Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters Critic Reviews

For the last two titles, the developers of Ratchet & Clank have done a wonderful job building full-featured multiplayer support into their games. Size Matters is arguably the best attempt to date. Although it only supports four players at a time, the maps and modes are meticulously built to wring the most out of multiplayer matches.

Visually, the game is excellent - and sometimes astounding. Ratchet's fluid animation must be seen to be believed, and there are moments (Clank's aerial levels come to mind) where the range of colors and particle effects will blow you away.

It's refreshing to play a title that is both old school in its gameplay, but new school in its storytelling.

Size Matters equals, if not surpasses, the graphic experience of its PS2 big brothers. The environments and characters are slick, clean, and very pleasing as the camera whips around the action. The camera system itself is refreshing.

The multiplayer aspect is fairly average, but you’ll enjoy the single player game so much that you won’t care.

It’s a shining example of how to properly make a PSP game.

In terms of scope, the game just as big and deep as the PS2 games. The crazy arsenal of weapons at your disposal is present, and the environments are pretty varied and large. The controls are spot-on, an impressive feat for a PSP game, and the action is engrossing and fun.

It's packed with fantastic single-player content, has a strong multiplayer element, boasts a great visual and thematic presentation, and excels with razor-sharp gameplay mechanics.

The trademark humor, outrageous weapon designs, and unforgettable cast of characters appear to be stripped straight from Insomniac’s portfolio. Which is not to say, however, that High Impact is simply connecting the dots that Insomniac has laid out.

The combination of a loaded single player campaign with an entertaining multiplayer mode makes Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters an excellent addition to the PSP library.

One excellent thing about the single-player campaign is that there is no penalty for death. You just get set back at the nearest checkpoint.

So awesome, in fact, that like "Daxter" or "Liberty City Stories" or "WipEout Pure," it's worth buying the PSP for. It's absolutely a system seller, though obviously you'll want to be familiar with the series before you go dropping some $300 on the system and game.

What Ready at Dawn did for the "Jak & Daxter" series, extracting Jak and fashioning a killer game around his uber rodent, High Impact Games has somehow done for Ratchet and Clank (sans extraction), reinvigorating the series after three turns on the PS2.

After playing Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Daxter, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror, the Socoms and now Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters...there was a question lingering over my head: is Ratchet the best PS2-to-PSP conversion thus far? And my answer would have to be a resounding 'yes'.

The beleaguered handheld gets a huge boost with this perfectly crafted action platformer. The comedic duo absolutely shines in this superb adventure.

While there are a few minor issues, such as some camera trouble and bugs with the sound, the high points far outweigh the problems, making Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters a must-have for PSP owners.

It looks great on the PSP screen, and it offers as much content as any of its console cousins.

Other than those minor complaints, and the aforementioned issues with some of the less inspired mini-games, Size Matters is a truly brilliant platform game, and while it does nothing new, it does most things very well.

A brilliantly put together game, ambitious but not over-extended, lovingly crafted and devilishly designed.

Aside from the teeth-grinding frustration of the races, this is a rewarding and varied pleasure. It's also wondrous to look at with crisp, vivid landscapes and lively enemies bursting with character. The final clincher is the excellent multiplayer options.