151-429: Ratchet & Clank is a series of action-adventure platform and third-person shooter video games created and developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation consoles, such as PlayStation 2 , PlayStation 3 , PlayStation 4 , and PlayStation 5 , with the exception of Size Matters and Secret Agent Clank , both of which were developed by High Impact Games for
302-462: A Halo -themed massively multiplayer online game , often referred to as Titan Project , or just Titan . The project was canceled internally in 2007–2008, without a formal announcement from Microsoft. 343 Industries announced a free-to-play Halo multiplayer game for Windows PC, Halo Online , in 2015. The game launched with a closed beta test limited to Russia that year. The title was developed with Saber Interactive using modified version of
453-619: A fantasy " setting. Tutankham , debuted by Konami in January 1982, was an action-adventure released for arcades . It combined maze, shoot 'em up, puzzle-solving and adventure elements, with a 1983 review by Computer and Video Games magazine calling it "the first game that effectively combined the elements of an adventure game with frenetic shoot 'em up gameplay." It inspired the similar Time Bandit (1983). Action Quest , released in May 1982, blended puzzle elements of adventure games into
604-446: A joystick -controlled, arcade-style action game, which surprised reviewers at the time. While noting some similarities to Adventure , IGN argues that The Legend of Zelda (1986) by Nintendo "helped to establish a new subgenre of action-adventure", becoming a success due to how it combined elements from different genres to create a compelling hybrid, including exploration, adventure-style inventory puzzles , an action component,
755-566: A monetary system , and simplified RPG-style level building without the experience points . The Legend of Zelda series was the most prolific action-adventure game franchise through to the 2000s. Roe R. Adams also cited the arcade-style side-scrolling fantasy games Castlevania (1986), Trojan (1986) and Wizards & Warriors (1987) as early examples of action-adventure games. Games like Brain Breaker (1985), Xanadu (1985), Metroid (1986) and Vampire Killer (1986) combined
906-501: A remake of the first game , informed by the changes made for the film's screenplay. Alongside Insomniac's development, the series has included two spin-off games developed by High Impact Games designed for the PlayStation Portable , Size Matters (2007) and Secret Agent Clank (2008). The next game, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (2021), was revealed at the 2020 PS5 Future of Gaming event on June 11, 2020. Initially
1057-759: A subgenre of open world action-adventure video games in the third-person perspective . They are characterized by their likeness to the Grand Theft Auto series in either gameplay or overall design. In these types of open world games, players may find and use a variety of vehicles and weapons while roaming freely in an open world setting. Metroidvania is a portmanteau of Metroid and Castlevania ; such games are sometimes referred to as "search action", and are generally based on two-dimensional platformers. They emphasize both exploration and puzzle-solving with traditional platform gameplay. Survival horror games emphasize "inventory management" and making sure
1208-475: A "Lombax", a name Price had come up with. Along with this character they named Ratchet, they gave him a robotic companion, Clank. Originally developed as a childlike version of the Star Wars character C-3PO , they later decided that Ratchet and Clank should work instead like a buddy cop film , and made Clank an equal to Ratchet. The first game Ratchet & Clank , released in 2002, was successful. In planning
1359-582: A "multi-discipline research and reflection" project experimenting with the series' aesthetics in Unreal Engine 5, while also acting as a reference tool for training developers on future entries. The success of the main Halo trilogy spurred the creation of spin-off games. Halo Wars is a real-time strategy game developed by Ensemble Studios for the Xbox 360. Set in the year 2531, the game takes place 21 years prior to
1510-666: A Halo ring to stop the Covenant and the threat of the Flood. Master Chief defeats the Prophet of Regret, leading to the Prophets of Truth and Mercy denouncing the Sangheili race as no longer the most honorable species amongst the Covenant. This began a civil war within the Covenant, with many grappling over the revelation that their religion was false. The disgraced former Covenant Sangheili commander known as
1661-532: A Light-Eating Z'Grute back to life. The Light-Eating Z'Grute gets out of Nefarious' control, however, and they all work together to stop it. After killing the Light-Eating Z'Grute, they get captured by a mysterious drone, but they break free thanks to a little Tharpod girl called Susie. After escaping, they realize they are on an unknown planet and that if they want to get back home, they will have to cooperate. Full Frontal Assault ( QForce outside of North America)
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#17328798753161812-521: A Windows version of Halo: The Master Chief Collection even though such a version would later officially release in December 2019 and would later include maps from Halo Online in further updates to the game. A Mega Bloks -branded spinoff game, similar to the style of Lego video games, was prototyped for the Xbox 360 and never pursued several years prior to details and footage of the game leaking in 2017. Halo characters have appeared in tie-ins, such as
1963-505: A black ops team of Spartan supersoldiers assigned to the UNSC Office of Naval Intelligence. The rebranded comic, Halo: Blood Line , debuted in December 2009. The most recent comic series is a comic retelling of the novel Halo: The Fall of Reach , titled Halo: Fall of Reach . Fall of Reach is split into three mini-stories: Boot Camp , Covenant , and Invasion . Two new series were announced in 2013. A three-part series, Halo: Initiation
2114-502: A central hub for Halo content called Halo Waypoint. Waypoint is accessed from the Xbox 360 Dashboard and offers players access to multimedia content in addition to tracking their Halo game "career". O'Connor described Waypoint as intended to be the prime destination for Halo . In December 2014, 343 Industries general manager Bonnie Ross expressed Microsoft's aim for the Halo series to last at least 30 more years. Halo 5: Guardians ,
2265-545: A choice of what to say. The NPC gives a scripted response to the player, and the game offers the player several new ways to respond. Due to the action-adventure subgenre's broad and inclusive nature, it causes some players to have difficulty finishing a particular game. Companies have devised ways to give the player help, such as offering clues or allowing the player to skip puzzles to compensate for this lack of ability. Brett Weiss cites Atari 's Superman (1979) as an action-adventure game, with Retro Gamer crediting it as
2416-477: A coin-operated arcade game called Halo: Fireteam Raven that was released in the later part of 2018, with Round1 USA and Dave & Buster's arcades releasing first. Alternative reality games have been used to promote the release of Halo games, beginning with the Cortana Letters , a series of cryptic email messages, circulated by Bungie prior to Halo: Combat Evolved ' s release. I Love Bees
2567-474: A combination of complex story elements, which are often displayed for players using audio and video. The story is heavily reliant upon the player character's movement, which triggers story events and thus affects the flow of the game. Popular examples of action-adventure games include The Legend of Zelda , God of War , and Tomb Raider series. There is a good deal of controversy over what actually constitutes an action-adventure game. One definition of
2718-588: A complete set of armor is found and equipped, it can enhance specific player abilities. Announced at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show , Secret Agent Clank was developed by High Impact Games, who developed Size Matters . It is available for the PlayStation Portable and was released on June 17, 2008. This game was released for the PlayStation 2 on May 26, 2009. The game focuses on Clank as the playable character, due to Ratchet being wrongfully imprisoned, emphasizing
2869-448: A complex text parser and no free-moving character. While they share general gameplay dynamics, action-adventures vary widely in the design of their viewpoints, including bird's eye , side-scrolling, first-person, third-person , over-the-shoulder, or even a 3/4 isometric view . Many action-adventure games simulate a conversation through a conversation tree . When the player encounters a non-player character , they are allowed to select
3020-413: A console game is something entirely new — and entirely wonderful." In an editorial for Edge , N'Gai Croal stated that Forge could "help prove the viability of user-generated content on consoles." Halo 3' s iteration of Forge has received comparisons to Garry's Mod , a 2004 Half-Life 2 mod with a similar emphasis on free-form construction and experimentation. Outside of its intended use as
3171-517: A game with a mix of elements from an action game and an adventure game , especially crucial elements like puzzles inspired by older adventure games. Action-adventures require many of the same physical skills as action games, but may also offer a storyline, numerous characters, an inventory system, dialogue, and other features of adventure games. They are typically faster-paced than pure adventure games, because they include both physical and conceptual challenges. Action-adventure games normally include
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#17328798753163322-406: A hint or reference to the character in the first game). They spent more time on developing interesting weapons to make the combat as enjoyable as the platforming sections of the game. Both the sequel Going Commando and the following game Up Your Arsenal were well-received and considered commercial successes. Allgeier considered that these games had success because they were continually evolving
3473-444: A major player in the video game console space. Its sequels expanded the franchise's commercial and critical success, and have sold more than 81 million copies worldwide. With more than $ 6 billion in franchise grosses, Halo is one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time , spanning novels, graphic novels, comic books, short films, animated films, feature films, and other licensed products . Many millions of years ago,
3624-453: A map editor, Forge has been used to create art installations by arranging in-game props to draw pictures and write messages. Game modes and maps created in Forge have occasionally informed the development of Halo itself. Grifball, a fictional sport that originated in the Halo -themed web series Red vs. Blue , inspired a popular user-created Forge map and game mode styled after rugby . Grifball
3775-614: A new body. After Ratchet defeats Slag/Darkwater, he and Talwyn obtain the Fulcrum Star. Ratchet then activates the Obsidian Eye, and learns Clank's fate: the Zoni have him at the Great Clock, where he is malfunctioning. The Zoni reveal that they have hired Dr. Nefarious to repair Clank. Ratchet sets off to rescue Clank, and the story ends with Rusty Pete narrating to the head of Slag, which survived
3926-753: A new parasitic species, connected by a hivemind to the minds of the last Precursors: the Flood . The Forerunners sent the humans to Earth, reverting them to a primitive civilization based in Africa , and fought the Flood, which spread through an infestation of sentient life and overran much of the Milky Way Galaxy . Exhausting all other strategies, the Forerunners conceived the Halo Array — ring-shaped megastructures and weapons of last resort that would destroy all sentient life in
4077-606: A new updated design, wearing glasses and having a more detailed outfit. He provides Ratchet with a spare part for the Dimensionator that proves valuable in the game's climax. He then appears once again in Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time in Clank's memory banks. When Clank shows up, The Plumber states that he "must've taken a wrong turn somewhere" and mistook it for Qwark's mind because of
4228-403: A planned co-operative element from Tools of Destruction , Insomniac wanted to produce a new title quickly for Sony to avoid some of these concerns, and came up with the more experimental Quest for Booty (2008), a shorter title that played with gameplay elements not previously used in the series, like conversation trees . Quest for Booty helped Insomniac to determine where they wanted to take
4379-411: A position to work on what I love in a franchise I love." Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori collaborated to produce the soundtracks for Bungie's Halo games. Approached by Bungie to produce something ancient and mysterious for Halo ' s debut, O'Donnell decided to compose a theme using Gregorian chant , joining in with others to sing the vocal parts. Due to the varying nature of gameplay,
4530-447: A retrospective article in Edge , Bungie's Jaime Griesemer commented, "The influence of something like Ringworld isn't necessarily in the design—it's in that feeling of being somewhere else. That sense of scale and an epic story going on out there." Griesemer also explained, "One of the main sources of inspiration was Armor [by John Steakley ], in which a soldier has to constantly re-live
4681-417: A sequel to Halo Wars titled Halo Wars 2 . The soundtrack was composed by Gordy Haab , Brian Lee White and Brian Trifon under the direction of Paul Lipson who had helped in the audio and music of nearly every previous Halo title. The Halo Wars 2 soundtrack featured many melodies from the music that Stephen Rippy had composed for the first Halo Wars but with new arrangements and more melodies to represent
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4832-427: A side story, Halo 3: ODST (2009), and a prequel, Halo: Reach (2010). Reach was Bungie's final work on a Halo release. While Bungie remained involved in the Halo series by developing games such as ODST and Reach , the rights to Halo remained with Microsoft. To oversee everything Halo , Microsoft created an internal division, 343 Industries , to oversee the franchise. 343 had already codeveloped
4983-705: A side-scrolling platformer format with adventure exploration, creating the Metroidvania platform-adventure subgenre. Similarly, games like 005 (1981), Castle Wolfenstein and Metal Gear (1987) combined action-adventure exploration with stealth mechanics, laying the foundations for the stealth game subgenre, which would later be popularized in 1998 with the releases of Metal Gear Solid , Tenchu: Stealth Assassins , and Thief: The Dark Project . The cinematic platformer Prince of Persia (1989) featured action-adventure elements, inspiring games such as Another World (1991) and Flashback (1992). Alone in
5134-648: A single Blu-ray Disc as a Classics HD title, published by Sony Computer Entertainment . The games were originally developed by Insomniac Games, who have assisted in the remastering alongside Idol Minds to provide support for high-definition monitors, higher frame rates, stereoscopic 3D , and additional features for the PlayStation Network. The HD collection was released on June 29, 2012, in Europe and on August 28, 2012, in North America. A PlayStation Vita version of
5285-400: A single avatar as the protagonist . This type of game is often quite similar to role-playing video games . They are distinct from graphic adventures , which sometimes have free-moving central characters, but also a wider variety of commands and fewer or no action game elements and are distinct too from text adventures , characterized by many different commands introduced by the user via
5436-677: A species known as the Precursors assumed the Mantle of Responsibility - the guardianship of life in the galaxy. The Precursors chose an ancient form of humanity as their successors, over another species known as the Forerunners. In retaliation, the Forerunners attacked their former masters and drove the Precursors into extinction. Instead of fighting back, the Precursors allowed themselves to die, with some turning into dust intended to spread and later transform into themselves once again. This dust eventually became defective, infecting and contorting organisms into
5587-482: A tail, but more similar to a fox 's or a raccoon 's tail than a lion's. Ratchet is left as the last known Lombax in his dimension after A Crack in Time , as Azimuth dies and Angela is missing in action; her current location is unknown. The main characters in the series are Ratchet, a Lombax mechanic from the planet Veldin, and his robotic best friend Clank, who was created in a robot factory on Quartu. However, in Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time , it
5738-528: A title exclusive to PlayStation 5 , it was later released on Windows on July 26, 2023. Ratchet & Clank was released on November 4, 2002, in North America for the PlayStation 2. In the game, Chairman Drek plans to take pieces from other planets across the Solana Galaxy and create one new planet for his people, the Blarg, whose planet has become polluted and overpopulated, thus making it uninhabitable. Aside from
5889-460: Is a PlayStation 5 entry. The game explored the story of the titular characters after the events of Into the Nexus as they traverse across different worlds in multiple realities to stop their archenemy, Doctor Nefarious , from exploiting a catastrophic dimensional collapse caused by the malfunctioning Dimensionator to finally achieve his dream of completely exterminating organic life in all universes. It
6040-489: Is a fictional species from the series. Lombaxes originated from the planet Fastoon and have an appearance similar to bipedal anthropomorphic felines with a tail similar to that of a lion . Unlike most other organic species in the games' universe, which have two fingers and a thumb on each hand, lombaxes possess the human hand configuration (four fingers and a thumb on each hand). The species has an instinctive affinity towards gadgetry and machines. The only Lombaxes featured in
6191-537: Is a short game developed by Insomniac Games and was digitally released on August 21, 2008, on the PlayStation Network Store. It was later released as physically in Europe and Asia, but not North America. It is also known as Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty in most PAL regions and as Ratchet & Clank Future Gaiden: Kaizoku Dark Water no Hihou in Japan. Taking place where Tools of Destruction left off,
Ratchet & Clank - Misplaced Pages Continue
6342-729: Is an action game that includes situational problem-solving. Adventure gamers may also be purists, rejecting any game that makes use of physical challenges or time pressure. Regardless, the action-adventure label is prominent in articles over the internet and media. The term "action-adventure" is usually substituted for a particular subgenre due to its wide scope. Although action-adventure games are diverse and difficult to classify, there are some distinct subgenres. Many games with gameplay similar to those in The Legend of Zelda series are called Zelda clones or Zelda -like games. Popular subgenres include: A Grand Theft Auto clone belongs to
6493-728: Is retained, an additional option to engage the game's single-player campaign as two-player co-op has been introduced, although it bears no effect on the outcome of the plot. Though Deadlocked was not included in the retail high-definition collection of the original trilogy for PlayStation 3, a high-definition version of the game was released as a downloadable title on the PlayStation Network on May 21, 2013, in North America, and on September 5, 2013, in Europe. Tools of Destruction (known as Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction in Europe and Australia and Ratchet & Clank Future in Japan)
6644-496: Is revealed Clank has a Zoni father named Orvus, who was said to have created this machine and purposefully created Clank. The player controls Ratchet for the majority of each game (with the exception of Secret Agent Clank ), though certain missions will require the player to directly control Clank. Otherwise, Clank sits on Ratchet's back (in a backpack-style fashion) and is used to provide useful jumping, hovering and diving abilities through various upgrades. These upgrades are given over
6795-460: Is the Solana Galaxy's self-proclaimed superhero, though he is in reality a cowardly blowhard whose egotistical actions frequently cause more trouble for Ratchet and Clank. Before becoming an "ally" from Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal and on, he started as the secondary antagonist of the original Ratchet & Clank and the main antagonist of the direct sequel Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando . The Plumber (voiced by Neil Flynn in
6946-507: Is the weapon purchase system, with bolts remaining as the primary currency throughout. The game retains the series' signature weapons dealer, "Gadgetron". The game introduces a multiplayer mode, featuring 4-player split-screen play with online play supporting up to 8 players, with staple match types such as Deathmatch or Capture The Flag . Space battles and race mini-games of the previous games are not present in Up Your Arsenal , same for
7097-553: The Halo Legends animated series and had overseen production of Halo: Reach and 2011's Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary , a remaster of the franchise's debut title. The next game in the series, Halo 4 , was announced at E3 2011 as the first entry in what would be originally known as the "Reclaimer Trilogy". The game included many staples of previous games, such as new or redesigned weapon types, an improved map-editing tool and expanded multiplayer options and maps. Halo 4
7248-574: The Uncharted franchise, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Ark: Survival Evolved . Halo (franchise) Halo is a military science fiction video game series and media franchise , originally developed and created by Bungie and currently managed and developed by Halo Studios (previously 343 Industries), part of Microsoft 's Xbox Game Studios . The series launched in November 2001 with
7399-622: The Arbiter , along with the rest of his race, helped the humans destroy the Covenant and stop the Prophet of Truth from activating the Halo Array via the Ark. The Human-Covenant War ended, though new conflicts began to emerge throughout the universe. In the post-war era, the UNSC trains a new generation of Spartans, and tensions between the UNSC and colonist rebels resumed. The Master Chief and Cortana accidentally free
7550-489: The Halo universe. In the 2000s, spin-off titles were planned or rumored for the Game Boy Advance , Gizmondo , Ultra-Mobile PC , and Nintendo DS . Microsoft announced an episodic video game to be developed by film director Peter Jackson 's Wingnut Interactive in 2006. The game, Halo: Chronicles , was ultimately canceled as part of budget cuts tied to job layoffs in January 2009. Ensemble Studios developed
7701-500: The Halo 3 engine, and published by Innova Systems. The project was canceled in August 2016. Players modified the game to circumvent the region limitations and add new content after the project's official cancellation. The "ElDewrito" project saw legal takedowns from Microsoft for violating its game usage rules. Despite this, ElDewrito's playerbase remained active, and the modders claimed its popularity hastened Microsoft's plans to release
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#17328798753167852-511: The Mac game market because it was smaller and easier to compete, Bungie became a preeminent game developer on the platform. What became Halo: Combat Evolved started as a real-time strategy game for the Mac, originally code-named Monkey Nuts and Blam! , and took place on a hollowed-out world called Solipsis. The planet eventually became a ringworld called "Halo", which became the game's title. Halo
8003-501: The PlayStation Portable . The series was exclusive to Sony platforms until Rift Apart received a Windows port in 2023. An animated feature film adaptation was released in 2016. The games take place in a science fiction setting and follow the adventures of Ratchet and Clank – a feline humanoid mechanic of the Lombax race, and a diminutive, sentient Zoni "defective" robot – as they travel through
8154-728: The Spyro series was owned by Universal Interactive Studios . With the PlayStation 2 recently announced in 2000, Insomniac began to prototype ideas for games on this new console. One, called Monster Knight , never got past the prototyping stage, while a second, called Girl with a Stick and aimed to be a mashup of The Legend of Zelda and Tomb Raider series, had about six months of development work before Insomniac's CEO, Ted Price, decided to cancel it as "the team wasn't feeling it", according to director Brian Allgeier. Now in 2001 and struggling with ideas, Chief Creative Officer Brian Hastings proposed
8305-434: The first-person shooter video game Halo: Combat Evolved and its tie-in novel, The Fall of Reach . The latest major installment, Halo Infinite , was released in late 2021. Spinoffs include real-time strategy and twin-stick shooter games. Combat Evolved started life as a real-time strategy game for personal computers, turning into a first-person shooter exclusive to the Xbox video game console after Bungie
8456-622: The " Halo sound". Rather than use the Northwest Sinfonia, Rippy traveled to Prague and recorded with the FILMharmonic Orchestra before returning to the United States to complete the music. A standalone compact disc and digital download retail version of the soundtrack was announced in January 2009 for release on February 17. The music of Halo 4 was composed by Neil Davidge and Kazuma Jinnouchi. The Halo 4 Original Soundtrack
8607-416: The "Golden Triangle of Halo ". The player's health is measured in both hit points and a perpetually recharging energy shield. Released for the Xbox in November 2001, Windows and Mac OS X ports were later developed by Gearbox Software , and released in 2003. A stand-alone expansion, entitled Halo: Custom Edition , was released as a Windows exclusive, and allowed players to create custom content for
8758-661: The "Secret Agent Clank" persona suggested in previous games. Gameplay features the series' standard focus on using gadgets and engaging enemies in combat, but also introduces sequences requiring stealth. An Insomniac Games production that was revealed at Gamescom 2010 on August 17, 2010. The game has online multiplayer and 4-player co-op featuring the use of drop-in/drop-out, offline/online gameplay. The game mainly focuses on this cooperative play. Teammates can work together, even using weapons between players. Players can take control of Ratchet , Clank , Captain Qwark and Dr. Nefarious . It
8909-420: The "emptiness". He then tells Clank "I wouldn't risk any more than six minutes", a piece of advice that ultimately allows Clank to save Ratchet from death by reversing time. Action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, classical adventure games have situational problems for
9060-813: The "first to utilize multiple screens as playing area". Mark J.P. Wolf credits Adventure (1980) for the Atari VCS as the earliest-known action-adventure game. The game involves exploring a 2D environment, finding and using items which each have prescribed abilities, and fighting dragons in real-time like in an action game . Muse Software 's Castle Wolfenstein (1981) was another early action-adventure game, merging exploration, combat, stealth, and maze game elements, drawing inspiration from arcade shoot 'em ups and maze games (such as maze-shooter Berzerk ) and war films (such as The Guns of Navarone ). According to Wizardry developer Roe R. Adams, early action-adventure games "were basically arcade games done in
9211-548: The "wealth of influences adopted by the Bungie team", a list of Bungie employees' favorite science fiction material was published on the company's website. The developers acknowledged that the Halo series' use of ring-shaped megastructures followed on from concepts featured in Larry Niven 's Ringworld and Iain M. Banks ' Culture series (of which Consider Phlebas and Excession were said to be particularly influential). In
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#17328798753169362-436: The 2007 New York Comic Con , Marvel Comics announced they would be working on an ongoing Halo series with Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev . The limited series, titled Halo: Uprising , bridges the gap between the events of Halo 2 and Halo 3 ; initially planned to conclude shortly before the release of Halo 3 , the constant delays led to the final issue being published April 2009. Marvel announced at
9513-440: The 2009 Comic Con that two new comics, a five-part series written by Peter David and a second series written by Fred Van Lente , would appear the coming summer and winter. David's series, Halo: Helljumper , is set prior to Halo: Combat Evolved and focuses on the elite Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. The five-part series was published between July and November 2009. Lente's series, originally titled Spartan Black , revolves around
9664-656: The Collection was released in Europe on July 2, 2014, and it was released in North America on July 29, 2014. The Vita version was again ported by Insomniac Games, but this time with help from Mass Media . Ratchet & Clank is set in a fictional universe that emphasizes interplanetary travel within several different galaxies. Numerous biological and robotic species populate these planets, which range from highly developed metropolises to uncolonized biospheres. The Future series introduced additional elements of time travel and interdimensional travel within certain levels. The Lombax
9815-454: The Covenant invaded Reach in 2552, the UNSC's last major stronghold besides Earth, Master Chief John-117 was left as one of the few remaining Spartans. The rediscovery of the Halo rings later that year set the humans against the Covenant, who believed they were instruments of transcendence, not destruction. Master Chief and his artificial intelligence Cortana are instrumental in the destruction of
9966-486: The Dark (1992) used 3D graphics , which would later be popularized by Resident Evil (1996) and Tomb Raider (1996). Resident Evil in particular created the survival horror subgenre, inspiring titles such as Silent Hill (1999) and Fatal Frame (2001). Action-adventure games have gone on to become more popular than the pure adventure games and pure platform games that inspired them. Recent examples include
10117-558: The Didact and he briefly returns to assert supremacy over humanity, though he is foiled by the pair, resulting in Master Chief initially believing Cortana dead in the attempt. Cortana's survival through the Domain leads her to break with the UNSC and assert a new hegemony over the galaxy, with artificial intelligence (the "Created") in control. After two years of a scattered war between Cortana and
10268-597: The Latin epic Aeneid , written by classical Roman poet Virgil . Travis posits similarities between the plots of both works and compares the characters present in them, with the Flood and Covenant taking the role performed by the Carthaginians and Master Chief taking the role of Aeneas . First introduced in Halo 3 , Forge is an in-game map editor designed for adjusting weapon, vehicle, and prop placement. While in Editor Mode,
10419-697: The Markazian Talwyn Apogee and two old war bots named Cronk and Zephyr, who help the two uncover the Lombax secret, Tachyon's ultimate goal. Throughout the game, Clank encounters a mysterious race called the Zoni, who assist him at various points in the game, only to abduct him during the ending cutscene. Tools of Destruction ' s weapon upgrade system introduces the need for Raritanium, an aptly-named rare resource mentioned in previous games, in exchange for certain upgrades, as well as continuous use of said weapons to upgrade them automatically. Quest for Booty
10570-527: The Nebulox's self-destruct sequence, escaping with Neftin while Ratchet and Clank are flung into space, unable to save Cronk and Zephyr. Ratchet and Clank pursue the twins throughout the galaxy, seeking revenge for their fallen comrades. This installment introduced gravity-based platforming and gameplay, as well as 2D puzzle sequences involving Clank in the Netherverse, a focal point of the game's plot. Rift Apart
10721-404: The Nexus (2013) as a return to the core elements of the series, but was considered to be a shorter title. Sony and Insomniac agreed at this point to put the series on hold. Sony started to plan for the 2016 film adaption of the first game; by nature, the screenplay of the film deviated in several areas from the story of the first game. As Sony wanted a companion game, Insomniac worked to create
10872-645: The Nexus ( Nexus in Europe) was released for PlayStation 3 on November 12, 2013. In this game, Ratchet and Clank, on board the Nebulox Seven Prison Ship, are tasked by Talwyn Apogee to deliver notorious criminal Vendra Prog to the Vartax Detention Centre with Cronk and Zephyr's help. Vendra's twin brother Neftin Prog, along with hired thugs from Thugs-4-Less, stages a jailbreak and frees her. Vendra activates
11023-415: The Nexus . Players have to collect bolts and defeat enemies. The game was released on December 19, 2013, for iOS and Android platforms. Ratchet & Clank Collection (known as The Ratchet & Clank Trilogy in Europe) is a video game that contains high-definition remastered ports of the PlayStation 2 games Ratchet & Clank , Going Commando , and Up Your Arsenal for the PlayStation 3 on
11174-487: The PlayStation 3 with the PlayStation Vita version delayed until May 21, 2013. Three years after Into the Nexus , the longest gap between games since the series began, a remake of the first game was released on April 12, 2016, for PlayStation 4. The game was delayed to match the release date of the film it is based on, also titled Ratchet & Clank . It features many of the same planets, levels, and characters from
11325-494: The Starship Phoenix, a locale which serves as a hub area for the player. Captain Qwark makes a reappearance and is a playable character in "Vid Comics" found throughout the single-player campaign. The third installment of the series retains the experience and upgrade mechanics of the previous game, with weapons becoming increasingly devastating with increased use. Combat and platforming mechanics are also relatively unchanged as
11476-587: The UNSC, Cortana attacks the Banished, a mercenary organization largely led by the Jiralhanae race. The Banished win the resultant conflict, terminating Cortana and battling the UNSC for control of Zeta Halo. Video game developer Bungie was founded in 1991 by Alex Seropian in Chicago, Illinois , who partnered with programmer Jason Jones to market and release Jones' game Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete . Focusing on
11627-585: The auspices of the Unified Earth Government, or UEG, and their United Nations Space Command, or UNSC— has colonized many worlds thanks to the development of faster-than-light "slipstream space" (i.e., hyperspace ) travel. Tensions between the government and colonies desiring independence sparked violent clashes. The UNSC's Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) created the SPARTAN-II Project to create an elite group of enhanced supersoldiers to suppress
11778-546: The characters Spartan Nicole-458 and the Arbiter being playable fighters in Dead or Alive 4 and Killer Instinct: Season Three , respectively. Master Chief was added as a playable character in Fortnite alongside a stage inspired by a Halo multiplayer map in 2020. Another game, Halo 2600 , has the players control Master Chief and fight through four regions filled with enemies. It
11929-473: The course of the first game, but Clank retains them through the later ones. Throughout the series, the duo often encounter Captain Qwark , an ego-driven, false, green-costumed superhero and former villain that may help or hinder Ratchet and Clank's goals in some way. Dr. Nefarious , the robotic main antagonist of the series, usually makes an appearance to attempt to conquer the universe. Other villainous characters and antagonists include Chairman Alonzo Drek (who
12080-599: The credits state that he had been called away to deal with a "sump pump emergency in the Rygylian Nebula". He appears with a non-speaking role as a memory in part of a dream-state world level in Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters , and also appears in Secret Agent Clank to fix the showers at the prison in which Ratchet is incarcerated, returning them to their typical freezing cold temperature. The Plumber returns in Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction , with
12231-410: The destruction of Darkwater. This game is also known as A Crack in Time in Europe and Ratchet & Clank Future 2 in Japan. At the end of the credits for Quest for Booty , a message reading: "The Quest Continues Fall 2009" is shown. This indicated the planned release date for the next installment of the series. Ratchet continues his search for Clank, Dr. Nefarious returns as the antagonist , and
12382-495: The editor for the replay value it provided. Heather Campbell of Play Magazine named Halo 3 her game of the year due to Forge, with co-editor Greg Orlando explaining later in the issue: "What separates Halo 3 from other console shooters such as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Team Fortress 2 , though, is the inclusion of a forge mode and the ability to save and edit gameplay films. [...] Although these modes are standard fare in most PC online shooters, their inclusion in
12533-512: The events of Halo: Combat Evolved . Much effort was spent on developing a control scheme that was simple and intuitive, unlike other console strategy games. The game was announced at X06 , and released in February and March 2009. In October 2017, 343 Industries developed and released a virtual reality demo title in partnership with Endeavor One called Halo Recruit . In 2018, 343 Industries partnered with Raw Thrills and PlayMechanix to develop
12684-502: The events of the first game, providing him with commando training in order to retrieve the "Experiment", an artificial creature stolen by an unknown masked thief while Clank is given a job as an accountant for Megacorp. The game takes place in a different setting than the first installment, this time in the Bogon Galaxy. In Going Commando , Ratchet is able to compete in hoverbike races and engages in spaceship battles. This game introduces
12835-512: The first game, all of which have been extensively upgraded, both graphically and in terms of gameplay. New characters have been added, and existing ones extensively altered, with the Galactic Rangers from Ratchet & Clank 3 serving a completely different purpose in this game. The plot largely follows the same basic structure as the original game. Both Ratchet and Clank are playable, though critics and fans alike voiced their concerns regarding
12986-485: The first three Halo novels with new content and cover art. Another collection, Halo: Fractures , compiled new and previously released short fiction in 2016. The Halo universe was first adapted into the graphic novel format in 2006, with the release of The Halo Graphic Novel , a collection of four short stories . It was written and illustrated by graphic novelists Lee Hammock , Jay Faerber , Tsutomu Nihei , Brett Lewis, Simon Bisley , Ed Lee and Jean Giraud . At
13137-771: The first three games, Jess Harnell in later appearances) is a staple of the Ratchet & Clank series. He almost always appears with his rear end sticking out of whatever he is working on, and can be surprisingly helpful when he appears. In Ratchet & Clank and Going Commando , the Plumber is an NPC that appears on separate occasions. Once later in Going Commando , he sells Ratchet an item to exchange for another. In Up Your Arsenal , he returns to ask Ratchet to search for Sewer Crystals, which he will trade bolts for. The Plumber does not appear in Ratchet: Deadlocked ; although
13288-557: The galaxy to stop the Flood. A civil war began between the Forerunners' commander, known as the Ur-Didact, who wanted to assimilate all the humans on Earth into his army as AIs, thus immune to the Flood, and his wife, the Librarian, who created the Ark, an instrument that was to shelter sentient species outside the galaxy and allow for the mass creation of Halo installations which could all be activated simultaneously. The Librarian, along with all
13439-608: The game disc and traditional Xbox packaging; and the Collector's Edition with a specially designed steel case, along with an additional bonus DVD, extra booklet, and slightly different user manual. Halo 2 introduced new gameplay elements, chief among them the ability to hold and fire two weapons simultaneously, known as " dual-wielding ". Unlike its predecessor, Halo 2 fully supported online multiplayer via Xbox LIVE . The game uses "matchmaking" to facilitate joining online matches by grouping players looking for certain types of games. This
13590-522: The game focuses on Ratchet and Talwyn's search for Clank. After a number of encounters with the pirates introduced in Tools of Destruction , they finally manage to activate a device called the Obsidian Eye that allows communication with the Zoni. However, the machine cannot be activated without a reusable black hole frozen in furion crystal, named the Fulcrum Star. Rusty Pete revives the dead pirates and gives Captain Slag
13741-454: The game goes into more depth about what happened to the Lombaxes. The story and player's perspective alternate between Ratchet and Clank; Clank's side of the story involves him fixing time at the Great Clock, solving time puzzles, as well as learning to fulfill his destined role as the Great Clock's senior caretaker. Clank also learns that a Zoni named Orvus had created his soul. Ratchet's part in
13892-470: The game having lost its humor, edge and tone compared to the original game, the new characterization of Drek and Nefarious, as well as neglecting key character developments due to the story being under-developed. Going Mobile is the series' first game for mobile phones. Ratchet and Clank are trapped inside the McGuFFin and they have to get out. Before the Nexus is an "endless-running" game to promote Into
14043-421: The game was well received, this approach was not met well by players, as it veered too much from the buddy cop concept, lacked the exploration of previous games and comedy in the writing. The balance between keeping to the "DNA" of a Ratchet & Clank game against the "adapt or die" mantra would continue to be a struggle throughout Insomniac's development of the series. Insomniac was asked to help create one of
14194-652: The game, Ratchet and Clank's vacation is cut short as they soon find themselves lured into a mysterious quest. Following the trail of a kidnapped girl named Luna, the duo rediscover a forgotten race of genius inventors known as the Technomites. In this installment, new and recurring weapons and gadgets are introduced, and the skill points and weapon upgrading systems make their return. The armor system has been altered compared to previous games; there are seven types of armor available, all of which are found in different pieces (helmet, body, gloves and boots) on different planets. Once
14345-416: The game. The success of the game led to a sequel, Halo 2 , which was announced on August 8, 2002, at Microsoft's X02 press event. It featured improved graphics, new weapons and enemies, and a multiplayer mode on Xbox Live. Halo 2 was released on the Xbox on November 9, 2004 , and later for Windows Vista on May 17, 2007. The game was released in two different editions: a standard edition with just
14496-406: The gameplay still follows a number of adventure game genre tropes (gathering items , exploration of and interaction with one's environment, often including an overworld connecting areas of importance, and puzzle-solving). While the controls are arcade-style (character movement, few action commands) there is an ultimate goal beyond a high score. In most action-adventure games, the player controls
14647-492: The grindboots and grindrails. Ratchet: Deadlocked (also known as Ratchet: Gladiator in Europe, Australia and Africa and Ratchet & Clank 4 in Japan) was released on October 25, 2005, in North America for the PlayStation 2. Deadlocked deviates from the previous installments of the series by reducing the platforming and puzzle elements, and focusing on the combat aspects with a predominantly arena-combat-oriented setting. In Deadlocked , Ratchet, Clank and Al are captured by
14798-471: The idea of "an alien that travels from planet to planet, collecting weapons and gadgets", an idea inspired by Spaceman Spiff from Calvin and Hobbes and by Marvin the Martian . This idea inspired the team since it would allow them to create new worlds and characters to develop. Artists sketched a number of concepts for this alien character, which was originally reptilian, but ended up as a new species they called
14949-400: The impact of mobile gaming which were drawing players away from family-oriented titles, Insomniac experimented with various concepts for the next few games. All 4 One (2011) was a fully co-operative shooter, which dropped some of the platforming elements from the series. Full Frontal Assault (2012) added tower defense elements to the basic gameplay. Finally, Insomniac developed Into
15100-442: The individual characters. The original game soundtrack was released on February 17, 2017, and released digitally on February 21, 2017. The music for Halo Infinite was a collaboration between Gareth Coker , Curtis Schweitzer, Joel Corelitz , Alex Bhore, and Eternal Time & Space, overseen by 343 Industries Music Supervisor Joel Yarger. Infinite 's soundtrack was released digitally on December 8, 2021, in two albums, one covering
15251-474: The launch titles for the PlayStation 3 , Resistance: Fall of Man (2006). The company used this title to acclimate itself to the new hardware, and did not push the capabilities of the game engine. With this title under wraps, Insomniac was then able to consider how to approach the fifth Ratchet & Clank game, knowing how to work the PlayStation 3 hardware with the aim to make a game that played like an animated movie. Insomniac brought on Fixman to write for
15402-586: The leveling system for weapons that appears in every succeeding game; using a given weapon frequently, and thus gaining enough experience, causes it to upgrade into a more powerful version with upgraded stats and new abilities. Other changes to game mechanics include Ratchet's experience-based health upgrade system, as well as the ability to strafe for greater shooting accuracy during combat. Up Your Arsenal (also known as Ratchet & Clank 3 in Europe and Japan and Ratchet & Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal in Australia)
15553-603: The literary influences present in the Halo franchise commented on similarities between Halo and Orson Scott Card 's Ender's Game : aspects of the SPARTAN Project and the design of the Covenant Drones are perceived as reminiscent of the super soldier program and Buggers found in the novel. Bungie has also acknowledged James Cameron 's film Aliens as a strong cinematic influence. A report written by Roger Travis and published by The Escapist compares Halo with
15704-517: The media mogul Gleeman Vox and transported to a lawless region of the Solana galaxy known as the Shadow Sector. Ratchet is forced to compete in an intense, underground bloodsport called DreadZone to ensure his, Clank's and Al's survival. For the first time in the series, Clank does not accompany Ratchet during the entirety of the single-player campaign, nor is he given playable sequences. While multiplayer
15855-467: The music was designed to change dynamically based on the gameplay. To afford a more enjoyable listening experience, O'Donnell rearranged portions of the music of Halo into standalone suites , which follow the narrative course of the game, for the soundtrack releases. For Halo 2 , the soundtrack included licensed music from Incubus and Breaking Benjamin alongside the orchestral score; rock guitar virtuoso, Steve Vai , performed various solos throughout
16006-415: The new Zeta Halo. The story mainly focuses on exploring the deeper lore of the Halo series, finding what happened to Cortana, and battles with the Banished. It released December 2021. On October 6, 2024 during the year's Halo World Championships, 343 Industries unveiled a seven-minute video where they officially announced their rebranding as Halo Studios, while also confirming that multiple new games in
16157-523: The novels First Strike (2003) and Ghosts of Onyx (2006). Other novels have been written by Joseph Staten , Tobias S. Buckell , Karen Traviss , Greg Bear , Matt Forbeck , John Shirley , Troy Denning , Cassandra Rose Clarke , and Kelly Gay . A collection of Halo short stories, Halo: Evolutions , was simultaneously released in print and audiobook formats in November 2009. Evolutions includes original material by Nylund, Buckell, Karen Traviss and contributions from Bungie. Tor re-released
16308-563: The original Halo formula. In 2014, Kazuma Jinnouchi confirmed he would be composing the soundtrack for Halo 5: Guardians . On October 30, 2015, Halo 5: Guardians Original Soundtrack was released on CD and vinyl. The soundtrack used a 30-person choir located in Prague, Czech Republic. The orchestral soundtrack was recorded at the Abbey Road Studio over the duration of 5 separate trips. In 2017, 343 Industries and Creative Assembly released
16459-487: The player becomes a floating robot, or " monitor ", who can spawn, move, and delete any game object on the map. All objects are assigned a monetary value, and cost money to spawn; the level's "Forge budget" determines how much money the player can use to spawn objects. As a component of Halo 3 , Forge received critical acclaim upon its release. GameSpot 's Jeff Gerstmann described Forge as "an extremely powerful addition that might just take over your life", and praised
16610-489: The player has enough ammunition and recovery items to " survive " the horror setting. This is a thematic genre with diverse gameplay, so not all survival horror games share all the features. The Resident Evil franchise popularized this subgenre. Action-adventure games are faster-paced than pure adventure games, and include physical as well as conceptual challenges where the story is enacted rather than narrated. While motion-based, often reflexive, actions are required,
16761-522: The player may purchase stronger, gold versions of select weapons using a combination of hidden Gold Bolt items and regular bolts after finding a secret area in the game. Going Commando (also known as Locked and Loaded in Europe and Australia and Ratchet & Clank 2 in Japan) was released on November 11, 2003, in North America for the PlayStation 2. Mr. Abercrombie Fizzwidget, CEO of the Megacorp company in another galaxy called Bogon, hires Ratchet after
16912-473: The player to explore and solve to complete a storyline, involving little to no action . If there is action, it is generally confined to isolated instances. Classical action games, on the other hand, have gameplay based on real-time interactions that challenges the player's reflexes and eye-hand coordination . Action-adventure games combine these genres by engaging both eye-hand coordination and problem-solving skills. An action adventure game can be defined as
17063-414: The protagonist. The soundtrack for Halo 3 was released on November 20, 2007. O'Donnell noted he wanted to bring back the themes from the original game to help tie together the end of the trilogy. The tracks are presented, similarly to the previous soundtrack for Halo 2 , in a suite form. Unlike previous soundtracks, where much of the music had been synthesized on computer, the soundtrack for Halo 3
17214-545: The rebellions covertly. In the year 2525, human worlds came under attack by a theocratic alliance of alien races known as the Covenant , whose leadership declared humanity heretics and an affront to their gods: the Forerunners. The Covenant began a genocidal holy war. Their superior technology and numbers proved to be decisive advantages; although effective, the Spartans were too few to turn the tide of battle in humanity's favor. After
17365-571: The remaining Forerunners, trapped her husband inside a Forerunner repository of knowledge known as the Domain, and disappeared as the Array was activated, thus destroying all sentient life in the galaxy and ending the outbreak of the Flood— though some Forerunners are known to have left the Milky Way galaxy for a different, unknown galaxy. Nearly a hundred thousand years later, in the 26th century , humanity— under
17516-553: The rest of the music, much of which was incomplete or not included in the first soundtrack, as the first soundtrack was shipped before the game was released. Halo 2 , unlike its predecessor, was mixed to take full advantage of Dolby 5.1 Digital Surround Sound . In 2014, the in-game music was rerecorded and remastered for the Halo 2 Anniversary release which was part of the Master Chief Collection which included remastered versions of all Halo games with Master Chief as
17667-600: The same war over and over again. That sense of hopelessness, a relentless battle, was influential." The Flood were influenced by the assimilating alien species in Christopher Rowley 's The Vang ; it has also been speculated that the Master Chief's name "John 117" may have been a reference to a character named Jon 6725416 in Rowley's Starhammer , or to the John Spartan character of Demolition Man . An IGN article exploring
17818-662: The score for the campaign, and another covering the music for the game's multiplayer component. The Halo franchise includes various types of merchandise and adaptations outside of the video games. This includes bestselling novels, graphic novels, and other licensed products, from action figures to a packaging tie-in with Mountain Dew . Numerous action figures and vehicles based on Halo have been produced. Joyride Studios created Halo and Halo 2 action figures, while Halo 3 poseable and collectible action figures, aimed at collectors, were produced by McFarlane Toys and became some of
17969-465: The score. The music of Halo helped spur a renewed interest in chant music. For Halo 2 ' s soundtrack , producer Nile Rodgers and O'Donnell decided to split the music into two separate volumes. The first, Volume One, was released on November 9, 2004, and contained all the themes as well as the "inspired-by" music present in the game (featuring Steve Vai , Incubus , Hoobastank , and Breaking Benjamin ). The second release, Volume 2, contained
18120-508: The second, they revamped Ratchet's character, as they felt the first game portrayed him as a jerk, according to writer TJ Fixman, and softened the character to make him more relatable, at that point hiring James Arnold Taylor to voice the character (Ratchet's behavior toward Clank in Tools of Destruction when speaking about the existence of the Zoni and the risks posed by the Dimesionator could be
18271-425: The series are Ratchet, Angela Cross, Alister Azimuth and Rivet. Ratchet's father is mentioned by Azimuth, but is never actually seen in the series. According to a news broadcast in A Crack in Time , Angela Cross is a Lombax who has been missing for 3 years; she doesn't have a tail, as it is revealed that female Lombaxes lack one. However, this is contradicted in the game Rift Apart as the character Rivet does have
18422-428: The series at this point; one of Fixman's first goals was to take disjointed mythology from the first four games and flesh out the characters more to give them a stronger backstory. This led to the three Future games, the first being Tools of Destruction (2007), which brought the series back to what players had latched onto and met with praise, outside of its cliffhanger ending. However, between this and having to drop
18573-401: The series next, and planned for the next game, A Crack in Time (2009) to be the last game in the series, designed to include all the elements they knew players wanted in a Ratchet & Clank game. A Crack in Time was successful, and Sony had put pressure on Insomniac to continue the series, though by this time, the developers had fatigue with the series. Knowing that Sony was wary about
18724-445: The series to match the current climate in video games, where mascot-driven games had fallen out of favor, and the company had adopted an "adapt or die" mentality for each title. The "adapt or die" approach was used for the fourth title, Ratchet: Deadlocked (2005), as they made the title darker and more combat-oriented given the popularity of the Halo and Grand Theft Auto series. While
18875-441: The series were currently in development, and that said games would use Unreal Engine 5 as opposed to the proprietary Slipspace Engine. Studio head Pierre Hintze explained that the decision to rebrand the studio came from an internal shift in development philosophy behind the franchise, giving the team a "clean break" as was the case with transitioning between Bungie and 343. Halo Studios also unveiled "Project Foundry", described as
19026-399: The soundtrack. O'Donnell wrote "somber, more visceral" music to reflect the darker nature of the campaign and style of the game. As Bungie had been making Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach at the same time, Martin O'Donnell had also been composing the soundtracks at the same time, but production for the music of Halo: Reach did not begin until after the release of Halo 3: ODST . The soundtrack
19177-405: The story includes meeting another Lombax named General Alister Azimuth, an elder who turns out to be unintentionally responsible for their kind's downfall as he allowed Tachyon to use the Lombaxes' technology, and is intent on taking control of the Great Clock to rectify his mistakes. Qwark assists Ratchet during the storyline and eventually goes alone to gather useful information for Ratchet. Into
19328-430: The term "action-adventure" may be '"An action/adventure game is a game that has enough action in it not to be called an adventure game, but not enough action to be called an action game." In some cases an action game with puzzles will be classified as an action-adventure game, but if these puzzles are quite simple they might be classified as an action game. Others see action games as a pure genre, while an action-adventure
19479-556: The top-selling action figures of 2007 and 2008. MEGA Bloks partnered with Microsoft to produce Halo Wars -themed toys. As part of Microsoft's multimedia efforts, Microsoft Studios decided to create a tie-in novel for Combat Evolved . Eric Nylund wrote Halo: The Fall of Reach in seven weeks, and it was published in October 2001. The game itself was turned into a novelization by William C. Dietz in 2003, called Halo: The Flood . Nylund would write additional Halo works including
19630-417: The two protagonists, the game introduces Captain Qwark , who appears in the following games, as both an enemy and ally. The game introduced features such as the ability to purchase items, weapons and unlocking gadgets as the game progresses, which have become a staple of the series in following games. The first in this series does not feature the upgrade system of experience earned for enemies killed; instead,
19781-517: The universe, saving it from evil forces that consistently threaten it. The series is noted for its inclusion of many exotic, unique and over-the-top weapons and gadgets, a concept that Insomniac Games has expanded into their other games. Following the development of Spyro: Year of the Dragon , the third installment of the Spyro series, Insomniac Games wanted to move into a new intellectual property , since
19932-410: The whole trilogy. Players battle various aliens on foot and in vehicles to complete objectives, while attempting to uncover the secrets of the eponymous Halo. Halo limited the number of weapons players could carry to two, forcing them to carefully select their preferred armament. Players fight with ranged and melee attacks, as well as grenades. Bungie referred to the "weapons-grenades-melee" format as
20083-486: Was a change from the more traditional "server list" approach, which was used to find matches in online games at this time. Halo 3 was announced at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo . It utilized a proprietary, in-house graphics engine , and employed advanced graphics technologies. Halo 3 is the final game in the original Halo trilogy, ending the story arc begun in Halo: Combat Evolved . The game
20234-406: Was acquired by Microsoft. Bungie regained its independence in 2007, releasing additional Halo games through 2010 before moving on from the franchise. Microsoft established 343 Industries to oversee Halo going forward, producing games itself and in partnership with other studios. Combat Evolved was a critical and commercial success, serving as the Xbox's " killer app " and cementing Microsoft as
20385-463: Was announced on July 21, 1999, during the Macworld Conference & Expo . The game morphed from a real-time strategy game into a third-person action game. On June 19, 2000, Microsoft acquired Bungie and Halo: Combat Evolved became a launch title for the Xbox video game console . The game turned into a first-person shooter, and was modified to work with a controller. Though the first Halo
20536-401: Was announced on May 30, 2011. The game was announced as part of a 'surprise' from Insomniac Games to mark the 10th anniversary since the original game was released. The gameplay is described as a tower defense, a deviation from the platforming/combat common to the rest of the series, where Ratchet has to fight enemies over 5 levels on 3 different planets. It was released on November 27, 2012, on
20687-577: Was developed by Insomniac Games, and was released on October 23, 2007, for the PlayStation 3. This was the first Ratchet and Clank game for the PlayStation 3, and the first in the Future trilogy. In this installment, the self-proclaimed crown prince of the Cragmites known as Emperor Tachyon is after Ratchet, claiming that he is the last Lombax in the universe. He and Clank escape to the Polaris Galaxy, befriending
20838-413: Was developed into an official weekly playlist for Halo 3 , and would go on to be included in every subsequent Halo game after Halo: Reach . 343 Industries employee Nick Bird, working as Forge Quality Assurance on Halo Infinite , credited Forge for his interest in game development; "My time in Forge and the Forge community eventually led me to pursue a career in the industry, and ultimately landed me
20989-547: Was meant to include an online multiplayer mode, it was excluded because the Xbox Live service was not yet available. Halo was not intended to be the Xbox's flagship game due to internal concerns and gaming press criticism, but Microsoft VP of game publishing Ed Fries did not act on these concerns. The Xbox's marketing heavily featured Halo , whose green color palette meshed with the console's design scheme. Halo: Combat Evolved introduced many gameplay and plot themes common to
21140-523: Was recorded using a 60-piece orchestra, along with a 24-voice chorus. The final soundtrack was recorded by the Northwest Sinfonia at Studio X in Seattle, Washington. The soundtracks were bundled and released as a box set in December 2008. A soundtrack for Halo 3: ODST was released alongside the game and included many of the tracks from the game. For Bungie's last game in the Halo series, Halo: Reach , Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori returned to compose
21291-563: Was released for the Xbox One on October 27, 2015. The game takes place across many worlds, mainly the Elite homeworld, and revolves around Spartan Locke's hunt for the rogue Master Chief, who is trying to find a still-living Cortana. The third part of the Reclaimer Saga, Halo Infinite , was announced during E3 2018 . It brings the focus back to Master Chief, and Halo's roots by taking place on
21442-425: Was released on June 11, 2021, for the PlayStation 5, and on Windows on July 26, 2023. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters (erroneously known as Ratchet & Clank 5 in Japan) was released in North America on February 13, 2007, on the PlayStation Portable and March 11, 2008, on the PlayStation 2. The development was performed this time by High Impact Games, composed, partially, of former Insomniac Games employees. In
21593-417: Was released on November 3, 2004, in North America for the PlayStation 2. The plot consists of an invasion of the Solana galaxy by a humanoid race known as the "Tyhrranoids", led by the game's main antagonist, Dr. Nefarious , a robotic madman determined to destroy all biological life in the galaxy. The game sees the return of protagonists Ratchet and Clank alongside new allies including Sasha Phyronix, captain of
21744-477: Was released on October 18, 2011. In All 4 One , Ratchet and Clank retire from their adventures as superheroes after the election of Captain Qwark as the Galactic President. Dr. Nefarious tricks him into going to Luminopolis by telling him that he would have gotten a prize for his heroic acts. Qwark invites Ratchet and Clank to come with him and, after arriving, they discover the ruse, but Dr. Nefarious brings
21895-432: Was released on October 22, 2012, followed by a two-disc Special Edition on November 6. Neil Davidge served as an out-of-house composer for 343 Industries which proved to be very expensive leading Kazuma Jinnouchi to take over the responsibility of music production for Halo 5: Guardians . The music by Neil Davidge and Kazuma Jinnouchi for Halo 4 received mixed reviews, being recognized as creative music but too different from
22046-458: Was released on iTunes on September 15, 2010, and in a two-disc set on September 28, 2010. For Halo Wars , the task of creating the game's music fell to Stephen Rippy . Rippy listened to O'Donnell's soundtracks for inspiration and incorporated the Halo theme into parts of his arrangements. In addition to synthesized and orchestral components, the composer focused on the choir and piano as essential elements, feeling these were important in creating
22197-628: Was released on the Xbox 360 on September 25, 2007. It adds to the series vehicles, weapons, and a class of items called equipment. The game also includes a limited map-editing tool, known as the Forge , which allows players to insert game objects, such as weapons and vehicles, into existing multiplayer map geometry. Players can save a recording of their gameplay sessions, and view them as video, from any angle. Following Halo 3 ' s release, Bungie became an independent company once more. They created two more Halo games as part of their deal with Microsoft:
22348-404: Was released worldwide on November 6, 2012, achieving record sales for the franchise. In a new addition to the series, a story-driven multiplayer campaign entitled Spartan Ops was released over the weeks following Halo 4 ' s release, telling what happened after the end of the main game. In announcing the formation of 343 Industries, Microsoft also announced that Xbox Live would be home to
22499-635: Was the owner of the robot factory where Clank was built), Emperor Percival Tachyon, Gleeman Vox, Captain Romulus Slag, Lord Flint Vorselon, Vendra & Neftin Prog, and the Thugs-4-Less (or Goons-4-Less) organization. "The Plumber", a minor recurring character, has appeared in some form or another in most titles. Captain Copernicus Leslie Qwark (voiced by Jim Ward , Scott Whyte in Rift Apart )
22650-484: Was used to promote the release of Halo 2 . The game revolved around a website created by 42 Entertainment , commissioned by Microsoft and endorsed by Bungie. Over the course of the game, audio clips were released that eventually formed a complete five-hour story set on Earth between Halo and Halo 2 . Similarly, Iris was used as a viral marketing campaign for the release of Halo 3 . It featured five web servers containing various media files related to
22801-565: Was written by Ed Fries, former vice president of game publishing at Microsoft, in 2010 for the Atari 2600 . The Halo theme tune was also available as downloadable content for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock . In Forza Horizon 4 one level has the player racing across the map in the Warthog as the Master Chief, with the Halo ring visible in the sky, Cortana on the radio and various Covenant based obstacles to avoid. In 2006, in acknowledgment of
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