Secret Agent Clank

Every famous secret agent has a cocktail all their own. James Bond, for example, lays claim to the martini, a drink only a man's man could imbibe. Being a robotic operative doesn't hold Clank back from sipping an adult beverage, although it's a libation that goes down hard. Instead of smartly stirring up the Ratchet and Clank formula with a splash of something new, Secret Agent Clank shakes things up too much.

The double life of Ratchet's robotic buddy is revealed in the strange adventures of Secret Agent Clank. After Ratchet is thrown into prison for attempting to thieve antiquities from the Boltaire Museum, Clank takes it upon himself to prove Ratchet's innocence. Tracking down the real culprit is the diminutive agent's top priority, as it'll simultaneously serve to set Ratchet free and return the stolen goods.

Like any slick secret agent, Clank jets from planet to planet utilizing his suave style and sophisticated arsenal of gadgets to get the job done. Differing from the destructive weaponry of his trigger-happy pal Ratchet, the stock of gadgets available to Clank focus on disabling enemies and maintaining a low profile. Cuff-link bombs, for instance, are useful for clearing pathways and disabling security fixtures. The Holo-Monocle comes in handy when infiltrating well-guarded facilities by enabling you to don the disguise of an enemy with a quick snapshot. There are over a dozen gadgets to find through the course of the game.

Complementing Clank's gadgets are new stealth take-downs. Sneaking up behind an enemy enables you to quietly dispatch a foe with a quick four-button combo. Of course, you're always free to engage in direct combat, although keeping a low profile and eliminating enemies without raising the alarm is usually the most effective means of getting through a level.

The new stealthy tinge separates Secret Agent Clank from previous games in the franchise, but with that departure comes disappointment. It simply isn't fun to sneak around trying to avoid detection and executing stealth kills. You can't help but just want to bash things to bits - after all, this is a Ratchet and Clank game. While the attempt at something different is to be applauded, it just doesn't work.

Fortunately, Clank's adventure isn't entirely a solo sojourn. Sandwiched between sessions played as Clank, you'll take control of Ratchet as he deals with life in prison. Here is where you get your action fix, blasting inmates with a wide range of weapons, from the fiery dual lacerators to destructive mine launcher. The format is incredibly annoying - round-based combat in circular arenas - yet it does meet the need for straight up action.

Captain Qwark even makes an appearance as well, with over-the-top scenarios pulled right out of his vivid imagination. These short action-packed vignettes have Qwark squaring off against unusual bosses and beating back waves of quirky enemies.

While throwing in action stages addresses the need for variety and action to balance out Clank's stealthy missions, it ends up making the game a hodge-podge of weird scenarios. There's little cohesiveness to the game at all - one minute you're sneaking into a high security complex and the next you're singing about Qwark's fantasy adventures at the opera. It's utterly schizophrenic. The nonsensical approach might appeal to a kid, but it's a total turn off for anyone over the age of ten.

Secret Agent Clank redeems itself with levels suited well to on-the-go play. Bite-sized stages give you just enough to play on a short bus ride or train commute. In fact, it accomplishes this better than Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters; however, superior portability is the only improvement that can be justifiably claimed. The list of shortcomings that set the game as inferior is long: multiplayer has been taken out, gameplay stripped to its basics, and the quirky sense of humor has been reduced to the most base, immature gags.

The ways in which Secret Agent Clank mixes the beloved platform-action gameplay of the Ratchet and Clank series makes for a bittersweet concoction. While the portability serves as the sugar rim, the kooky assortment of levels makes for a sour cocktail.