the Vita, especially an identical version to the PS3 one. That truly makes my day. This is going to be so much fun.

    2 things:
    1) Please do your best to include a platinum trophy. I’ve had a lot of fun and gotten a lot of replay value from trying to get a platinum trophy from a multiplayer game like Killzone 3 Multiplayer.

    2) During ranked matches, please make it so that a disconnect or especially a QUIT makes it an automatic loss for the quitter and win for the opponent no matter what. And feel free to program some way to publicly shame people who quit a lot. It would be nice to be able to choose not to play against someone because it clearly states how often they quit right next to their name.

  • so if its 2 players co op online that means i can play it with my little nephew on our vitas?

  • i was hoping for Angela cross as a playable character.

  • Is the co-op strictly split-screen local or available online as well? Because that would be awesome.

  • Thanks for the response James to my question.

    I truly appreciate the option of cross-buy and I plan on buying this game regardless of the cross-buy. However, what happens when a game like All-Stars Battle Royal comes out? This game is going to be available both digital and disc. If the cross-buy is digital only, then I am not able to take the game to a friends house and play without going through the process of deactivating my game account, activate on my friends playstation, then download the game which will take about an hour or more, etc.

    I would hope that cross-buy isn’t an PS store exclusive offer. I would hope they include a code in the retail game that allows you to download the vita version or vice versa.

    Regards

  • Also, what’s MOBA?

    • Multiplayer Online Battle Arena – that’s not to say this game is one, but it definitely has taken a lot of inspiration from that genre

  • You should totally do what Gearbox did last year!

    See you at the Panel James. Now time to think of the most nitpicky thing I can complain about:p

  • @36 – (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena)

  • Are the trophies shared between Vita and PS3? Or two separate?

  • thanks for the response, James. Glad to hear there is definitely a platinum. The major thing that kills the replayability of multiplayer games like this for me is when the community spirals downwards into a majority of rage quitters, who quit the game once they know they are going to lose. Having a visible stat that shows how often someone has quit a game would truly help.

  • Just curious, why is it up to Sony for the Collection to be on the Vita?

  • James, thanks for reply. :)
    Though, of course I’m getting the R&C HD Collection, I’ve already played those games a billion times. (slight exaggeration) :p
    But I just ask/beg/plead for you guys to keep my request in mind when developing future R&C titles. Thanks. ^_^

  • Well, I guess it would only help if there is a lobby where we can choose whether we want to play against someone or not.

  • The game look awesome, hoping for a playstation store release of disruptor that would make my day!

  • The cross buy program is the best promotion Sony has made yet. Games that are exactly the same on both consoles should always have this promotion. I like being able to play the game at home on the big screen and then being able to take it with me to work or school is awesome. When MLB The Show came out, Sony gave a discount if you bought both. I thought that was great, but would only really work on games that I absolutely had to have with me at all time. Offering the Vita version for free makes the purchase a lot easier. Hope to see this on more games in the future. Keep up the great work.

    Sold.

  • If it’s available on both systems for the price of one I’ll probably pick it up Day one. I also can’t wait for the Ratchet and Clank Collection!! I finally get to play those games!

  • Avatar photo

    Just a follow-up for anyone still reading, if you buy the game at retail in Europe you’ll get the Vita version to download. There’s a whole new system for this apparently, more details when we’re closer to launch. Regardless, cross-buy applies to retail AND digital.

  • Though I’m sure this is old news, I am glad to see Talwyn in the screen shots. Will she have the same kind of prominent role as she had in QFB? I missed her in the last two R&C games.

  • Will buy as soon as this drops on PSN. Any word on Ratchet Deadlocked HD for NA or EU? I know Japan is getting it.

  • I’m really starting to like this Cross Play feature over the remote play feature which we don’t even have yet. Having 2 copies of the game for one price seems the better way to go. And who wouldn’t wanna play Ratchet And Clank on the go! I can’t wait for this! This is gonna rock! Can’t wait to see Ratchet on the beautiful OLED screen! Is there a rough release date yet?

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