Ratchet & Clank Size Matters originally appeared on the PSP last year and was a pretty big hit. The series has always been a lot of fun and the PSP port was no different. Ratchet & Clank scaled well to the handheld. In the wake of the game’s success, Sony decided to port the PSP title over the PS2. Sadly, it didn’t work as anticipated. Here is a breakdown of some of the facets of Ratchet & Clank Size Matters for the PS2:
Presentation and Graphics: I expected a lot more graphically from the PS2 port of the game. Essentially, Ratchet & Clank Size Matters looks exactly the same on the PS2 as it did on the PSP. It doesn’t look like any of the textures were enhanced. Many environments and objects are very blocky and low resolution, even for a PS2 title. Because you’re playing on a much larger screen, these low-res textures are more evident. 5 of 10
Sound and Music: Voice acting is pretty good in Size Matters, just like the PSP version. The game does have a good bit of traditional Ratchet & Clank humor, which is a good thing. But like the graphics, background music and sound effects are almost identical to their PSP counterparts. With the more powerful hardware and increased disc size, I expected more effort put into making the game look and sound better. The biggest problem with the sound in the game is when it just cuts out completely. You’ll notice a few times after a cutscene that the sound disappears for a bit. You’ll hear nothing while trying to attack anything from a few small enemies to even larger boss-type battles. This really draws you away from the experience. 7 of 10
Gameplay: Gameplay remains largely unchanged from the PSP version of Size Matters. The controls worked well on the PSP, and High Impact Games ported everything back to the DualShock controller fairly well. The game starts off with Ratchet & Clank taking a vacation from their adventures, only to e pulled in to save a kidnapped little girl. Captain Quark is there too to help out in his normal ways (which is to say, make you laugh and throw wrenches into the equation, no pun intended). The great weapon management and leveling up aspects work well, as expected.
What was a solid PSP game is marred by some camera issues on the PS2. There will be times when it gets stuck and you can’t see yourself on the screen, ultimately leading to your death and starting over from a checkpoint. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it’s enough to get you very frustrated with the game. 7 of 10
Multiplayer: Again, what worked on the PSP seems off on the PS2. The same multiplayer modes available from the PSP title have been ported over with little work done to modify them. Almost all multiplayer modes are objective based, having you collect power cells, homing beacons, etc. Capture the Flag is there as well, but with only 2 player multiplayer, it’s almost pointless. I’m not sure why the game was limited to 2 players for offline only multiplayer, as the PSP version had 4 player Ad-hoc wireless gameplay. Bringing Size Matters for the PS2 online should have happened. 5 of 10
Lasting Appeal: With the so-so graphics, camera issues, and lackluster offline multiplayer, you probably won’t spend too much time with Ratchet & Clank Size Matters for the PS2. It’s upsetting that the game didn’t receive more attention to make the PS2 version shine as much as it could have. 5.5 of 10
Final Word: If you want to play Ratchet & Clank Size Matters, get it for the PSP. You’ll have a more enjoyable experience and get to play the same single player campaign without all the issues that are present on the PS2 version. I’ve played through both now and I personally preferred the game on Sony’s portable platform.
Overall: 6 of 10
