When Insomniac Games signed up with EA to begin development on Overstrike and subsequently wrapped development on Resistance 3 and Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, it seemed like the once PlayStation-exclusive developer was going multi-platform for good. But it looks like Insomniac isn’t abandoning its PlayStation loyalties after all.
News crossed the wire today that, in addition to the HD trilogy collection of the original PS2 games, Insomniac is hard at work on a brand new chapter in the Ratchet & Clank universe. Suggestively subtitled Full Frontal Assault in true franchise style, the new R&C adventure will eschew the format of All 4 One for a return to the series’ roots in terms of the camera, controls and weapons. Other innovations will be implemented and online multiplayer will play a major role in some form, but details on those elements haven’t been announced at this time.
In the comments over on the PlayStation blog, Insomniac’s James Stevenson likens the game’s size to the previous PSN Ratchet & Clank, Quest for Booty, and also says that the game will “probably be the most replayable PS3 Ratchet & Clank game,” again hinting at whatever the mysterious online mode is.
In North America, Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault will be available this fall exclusively as a PlayStation Network digital download. However, in Europe the game will be released on Blu-ray in addition to PSN under the alternate title Ratchet & Clank: Q-Force. The HD remaster collection is scheduled to ship over the summer, and North American fans will get a “make good” bonus for having to wait for the compilation’s arrival past the June release in Europe. On the PS Blog, in response to another commenter Stevenson seems to hint that a Deadlocked HD remaster or PS2 Classics re-release is coming. Could that be the surprise make good?