Ratchet & Clank took the PS2 platforming world by storm when it was released in 2002.  Large environments, tight control, innovative gameplay, and a great sense of humor made Ratchet & Clank a hit with gamers.  And then there were the gadgets and weapons.  First person shooters don't have half the weapons that appeared in Ratchet & Clank, let alone other platformers.  Great games almost always beget sequels, and Ratchet & Clank is no exception.  Ratchet & Clank Going Commando is due in November 2004 and promises to deliver bigger worlds, new gameplay, and, yes, new weapons.  We were lucky enough to have a chance to play a preview version of the game and we can tell you firsthand that you have a lot to look forward to in Going Commando.

The environments in Going Commando are even larger than in the first game.

In Going Commando, Ratchet & Clank have pretty much milked their fame for all it's worth and are facing a return to boring lives.  Just when it looks like fame has come to an end for our heroes, they are contacted by Abercrombie Fizzwidget, an inventor and CEO of Meg Corp.  It seems that someone has stolen Mega Corp's experimental proto pet and in the wrong hands the proto pet can be used to create a lot of destruction.  Fizzwidget enlists the help of Ratchet and Clank to retrieve the proto pet and their adventures begin anew.

The basic elements of gameplay remain the same in Going Commando.  Ratchet still has his trusty wrench which he can use to smash enemies and crates in his quest to solve the theft and collect as many bolts as possible along the way.  Clank again spends a lot of time strapped to Ratchet's back, providing assistance and helping Ratchet pull off moves like the helicopter glide.  Clank also gains a new ability in Going Commando which allows him to control other robots.  There are robots that attack enemies, open doors, move blocks, and turn themselves into bridges, so you can guess that this new ability will play a big role in puzzle solving in the game.

One of the first new features you'll notice is that killing enemies rewards Ratchet with experience.  When the experience bar at the top of the screen is filled, Ratchet gains a level and is rewarded with higher maximum health.  Ratchet also gains experience with each weapon he uses.  When he reaches a new level with a weapon, the weapon is automatically upgraded into a more powerful weapon.  This upgrade results in an entirely new weapon - for example the lava gun will turn into a meteor gun when you level up.  Speaking of weapons, there are 19 new ones in the game and players will be able to purchase some of the weapons from the first game by visiting a gadget vendor.  In addition to the new weapons, Going Commando also introduces armor that Ratchet can wear.  There are four different types of armor in the game, and they each provide Ratchet with a different degree of protection from enemies' attacks.

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