Secret Agent Clank

Secret Agent Clank
North American PlayStation Portable cover art
Developer(s)	High Impact Games[a]
Publisher(s)	Sony Computer Entertainment
Designer(s)	David Goodrich
Composer(s)	David Bergeaud
Series	Ratchet & Clank
Platform(s)	PlayStation Portable PlayStation 2
Release	PlayStation Portable NA: June 17, 2008 EU: July 11, 2008 AU: July 17, 2008 JP: November 20, 2008 PlayStation 2 NA: May 26, 2009 EU: June 19, 2009 AU: June 2009
Genre(s)	Platform
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Secret Agent Clank is a 2008 platform video game developed by High Impact Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable.^[1] It is the second spin-off of the Ratchet & Clank series. A port developed by Sanzaru Games for the PlayStation 2 was released the following year, making it the last installment of the series to be released on the console.^[2]

The theme of Secret Agent Clank is a spoof of the James Bond series, and is based on the Secret Agent Clank element of Up Your Arsenal. To fit with the James Bond theme, Clank has an array of helpful gadgets and devices on his tuxedo, such as a bow tie that he can use as a boomerang and a rose that turns into a carnivorous plant to devour enemies.

The game received mixed reviews from critics. The PSP version was re-released in September 2024 on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.^[3]

Gameplay

Unlike previous Ratchet & Clank games, Clank's gameplay is more like Ratchet's in comparison. In previous titles, Clank's gameplay consisted mostly of brief, puzzle-platform-oriented segments with minor melee combat elements; in Secret Agent Clank, he has weapons and gadgets of his own. Featured are quick time events where the player must press a sequence of buttons correctly to sneak through an area undetected.^[4] Giant Clank, wherein Clank transforms into a monster-sized fighting machine, also makes an appearance.^{[citation needed]}

Besides Clank, both Ratchet and Captain Qwark are playable in the game,^[5] as are the Gadgebots. Qwark's gameplay segments are based on dubious accounts of his own exploits and are more action-based. Ratchet's segments in prison are more like the arena gameplay featured in previous games in the series. The Gadgebot segments require switching between Gadgebots to solve puzzles.

Clank has six weapons in his inventory: the Tie-a-Rang, Cuff Link Bombs, Tanglevine Carnation, Blowtorch Briefcase, Thunderstorm Umbrella, and Holo-Knuckles. Throughout the game, Clank will find weapons that Ratchet can use. Clank secretly puts the weapons in cakes, then sends them to prison for Ratchet to pick up.^[4][6][7] Clank has the opportunity to gain access to a snowboard and other vehicles.^[5] The player can upgrade Clank's "Clank-Fu" fighting moves and weapons, similar to the weapons-leveling system in traditional Ratchet & Clank games. The player can learn new techniques, as well as various finishing moves.^[8]

Plot

A precious gem known as the Eye of Infinity, held at the Boltaire Museum, has been stolen, with Ratchet falsely accused and jailed as he is at the scene of the crime. Skeptical about his involvement, Clank infiltrates the Museum to find out more about the Eye of Infinity. But much to his dismay, Clank finds only coordinates to Asyanica Rooftops. Meanwhile, in jail, Ratchet is forced to fend off the majority of the inmates whom he is responsible for their imprisonment to stay alive.^[9]

Clank travels to the Asyanica Rooftops, but is held captive. He contacts the agency Gadgebots to free him.^[10]

Once freed, he sets to find information about Number Woo, the owner of Asyanica. Although he admits he took the Eye of Infinity, he actually gave the gem to a fellow villain, Countess Ivana Lottabolts.^[11]

While this is happening, Captain Qwark is writing an autobiography about adventures that never happened, such as him fighting a Mechanical Monster to save a city.^[12] Meanwhile, Clank heads to Lottabolts' snowy domain, Glaciara, and asks her for the Eye, but in the process is challenged to a dance of death.^[13] After avoiding all the traps during the dance, Ivana says the Eye has been taken to Rionosis and it is in the possession of a Kingpin.^[14] Armed with the information, Clank escapes on his snowboard.

En route to Rionosis, Clank gets a distress call that Ratchet is in trouble. Ratchet is forced to fend off more inmates in the Prison Cafeteria. Clank lands in Rionosis and begins to tail the Kingpin; however, he escapes. Clank is forced to jump on numerous gondolas to reach safety. Clank finds out that the Eye is taken to the Casino. Concurrently, Qwark arrives in Rionosis to continue his autobiography where he defeats the Jack of All Trades. Meanwhile, Clank reaches the Casino's Main Room however he is denied entry due to his not having a password. Back in jail, Ratchet reencourters Slim Cognito (a shady weapon tradesman met in Going Commando). Slim trades the password with Ratchet on condition that he defeats his associates. Once he is successful, Clank gets the password and is challenged to a game of poker in exchange for the box goods he saw earlier in the Casino. But once again the gem has been taken to another destination, this time in the Venantonio Labs. At the end of Venantonio Labs is a scientist who was ridiculed for his inventions. With the help of the scientist, Clank escapes on a speedboat to Fort Sprocket, the real location of the Eye of Infinity. Concurrently Qwark arrives in Venantonio and "reminisces" his days of performing in the mermaid play.

In the prison showers, Ratchet meets the Plumber who was called to fix a broken pipe. He accidentally throws the pipe to another fellow guard. Enraged, the guard, together with the fellow inmates engage in battle yet again. Meanwhile, Clank reaches Fort Sprocket. He makes his way to the main vault but is trapped. He contacts the agency Gadgebots to release him. Once inside he finds the Kingpin went to the Spaceship Graveyard. Clank ventures into the Graveyard and the kingpin finally reveals himself – it is Klunk (his doppelganger created by Dr. Nefarious from Up Your Arsenal). Klunk proceeds to destroy Clank he manages to escape on a Giant Clank Pad. Qwark arrives in the Graveyard and talks about his adventure in saving the orphanage nuns. Meanwhile, there is chaos in the Jail and Ratchet is forced to defend the other inmates from the enemies. Clank manages to locate Klunk's base of operations on Hydrano. It turns out it is an underwater base. After exploring, Clank finally is face to face with Klunk. Klunk reveals he wanted success by destroying every planet in the universe but saving it in time by Clank (who resembles Klunk) the plot thickens when Klunk will make it seem as if the fake Klunk (Clank) destroys the planets only for Clank (portrayed by the real Klunk) to thwart his plans. They engage in battle. Midway through the battle. Klunk says the Eye of Infinity is poised in the center of the universe, either way if Clank or Klunk dies, Klunk will still succeed in his plans. Qwark manages to move the Eye from destruction and saves the galaxy.

The game ends with Ratchet and Clank back in their Megapolis apartment using a vacuum cleaner which resembles Klunk. The camera focuses on the vacuum cleaner's filter. The eyes reactivate, implying he is still alive.

Development and release

Secret Agent Clank was in development before the release of Size Matters.^[15][16] In July 2007, rumors of the game's existence surfaced when David Bergeaud, who composes music for the Ratchet & Clank series, accidentally revealed the game in his online resume.^[8] The actual game was not confirmed by Sony until a pre-TGS 2007 conference.^[4][15]

On September 17, 2024, the PSP version was re-released for PlayStation 4 and 5. It is an emulated version that allows for enhanced graphics, save states, rewinding, custom controls and trophies.^[17]

Reception

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
	PS2	PSP
Metacritic	61/100[36]	72/100[37]

Review scores

Publication	Score
	PS2	PSP
1Up.com	N/A	C+[18]
Destructoid	N/A	6/10[19]
Eurogamer	N/A	6/10[20]
Game Informer	N/A	8.5/10[21]
GamePro	N/A	4.31/5[b]
GameRevolution	N/A	B+[23]
GameSpot	N/A	8/10[24]
GameSpy	N/A	[25]
GamesRadar+	N/A	[26]
GameZone	6.8/10[28]	6.9/10[27]
IGN	6/10[29]	6.5/10[30]
PlayStation Official Magazine – Australia	N/A	7/10[31]
PlayStation Official Magazine – UK	N/A	8/10[32]
PALGN	N/A	6½/10[33]
Pocket Gamer	N/A	[34]
VideoGamer.com	N/A	6/10[35]

Secret Agent Clank received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.^[38]

Notes

1. PlayStation 2 version published by Sanzaru Games.
2. GamePro gave the PSP version 4.25/5 for graphics, two 4.5/5 scores for sound and fun factor, and 4/5 for control.^[22]

References

1. Keltner, Brian (May 5, 2008). "Clank gets a Date". PlayStation Blog. Sony Computer Entertainment. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2008.
2. Egan, Glen (March 16, 2009). "Secret Agent Clank Coming to PS2". PlayStation Blog. Sony Computer Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 8, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
3. "PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for September: The Plucky Squire, Night in the Woods, Under The Waves and more". PlayStation.Blog. September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
4. Parish, Jeremy (September 19, 2007). "1Up Previews: Secret Agent Clank". Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
5. "Secret Agent Clank". PlayStation.com. Sony Computer Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 18, 2008.
6. "Ratchet & Clank™". Playstation.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
7. PSP Playable Demo
8. Yoon, Andrew (July 11, 2007). "Rumor: "Secret Agent Clank" game in development". PSP Fanboy. Archived from the original on October 26, 2007. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
9. High Impact Games (June 2008). Secret Agent Clank. Sony Computer Entertainment. Warden: But if you want to survive in here for more than... today, you better have a little fight in ya. [...] It seems that a lot of these folks were put in here by you and they've got a score to settle.
10. High Impact Games (June 2008). Secret Agent Clank. Sony Computer Entertainment. Cute Anastasia Bot: Gadgebot Prime, we've dropped your team as close to Clank as possible. You must hurry and free him!
11. High Impact Games (June 2008). Secret Agent Clank. Sony Computer Entertainment. Number Woo: Fine. I was told to send it to Countess Ivana Lottabolts in Glaciara
12. High Impact Games (June 2008). Secret Agent Clank. Sony Computer Entertainment. B.A.R.N.E.Y.: I am Biography Analysis Robert Neo Eight Yellow. // Qwark: Soooo... Barney it is. It all started when I received a distress call from the Asyanic...ian...ites saying that they needed a hero to combat the Mechanical Monster that had taken over their city. The winged menace was 50 feet high if he was an inch. Luckily, I noticed a nearby growth pad. I made a few quick modifications using a magnitudinal quantification on the vertex of an ellipse... /// B.A.R.N.E.Y.: Wait, that doesn't make any sense. // Qwark: Were you there, nerdo? // B.A.R.N.E.Y.: No... sir. // Qwark: I didn't think so.
13. High Impact Games (June 2008). Secret Agent Clank. Sony Computer Entertainment. Countess Ivana Lottabolts: I understand joo are lookink for zee Eye of Infinity. // Clank: That is on my agenda. // Countess Ivana Lottabolts: Perhaps I vill give joo zee information if joo prove yourself vorthy in a dance. // Clank: I have been told I am light on my feet. // Countess Ivana Lottabolts: Good. Because if joo are not... joo vill die.
14. High Impact Games (June 2008). Secret Agent Clank. Sony Computer Entertainment. Countess Ivana Lottabolts: Zee Eye vas just taken by my azzozziate to Zee Kingpeen on ze planet of Rionosis.
15. Haynes, Jeff (September 19, 2007). "TGS 2007: Secret Agent Clank First Look". IGN. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
16. Yoon, Andrew (October 25, 2007). "PSP Fanboy mega-interview: Secret Agent Clank". PSP Fanboy. Archived from the original on January 26, 2008. Retrieved January 29, 2008.
17. "PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for September: The Plucky Squire, Night in the Woods, Under The Waves and more". PlayStation.Blog. September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
18. Bettenhausen, Shane (June 17, 2008). "Secret Agent Clank (PSP)". 1Up.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
19. Nicholson, Brad (August 3, 2008). "Destructoid review: Secret Agent Clank". Destructoid. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
20. Gibson, Ellie (July 2, 2008). "Secret Agent Clank". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
21. Reiner, Andrew; Helgeson, Matt. "Big Thrills and Even Larger Laughs". Game Informer. Archived from the original on June 22, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
22. Herring, Will (June 23, 2008). "Review: Secret Agent Clank". GamePro. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
23. Parker, Tom (June 17, 2008). "Secret Agent Clank – PSP". GameRevolution. Archived from the original on July 1, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
24. Calvert, Justin (June 23, 2008). "Secret Agent Clank Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
25. Lewis, Cameron (July 7, 2008). "Secret Agent Clank". GameSpy. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
26. Kim, Alan (June 21, 2008). "Secret Agent Clark review". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on June 20, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
27. Valentino, Nick (June 23, 2008). "Secret Agent Clank Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on July 1, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
28. Hooker, Heath (June 8, 2009). "Secret Agent Clank Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on June 11, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
29. Miller, Greg (June 19, 2009). "Secret Agent Clank Review". IGN. Archived from the original on June 20, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
30. Miller, Greg (June 12, 2008). "Secret Agent Clank Review". IGN. Archived from the original on June 20, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
31. Morgan, Vanessa (September 2008). "Secret Agent Clark". PlayStation Official Magazine – Australia. No. 20. p. 84.
32. Richards, Kim (August 2008). "Secret Agent Clark". Official UK PlayStation Magazine. No. 21. p. 103.
33. Mitchell, Luke (July 10, 2008). "Secret Agent Clank Review". PALGN. Archived from the original on January 12, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
34. Erickson, Tracy (June 24, 2008). "Secret Agent Clank". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
35. Orry, Tom (July 2, 2008). "Secret Agent Clank Review". VideoGamer.com. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
36. "Secret Agent Clank (PS2)". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
37. "Secret Agent Clank (PSP)". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
38. "Secret Agent Clank". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved September 11, 2024.

External links

• Official website