PS3 Reviews
PSP Review: Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
By Casey Lynch Feb 12, 2007, 16:58 GMT
High Impact Games delivers one the best PSP games to date in with Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters.
If you're one of those folks who believes a console game can't work on a handheld system, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters is here to prove you wrong.
Well, it’s actually here to entertain you, but it will do the former in spades and then some.
All of the control problems that you'd imagine are inherent in bringing a Ratchet game to teh PSP - the camera, moving from 2 analog sticks to 1, only having 1 right and left shoulder bumper - have been dealt with here by the dev team at High Impact Games, a group of former Insomniac peeps that have been totally faithful to the Ratchet franchise with Size Matters. The net result is a fantastic Ratchet game and one of the best PSP titles to date.
The basics
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters picks up with your favorite lombax and his robotic buddy soaking up some rays on a much needed beachside vacation.
No sooner then they've kicked their feet up though they're thrown into an evil galactic plot that follows their quest to rescue a girl that looks straight out of Maple Story.
On to what works and what doesn't...
What works
Well, pretty much everything works.
The game is very easy to pick up and play, it looks great - the set pieces, backdrops and even the sky and sea look cool, especially considering this is a PSP title - and the weapon and combat controls are very well tuned.
The camera moves fairly well. It can occasionally get hung up on different environmental objects but you can control it with the right of left bumpers, plus you can center the camera with the tap of a button if you desire.
As always, the weapons rule. There's your typical long range shooter, a shotgun-like gun and lots and lots of gonzo weapons as well - gloves that shoot out bees, acid-slime guns and even attacking mini-robots - and all of the weapons upgrade as you play through.
The levels are fun and there is a good mix of platforming, puzzling and fighting. There are also some really bright moments with Clank - you'll use him to get into places Ratchet can't go, you'll lead a gang of mini-robots and solve puzzles, and even take part in flying missions that are as fast as they are fun.
The story and voice-acting is good and follows the usual Ratchet blueprint, which finds the duo in over their by mid-game with some good twists emerging by the closing battle and epilogue.
What doesn't work
Similarly, not much. As we mentioned above, there are some times the camera gets snagged on a tree or doorway or leaves you with a bad view in close combat, but the bumpers and centering options remedy this pretty quickly.
People who aren't familiar with the Ratchet series might have a slight problem adapting to each different enemy and picking which weapon is best to use in each situation, but that too is a small thing.
What it all means
Because of the attention to detail in the characters, weapons and gameplay that High Impact Games has paid here, Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters is overall one of the better games we've ever played on the PSP.
It faithfully brings one of our favorite franchises to the PSP and is sure to please handheld fans who have been crying for a great game. Plus, playing through Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters has helped to sate our appetite for Ratchet 5 which should hit the PS3 this holiday.
Pros
+ Looks great
+ Plays great
+ Weapons, as always, are a treat
Cons
- Camera can give you slight problems
- Have to pick right weapons for each foe (sometimes)
- ...what we're saying is there aren't alot of cons...
