The Let's Play Archive

Ratchet & Clank

by kalonZombie

Part 2: Sketchbook

BONUS: Sketchbook

You can unlock the sketchbook by performing 15 of the 30 skill points in the game. Since you'd be long able to do that by Jowai Resort if you've been getting them all, I figure I should show them off.

WARNING
The description of the pictures (not necessarially the pictures themselves, however) contain spoilers in some cases. I'm NOT tagging which ones, and I'm just going to put a blanket statement down about them all. You have been warned.


The Game posted:

These are some of the concept sketches for Ratchet. We decided early on that he would be a bipedal alien creature with fur. And if anyone asks you, Ratchet is a Lombax.
Man, the one in the top right looks a lot like an Ottsel. It's a good thing Insomniac and Naughty Dog are bros.


The Game posted:

Clank too went through many forms. He was originally even younger looking with a bigger head and smaller body. In fact, at first Clank was three much smaller robots but in the end we decided to use just one so that we could develop his personality more easily.
Lookit Captain Underbite in the top left there. Also, Clank looks adorable wearing little pants. I wish Clank still wore little pants now.


The Game posted:

And here we have the final sketch for our two main characters. Ratchet came into existence on paper for the first time within two weeks of the initial idea for the game. This final sketch was done about three months later.


The Game posted:

Fort Krontos on Batalia came from the top sketch. We wanted to create forested islands under aerial attack. Then we turned it into more of tropical fort. Kind of the way development goes sometimes.

The bottom sketch was one of the many from which we stole pieces for various levels..
Pfft, I want sketches of Major Mustache. Where's my sketches of Major Mustache?


The Game posted:

These cliff-hugging structures evolved into the cliffside machinery you cansee in parts of the Logging Site on Planet Eudora. They were originally part of a populated city but we decided to make this a robot-only area.


The Game posted:

This is an element from the robot factory exterior on Planet Quartu. The factory on this planet is where Clank is made at the beginning of the game.
Not a spoiler because we saw it in the very first video. So shut up.


"The Game posted:

The top sketch is an early drawing of Blarg Depot on Planet Gaspar. The bottom is the production design for Blackwater City on Planet Rilgar.


The Game posted:

A hanging power source for one of our factories. Can you guess which one?
Nope!


"The Game posted:

The top drawing shows off early concepts for the Logging Site on Eudora. This was one of our first worlds and our initial goal was to create a forest-city. It changed drastically during production.

The bottom sketch shows off peaceful structures from the Bomb Factory on Planet Hoven.


The Game posted:

Generator concepts for Gorda City on Planet Oltanis. Because the city is plagued by lightning storms, the inhabitants use the generator to attract the lightning and convert it into useful energy.

Unfortunately Drek wants the generators for his new planets and the citizens don't stand a chance.
This level sucks, by the way. You'll see that in about... 4 or so updates from now.


"The Game posted:

One of the very first levels we prototyped was Metropolis on Planet Kerwan. We wanted lots of greenery built into the retro sci-fi buildings to create a unique contrast. We ended up removing most of the bronze caps though because they began to clash with the rest of the city.

This world was one of the first big ones we built and almost started a war between the designers and the artists.
Oh man, designer and artist wars are never pretty. The artists deface the designers desks with masterfully drawn pictures of dicks and the designers put stuff like "CHRIS SUCKS" into the level that you can only see with the editing program.


The Game posted:

This is the first concept for Qwark's HQ on Planet Umbris. We removed the lightning rods after we realized that it made the central structure look too small.

The general idea for Qwark's HQ was that it should be very reminiscent of a WWII battlefield replete with bunkers, machine guns and barbed wire.
I liked the lightning rods though. Bring back the lightning rods!


The Game posted:

Here's a building study for one of the structures near Qwark's trailer in Blackwater City. We ended up modifying it significantly though and the final result is a bit different...


The Game posted:

This is a good example of the palette studies we create for every world. This one was for Fort Krontos on Planet Batalia.

We ended up changing the weather from a sunny day to a rainstorm but the color palette didn't vary much from this painting.


The Game posted:

Two examples of the character sheets we use to model the enemies in the game. The top is a Blarg Trooper while the Blarg Commander is on the bottom.


The Game posted:

We love our robots! These are some of the head designs we created for the robot troops who fight Ratchet.

And if you look closely you can pick out our Animation Director and our Lead Character Designer.
Developers: Putting themselves in games since forever.


The Game posted:

Here's Ratchet's first ship. Too bad he wrecks it so early in the game. We wanted it to be a real homemade job - held together by chewing gum and wire. We still can't agree on exactly why he crashed it on Planet Novalis...
Your first "do it yourself" project is always going to suck, but considering it managed to get him to another planet in one piece, I'd say Ratchet did pretty good!


The Game posted:

Finished sketches for Qwark's ship and the Courier ship that Ratchet and Clank acquire. The idea was that the Courier ship would be a slow, dunky, durable vehicle - kind of like a mail truck.

Qwark's ship on the other hand was designed as a luxury craft - not too fast either but stylish and comfortable.
R.I.P. greenship.


The Game posted:

This is the original sketch for the Blarg Fighter that Ratchet and Clank pick up on Gemlik Base. We were going for sleek but deadly...


The Game posted:

The Grindboots, Mine Glove and what originally was the Defense Drone Glove. We changed the way Defense Drones work midway through the project so we no longer needed that glove.
I wish they changed them in a way that made them actually good (the drones suck well get to that soon).


The Game posted:

Here's one of our concepts for Giant Clank. Unfortunately the huge shoulder-mounted guns didn't make it in because they just weren't practical. But we did manage to keep Ratchet on Clank's back.
How are giant shoulder cannons "not practical"? Also BLASTOISE.


The Game posted:

Some fun enemy designs. One made it into the game, four didn't. Can you pick the winner?
I think it's the dude in the bottom left corner, but I'm not 100% sure.


The Game posted:

The many faces of Big Al. This was the first NPC (non-player character) we put into the game. He's probably what most people think game developers look like...
Man, Al with a mustache kinda reminds me of Dr. Light for some reason. I don't know why.


The Game posted:

One of the weapons that went through many iterations on paper was Ratchet's wrench. We didn't want something too generic plus it had to function as a tool and a weapon at the same time.

It's mistakenly called an 'axe' by many but the label is appropiate in some respects since you probably wouldn't want ot get whacked with it.
I actually thought of it more like a hammer than an axe.


The Game posted:

Designs for the Visibomb Gun (top) and the Suck Cannon (bottom). The Suck Cannon was one of the first weapons we designed and one of the few where the name stayed the same throughout the development process. It just had such a nice ring to it...
Both these guns are super overpowered and I love them.


The Game posted:

The top two designs are final versions of the Hydro-Pack. The bottom sketches are the designs for the Glove of Doom and Bomb Glove. The Glove of Doom is an office favorite...
The Glove of Doom is just the most weapon of death ever.


The Game posted:

Another early version of Ratchet. Notice the different proportions, lack of eyebrows and stripes. This was also an early box cover concept...
Ratchet looks WRONG in this. SO WRONG. Nothing is right about him! Gaaaah!


The Game posted:

This one should look familiar - the cover for the U.S. game box was derived from it. But more importantly, it was the first image of Ratchet unveiled to the world in March, 2002.
One heck of a ride, there.

And that's it! Join us next time when there's an actual video and everything!