Next-gen consoles are supposed to be incredibly powerful, but it is hard to measure that power without a test. Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction seems to test the power of the PS3, cramming in as many explosions, sounds, AI, and activities on the screen as possible. It is a slight departure from previous Ratchet and Clank games, but this fast-paced platformer certainly performs well.

I was only able to play through the demo of this game, but I was impressed. From start to finish, the demo was a rush. It takes place in a city with incredibly tall buildings and vertical space is utilized in a unique way. Ratchet seemed to fall far enough be considered fatal, but then he would hit be some sort of trampoline device and he would fly through the air to a new destination.

The game was truly action-packed. There was a plethora of scripted events happening around Ratchet, but many did not directly affect him. It reminded me of the original Half-Life, where I could often look around and see events that could be missed if I was not vigilant. The processor on the PS3 handled all the scripted events and explosions beautifully; the console never slowed me down. The PS3 also allowed for greatly improved visuals - the animation was incredible and felt as sharp as that in a Pixar animated feature film.

Despite its intense pace, Tools of Destruction still preserved many of the best features of the series, including the humor and fun weapons. The characters were rich, as always. The weapons were creative, from a weapon that could morph enemies to a groovitron, which made all enemies in the vicinity dance.

Gameplay was similar to the rest of the series. There were some difficult parts that seemed unbalanced with the rest of the game. Fortunately, there were many checkpoints, so the game was fairly forgiving if you died. Also, most of the gameplay was very solid. There was a wonderfully creative part where I got to use the sixaxis tilting to steer Ratchet through multi-tiered air traffic. It was a fantastic moment of gameplay and an experience that felt strangely realistic.

I really enjoyed the demo for Tools of Destruction. It seems like a great use of the PS3’s power and I hope that the whole game lives up to the high standard set by the demo.  

Whether it’s on a PS2 or a PSP, Ratchet and Clank feels fantastically the same. I admit that the original PS2 game didn't draw me in like Insomniac’s other popular series, Spyro the Dragon. However, Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters is a well-rounded PSP experience that seamlessly translates the ideas of the original games into a portable experience.

I was surprised to hear that Size Matters was not developed by Insomniac. It was the first project created by High Impact Games, which seems incredible given the level of polish. This is easily explained by the fact that High Impact is partially composed of former Insomniac developers.

While I have not had extensive experience with the Ratchet and Clank series on traditional consoles, I really enjoyed playing through the first couple of hours on the PSP. The Ratchet and Clank series consistently demonstrates solid 3D platformer elements, from the intuitive level design to the clever use of gadgets.

Gadgets were a fun and essential part of many levels. The challenges of the levels encourage the use of different weapons, which creates a fun puzzle feel. The hack-and-slash method doesn’t work due to the limited resources, such as the rarity of ammo for the most powerful weapons. Not all weapons are used for fighting, such as the grappling hook. While it’s obvious when to use a grappling hook for crossing gaps, the weapon can be used to move objects in the level as well. This lends a realism to the world and makes the game more fun.

One particularly strong moment in Size Matters was when I got to take play as Clank. He gained control of a small team of mini robots, which I could then control with basic commands. These robots were too short to climb up to certain platforms, so there was a launching device to fling the mini robots to higher ground. I really enjoyed being able to command a small team and then fling them around without fear of harming them. I would feel terrible launching a cat or some other living animal, but these endearing robots felt no pain and bounced around without even getting a scratch.

My only complaint about Size Matters is that some parts felt much more difficult than others. I'd be progressing just fine and then I'd get stuck at something trivial for several minutes. With a limited character improvement system, it became frustrating; I felt that certain parts required more luck than skill to advance. Perhaps I just need to get more familiar with platformers.

Overall, Size Matters was an enjoyable experience. The graphics were strong and the game successfully utilized some of the best mechanics from the console games. It was a near identical to a console experience on the small screen, proving that size doesn’t matter when it comes to making a strong Ratchet and Clank game.  

For several months, one of my coworkers has insisted that I need to play Ratchet and Clank. I put it on my game rental queue and forgot about it until recently. I was able to borrow it from a friend and finally began the famous platformer.

As a fan of the Spyro the Dragon games, I was hoping that Ratchet and Clank would deliver the same solid gameplay. Fortunately, I was right. The game was clever and fun, filled with characters that were quirky without being too annoying. Unlike Spyro, which seemed geared toward a younger audience, Ratchet and Clank was a little more gritty. Enemies exploded and you got to shoot with a gun. It felt more like a PG movie rather than a G movie.

I breezed through the first few levels. There was not quite enough story to compel me to play past two hours at first, but that two hours was a lot of fun. I didn’t seem to have too much trouble with the jumps (a common trouble spot for me) or locating necessary items. Ratchet can glide like Spyro, helping the game to feel familiar simply through its mechanics.

I had a lot of fun playing Ratchet and Clank today. Compared to games like Jak and Daxter, where the voices grew annoying and the game had some ridiculously hard required tasks, this game felt very well-balanced. Diligence in collecting the currency around levels would help you get the best weapons. It felt rewarding in all the right ways.