After the runaway success of Daxter, which allowed players to take control of the sidekick in the wildly popular Jak and Daxter series, it was only fitting that Sony's other major platforming duo, Ratchet and Clank, get the same treatment. Secret Agent Clank is the second game from the franchise to hit the PSP, but as its name suggests, this one has you playing exclusively as Clank in an espionage action adventure. Sony sent us a demo that features the first three levels, and after some hands-on time, we came away with an uncanny desire to hide behind large objects.

Fans of Ratchet and Clank can rest assured that, despite playing as Ratchet's robot sidekick, whose gameplay style revolves around sneaking past enemies than outright combat, Secret Agent Clank still feels very familiar. In the demo levels we got to play, we experienced a variety of play types, but it's clear from the get-go that the game rewards you more for avoiding enemies than attacking them. In the first level, for instance, there are huge spotlights that you must maneuver around, lest the guard dogs get called and laser cannons open fire. Granted, you can dodge the lasers and quickly dispatch the dogs should you trip the alarm, but the game rewards you with nanotech points (which help you further upgrade through the course of the game) when you successfully hide.

The levels we played offer a number of ways to avoid enemies. There is the obvious method of staying out of their line of sight, but when that's not possible, there are plenty of humorous items in the world that Clank can use for cover (holding leaves to appear as if he is a plant, or posing as a statue on a pedestal, for instance).

Despite the emphasis on sneaking, this is no Metal Gear Solid. As in all of the previous games in the series, there are a bevy of weapons and tools that you'll acquire. We were only able to play with a few of them, but they feel right at home in the series and seem well suited to Clank's nature and abilities. There are also "quick time events" in the game, which are always a love-or-hate affair, but they feel contextually appropriate thus far.

Visually, the game looks great, as you might expect given that the same team from Size Matters designed it. After coming off the aesthetical high of Ratchet and Clank Future, it might be hard for fans to go back to a graphics engine that isn't quite as good as the PS2's best efforts, but this is still a very nice looking game. We were playing a demo version, and with a month left until release, there is always time for more polish, but the game runs at a brisk pace and we didn't encounter any significant glitches.

The only issue that has us a little worried are the controls, especially the camera movement, which moves too fast. Trying to adjust the camera while performing complex platforming action caused us to miss several jumps. With that said, the rest of Secret Agent Clank has the same quality control scheme that you've experienced before.

Secret Agent Clank gives us something old, something new. The witty dialogue and humorous cut scenes that have become a staple in the series are here in full force, and the weapons and combat are as satisfying as ever. It remains to be seen if a series that focuses more on action can adjust to stealth based gameplay, but we have our fingers crossed that High Impact Games knows what its doing. Look for our review the week of the game's June 17 release.

Related Links

Secret Agent Clank Game Guide