Full Review

16 July 2008 - When Ratchet and Clank aren't getting in to mischief it appears Clank is busy pretending to be a "Secret Agent" Bond style, but is this whim enough to justify a PSP title? We don a tux to find out.

Secret Agent Clank is a platform game developed by High Impact Games, the same people behind the last Ratchet and Clank title - Size Matters - and can only be found on Sony's PSP rather than being an "all format" offering.

A spin-off of the Ratchet & Clank series, the game sees you fighting off bad guys (robots), dressed in a tuxedo fighting, and sneaking your way out of trouble.

Just like the movie counterpart Clank has a series of weapons befitting a spy/gadget fiend that you'll be able to collect and use as you progress through the levels.

There's an ink gun that renders lasers useless or a spinning disk wheel that chops enemy robots in half and that's before you get using the cufflink bombs and Tanglevine carnation. All are fairly easy to master and add a bit more excitement and fun to the proceedings rather than just another M16 or Walther PPK.

On the stealth side, you are rewarded for avoiding baddies, there is a combo takedown move to master and once set in motion sees you having to press a combination of buttons displayed on-screen before the time runs out. The whole process is just one of the mini-games that you get to play with others using music or block moving to give you results.

His name might be on the title, but don't think it’s Ratchet's Swiss Army Knife robot that gets all the action here, Ratchet and Captain Qwark turn up later in the game, and you'll also get a helping hand from some gadgetbots that help you bridge large gaps and the like.

VERDICT
Secret Agent Clank is a bit of fun for the PSP that is unlikely to challenge or warrant playing for that long. At £20 its not going to break the bank and the gameplay is simple - ideal for the bus or train ride home.

Should you bother? It's like a trashy novel on holiday that you read and then throw away. If you're expecting War and Peace you'll be disappointed, but this should give you a smile or two over the summer.