Concept Art: Ratchet and Clank battle a Orrsoth Golem.
Ratchet & Clank: Nexus was an early version of Ratchet: Deadlocked. It was to take place on a singular planet, where a war was taking place between two species. However, the game was canceled, along with the sequel to Going Mobile.
But what if it was revived, and turned into a full title for the PS Vita?
Read on to discover the details of the handheld companion to Ratchet & Clank: E N D G A ME.
Plot[]
After returning to the Solana Galaxy, Ratchet, Clank, and Captain Qwark are sent by the Galactic President of Solana, President Phyronix, to stop a war on planet Telihedros between two civilizations: The Astols and the Orrsoth. The Oorsoth are physically weak, and as such, must encase themselves in suits of mechanical armor. While the Astols are expert combatants and quite skilled at warfare, they are no match for the more technologically advanced invaders. Upon arriving, however, Aphelion is shot by an Oorsoth Warmonger Turret, causing her stabilizer coils to malfunction and making Ratchet loose all control of the ship. It is only due to his expert piloting skills that he is able to land in a dried-up river with only minimal damage to the ship. Despite this, space travel is still not possible with the stablizer coils ruptured, so the trio's only hope is to find a Oorsoth ship that has some.
Horu River[]
Concept Art of the Horu River.
The trio leaves Aphelion to a depressing landscape. A dried-up, dirty river rests underneath their feet. A broken bridge, ravaged by war, lays above, and a giant hole is punched in the riverbank, creating a cavern. Shortly after, they are besieged by Oorsoth Grunts. After defeating a few, Clank spots more than they could handle coming over the ban, so the trio takes refuge in the nevarby cavern. While inside, Ratchet discovers a group of Astol Soldiers, armed with primitive swords and shields, hiding in the cave as well. Before hostilities arise, Clank explains that they are ambassadors sent by the Galactic President to end the war, but their ship was damaged. Ratchet then asks if they know where any stabilizer coils are. The group of Astols replies that they do not, but if Ratchet, Clank and Qwark help them defend themselves from the Oorsoth attacking the river, then they could show them to their leader, Goron. Ratchet agrees before Qwark can object. The group of Astols also say they can use their Fusion Turret they stole from the Oorsoth, if they can fix it. Ratchet quickly does, and Qwark mans the weapon. Soon after, a mob of Oorsoth Grunts and several Oorsoth Gunmen invade the cavern. The combined forces of the Astols, Ratchet, and Qwark make short work of the foes. The squad of Astol Soldiers then take the trio to their hovership, and fly them to the Astol base of operations: the Treetop Village in Knull Jungle.
Knull Jungle: Treetop Village[]
Concept art of the Treetop Village.
As soon as the group arrives at the Astol Capital, they are met with immediate hostility by the Astol Troops. However, the Astol Commander, Goron, tells them to stand down as they do not appear to be Oorsoth Soldiers. Qwark explains that him and, in his words, his two sidekicks, have arrived to stop the war. Clank then picks up and tells them their ship's stabilizer coils have been ruptured. Goron states that, unfortunately, resources are stretched thin due to the war, but there was a Oorsoth warehouse of tactical importance that the Astols were about to lauch an assault on. If Ratchet, Clank, and Qwark would help them seize the warehouse, Goron explains, there may be Stablizer Coils within. The trio readily agrees, and enters a hovercraft headed for the warehouse.
Tolbor Forest: Oorsoth Warehouse[]
Concept art of Tolbor Forest.
The hovercraft drops Ratchet, Clank, Qwark, Goron, and several squadrons of Astol Soldiers off in the snowy forest surrounding the warehouse. After taking out the guards, they make their way into the base, where they are quickly besidged by Oorsoth Gunmen. After destroying them, the group makes their way through increasingly more difficult waves of enemies, they eventually encounter the first mini-boss of the game: An Oorsoth Golem. After a long battle, it is destroyed, and the Astols have seized another location of importance, and Ratchet has what he needs to fix Aphelion. The group then returns to Knull Jungle, and from there, Ratchet, Clank, and Qwark, accompanied by a squadron of Astol Troops, return to the Horu River.
Rascun Caves: Abandoned Lombax Reasearch Facility[]
Concept Art of the Rascun Caves.
After retrieving Aphelion, Ratchet, Clank, and Qwark return to the Treetop Village. While there, they are called to the Planning Room by Goron, where he divulges the information obtained from the warehouse. The Oorsoth's Base of Operations is a floating station, located in the lower atmosphere, which is protected by a Giga-Class Repulsion Array. In order to attack the Base, they're going to need more firepower. Goron gives the trio co-ordinates to an abandoned facility once used by the Center for Advanced Lombax Research, which has since been overrun by genetically mutated spiders. Any teams the Astols have sent so far have never returned, but given the reputation and abilities of Ratchet and Clank, they may stand a better chance. The trio takes Aphelion into the caves. After linking his Nav-Unit to a nearby anomaly coming from inside the cave. After battling their way through hordes of giant spiders, they uncover the Cyroshot next to an prototype Orbital Defense Laser. However, they are attacked by the Giant Arachnotron, a robotic and larger version of the normal giant spiders. After clearing out the cave of the reamining investation, Goron sends a team of Astol mechanics inside. The Lombax Reasearch Facility is now under Astol control.