Ratchet and Clank are on the run!
"Ratchet and Clank: Before the Nexus brings the excitement of infinite running to the classic Ratchet and Clank franchise. Fight off Vendra and Neftin Prog as well as their assortment of evil minions, including the return of Thugs 4 Less! Hop between grindrails while avoiding hazards to collect bolts that can be used to upgrade Ratchet's weapons and armor. Collect Raritanium, which can be synced with your PSN account and used in the exciting new PS3 game Ratchet and Clank: Nexus."
—The game's official description.
Ratchet & Clank: Before the Nexus is an endless runner mobile game released in 2013, and is the second mobile game in the Ratchet & Clank franchise following Going Mobile! in 2005.
Made as a tie-in to the 2013 game Into the Nexus, the game sees the titular duo grinding rails and shooting enemies in an attempt to stop the Prog twins after they have kidnapped a Terachnoid scientist. The game's main gimmick was the ability to collect Raritanium and then transfer it to Into the Nexus, however this feature has since been deactivated.
We'll have more on these tropes at eleven:
- Anti-Frustration Features: Every time the player interacts with a new feature, the game will pause to inform them of what they do and then gives a brief countdown before gameplay continues to let players get their bearings.
- Boss Battle: At several pre-determined intervals the player is thrust into a fight against the Progs in their ship. You can't truly defeat them, however, as even if you take out their health bar they will fly away, the difference being you get a bunch of bolts for doing so.
- Canon Foreigner: Fleebar Snuttleblast, the Terachnoid scientists that the Progs kidnap. However, he never actually appears on screen.
- Continuity Nod:
- The Qwark Vid-Comics are briefly mentioned.
- Tools of Destruction:
- The title screen music is lifted straight from Zordoom Prison.
- The Buzz Blades and Predator launcher reappear.
- The Tornado Launcher shows up as a gadget.
- Cerullean Swarmers, Grubsnackers, and Tesladrones show up as enemies.
- A Crack in Time:
- Both the Constructo Pistol and Shotgun reappear. However, this time around they cannot be customized.
- The R.Y.N.O.m's look is ripped straight from the RYNO V.
- Planet Terachnos appears as a level theme complete with Nefarious troopers.
- The Rift Inducer 5000 (simply called the Rift Ripper here) appears as a gadget.
- The Light and Heavy armors are slight variations on the Holoflux and Hyperflux armors respectively. On top of that, the Light armor also has a visor like the Thermaflux armor from the same game.
- The Reflector from All 4 One appears as a gadget.
- Death Is Cheap: All it takes is one Hero bolt to get Ratchet back in action, and Hero Bolts can be obtained on the track or by completing sets of skill points.
- Difficulty by Acceleration
- Eldritch Abomination: Much like his game of origin, Fred of the Rift Inducernote is this.
- Endless Game
- Excuse Plot: The Prog twins have kidnapped a Terachnoid scientist. Go stop them.
- Failure Is the Only Option: The Progs, like bosses in many other endless runners, aren't so much "defeated" as much as "briefly battled before they retreat". As such, Ratchet and Clank can't stop the duo, seeing as this game precedes the events of Into the Nexus to some extent.
- The Ghost: Fleebar Snuttleblast, the Terachnoid scientist that the Progs kidnap, is never seen or even referred to past the opening cutscene.
- Infinity +1 Sword: The R.Y.N.O.m, which you unlock by collecting 10 Terachnoids.
- Jump Physics: Ratchet can jump and glide on the grindrails, and he will stick to their path even if he jumps or glides on a curve. He is even able to switch rails after jumping as is standard with endless runner games.
- Microtransactions: Crates of bolts can be bought with real money.
- Money Multiplier: The Bolt Multiplier gadget acts as this.
- New Work, Recycled Graphics: The title screen artwork is lifted straight from Into the Nexus's cover art.
- Non-Indicative Name:
- Despite the title being Before the Nexus, the game seemingly takes place somewhere in the middle of Into the Nexus as evidenced by Vendra and Neftin Prog being together. On top of that, the game was released a month after the release of Into the Nexus.
- The Constructo weapons cannot be customized in this game.
- Power-Up Magnet: The Armor Magnetizer lets Ratchet pick up bolts at greater range than normal. Unlike in the main games, it's only temporary here.
- Recycled Soundtrack: All of the music in the game is recycled from Tools of Destruction.
- Timed Power-Up: The gadgets function as this, ranging from the passive Armor Magnetizer and Reflector to the offensive Tornado Launcher and Rift Inducernote .
