Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this fast-action sci-fi adventure features a gun-touting cartoon hero who saves a child from abduction. While there isn't any explicit violence, blood, or gore, much of the gameplay involves shooting, throwing bombs, and whacking enemies with a wrench. But most of these enemies are robots (which turn into bolts after they've been eliminated), and the alien weapons are bizarre and fantastical. The game's title contains a sexual pun, but most kids will probably miss it. This game can be played with others over Sony's Wi-Fi network. (Common Sense Media doesn't recommend online play for anyone under age 12 without adult supervision.)
Families can talk about what makes a hero in real life vs. in video games (particularly the sci-fi kind). Would a gun-toting hero be accepted in real life? How do people solve conflicts outside the video game world? What characteristics distinguish Clank and Ratchet? Who do you identify with more? Also: The game's storyline involves a child's abduction, so parents might want to remind their kids to never talk to strangers or get in a car with someone they don't know.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Marc Saltzman
After saving the universe not once but three times, you (playing as Ratchet, a long-eared alien with a yen for weapons) decide to take a long-overdue vacation on a remote planet with your faithful robotic companion, Clank. Thanks to your intergalactic fame, it's no surprise when a young girl recognizes you and asks to take photos of you in action. After she's kidnapped, you and Clank cut your holiday short to save her -- and uncover a plot that could put the galaxy in jeopardy. Again.
That's how Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) game RATCHET & CLANK: SIZE MATTERS -- the latest in the multimillion unit-selling sci-fi franchise starring these two comical and courageous cartoon heroes -- begins. Arguably more so than any other PSP game to date, Size Matters shows off the platform's power. It looks and plays as well as its PlayStation 2 predecessors -- with detailed and fluid animation, explosive weaponry, entertaining cut-scene sequences, and wireless online play for up to four gamers.
In case you haven't played previous Ratchet & Clank adventures, the games can best be described as "platformer" action games. You have to run, jump, climb, swing, dodge, and fight through various worlds while acquiring a huge assortment of weapons, from laser pistols and shrink rays to electromagnetic cannons and bombs that spew acid when detonated. While enemies come in many shapes and sizes, they're all mechanical and leave bolts behind after they've been eliminated. Collect these bolts to buy better weapons, weapon modifications, and ammo. You can also smash open crates to find ammo and other goodies (such as health packs) while navigating through the huge 3-D levels.
Fun gadgets -- like the Sprout-o-Matic, which springs alien beings when you use it to water them -- also pop up. (The sprouted aliens can then help you blow a hole in a wall to get to the other side, grow rungs to climb over a ledge, or serve as a slingshot to propel you over an abyss.) At times you can also play as the brainy Clank, who has the power to control other robots to fight enemies and solve puzzles. Mini-games include racing challenges, spaceship dogfights, and a Lemmings-like robot game.
Unlike the PS2 entries in the series, Size Matters offers four separate head-to-head modes over a Wi-Fi network. In the main multiplayer lobby, you can choose to join or host a game like Death Match (the person with the most kills wins) or Capture the Flag (find the enemy team's flag and bring it back to your base), as well as a new type of game, Iron Lombax, which is an objective-based mode in which each team must perform the requested tasks before their opponents do.
Despite a couple of minor issues -- including tricky maneuvers and inconsistent button assignments -- Size Matters easily earns its high rating. Overall, it translates well to a handheld format and proves that the PSP is more than capable of delivering a console-like experience while on the go.
Other kid-friendly recommended titles for the PSP include Me & My Katamari and LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy.
Reviewed: 03/05/2007
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Sexual ContentWhile the title clearly contains a sexual pun, most kids will probably miss it. |
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ViolenceWhile not out of context for a fantasy sci-fi game, Ratchet must combat various creatures using a wide range of weapons, including laser pistols, electromagnetic cannons, and bombs that spew acid when detonated. |
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