Although Ratatan shares many similarities with its spiritual predecessor, Patapon, the developers at Tokyo Virtual Theory and Ratata Arts incorporated several changes that distinguish the two games. Whereas Patapon puts you in the role of a deity worshipped by the titular creatures, Ratatan lets you control one of eight available Ratatans.
In an interview with Game*Spark, Ratatan producer Kazuto Sakajiri and game designer Hiroyuki Kotani explained the perspective change in their new game. Since Patapon and its sequels, Patapon 2 and Patapon 3, were initially released as PlayStation Portable (PSP) exclusives, the developers aimed for players to feel as though they were peering into a sandbox. Similar to how an ant farm gives viewers a sense of scale and disconnection, playing Patapon on a PSP is meant to feel empowering and almost godlike.
By contrast, Ratatan is a multiplatform title that can be played on screens of different sizes. It also puts a big emphasis on multiplayer. To account for larger screens and several players, Ratatan includes multiple controllable characters with distinct powers and designs. While it can be played solo, the developers highly encourage people to play with friends or through the in-game random matchmaking system. According to Kotani, multiplayer is where Ratatan is at its most fun.
After a short delay, Ratatan is set to release in Early Access on September 18 at 3 PM UTC for PC (Steam). Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One versions are also in development.
