The "Ratchet & Clank" franchise ranks atop my list of action-platformer favorites, but as much as it can dazzle with outstanding graphics, absorbing gameplay and jocular story lines, occasionally a title falls a little short. And these duds often involve separating the hero lombax Ratchet from his robotic sidekick Clank.
"Secret Agent Clank" takes what's usually a mini-game in the series -- taking control of Clank to unlock doors -- and makes it the marquee event, much like 2005's "Ratchet: Deadlocked" put the focus on arena combat. Both of these titles separated the duo and, in doing so, removed each other's foil. To me, one without the other loses a little something, like Laurel without Hardy.
So goes with "Secret Agent Clank," where Clank is on a mission to clear Ratchet of a museum heist. Clank takes on the persona of super spy, while Ratchet passes time in the pokey battling all the bad guys he helped put there (the foes are pretty generic).
Stealth is a major component in "Secret Agent Clank," but flaws throw up too many stumbling blocks.
For one, the atrocious camera must be manually manipulated using the shoulder buttons. Sneaking around often entails hugging walls and creeping around close quarters, but the camera often jams up, not budging to let you scope out your surroundings.
Then there's the arbitrary safe-distance line. If an enemy has a scanner or a flashlight, it's pretty obvious where not to tread, but if they just circle around, they can look straight at you and overlook your presence ... as long as you're far enough away. But how close can you get⢠It seems to vary. And once the alarm is triggered, your only recourse is to leave the area -- you can't even try to hide from pursuers.
For every area you manage to clear without brute force, you gain stealth points that boost your nanotech (i.e., experience), which is pretty good incentive to choose covert over chaos. Another cloak-and-dagger move, the stealth takedown, lets you neutralize an enemy caught unawares by quickly pressing a four-button sequence. Clank also picks up gadgets along the way, like the Holo-Monocle that takes a picture of another robot and uses the image to project a hologram disguise around Clank. Pretty nifty.
For the most part, the mechanics are spot on, and many of the franchise's trademarks are accounted for, like leveling up weapons and health points, shopping for weapons ranging from awesomely destructive to absurdly wacky, hacking and Gadgebot mini-games.
Making several thrilling appearances is Captain Qwark, who spins much-inflated tales of imaginary conquests for a book being written about him. The best part⢠You play as Qwark while he's in the process of fabricating the scenario, so when he suddenly adds to the tale that he has laser eyes -- bam! -- you've got laser eyes. Qwark's odd battles are the most entertaining bits of the game.
Clank's rhythm sections, on the other hand, while an interesting addition to the game, can elicit heavy teeth grinding. The sequences require you to press the button prompts to the beat of the music, a la "Guitar Hero," and a clean run propels Clank through a series of obstacles. Screw up a section, and Clank takes a hit. If his health reaches zero, you start the lengthy process from square one.
"Secret Agent Clank" scatters moments of brilliance among a mostly tepid palette of so-so graphics and gameplay. It doesn't measure up to its PSP predecessor, "Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters," but far from being terrible, consider this title a hiccup in an otherwise stellar series.
Additional Information:
'Secret Agent Clank'
Rate: B-
Developer: High Impact Games
Publisher: SCEA
Platform: PSP
Genre: Action
ESRB: Everyone 10+
Retail: $39.99
