Ratchet & Clank: Before the Nexus

Ratchet & Clank: Before the Nexus is a mobile application released for Android and iOS on December 18, 2013. The player plays as Ratchet and has to jump between grindrails in order to collect bolts which can be used to upgrade weapons and armor. It was released to promote Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus.



By syncing with a PlayStation Network account players can earn Raritanium for upgrading weapons in Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus.

Official description
"Ratchet and Clank: Before the Nexus™ brings the excitement of infinite running to the classic Ratchet and Clank™ franchise. Fight off Vendra and Neftin Prog as well as their assortment of evil minions, including the return of Thugs 4 Less! Hop between grindrails while avoiding hazards to collect bolts that can be used to upgrade Ratchet's weapons and armor. Collect Raritanium, which can be synced with your PSN℠ account and used in the exciting new PS3™ game Ratchet and Clank: Nexus™."

Development
The game was developed by Darkside Game Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment America on 18 December, 2013. The game's music was produced by David Bergeaud and the Groovitron music by Brian DeLucente.

Gameplay
Ratchet & Clank: Before the Nexus is an endless runner where the player must control Ratchet on three lanes, often grind rails. While traveling the player has to avoid obstacles, defeat or avoid enemies and collect various items such as bolts and gadgets.

Hero bolts can be collected to give the player an extra attempt if Ratchet is dazed by an obstacle or enemy instead of restarting the level. Firing weapons requires ammo which can be purchased with bolts collected in the game. A selection of weapons, weapons upgrades, gadgets, armor, and Raritanium can also be purchased from a shop with bolts.

Skill points
The game includes skill points which, when completed, earn the player 500 bolts each.

Achievements
Ratchet & Clank: Before the Nexus contains 20 achievements for players to complete.

In-app purchases
In addition to earning bolts through playing the game they can also be purchased from the store in small, medium and large crates of bolts.

Technical information
The game is available on iOS and Android. On iOS it is compatible with iPhones, iPads and iPod touches running on iOS 5.1 or later. It is optimized for iPhone 5. It takes 60.6 megabytes of space.

On Android it is compatible with devices running Android version 2.2 and up. It takes 47 megabytes if storage space.

Plot
In a live Polaris News Update, news announcer Stone Stonefield reported on the mysterious disappearance of the Terachnoid scientist Fleebar Snuttleblast, who was believed to have skipped work to attend a Captain Qwark vid-comic convention. However, it was later discovered he was abducted by the twin crime team, Vendra and Neftin Prog, lead suspects in the theft at Pollyx Industries.

On Terachnos Ratchet looked at the Prog Duo's M-class star cruiser as it flew past him and shot at him. He began chasing them across grindrails, city sections, inside buildings and on land, eventually defeating them and capturing Vendra while rescuing Terachnoids on the way.

Characters

 * Apogee, Talwyn
 * Clank
 * Plumber, The
 * Prog, Neftin
 * Prog, Vendra
 * Qwark, Copernicus Leslie
 * Ratchet
 * Smuggler
 * Snuttleblast, Fleebar
 * Stonefield, Stone

Enemies

 * Nefarious Trooper
 * Protoguard
 * Tesladrone
 * Thermosplitter
 * Thug
 * Jetpack Thug

Gadgets

 * Armor Magnetizer
 * Bolt Multiplier
 * Grind Boots
 * Groovitron
 * Heli-Pack
 * Hoverboots
 * Jetpack
 * Reflector
 * Rift Inducer
 * Tornado Launcher

Vehicles

 * M-class star cruiser
 * Taxi

Weapons

 * Buzz Blades
 * Constructo Pistol
 * Constructo Shotgun
 * Predator Launcher
 * R.Y.N.O.m

Armor

 * Heavy Armor
 * Holoflux Armor
 * Light Armor
 * Nexus Armor
 * Pilot Suit

Other technology

 * Grindrail
 * Jump pad
 * Robot
 * Vid-comic

Species

 * Lombax
 * Markazian
 * Nether
 * Terachnoid

Planets

 * Ratchet's dimension
 * Polaris
 * Breegus System
 * Vela Sector
 * Terachnos

Organisations

 * Pollyx Industries

Currency

 * Bolts
 * Hero bolt
 * Raritanium

Crates

 * Bolt Crate