Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters

"Ratchet and Clank on PSP = Okay, but Not Great"

Having just purchased a PSP 3000, I decided to give Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters a try. It was bundled with my PSP, and I had never played any of the Ratchet and Clank games before. I don't really play platformers on a regular basis either, so I was not really sure what to expect from the game.

There are a lot of Ratchet and Clank games out there, so I'm not even going to pretend that I know when this game takes place in the overall series, but from what I've heard it's not really something that I needed to know before playing the game.

Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters is the first PSP Ratchet and Clank game, and the developers had the task of shrinking Ratchet and Clank down to the portable PSP, yet keeping it true to the series. It seems they have done a good job, and Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters has the look and feel of a PS2 title, but it also runs into some stumbling blocks with the PSP's design.

Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters is a hybrid platformer/shooter that follows the adventures of Ratchet and Clank. You will be controlling Ratchet in some levels, Clank in some levels, and both ratchet and Clank on the rest of the levels. The gameplay is slightly different depending on who you are, and Ratchet and Clank have certain abilities that they can only perform when they are together.

Since I don't know much about the series or the story behind Ratchet and Clank, I'll get right to the review.

Graphics 9/10

Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters really looks great for a PSP game. One of the best looking PSP games I've ever played. Most of the levels take place on foreign planets which seem to have their own individual styles and colorful hues. A planet like Metalis might have an industrial feel, whereas Pokitaru has a beach-like atmosphere with water and sand. The planets look great and each one is easily identifiable by its look alone.

The colors on the backgrounds are very vibrant and show a lot of detail in the distance. Traveling to the different planets keeps things interesting and assures that no two levels look alike, even though you will pretty much be doing the same things on each level.

Between levels, you will be treated to some great looking cut scenes featuring Ratchet, Clank and a few other characters and enemies. The cut scenes look crisp and very clear and do a wonderful job of portraying the moods of the characters at any given moment.

The in-game animations are also noteworthy. Ratchet can pull off many different moves, from double jumping, to floating in the air with Clank on his back, and firing all sorts of weapons. This all looks phenomenal on the PSP and does not slow down or hiccup at all.

One of the main draws in the Ratchet and Clank series are the weapons which you can obtain. Ratchet can get about a dozen weapons and most of them are blast to use. All of the weapon effects and explosions are animated in a beautiful fashion and really give you a feeling of power when handling the majority of them.

With all things considered, Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters is a great looking game that will push your PSP to the limit.

Sounds and Music 8/10

This was the first portable game I've ever played with headphones on, and I'm glad I did. While the music is average, the sound effects and voice acting are top notch. Every gun has its own distinct firing sound and will be music to your ears when you are taking out enemies.

The voice acting really is one of the best parts of the game. Ratchet and Clank are entertaining in so many ways, and their bantering is always welcome and often makes for some funny moments. I didn't care for some of the supporting characters, but they are not usually in the cut scenes for too long.

The music is engaging at times, but often doesn't live up to what it could have. However, even with mediocre music, the game is still easy on the ears and deserves to be turned up and enjoyed.

Story 7/10

The story begins as Ratchet and Clank are vacationing on the beaches of Pokitaru. A small girl named Luna seems to recognize them and wants to take some pictures of them doing heroic things. Ratchet decides to beat up some robots, and things escalate from there. The girl gets kidnapped and off they go on another adventure.

The story is brittle at best, and doesn't really pick up until a few levels into the game. At first it seems like you are just flying around random planets in order to kill a bunch of robots, but later on a plot develops and things get moderately interesting.

In order to track the villains, Ratchet and Clank must find clues about the enemies and their whereabouts. This often puts you at the behest of Clank, and you will simply need to go where he tells you to at the end of each level.

The story does have its moments, but it does take a while to get off the ground and become half interesting.

Gameplay 7/10

Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters has standard platforming and shooter gameplay mixed in together to try to even things out. For the most part it seems to do a good job, but the game ends up requiring a lot of trial and error, and backtracking becomes all too common when trying to acquire the vast majority of the weapons. There are so many things to do in this game that it's near impossible to get them all in one playthrough, so you have the option of re-visiting any completed area for added bonuses or to increase your bolt count, which is the game's form of currency.

I'll try to give you an idea of what this game offers in terms of extra items. You will be able to find standard bolts, which you can use as currency to buy an assortment of weapons, ammo, and upgrades. You can find large bolts, which allow you to unlock different costumes for Ratchet. There are tons of bonus missions and mini-games to partake in, like hoverboarding, flying Clank through space and taking part in a 3D shooter. “Clank challenges”, which are a series of mini-games that only Clank can do. There is armor to find and upgrade, hidden abilities with each suit of armor, weapons to upgrade and level up, and gadgets to find and use. I'm probably missing a few things, but this game has a ton of extra stuff to do. One truly has to take a brazen approach to this game if they want to see everything it has to offer.

The main objectives are the true draw of the game, and this is where things become good and bad. The platforming/shooter gameplay is fun at times but sometimes it will flat out frustrate you. It becomes frustrating due to a finicky camera and lots of platform jumping, which often sends you plummeting to your death. The good news is that the save feature is pretty forgiving, and there is really no penalty for dying except replenishing the ammo that you wasted.

You will control Ratchet with the analog nub, and to make him strafe in any direction, you can quickly switch to the d-pad. It's a solid idea, but the targeting while strafing seems to be a bit off, and trying to target enemies in close quarters is near impossible. You do get a wrench to swing at the enemies, but it becomes practically useless after a few levels since distance between you and your enemy will become king. The game does serve up some heavy shooting action, and it will often cause you to respire after large scale fights.

Boss fights are not common, but they are fairly prominent when they take place. Some of them can be quite tough and will test your twitch gaming skills. Quick reactions and knowing the attack patterns of the boss will be vital if you want to last 30 seconds, let alone defeat the boss.

Speaking of Ratchet dying quickly, it's going to happen, a lot. Whether he is falling off a platform, or getting wiped out in two hits, Ratchet will die, a lot. I'm not sure why he lacks any resilience, but almost any enemy can kill him in two hits, regardless of which type of armor he has on.

The gameplay is strong in some areas, but lacks in others. The trial and error gameplay and back tracking will get on your nerves, but blasting enemies is fun, and upgrading and leveling your weapons can be quite addictive. All things considered, it just seems like your survival is based on too many contingencies.

Longevity and Re-Playability 6/10

Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters is a pretty short game if you stick to the main quest. I was able to finish it in a few days, however, there are so many extra items to search for, so many bonus missions and extra challenges to partake in. It's easy to get wrapped up in the bonus features of the game, and I found myself playing Clank challenge after Clank challenge as if they were part of the main game, but indeed they are 100% optional.

There is also an online multi-player feature which I did not explore. I hear it has solid online support, but it's nothing too deep or rewarding.

Despite all of these added extras, most of them are not necessary, and some of the more difficult hoverboard challenges and Clank challenges just flat out are not worth your time based on their rewards.

Upgrading your weapons and finding all of the armor the game has to offer simply forces you to re-visit old areas, amass bolts, and explore every nook and cranny of the planets. Again, it's something that you may of may not want to delve into.

Conslusion

Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters was a different kind of game for me, and given the good and bad, I can say that I'm glad I played it, but quite honestly, I could have gone without playing it and I would have been fine. I am glad that I now have an understanding of the Ratchet and Clank series, and I look forward to trying out the rest of the series.

If you are looking for a game with tons of un-lockable features and bonus content, Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters is a great game to keep you busy, but things may get a bit stale after a while. The game can be found for $20, and I think it's worth getting for $20, but I wouldn't pay more than that for it.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/23/08, Updated 03/02/09

Game Release: Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters (Greatest Hits) (US, 04/06/08)