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The Daily Grind: What's your ideal small group size for instances?
I love hanging out with friends in-game, especially when we get enough of us on to go run a dungeon or two. However, I've noticed that the standard small group size in MMOs isn't exactly "standard;" it fluctuates from four to six depending on the game in queston. Four has the benefit of assembling a group easier and faster, although it perhaps makes it more difficult to slot all of the needed roles. On the other hand, six might be too many depending on how few folks log in that evening. But I'm not going to Goldilocks you folks by saying that five is "just right." The truth is, I don't know what I prefer in a small group size. Flexibility, I guess. So what's your ideal small group size for instances? Would you be open to MMOs boasting, say, a three-person or seven-person small group? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Deal of the Day: Ratchet & Clank for $15
Get ready for the release of Secret Agent Clank by playing the first PSP Ratchet game, Size Matters. High Impact did an incredible job of recreating the classic Ratchet gameplay on the handheld. Watch for the space missions: they're still some of the prettiest levels created for any PSP game to date.Check it out for $15 at amazon.com.[Via CAG]
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters drops to Greatest Hits price
The Greatest Hits line-up continues to grow. Well, at least according to amazon.com and Best Buy. Greatest Hits games are available at a budget price of $20. If you didn't pick up Size Matters yet, this is a great time to pick up a copy. Our review was quite favorable on Ratchet's first PSP outing -- at $20, it's a stellar deal.This price drop seems appropriately timed to get PSP fans ready for the upcoming Secret Agent Clank, another PSP follow-up to the always-popular Ratchet franchise.[Thanks, MikkoH.!]%Gallery-11888%
Size matters: Tauren shrinkage
For those of you who do not frequent the forums, you might not know that since patch 2.4, there has been a Tauren outcry. It seems that cows everywhere are logging in to find that their weapons are roughly 50% smaller than they were previously. Should you take your weapon out to get a better look at it, you'll get to watch it grow back to pre-patch size. Unfortunately, this is not a bug. Hortus has confirmed that it was an intentional change because certain weapons would clip the ground while sheathed. While the Tauren have been getting some support on the forums, some players seem unsure of why this is such a big issue. Let's take a deeper look into why players are upset, including the fact that cows will seemingly be the brunt of even more jokes. Not innocent jokes either; not like "steak! It's what's for dinner!"
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters set for March PS2 release
As was rumored in December of last year, the pint-sized version of Ratchet & Clank is set to make the leap from the PlayStation Portable to the PlayStation Not Very Portable But Considerably More Lucrative. Though ongoing publisher trends suggests the journey to the PS2 is less of a leap and more of a thoughtless sleep rollover, Size Matters' transition had yet to be confirmed outside of a retailer listing. Shacknews now reports that a recent PlayStation Underground e-mail confirmed the impending port, noting a March 2008 release. Though Sony hasn't officially announced it yet, it seems only prudent to place the game in as many hands as possible. Perhaps they'll even get Miyamoto to play this one.
Gamestop shows possible PS2 R&C: Size Matters boxart
After previously updating its site with a page for the rumored PS2 port of the PSP's Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, Gamestop has just posted what could be the game's boxart.Furthermore, Gamestop has a ship date of Feb. 12 for the semi-budget price of $30. While we previously classified this story as a rumor, it's probably fair to say the probability of this former exclusive PSP title being ported to the PS2.Sure, some PSP owners might be upset that their handheld is losing one of its better exclusive titles, but we're just happy more people will have the opportunity to play this wonderful game.[Via Siliconera]
Rumor: Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters gets ported to PS2
What's a system without exclusives? Sony is supposedly porting the former PSP exclusive Ratchet & Clank title, Size Matters to the PS2. This isn't the first time a major PSP game has jumped ship. Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories are some big examples of previous titles. However, should PSP owners get angry about this predicament? Not really. This game will be nearly a year old by its supposed February 2008 release, and PSP owners should be fixed on a much more important platform exclusive: God of War: Chains of Olympus. It's a trend that shouldn't be encouraged too much. Already, games like Silent Hill Origins are rumored to be heading to PS2 as well. PSP owners should be comforted by months of exclusivity and the ability to play these games on the go. Of course, maybe these companies wouldn't port these games to the PS2 if PSP owners actually bothered to, y'know, buy them.[Via Joystiq]
Ratchet & Clank interactive strategy guide
Did you ever get stuck in Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters? Well, have no fear! Sony has just released an interactive guide for the entire game, and we have it right here. There's over 60 pages of inside info for your perusal: not only on how to beat the game, but find its elusive secrets as well.Download for PC (18.1MB)Download for Mac (25.1MB)*Note: Please do NOT direct-link these files! Thanks.
Blurry R&C video walkthrough & glitches
IGN Boards user Biozell should become a game tester. This incredible Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters fan has burst open the secrets of the game. See his high-flying acrobatics find all the Titanium Bolts in the game (helpful!). Then, check out his videos of glitches he's discovered by jumping in all the right places. Seriously: how did he find all of this stuff?There's one unfortunate drawback to the mayhem: the videos are really, really blurry. We know that the PSP screen is hard to capture, simply because cameras don't seem to want to focus on it correctly. If you think you can handle the (very blurry) secrets of Ratchet & Clank, check out Zellhazard's YouTube page now.
Metareview: Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters just came out on PSP and a lot of gamers have high hopes for the title given the history of the series. We here at PSP Fanboy love Ratchet & Clank, but what about everyone else? It seems like most critics agreed with us, but let's see why: IGN (90/100) "It's packed with fantastic single-player content, has a strong multiplayer element, boasts a great visual and thematic presentation, and excels with razor-sharp gameplay mechanics." Yahoo! (100/100) "For the last two titles, the developers of Ratchet & Clank have done a wonderful job building full-featured multiplayer support into their games. Size Matters is arguably the best attemt to date. Although it only supports four players at a time, the maps and modes are meticulously build to wring the most out of multiplayer matches." 1UP (70/100) "If you're looking for a game that matches the quality of the previous games in the Ratchet franchise...well, keep looking." Not sure what game 1UP was playing, but they're the only one to even give the game anything close to that score, so if you're a fan I think you need to check out Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters.
Ad Critic: Ratchet & Clank's shrink ray
Surely, by now you've seen the brilliance of Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters' television spot. Like Size Matters, this commercial expands upon previous iterations. Does the "wacky weapon" idea from the PS2 commercials work for you? It certainly did for me.See also:PSP Fanboy review: Ratchet & Clank[Via IGN]
PSP Fanboy review: Ratchet & Clank
My first draft of this review featured a lengthy introduction ... and then I deleted it all so I could get to the point: you must buy this game. Whether or not you've played a Ratchet game before, you'll find that the game's fantastic visuals, excellent presentation, and downright fun gameplay make it a must-have for any PSP owner. While the game certainly has some flaws, the overall experience of the game is above and beyond most PSP games. Not since Daxter has a game on Sony's handheld exhibited such polish.
Hands-on: Ratchet & Clank's online multiplayer
I competed against various members of SCEA, High Impact Games, and other members of the press today in Rachet & Clank: Size Matters' Infrastructure multiplayer mode. Having become comfortable with the controls in single-player certainly helped the experience quite a bit, as I was raking up the kills, quickly becoming number one in the leaderboard (that position was unfortunately lost over time). The online interface is easy enough, and seems unchanged from the multiplayer beta that I participated in months ago. However, there were a few glitches in the process: some games were simply impossible to join, unless it was through the game's Quick Game option. Also, typing messages in the chat room is quite a troublesome burden, simply because of the game's reliance on the PSP's default on-screen keyboard. I found it quite easy to accidentally disconnect from a room while chatting, so I opted out altogether.The actual online gameplay was smooth, and surprisingly responsive. There wasn't any noticeable lag, and the graphics were on par with the impressive single-player graphics. The weapons are varied, as they are in the story mode, and can be upgraded through secret power-ups scattered throughout the level. However, the variety in weapons reveals that the game might not be too well-balanced, as certain weapons easily outclass others. One game ended in quite a bit of frustration, due to a camping sniper. While these kind of problems are common with online multiplayer games, it was surprising, and somewhat distressing to see.Also, each game is limited to four players. After an hour of play time, I have to admit that this simply isn't enough to enjoy the multiplayer potential. Levels seem slightly too large for only four players, especially in objective-based modes, where you will only have one partner. Personally, I found the objectives of Iron Lombax mode to be unclear. It would've been helpful to have more guidance to the next objective, a la Unreal Tournament.Ratchet & Clank's online multiplayer is not going to redefine online gaming. However, it is still an impressive effort, especially for a portable system. It's nice to see the developers include such a solid, but imperfect, experience ... and have it playable worldwide via Infrastructure. You'll be able to log-in and fight when the game ships next week. Expect a complete PSP Fanboy review soon. And don't forget to read past the cut to see all the multiplayer modes available in the game.
PSP Fanboy hands-on: Ratchet & Clank
Sony recently sent me a copy of Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters to try out, and so far, I have to say I'm quite impressed. While you'll have to wait until our full review on February 13th to get all the gory details, I'll briefly describe the time I've spent in single player so far. Firstly, the game is quite a visual stunner, especially with the character models. Both Ratchet and Clank are nicely detailed, and they're animated stupendously. There's full voice acting in all the cutscenes which is a nice plus.The levels themselves are fairly nice looking, and the framerate is very smooth. However, many areas feature some pretty bland textures. Ready at Dawn's Daxter seems to have better graphics, but that game didn't throw as many enemies and particles at you as this does.The controls are easy to pick up, and although the camera system isn't the most intelligent, it gets the job done. Moving Ratchet around in the environment is easy enough, with the analog nub used for general movement, and the D-Pad used for strafing. You'll frequently switch between these two inputs during battle: it works very well, but may be counter-intuitive for some.While the missions are a bit too long for my taste, the varied weapons, satisfying power-ups, terrific graphics, and quick load times are making Ratchet and Clank a winner so far. The game seems to feature a lengthy and varied single player experience and I can't wait to get through it all. Of course, the game includes online Infrastructure multiplayer as well.Expect a full review closer to the game's release.See also:Ratchet & Clank multiplayer beta hands-on
Ratchet & Clank interview showcases PSP's best graphics
Gamespot recently interviewed Leslie Mathieson from High Impact Games, developer of the upcoming PSP-exclusive platform-shooter Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters. Leslie talks about how the team wanted to stay true to the series' storytelling blah blah blah blah. I'm sorry, I couldn't pay attention to what she was saying because I was so mesmerized by the graphics of the game. The incredible detail, and fantastic animation, make it easily one of the best looking titles on our handheld. The still screenshots don't seem to do the game any justice. Do yourself a favor and watch the video now.
New screenshots of Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
Ratchet and Clank's PSP adventure was playable at E3 and impressed with its pretty graphics. Well, it appears that Gaming Horizon has secured some new pictures of the game, and it has an uncanny resemblance to the PS2 originals, which is a good thing. Can Ratchet and Clank live up to the high standards left by Ready at Dawn's Daxter? With a rumored 4-player wi-fi multiplayer mode, the answer could very easily be yes.[Via QJ]
