![ratchet and clank size matters ratchet and clank size matters](https://cover.box3.net/newsimg/dvdmov/max1222776480-potlaccd-cover.jpg)
It's a game full of variety and, fortunately, most of it is thoroughly enjoyable. And we're not even done yet - during the main game itself you have to perform a few basic obstacle-avoiding grind rail sections, while other portions of the level might involve guarding Ratchet with an emplacement gun while he hacks a door, or have Clank commanding little robots to stand on pressure pads to open up security doors and so on. On top of that, there are some other optional Robot Wars-style destruction derby challenges where you have to smash up the other robots before they smash you, and a basic 'throw the robot through the goal posts' interlude. Taking their cue from old school third person space shooters like Mega Apocalypse (bonus point if you can name the composer), the gameplay's pretty straightforward blasting fodder, but looks so damned good while it lasts that it could easily form part of a standalone game if someone were to develop the idea a bit further. The only reason we're not more annoyed about their inclusion is the rest of the game more than makes up for such botched design.Įlsewhere in the mini-game stakes things improve immeasurably, such as giant Clank shooter sections which not only look phenomenal, but are a huge amount of fun while the last. For example, the hover board races that crop up occasionally are possibly the vilest inclusion in any Ratchet game to date, with horrendous, wobbly controls, impossibly bad collision detection that snags you in all manner of improbable places and terrible course design. Once again, there are plenty of mini games and interludes to freshen up the gameplay every now and then, but not all of them feel like welcome additions. Admittedly, few of the weapons, gadgets or upgrades in Size Matters feel new, but framed in the context of solid, enjoyable new levels, it's not something that feels like a problem. And it's the sort of game that packs in plenty of secrets to make it feel good to play through all over again.
![ratchet and clank size matters ratchet and clank size matters](https://media.pocketgamer.com/artwork/na-vds/R_CPSP_1.jpg)
Rather like all the previous Ratchet games down the years, there's a real sense of reward for everything you do, with more upgrades, enhancements and new gadgets packed in than practically any other game we can think of. The lock-on makes up for the lack of a second stick - but does make the game noticeably easier in the combat department.
![ratchet and clank size matters ratchet and clank size matters](https://gamefabrique.com/storage/screenshots/ps2/ratchet-and-clank-size-matters-02.png)
Choosing between weapons is all part of the fun, and not only are the controls a doddle to configure, but the more you use a particular weapon, the more it powers up - so you get to shape your own combat style through your own path of destruction, which is nice. You get the rather hopeless wrench to kick off with, but quickly accumulate a standard loadout of upgradeable weapons like the Lacerator, Concussion Gun, as well as the more typically 'wacky' homing weapons like the Agents of Doom and the Hive and so on.
Ratchet and clank size matters series#
You're tasked with working your way through a series of largely linear levels, smashing a procession of baddies to pieces with a series of progressively more powerful weaponry. It has a typically grin-inducing storyline, superb voice-overs (from the usual cast) and the kind of cut scenes you feel guilty skipping.Īs you might expect for a handheld debut, the formula hasn't changed one bit. And despite development duties switching from Insomniac to High Impact, you can hardly see the join. The most important thing to stress is that Size Matters feels every bit as enjoyable as any of the previous versions, marrying, as it does, the platforming and combat formula with consummate ease. While the 16-bit old school have continually pined for Sonic or Mario to come up with the platforming goods, Sony has basically sewn up the genre over the past six years, with four superb Ratchet games right at the centre of this unexpected world domination, with Sly Raccoon and Jak & Daxter ramming the point home in some style.Īnd now a PSP-exclusive fifth Ratchet title enters the fray, proving not only that the series remains as essential as ever, but survives that tricky one-stick transition to the Sony handheld almost intact. Ratchet & Clank: a Western platformer so good that even the Japanese loved it - and for good reason.