The Gravity Boots are a recurring gadget in the Ratchet & Clank series introduced in Going Commando. They allow Ratchet to fully maneuver on compatible surfaces, including the ability to jump and use weapons. They also provide Ratchet the ability to grav-leap in Into the Nexus.
In Going Commando, Up Your Arsenal, and Deadlocked, the Gravity Boots are obtained from missions part-way through the game. In Tools of Destruction and later releases, they are available from the outset, and visibly resemble the Magneboots from the original Ratchet & Clank.
History[]
Going Commando[]
In Going Commando, Ratchet obtained the Gravity Boots after winning the "Battle for the Gravity Boots", the first arena battle in the Megacorp Games on Joba. He used them in cage matches in several Megacorp Games events after that, including the followup challenge, "Cage Match for the Infiltrator".
Ratchet later used the Gravity Boots in Silver City, Boldan, to navigate the city during "Find Mr. Fizzwidget". In "Meet up in the hangar bay" on Aranos, Ratchet used the Gravity Boots to traverse several rooms of the flying lab, and also to walk across the bottom of the ship. In "Rescue Angela" on Snivelak, Ratchet used the Gravity Boots to traverse part of a structure before reaching the bridge to the main city of the Thug HQ. Ratchet could also use the Gravity Boots to climb a tower in "Break into Megacorp Headquarters", Yeedil.
On Tabora, Ratchet used the Gravity Boots to reach a mining vehicle, placed atop a tower, and in the Megacorp Outlet on Oozla he used them to enter the Swamp monster II's lair and take the Box Breaker after its defeat.
Up Your Arsenal[]
Ratchet was given the Gravity Boots by the Galactic Rangers after helping them with Operation: BLACK TIDE in Blackwater City, Rilgar. A Ranger found them after tripping over a pair while running from the tyhrranoids, and gave them to Ratchet as they matched his size.[1] After obtaining them, Ratchet used the Gravity Boots in grav-ramps on various missions.
In addition to several missions, Ratchet used the Gravity Boots to obtain titanium bolts in Holostar Studios and in the laser defense system on Marcadia. He also used them to find the Gadgetron PDA in the Thran Asteroid Belt during "Find Captain Qwark", and to explore previously inaccessible portions of the Aquatos sewers during "Gather Sewer Crystals".
Deadlocked[]
Ratchet used Vox Industries' own distinctly designed manufactured boots in Deadlocked, obtained by completing the Valix Belt campaign. They were made to walk on specially designed Grav-O-Tronic surfaces, which were specifically used on Torval, Stygia, Maraxus, and the Ghost Station.
Other appearances[]
Ratchet possesses his own pair of Gravity Boots in Size Matters, and also uses a new pair in Tools of Destruction and the other subsequent Future trilogy games.
Gameplay[]
The Gravity Boots allow Ratchet to fully traverse specific compatible surfaces. Ratchet can jump and use any weapons or gadgets on these surfaces, provided he sticks to the specifically laid out surface and does not fall off.
In Into the Nexus, the Gravity Boots can be used to perform a grav-leap between magnetic surfaces. This allows Ratchet to jump from a surface, aim at another, and then leap towards it to attach to the new one. Ratchet must hold to aim at another surface, and then press to jump towards it. In Into the Nexus, the boots are used very frequently, used on every planet except for Thram and even during the Mr. Eye boss battle.
The Gravity Boots were also used by players during multiplayer in Up Your Arsenal.
Behind the scenes[]
While developing the Silver City, Boldan, Insomniac decided to include the Gravity Boots very prominently.[2] One idea they had was allowing enemies to walk on the walls, feeling that if Ratchet could, then it was logical the enemies would be able to also. This proved to be a large amount of work.[3] These enemies will fall off the rail and die after being hit. This was because enemies were supposed to be knocked back and react after being hit, but junior programmer Tony Garcia, who was responsible for coding Silver City, was intimidated by the amount of work it would have taken to code these reactions properly with the surfaces when it was difficult enough to get them to walk on the surfaces.[4]
Another idea Insomniac had for Going Commando in Boldan were the Gravity Spheres, small floating spheres that the player would traverse with the Gravity Boots, which feature in the Insomniac Museum. These would have been included in the area that in the final release is a combat section in a garden with a large stash of crates.[2] Brian Allgeier explains that they were removed because they were too difficult and nauseating to be included.[5]
The model shown for the boots in the Deadlocked equipment menu is actually the model used for the Grind Boots.
Although Ratchet employs the use of Gravity Boots in A Crack in Time and Into the Nexus, they do not appear at all in any of the games' inventory menus.
Citations[]
References[]
- Video games
- Insomniac Games (2003). Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 2.
- Insomniac Games (2004). Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal [Game]. PlayStation 2.
- Insomniac Games (2005). Ratchet: Deadlocked [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 2.
- High Impact Games (2007). Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation Portable.
- Insomniac Games (2007). Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.
- Insomniac Games (2008). Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.
- Insomniac Games (2009). Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.
- Insomniac Games (2013). Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.
- Videos
- Stout, Mike; Garcia, Tony [@uselesspodcasts] (2011, August 1). Ratchet & Clank 2 Dev Commentary: 20B - Gravity Boots [Video]. YouTube.