The Q-Force,[1] sometimes stylized as QForce,[2] refers to two teams formed by Captain Qwark in Up Your Arsenal and Full Frontal Assault.
The original team, based in the Starship Phoenix was formed by Qwark in the Solana Galaxy to combat Dr. Nefarious during his war against the galaxy, and featured Ratchet, Clank, Sasha Phyronix, and a group of other allies. Years later, Qwark reassembled the team in the Polaris Galaxy with only Ratchet and Clank in the Starship Phoenix II, to combat the threat of Stuart Zurgo's grungarian marauders to the Planetary Defense Centers around the galaxy.
A set of armor based on the Q-Force uniform is available in Rift Apart.
History[]
Up Your Arsenal[]
The Q-Force assembled.
Qwark formed the Q-Force after regaining his memory, when President Phyronix placed him in charge of the war against Dr. Nefarious.[3] The team included Ratchet, Clank, and Sasha Phyronix, captain of the Starship Phoenix, Qwark's monkey Skrunch, and several allies Ratchet and Clank had met in Ratchet & Clank. These were Al, inducted for his "mastery of electronics", Skidd McMarx, inducted for his "nerves of steel", and Helga von Streissenburgen, Qwark's fitness trainer inducted for her "sensual powers of seduction".[4]
Sasha sends Skrunch and a turboslider.
After forming the team, Qwark drew up his first plan to infiltrate Nefarious' base on Aquatos. In this, Ratchet would use the Tyhrra-Guise and Clank would sneak through the ventilation shaft with Skrunch to infiltrate Nefarious' office. Before reaching the office, Skidd, dubbing himself "shadow dude", joined to help infiltrate the underwater hideout using his Hacker.[5] After the plan was successful, Qwark drew up his next plan to attack Tyhrranosis, featuring Ratchet and Clank on the front lines while Skrunch operated the turboslider's turret. While Ratchet and Clank fought on the front lines, Qwark and the rest of the Q-Force remained on the lunch buffet on deck five of the Starship Phoenix for meatloaf day.[6] Qwark then swooped in after Ratchet defeated the Momma Tyhrranoid to take credit.
Skidd meeting Ratchet and Clank on Aquatos.
Throughout the war, the members had different roles. Ratchet and Clank fought on the frontlines, assisting the Galactic Rangers in most battles, and investigating Nefarious' plans. Helga trained the other members, giving them mandatory yoga class and running a Phoenix crew softball team,[7] as well as giving Ratchet and Clank a VR gadget training course to use the Hypershot and Hacker. Al provided logistical support to Ratchet and Clank around the battlefield, though at one point, he entered Clank in the Robowars cage match toasterweight division.[7] Skidd occasionally assisted Ratchet and Clank during battle, and when the other members were absent with Sasha and Qwark visiting the president, was left in charge of the ship.[8]
Skidd assisted Ratchet and Clank in the Obani moon system. After Ratchet and Clank left Skidd behind to help the Galactic Rangers in Operation: BLACK TIDE in Blackwater City, Rilgar, Courtney Gears arrived in a space limo. Unaware that she was with Nefarious, Skidd asked her to autograph his t-shirt, and was then captured by her.[9] Gears tested the Biobliterator on Skidd, transforming him into a robot
Qwark's funeral.
Later, after Ratchet and Qwark traveled to the Leviathan, Nefarious' ship, Qwark remained behind after the ship self-destructed. As the team could not detect an escape pod leaving the ship, they assumed Qwark was dead, and held a funeral in his honor.[10] However, Qwark had survived, and found the master plan data disk containing Nefarious' plans for the Biobliterator, which he left behind with his escape pod at the crash site on Zeldrin. When Ratchet and Clank learned this, Ratchet opted not to tell the rest of the team that Qwark had abandoned them, feeling it would demotivate them.[11]
The Q-Force in hiding.
Ratchet recovered the data disk, and sent it to Al to decode, while Al worked on reversing Skidd's transformation to turn him back into an organic lifeform.[12] As a result, the Starship Phoenix came under attack, though Ratchet and Clank rescued them and repelled the attack in "Get to the bridge". Having decoded the disk, the Q-Force informed Ratchet that the Biobliterator was recharging on Koros, with Veldin as its next target.[13] Ratchet and Clank destroyed this Biobliterator, though Al finished decoding the data disk and learned that a second Biobliterator had been constructed in secret on Mylon. Ratchet and Clank, with the help of Qwark, defeated Nefarious and destroyed the second Biobliterator.
Full Frontal Assault[]
The Q-Force aboard the Starship Phoenix II.
In Full Frontal Assault, three months following Qwark's defeat in the Presidential election, and in response to Stuart Zurgo's attacks on Planetary Defense Centers, Qwark reassembled the team in the Polaris Galaxy to combat Zurgo. The Polaris Defense Force was not permitted to intervene, as Zurgo warned he would shut down every Planetary Defense Center in the galaxy if he saw a single Polaris trooper meddling.[14] This team was made up of Ratchet, Clank, and Qwark, with help from the maintenance bots Bleep and Bloop, Mr. Zurkon,[15] and the Starship Phoenix II AI, Barry. Though the ship had the Plumber on board to help with maintenance,[14] this was actually Zurgo using a hologuise.[16]
Zurgo confronting the Q-Force on Markazia.
The Q-Force successfully restored three Planetary Defense Centers on Ebaro, Markazia, and Proteus VII. At this point however, Zurgo revealed his actual plan had been to lure the Q-Force off the ship to use his Plumber hologuise to steal Qwark's access key to the galactic weather grid that he had established during his presidency, and throw the galaxy's weather into chaos framing Qwark for the incident.[16] The Q-Force then returned to Ebaro to deactivate it, and to defeat Zurgo in his lair, after which they cleared Qwark's name,[17] while Zurgo was apprehended.[18]
Characteristics[]
Concept art of the Q-Force in Up Your Arsenal.
The Q-Force used the same logo as on Qwark's costume. During Up Your Arsenal, the team had a uniform of regulation green Q-Force tights, and not wearing this warranted a dress code violation.[7] Most members of the team wore this, aside from Ratchet and Sasha. The Q-Force maintains its own holo-net domain (q-force.com), where Qwark’s personal email is captainpectoral33@q-force.com.[19]
Technology[]
During Up Your Arsenal, the team also used small green shuttles, which had a roughly ovoid shape with two back-swept wings either side armed laser cannons, and one dorsal fin extending from the hull directly aft of the cockpit. These were seen piloted by Skidd on Aquatos, and by Qwark during the battle against the Biobliterator.
In Full Frontal Assault, the Starship Phoenix II more closely resembled this green shuttle design than the original. The Starship Phoenix II deployed these shuttles to planets, which contained weapon pods that Q-Force members could pick up on planets, and a Q-Force base.[20]
Gameplay[]
Up Your Arsenal[]
During Up Your Arsenal, Skidd McMarx helps Ratchet and Clank during "Infiltrate the underwater hideout" with his Hacker. Helga also awards the Hypershot and Hacker in "Complete VR Gadget Training". Beyond this, the Q-Force are available in the bridge in the Starship Phoenix but play a small role in gameplay.
Full Frontal Assault[]
Throughout Full Frontal Assault, in each level, the Q-Force deploys a Q-Force base[20] and a series of weapon pods. These weapon pods must be hacked to obtain a weapon to use during that weapon, although the weapon is deployed from the Starship Phoenix II itself, meaning that each player will retain the weapon's experience and upgrades across the levels. In new levels, different types of weapons become available in these pods, but it is not possible to unlock all weapons in a single level.
| Rank | Medals | Perk |
|---|---|---|
| Cadet | One | Enhanced Hyper-Strike |
| Officer | Three | Fast Hoverboot Swarmer Hoverboot |
| Hero | Five | Health Regeneration |
| Legend | Nine | Box Breaker |
| Master | Thirteen | Super Fast Hoverboot |
Promotions are used in Full Frontal Assault to reward Q-Force members for their actions. The promotion bar in the Starship Phoenix II features thirteen segments, and each segment indicates a medal. Medals are earned for successfully completing a level, doing so without losing any generators, and doing so in under a specific time limit. Four levels each offer three medals this way, with the last, Zurgo's Lair of Doom, offering only a medal for completing it.
Gaining a promotion grants improved armor, which in turns grants more nanotech (health), more weapon pods to be deployed in the field (meaning more can be equipped during a level), and perks. Perks are unique bonuses and upgrades to Ratchet's default equipment, such as a stronger Hyper-Strike, faster hoverboots and being able to run over minor enemies, the Box Breaker mechanic, and health regeneration.
Earning the rank of Master will grant the gold trophy "QForce Master".
Citations[]
- ↑ Up Your Arsenal
- ↑ Full Frontal Assault
- ↑ Up Your Arsenal script § "Captain Qwark Returns"
- ↑ Up Your Arsenal script § "Phoenix 3"
- ↑ Up Your Arsenal script § "Infiltrate the underwater hideout (gameplay)"
- ↑ Up Your Arsenal script § "Plan of Attack"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Up Your Arsenal script § "Other"
- ↑ Up Your Arsenal script § "Courtney Gears Music Video"
- ↑ Up Your Arsenal script § "Escape the Tyhrranoid Ambush (gameplay)"
- ↑ Up Your Arsenal script § "Phoenix 6"
- ↑ Up Your Arsenal script § "Supernova Taxi"
- ↑ Up Your Arsenal script § "Take Datadisk to Big Al (gameplay)"
- ↑ Up Your Arsenal script § "Get to the bridge (gameplay)"
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Full Frontal Assault script § "Phoenix 1"
- ↑ Full Frontal Assault script § "Mr. Zurkon"
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Full Frontal Assault script § "Phoenix 4"
- ↑ Full Frontal Assault script § "Ebaro 3"
- ↑ Into the Nexus script § "Find the Dimensionator (gameplay)"
- ↑ All 4 One script § "Confront Dr. Croid in the Hall of Paradoxology (gameplay)"
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Full Frontal Assault script § "Markazia 1"
References[]
- Insomniac Games (2004). Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal [Game]. PlayStation 2.
- Insomniac Games (2012). Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.
- Insomniac Games (2013). Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus [Game]. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 3.