Secret Agent Clank

Review from Carl - Monday, 04 August 2008 @ 12:31pm

WELCOME TO AGIA – AUSTRALIAN GAMER INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

CLEARANCE LEVEL: MINION

MISSION STATEMENT: READ REVIEW OF SECRET AGENT CLANK FOR PSP

INITIATE REVIEW

Good morning, 00Reader

The life of a sidekick is nothing glamorous, we all know that. A sidekick is usually smaller, weaker, less brave than the hero and more often than not, less intelligent. While the hero bravely risks his life to ensure the safety of the world, a sidekick usually cowers in the corner, occasionally muttering some inane banter. Or they are usually caught and used as bait to get to the hero. Or they are strapped to the back of a furry mechanic. No, that’s not a euphemism, it’s long been the resting place of Clank, one half of Insomniac’s best selling Ratchet and Clank series.

However, Clank has finally had enough sense in that massive robotic brain of his to expand his horizons in his first leading role in Secret Agent Clank, Ratchet and Clank’s second foray into the Playstation Portable. So, does this game Get Smart and deliver, or is it doomed to Die Another Day?



I went into this review with more than a little trepidation, I’ll admit. My number one reason for concern? The Clank sections in the Playstation 2 and 3 entries in the Ratchet and Clank series sucked, plain and simple. You would be happily shooting aliens with massive Guns-O-Death as Ratchet, and then all of a sudden, you’d be pitifully punching on as Clank and his “can’t follow commands” cast of robot buddies that looked eerily like the bastard love child of a bobble head doll and a toaster. As I loaded up the game, I sincerely hoped that the game wasn’t just a whole disc of that.

And you know what? It wasn’t.

Secret Agent Clank revolves around Clank’s position as the number one intergalactic robot of mystery. When Clank’s main squeeze, Ratchet, is framed for the theft of one of the galaxy’s most valuable treasures, the Eye of Infinity, Clank, loyal to the end, sets out to prove his buddies innocence and unravel the mystery behind the framing. Intriguing, aint it?

While Clank doesn’t exactly have the firepower that Ratchet has, he comes equipped with some suitably spy-related weaponry. Be ready to save the world using your Tie-A-Rang, Cuff Link Bombs, Blowtorch Breifcase, Thunderstorm Umbrella, and Holo-Knuckles. Secret Agent Clank has retained the experience sytem of weapon advancement (essentially, the more you use it, the stronger it gets) and it works well. Hey, if it aint broke, don’t fix it. Oh, and Clank knows kung fu. Cool, huh?

It’s clear that the spy theme within Secret Agent Clank wasn’t quickly tacked on as a selling point, with the concept really influencing the game’s entirety. Sneaking instead of shooting will earn you stealth points, which will help you gain extra health, and there are a number of other elements, such as stealth kills, agency weapon drops and all sorts of spy themed missions to complete. There are more than a few nods to popular spy series and characters (sadly, no shoe phone) and it really provides some added character to a series that usually retained a easily recognisable style. It’s a brave move, and I like it.



Fans of dumb expressions have often told me that variety is the spice of life. If this is true, than playing Secret Agent Clank is the videogame equivalent of shoving hot chili up your nostrils as you casually pour pepper directly into your eyeballs, while at the same time gutting yourself open and stuffing your now well ventilated ribs full of Tabasco sauce. Mmmm, spicy.

One moment you may be stealthily infiltrating a museum, dancing to the death with foxy robot ladies (rhythm mini-game style), desperately skiing down a mountainside to escape pursuing goons, or tailing local mob bosses through crowded streets of robots. And that, my friends, is just the Clank sections. Secret Agent Clank has been clever enough to provide other playable characters, each of which help to flesh out the game.

Ratchet’s sections of the game revolve around his time in prison. I’m not talking American History X style shower scenes, but more along the lines of staying alive long enough to be rescued. Why, I telepathically hear you ask? Well, Ratchet has thrown a lot of bad guys in jail over the series’ seven games, and they all just happen to be in the same prison as him, hell bent on revenge. Through weaponry that is bizarrely smuggled to Ratchet (poorly) disguised as various cakes, Ratchet’s sections see him battle waves of inmates. Strangely enough, after playing through the exciting adventures of Clank, returning to Ratchet’s control seems dull in comparison, which is something I never would have thought before. Secret Agent Clank has really made Clank an effective leading man, and it’s a commendable achievement.

The other playable character section revolves around the bizarre and downright hilarious Captain Quark. Within this section, we see the captain narrating his memoirs as the player controls Quark in battles past, via flashbacks. These sections are a welcome addition to the game, mainly because Quark tends to exaggerate his achievements, making these battles more difficult for you. Early in the game, while you play Quark fighting a Godzilla style dragon, he recalls the presence of an army of robot ninjas, who suddenly appear in the battle. Or you might be fighting a mob henchman who suddenly will have laser eyes. Each fight is fun and funny in equal measures, and adds another layer of variety to the title.

I’m going to get up on my soapbox for a moment here, if you don’t mind, and address Insomniac directly. Insomniac, I love you, and I hope you remember that after I ask you this little favor: could you find a god damn door puzzle that doesn’t make me want to fly to America and personally choke you to death? Every single time a new Ratchet and Clank game comes out, you manage to find a way to make every locked door in the game make me consider beating myself to death out of frustration and disappointment, and it’s only so amazingly irritating because the rest of the game is so damn good! Secret Agent Clank is brilliant, but you screwed up again with the door puzzle!

…….remember that I love you, Insomniac. But fix the door puzzles, please.



Graphically, the game looks the part, with an expansive variety of levels and settings. There are only minor criticisms that can be attributed to the Ratchet sections of the game, which often get a little confusing when there are enemies all over the place. The camera also copes well with the PSP’s layout, relaying camera controls to the shoulder buttons (which works surprisingly well).

Secret Agent Clank is also surprisingly replayble, with the usual slew of Ratchet and Clank challenges, such as skill points, skins and cheats. Considering that these features are the same as those on the PS2 and PS3 installments of Ratchet and Clank, it's impressive to see that they still make an apperance here.

It’s clear that Secret Agent Clank was made with the intention of delivering something a little different than their usual formula, and shows that there is life in Ratchet and Clank still. Secret Agent in an impressive entry into a series that has already dabbled with the Playstation Portable previously, injecting it with a unique twist, refreshingly varied gameplay, and finally allowing the sidekick to take up the limelight for once.

This review will self destruct in 10…9…8….7…6…5…4…3…2…1…

INITIATE VERDICT

Summary

This game, should you choose to accept it, is an impressively high quality PSP title, and a worthy entrant into the Ratchet and Clank series. Locate and purchase immediately.

Pros

Make playing as Clank fun, multiple character sections provide excellent variety, spy theme adds unexpected character

Cons

Ratchet sections are a bit repetitive, fix the door puzzles!