3D platformer games are enjoying something of a resurrection in recent years, and many renowned characters from the genre remain well-loved and stand the test of time. Such iconic video game duos in 3D platformers include Banjo and Kazooie, Jak and Daxter, and Ratchet and Clank. Clive 'N' Wrench brings players the rabbit Clive and the monkey Wrench, a fun pun on Clive's monkey companion, both having many unique capabilities in the upcoming 3D platformer yet honoring the legends who came before.
In a recent interview with Game ZXC, Clive 'N' Wrench developer Robb Wass from indie studio Dinosaur Bytes explained how iconic platformers like Banjo-Kazooie and other video games influenced the game's development. Game ZXC also discovered more about the personalities behind the namesake rabbit and monkey protagonists and their unique abilities in the game's time-travel-themed and varied world settings that give players some freedom to explore.
Clive 'N' Wrench's Design And Video Game Influences
Several video games influenced Clive 'N' Wrench's development, including Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Spyro, andBanjo-Kazooie. When describing how the Clive 'N' Wrench protagonists compared to some of these platformer game duos, Wass described the game's approach as somewhat unusual in terms of how the characters combine abilities. As Wass put it,
I think most of the popular duos tend to have two big things in common, that your characters are friends (or become so), and that they combine their talents for unique and interesting movement mechanics. I suppose something that makes Clive 'N' Wrench a little different would be the slightly strange approach to that idea like, for example, Clive using Wrench himself as a pseudo helicopter rotor in order to glide!
Physically using Wrench as a helicopter to move across levels certainly stands out when it comes to character movement and also from an entertaining point of view, rather than just switching to a companion or simply activating their special ability. Wass added that when designing the duo, Clive appeared first and Wrench was later included to replace some of Clive's other design features that were originally based on tools, so he clearly adds a lot of practical as well as comedic and fun value. As Wass explained,
Clive being a rabbit was a pretty spur of the moment thing when I was first exploring what it would mean to create this type of game, and it just kinda stuck. Wrench was a later addition to replace some of the weird gadgets I’d attached to Clive, as it seemed like it’d be more fun and make more sense to have a fully fledged extra character instead. Him being a monkey is largely so I could make the “monkey wrench” and “monkey on his back” puns… That’s how quite a lot of the game’s characters came to be, in fact!
It's also worth noting that players get all of Clive and Wrench's abilities from the start, which is quite different from how players unlock and learn different moves through NPC tutorial characters in games like Banjo-Kazooie. This gives players a lot of freedom and choice of character movement from the get-go, which could be ideal for fans of traditional 3D platformers or platformer cult classics more experienced with the genre, with the multiple routes in the game's level design still inclusive of beginner players. As Wass described,
For the more experienced there are lots of level design ideas and mechanics that should allow them to use their existing muscle memory to really bolt around the place, blazing through the more difficult paths and finding all the references and secrets. For newcomers, you can forego the more tricky mechanics and follow the easier routes to get around, with the idea that perhaps these players can come back later after having mastered their first time through!
Clive 'N' Wrench's Personalities And Unique Abilities
2021 was known for 3D platformers, and many fans of the genre may be curious to learn what else Clive 'N' Wrench adds to the mix in the genre's resurgence. When asking more about the duo's unique abilities, it's clear that 3D platformer fans can expect a mixture of traditional character movements, such as double jumps and side flips, but also many unique and perhaps unexpected moves, especially when it comes to combinations. Wass went on to explain one of the most unique features of Clive 'N' Wrench's move set is the ability to chain movements together, giving players a lot more freedom about how they choose to navigate levels. As Wass put it,
The two have quite a number of moves that should be familiar to those with experience in the genre: They can run, sprint, jump, double jump, chimp chopper (glide), side flip and crouch jump just to name a few! The more unique aspect is that these can be chained together in several different ways. For example, you could jump into a chimp chopper into a double jump, or you could side flip into a double jump and then into a chimp chopper. The result is quite a diverse move set that you can use to tailor your own favored way to move around each level!
Often iconic 3D platformer characters, whether a solo protagonist or a duo team, become memorable in video games because of their personalities as well as their visual design or movements, such as the feisty Spyro the dragon in the Spyro franchise. There are several iconic monkeys in gaming with unique personalities, and when asking about Clive and Wrench's individual personalities and what this adds to their team dynamic, Wass described how the characters are opposite in many ways. Wass added Clive is not necessarily always acting as the leader even though he is the primary playable character. As Wass explained,
Clive is the more timid of the two, not super intelligent either, but very agile and willing to help his friends. Wrench is much more level-headed, smart, and perhaps knows more than he lets on… Wrench often acts as the guide, and Clive follows his lead (despite being the one doing the actual movement most of the time). There are several moments where you’ll see Clive acting scared or worried, and Wrench being much more blasé about things.
It will be interesting to see how Clive 'N' Wrench's wacky duo interact with each other and the world around them as players progress through the game's story and its many varied levels through its 1950s time-traveling refrigerator, and what the character's dynamic and their unusual skill set adds to the 3D platforming genre.
Clive 'N' Wrench will release on February 24, 2023, for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.