Not that I cared. It scored well all around, and, along with Uncharted, made owning a Playstation 3 in 2007 far easier than owning one in 2006. Still, part of me wondered what possible direction the series could take without alienating the core fan base. Sandbox stuff didn’t work out so well for Jak, and a more open world, ala Mario, would be the opposite of good for Ratchet’s highly scripted, run ‘n gun gameplay. Wait, what was that? What if they excise the Lombax, dress Clank in a tuxedo, and mold the R&C formula around a James Bond inspired stealth/action title? Well I have news for you! Such a delusional meltdown of classic R&C gameplay and irrational thinking-machine adoration has been realized with High Impact’s Secret Agent Clank. So, does this sidekick staring side story Daxter it up into must-own territory, or does it join Deadlocked and suggest that separating the two might not be the best of ideas?
First and foremast, Secret Agent Clank breaks the traditional narrative structure by adapting a spy theme throughout the narrative. Clank, out to clear Ratchet’s name and remove our beloved Lombax from incarceration, channels 007 right down to the tuxedo. Visual cues aside, the Bond theme is present throughout the entire game. You’ll engage in high stakes card matches, visit exotic locals, dance through lasers, slip past guards at cocktail parties, and encounter a series of overly optimistic antagonists. You can even pick up bonuses by staying out of sight or executing stealth kills. It’s a fun theme that clearly pays homage to Connery & Co, but a strong base still takes a back seat to the series main attraction.
It’s about the weapons
Well, it’s usually about the weapons. Secret Agent Clank isn’t a slouch in this department, but the usual collection of insane armaments has been quietly replaced by more low key gadgets. While many of the weapons are just Bond-flavored rehashes of classic blasters (cufflink bomb = bomb glove, blowtorch briefcase = flamethrower, etc), there are a few brand new gadgets to up your arsenal. The blackout pen can be used to shoot ink over motion tracking lasers, and the holo-monacle can be used to photograph any enemy and assume their identity as your own. The relative simplicity of these new gadgets may seem lacking in the shadow of ToD’s groovatron, yet, in some ways, Clank manages to outclass the most recent R&C game. The holomonocle is, by far, the series best disguise device, far more elaborate and fundamentally fulfilling than ToD’s pirate outfit. That’s not to discount the rest of the gadgets, which have a more active role in the basic platforming gameplay.
That’s right, your tools of destruction still double as puzzle solving instruments. Tie-a-rangs can be used to sever cords and drop suspiciously placed structures on top of badguys, and your tanglevine carnations, thanks to their rapid photosynthesis, also double as a means to stop machines from operating. Unfortunately they also brought my least favorite portion of the Ratchet series, the dreaded “unlock the door” minigame. As with any video game (ever, name one that doesn’t have one), there are several locked doors in Clank. Each game of the series resolves this problem by allowing you to play a semi inspired minigame in order to unlock the door. They’ve either been mind numbingly frustrating (laser match in Going Commando) or mildly entertaining (marble madness in ToD), but one thing’s always for sure; it’s done to excess. It would be fine if these minigames were kept in moderation, but they always manage to wear out their welcome long before the game has ended. This time around we’re granted a lock-picking minigame under the guise of matching the falling blocks. It’s neither particularly hard, nor identifiably necessary; it feels like it’s there simply because of tradition.
Still, at least through Clanks portion of the game, weapons and combat often takes a back seat level-specific goals. Weapons are a usually side story to the context of each level; whereas Ratchet was usually shoot first and asks questions later, Clank is quite the opposite. In the Boltaire Museum, for example, Clank will have to stay out of the light and blend in with the scenery to escape detection, which is the polar opposite of Ratchet’s usual path. The aforementioned holo-monocle is essential to surviving your way through the casino, and Clank’s myriad of weapons help navigate Fort Sprocket. Azcotal Alley, on the other hand, is a near disaster. You’re supposed to tail a boss and his henchmen throughout the level and pick off his lackeys one by one, but some suspect triggers and a low margin of error turn it into a frustrating mess. Couple that with the dread of having to do a reasonable part of the level over again each time you fail and you’re left with the ingredients for some maddening issues.
As a nod to the past, there are some traditional platforming/shooter levels sprinkled throughout the game. While each area features some minimal amount of classic R&C action, the Gondola Ascent and the dazzling Underwater Bunker are exceptional returns to form. On one hand this is a tantalizing reminder of tried and true gameplay, but, on the other, Clank isn’t as well equipped as Ratchet to handle hordes of adversaries (and his kung fu melee moves are underwhelming). Worse, more monster closets of reserves inexplicably drop out of the sky when you’re finished. If these situations were relatively infrequent everything would have been fine, but, as with the lock picking minigame, it’s so unnecessarily excessive that it feels like filler.
But wait, there’s more
Three other distinct modes round out Clank’s end of the game. For whatever reason High Impact has decided the series needs more button pressing, rhythm inspired gameplay. Thus, you’ll be pressing buttons in a pre-assigned sequence in order to make Clank slip through lasers, dance, or play cards. I never really detected any sort of rhythm in button inputs, it all seemed purely random, but I could definitely appreciate the context behind an otherwise tired device. Sure, I’ve rapped with PaRappa or Hero’d a Guitar before, but I don’t think I’ve ever gone ballroom dancing with a robot woman whilst trying to have her drown, stabbed, electrocuted, shot, crushed, blown up, eaten, and engulfed in flames.
The second mandatory talent of Clank involves various flavors of racing. With the use of a snowboard or a hovercraft, these sections play out like a modernized version of Road Rash combined with RC Pro Am. The courses can be a little too unforgiving at times and the draw distance is occasionally obscured by your health bar, but frequent continue points ease any unnecessary rage caused by these issues. They’re fun, if not fairly mindless, but, as is the running theme with Clank, they tend to go on for a little too long. Every trick a track can offer has been done before you’re half way through, where, from then on, it just repeats the same challenges. What could have been an attractive break from the norm falls under the weight of itself and nearly winds up as a lost opportunity.
Finally, Clank’s game modes are cast off with a brilliant rail shooter segment (which is nearly identical to the extraordinary shooter levels from Size Matters). From a gameplay standpoint, it plays like a polished version of pre-suck Starfox, but the visual side is marvelous. Everything is fast, fluid, and strikingly ripe with color. An incredibly ridiculous amount of activity surrounds every second of existence, all layered in lush confection with absolutely zero drop in the frame rate. The amount of smoke and explosions filling the screen doesn’t seem like it should be possible on the PSP. It’s a shame there is only one of these levels, it feels like I brief tease for something that, if developed and expanded properly, could be a game all its own.
Go Go GadgeBot
Gadgebots also drop in for a handful of appearances. What they lack in the plethora of commands from previous iterations is made up entirely by the level design awaiting your problem solving skills. It’s a primitive setup, you can only tell them to wait, stack up, or attack, but, just after the first level, the gadgebots are already more fulfilling than the Zoni in ToD. Simple tasks like turning a hamster wheel or transporting electricity are done with remarkable ease and function, perfect for those “a-ha!” moments when you figure out what you’re supposed to do. Using the gadgebots to attack enemies in their field is often brief and infrequent, but one unfortunate mission dispatches the gadgebots for a pure attack/defend mission, which is disappointing considering these guys weren’t built for combat. Still, that’s a minor complaint amongst otherwise great (and, thankfully, kept in moderation) sequences of gadgebot fun
Arenas and Bosses, or, Hey look, they brought Ratchet and Quark!
Ratchet isn’t one to idly waste away in the solitude of prison, no sir, our favorite Lombax occasionally has to rise to the call of participating in some good old fashioned jailhouse brawls. Nearly identical to the arena battles in previous titles, Ratchet will have to dispatch several waves of foes in order to clear the level. Old favorite like the lacerators (defaulted at dualies from the end of SM, nice touch), and the plasma whip are joined by new stuff such as the shock barrage (rockets) and current animal morph gun, which transforms enemies into pigs. Of course they can all be upgraded with constant use, or combined with optional mods if you have enough bolts. Ratchet’s trusty, uh, ratchet can also get some cool mods, offering both style and substance
Like some of Clank’s levels, each scenario has four or five additional missions if you’re craving something beyond a simple ‘kill everything that moves’ task. Sometimes it’s predictable stuff like shooting prisoners before they escape or using your ratchet to seal some enemy-spilling tubes, but there are occasional bits if inspiration. The shower level fairs the best in this regard, you’ll either be trying to keep towels on all of the naked inmates (lest a black censor bar appear to conceal their junk), or doing something mildly crazy like using a well timed blast of water to send them down the drain.
These segments (as well as Clank’s) all hinge on the achillies heal of Size Matters, the what-the-hell-is-going-on-here camera system. SM’s camera was positioned way too close to Ratchet, failing to reveal the necessary environmental details and, gasp, enemies standing in his way. While the absence of a shoulder buttons and a right analog stick are still missed, the end result feels better this time around. The camera has been pulled back, and control seems a little more responsive around the edges. Assuming default settings are kept, the analog nub is used for traditional walking around and platforming, while the d-pad (in combination with the shoulder buttons) is more strafe-friendly and action oriented. You will have to frequently switch between the two control schemes, which takes a little bit of getting used to, but at least it’s functional.
I was ecstatic when I learned Captain Quark, objectively one of the most finely written and considerably insane supporting characters of the last decade, was finally going to be a playable character. True, he had those side scrolling missions in Up Your Arsenal, but Clank was to be his first foray into actual narrative based Ratchet and Clank action. It could have been an ill-received disaster, but the engaging context behind Quark’s missions turn out to be the highlight of the game. To help inflate his massive ego, Quark employs a small creature to record his autobiography as he relives his legendary conquests. What this means for you is, essentially, a series of over the top boss fights. But a simple boss gauntlet just wouldn’t be Quarks style…
In true Quark fashion, he blows everything out of proportion and, in turn, winds up making each fight needlessly (but always comically) complex. For example, the boss will appear on screen and Quark, trying to broadcast his machismo, exaggerates the size of the beast and winds making the fight three times harder. Another encounter has Quark narrating an immensely elaborate stage play, commanding you to protect his left butt cheek or pacify a seemingly incessant army of sea lemurs. Limiting Quark’s activity to boss fights is a fantastic vehicle for his mission structure (along with one traditional level that retreads awkward memories of Blasto) and his portions wind up being one of the best additions to this franchise.
Extras
Being a handheld title, one would expect some additional concessions in the way of short term entertainment. Clank fulfills the need for a temporary fix with the addition of select bonus missions for every level. You’re allowed to access these from the case menu at any time, which is a godsend for when your poorly conceived weapon purchases need to be retooled. Most of Clank’s extra missions focus around the driving segments, commanding you to take out a set number of guys or collecting a generous amount of rings before it’s over. Ratchet usually has more of the traditional arena stipulations, like taking on an inordinate number of bad guys, but also veers into the absurd, such as making sure the paparazzi doesn’t snap a photo of Ratchet without his towel. The gadgebots also fair pretty well in these segments, with more difficult extensions of their traditional levels.
As many of the R&C faithful know, the game is far from over after the credits roll. Like the titles before it, Clank features a full blown challenge mode after you beat the game. The enemies are considerably more relentless and have higher hp, but, by the same token, additional weapon upgrades are available for purchase. The exorbitant cost of these upgrades (for both Ratchet and Clank) is a bit unsettling, but a newly added bolt multiplier, which exponentially doubles the amount of bolts you receive for each enemy you kill without getting hit, not only makes this easier, but adds an entirely new dimension to the game in the process. Another bonus lies in the form of the therm-optic shades, which, when worn, allow Clank to see hidden symbols around various locals, which allegedly unlocks a new area somewhere down the road. I say, “allegedly” because I have not the talent to hunt all of these down without a FAQ, but rest assured, if Insomniac and High Impact’s previous work is any indication, a significant reward probably lies down that path.
The usual R&C extras also make an appearance. Hidden bolts are present through all of Clanks levels, while they’re offered as rewards for some of the harder fights Ratchet has to undertake. Of slightly more challenge are the skill points, which you can accumulate by completing absurd tasks throughout the game. Some of these are a little too hardcore for the casual fan (as the means by which you obtain skill points are offered in vague hints, at best) but that’s why they’re skill points, right? Anyway, those points can be spent as currency to unlock some rather amusing cheats.
Hmhimhumhumh
As if Quark’s missions weren’t a strong enough indicator, the series’ trademark humor is omnipresent throughout the adventure. David Kaye, as always, is on point, pushing Clank’s cunning wit and suppressing sarcasm to the front of the experience. Genuine humor isn’t something easily displayed in videogames, jokes are usually on par with popular sitcoms and are defaulted to fail when plucked outside the mainstream, but my hat’s off to High Impact for the subtlety and cleverness behind their writing. Whether it’s investigating a laser-sighted axe (with a description that reads “The laser sight on this stone axe is a classic example of robots improving on organic technology and yet somehow still missing the point”), or stumbling upon the set of an alleged game of cranial drill musical chairs, the nimble ingenuity is always consistent. For a game that usually tends to push itself into overdrive, the humor is thankfully kept in perfect moderation.
The streamlined visuals are on par with their Playstation 2 counterparts, right down to the sweeping, pulled back overtures that introduce each local. These are some damn fine looking places too, the skyline rooftops in Asyanica are comprised of beautiful neon that just screams Bladerunner, and the purple/white/red palate from the (sadly brief) visit to Glaceria is similarly striking. The attention to detail is also appreciated, whether it is the red bobber bouncing around on Clank’s head or the seemingly endless amount of activity in the skies. The aforementioned rail shooter level is very impressive, but, while the textures and general art direction is quite good, Clank doesn’t ascend to the level of Chains of Olympus or Crisis Core (but to be fair, little does).
Secret Agent Clank
