Buzz Blades is a weapon in Tools of Destruction, A Crack in Time, Full Frontal Assault, Before the Nexus, Ratchet & Clank (2016 game), and Rift Apart. They also made an appearance in the Ratchet & Clank (movie). It is a pistol manufactured by GrummelNet Industries that rapidly fires lethal saw blades that ricochet off enemies and surfaces, hitting enemies multiple times.
In most appearances, Buzz Blades can be upgraded to the Doom Blades with use, which fires blades soaked in a high molarity, raritanium piercing hydro-chloric biocidic acid that continues to damage enemies after the blades had found their mark. In challenge mode, the Omega Doom Blades upgrade can be purchased.
History[]
Ratchet & Clank re-imagined[]
In the Ratchet & Clank film, the Buzz Blades were given to Ratchet during his training for the Galactic Rangers on Kerwan. He later used the weapon on Quartu to hit a button that locked a door to Nefarious' lab and then in his battle against Qwark on the Deplanetizer. The Buzz Blades were used by Ratchet in Captain's Qwark retelling of events.
Main continuity[]
The Buzz Blades were engineered by a gang of rogue kerchu carpenters[1] before being manufactured by GrummelNet. Ratchet first purchased them during the events of Tools of Destruction, upon reaching Ardolis, from a GrummelNet vendor. They were later used by both Ratchet and Rivet when sold by Mrs. Zurkon in Rivet's dimension.
Characteristics[]
Buzz Blades is a small, red and black pistol. It has two blue nozzles from which it fires its saw blades at enemies. The Doom Blades upgrade is a much longer and bulkier weapon, with longer saw blade nozzles and a left-hand grip. In Tools of Destruction, Ratchet held it with two hands, though he held it as a pistol in A Crack in Time and subsequent releases.
Gameplay[]
Overview[]
The Buzz Blades fire saw blades that ricochet between enemies and walls multiple times until they stop. It can therefore have devastating effects in small, enclosed spaces with many enemies for the saw blades to bounce between. It can still be somewhat effective against bosses or single enemies as a rapid fire weapon dealing decent damage, though the saw blades will ricochet more often against walls than against enemies, making it less efficient. It also fares poorly in open space when there is nothing for the blades to riochet against. Overall, the weapon is adaptable to many situations.
Tools of Destruction[]
Buzz Blades are available from a GrummelNet weapons vendor for 40,000 bolts upon reaching Ardolis. The Buzz Blades upgrade to the Doom Blades with use, which leaves acid behind after a blade hits an enemy, damaging them over time thereafter. This upgrade is a pure damage boost and furthers its use as a weapon to be used against multiple enemies, as its blades can apply the effect to all of them.
Of its raritanium upgrades, More ricochets is the most useful, which plays directly into its main strength, whereas More damage, More, ammo, and More bolts are just helpful in general. Its special upgrade, Cesium Blade Edges, causes blades that have gotten embedded (usually after expending all ricochets) to explode for 20% damage after 1.5 seconds. In practice this gives a negligible extra amount of damage, as blades do not always get stuck, and are not always near an enemy when they do explode.
In challenge mode they can be upgraded to the Omega Doom Blades for 8,000,000 bolts.
A Crack in Time[]
Buzz Blades are available from a weapons vendor upon for 30,000 bolts upon reaching Vorselon's warship in the Korthos Sector during "Rescue General Azimuth". If the player has a Tools of Destruction save file, it is discounted to 24,000 bolts instead. They similarly upgrade to the Doom Blades with use, and upgraded to the Omega Doom Blades in challenge mode for 416,000 bolts (or the discounted price of 312,000 if the player owned a Tools of Destruction save file).
The Buzz Blades functioned roughly identically to in Tools of Destruction, although it has less ammo and no raritanium upgrades. Nonetheless, it retains its versatility and its strength in a number of use cases, making it a very worthwhile purchase and a powerful ranged weapon against multiple enemies.
In challenge mode, they can be upgraded to the Omega Doom Blades for 300,000 bolts.
Full Frontal Assault[]
Buzz Blades are available in Full Frontal Assault, but with a much lower rate of fire, and could be found inside weapon pods. It can be upgraded to the Alpha Buzz Blades with use.
Ratchet & Clank (2016 game)[]
The Buzz Blades are available for purchase upon reaching Quartu. They once again upgrade to the Doom Blades with use, and raritanium weapons are also available for the weapon, though they are different in nature from Tools of Destruction. In challenge mode, the Omega Doom Blades were available to purchase once the holocard set is complete.
Buzz Blades play a similar role to those in Tools of Destruction and A Crack in Time, but need a more substantial raritanium investment to deal considerable damage. This is because the weapon's rate of fire is initially low until more raritanium upgrades are purchased to increase it. Once it is increased, the weapon becomes formidable against both bosses and clusters of enemies, and is extremely valuable.
Rift Apart[]
The Buzz Blades can be purchased from Ms. Zurkon upon reaching the Molonoth Gulch, Torren IV, for 27,500 bolts. They once again upgrade to the Doom Blades with use, can be improved with raritanium upgrades, and in challenge mode, the Omega Doom Blades can be purchased for 360,000 bolts.
As in Ratchet & Clank 2016, the Buzz Blades begin with a moderate rate-of-fire until they are upgraded with raritanium. After a raritanium investment, improving its rate of fire and the ricochet bounces of the blades, the weapon become formidable and versatile, effective against both bosses and clusters of enemies. In Rift Apart specifically, the Buzz Blades serve a particularly useful role due to the weapon's long range, making it strong against ranged and flying enemies. This means the Buzz Blades can effectively render the Burst Pistol obsolete, and due to the weapon's damage, it remains useful throughout most of the game after it is acquired.
When fully upgraded with experience, it upgrades to the Doom Blades, and its effect now causes the blades fired to split into two upon first hitting an enemy or surface, greatly enhancing the damage that the weapon is able to deal.
Behind the scenes[]
The saw blades in Tools of Destruction glowed blue and had blue sparkle trails, but the blades in A Crack in Time did not glow, and had yellow trails.
In Tools of Destruction the ammo for the Buzz Blades were called "Buzz Blades saws" or "Doom Blades saws", depending on whether the weapon was at V5. In A Crack in Time the ammo was called "Buzz Blades", regardless of whether the weapon was at V5 or not.
The Buzz Blades appeared in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.
Notes[]
Annotations[]
- ↑ Becomes 50 per pickup with Crate Ammo upgrade
Citations[]
References[]
- Insomniac Games (2007). Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.
- Insomniac Games (2009). Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.
- Insomniac Games (2012). Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.
- (2013). Ratchet & Clank: Before the Nexus [Game].
- Insomniac Games (2016). Ratchet & Clank [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 4.
- (2016). Ratchet & Clank [Game].
- Insomniac Games (2021). Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 5.