After a hugely successful debut on PSP, galaxy spanning heroes Ratchet and Clank have decided to bring it back to the system where their space-bound adventures began by letting PlayStation®2 owners get a dose of the excellent handheld adventure. Given that it's been resized for your TV, it's appropriate that the title of Size Matters applies more than ever...
The bigger they are...
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters blasts off its story with a bit of beach relaxation. That's to say, the bobcat-looking Lombax mechanic Ratchet and his diminutive robotic buddy Clank are taking a well deserved rest after the rather intense events of their last adventure, the deadly gladiatorial combat that was Ratchet: Gladiator.
Barely sun-kissed and sand-touched, their vacation is soon interrupted by the sudden kidnap of a little girl named Luna, who had decided to use Ratchet and Clank as the subject of her school project before being whisked away by strange robots.
With the appearance of the bumbling Captain Quark and a mystery abduction to solve, the vacation is cut short in favour of 3D platforming, blistering weapons, gadget based action and more. Relaxation is overrated, anyway.
The boots and the bees
True to the series roots, Size Matters is a genre blending bouncing bundle of fun. You assume control of Ratchet and Clank as they explore differently themed levels in the quest to find out who's behind this fiendish plot. As the story opens up with numerous twists and turns, so does the gameplay. Platforming is initially given a nice battle element through Ratchet's powerful wrench and ranged weapons, and soon that gives way to grinding on rails and space racing, to name but a few fundamentals.
The sheer variety on offer keeps proceedings fresh, while the platforming itself evolves through an invigorating batch of elements, such as anti-gravity three-dimensional environments which see you running up magnetic surfaces with Ratchet's gravity boots and springing between vertical walls.
Of course, the weapons and gadgets play a large part in the fun too and given the pedigree set by the series so far Size Matters doesn't disappoint. Plants can be grown and controlled using the Sprout-o-matic, the Bee Mine Glove unleashes a swarm of robotic bees to attack enemies, and Ratchet's armour can be mixed and matched for defence and offence bonuses with specific elemental properties, such as adding fire damage to your suit and wrench.
Happy happy joy joy
Clank gets to shine too thanks to some engaging side missions that involve him exploring hidden temples, changing into a giant flying robot for space battles or even just engaging in fun competitive sport-like mini-games.
Each section is perfectly measured, so no level outstays its welcome in length but persists long enough for you to enjoy its features, giving you the chance to take advantage of the plentiful gizmos at your disposal. There's tons of invention on display in this world of colourful and well animated characters, designed to not just keep you playing, but laughing and smiling as well - made all the better with the inclusion of two-player modes which can be played co-operatively or competitively.
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters leaps from PSP to PlayStation®2 perfectly because its expertly designed gameplay is something that translates no matter the format. Fun and challenging, if you missed it on PSP there's absolutely no excuse to let it pass you by this time. Make room in your collection for this far from little gem. |
