by Brooks Brown on November 20, 2008

I hoped this would be a straightforward review. Picking up my PSP to play the latest incarnation of the Ratchet series, I knew that, rather then the normal Ratchet-focused game play, I would finally be put in control of Clank (dressed in an adorable little suit with the creative bits of weaponry for which Ratchet is famous) in a Bondian adventure.

But I forgot one painful thing – it’s on the PSP.

It would seem there are two types of games made for the little system that could – those that are made specifically for the system, realizing the limitations it has, and other games which are simply made for a mini-PS2. You know the ones that feel like they should have a second analog stick? The ones with lots and lots of platforming and bad cameras? It’s a shame really, but these games seem to pop up all the time, and Secret Agent Clank falls squarely on this side.

In the first few moments of the game, all the flaws that could come out do. Starting off with Clank behind enemy lines, it quickly becomes apparent that this is not the normal beat-em-up action of the Ratchet and Clank series. In fact, Secret Agent Clank is a stealth-based adventure game, requiring fast reflexes and quick movements – two things the PSP has never excelled at. As such, the first area can take quite a few tries before you make it through. Quite a few tries.

Other parts are flat-out broken. Thanks to the terrible camera, platforming is next to impossible. Sure, you can take your time, adjusting the camera in between each jump like you usually are forced to, but thanks to some odd design choices, you’ll be forced to do so quickly. Enemies will fire their guns as you leap, usually leading to quite a few cheap falls and even cheaper deaths.

So why am I still giving it 3 out of 5 in my rating? Because, like every Ratchet game, it is brilliantly written and hilarious to play through. While the actual gameplay is terrible, the in-jokes and dialogue will bring a smile to the most jaded gamer. If you are able to handle a few headaches here and there, and some very frustrating moments, Secret Agent Clank is a difficult, but fun, addition to your PSP collection.

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