Ratchet dabbles in germ warfare, while Clank pushes for promotion

Following last week's influx of Ratchet & Clank 3 info, you'll be pleased to hear we've exhausted our limited repertoire of "Up Your Arsenal" gags. Which is just as well, really, because linking Insomniac Games' provocative subtitle to the latest weapon we've heard about - the Infector - would more than likely incur the wrath of just about every moral man in the audience. Instead, we'll have to make do by fleshing out your knowledge of Sony's latest platform hope without resorting to petty innuendo. Drat.

The Infector, then, joins the already-confirmed Refractor and Black Hole Launcher in Ratchet's newly improved arsenal, and ought to prove useful when pinned down in a corner [I thought you said... -Ed], as it can be used to 'infect' Ratchet's nearest adversary, who then runs around - arms no doubt flailing - while his deadly cargo spreads itself amongst any fellow troopers he comes into contact with. Not so much germ warfare, of course, since most of Ratchet's foes are mechanical - more likely metal-crunching nanobots or something along those lines.

Apart from the Infector, this week we've also learned more about the role of vehicles and the technology behind the game. According to sources, R&C3 is running on the same core engine technology as Jak III, a claim that certainly fits given Insomniac's existing relationship with Jak developer Naughty Dog. The same sources also point to completely revised space battles in this version (surely a good thing), and suggest that vehicles may be available in single-player as well as on the multiplayer battlefields we heard about last week. There's also good news for fans of Ratchet's pessimistic robot sidekick Clank, who may well be in line for more missions, and perhaps even a significant subplot. "It's probably nothing to get excited about," he moaned when we sought him out for comment this morning...

Ratchet & Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal should make the trip across the pond and appear on your local gamey retailer folk's shelves towards the end of the year - our money's on late October/early November. Bets for the game's European title, however, are still open - our current favourite being "Ratchet & Clank 3: Oil 'Ave Some Of Thaaat".