R & C has been in development over the last few years by Insomniac Games, the company responsible for one of the PSone's top platformers Spyro The Dragon. Blending elements from all the best games of the genre, more notably the PS2's most recent platform hit Jak & Daxter, R & C adds it's own new ways of playing the tried and true formula and shows itself to be something that's very polished and a great deal of long-lasting fun. It's basically a platformer, yes, but it's a mixture of adventure, exploration, puzzle-solving and combat all wrapped up in a well-told story and it stands out amongst the myriad of other platformers out there.

The story itself revolves around our two main characters' attempts to thwart the plans of one Chairman Drek, an evil alien corporate type. Drek comes from an over-populated and polluted alien world and is in the process of constructing a brand new planet on which to house himself and his minions. Problem is he's building it from the best parts of all the other planets in the galaxy destroying them in the process.

Clank, a reject robot from Drek's assembly line, doesn't like what he sees so decides to run away and do something about it. As he's fleeing, Drek's robot guards shoot him down and he crash-lands on Ratchet's home planet. Ratchet is a young alien creature who likes to tinker with all things mechanical and especially likes new "toys". His main drive in life is to finish building his spacecraft and roar off into the galaxy seeking fame and fortune. Clank's unscheduled arrival on Ratchet's world then is timely as it offers Ratchet not only the final part needed to complete his spaceship, a robotic ignition system that only Clank can provide, but also a mission to seek out his TV hero Captain Quark who Clank seems to think will save the galaxy.

Ratchet & Clank each have quite different personalities, Ratchet the gung-ho butt-kicker and Clank the more logical but also the more naive "thinker". They approach each situation from a different angle, often arguing about the best method of attack. Throughout the game you'll find that you actually get to play as either character depending on who is best to handle any given situation. For example, the outside objectives on the Blarg Station level can only be played as Clank due to it being in outer space or the toxic atmosphere of the Kogor Refinery which Ratchet can't access without an oxygen mask. There are other areas also where Clank's methodical puzzle-solving abilities are best used. For the most part though Ratchet carries Clank backpack-style and takes advantage of his upgradable gadgetry like the helipack to get him to hard-to-reach places.

The game takes place across a huge galaxy with each of it's 18-plus levels all being planets with the odd space station thrown in for variety. Level loading between planets is handled very nicely in the form of a cut-scene showing Ratchet & Clank blasting through space en route to the next planet - not a load-bar in sight! You start out on Ratchet's planet with fairly simple tasks to complete and after you acquire Clank's assistance the first couple of levels see you coming to grips with the game's mechanics and picking up the first of the 35-plus weapons and gadgets. After this the levels and missions get more complex but all along the way you can build up a nice collection of "bolts" by breaking open crates, smashing some part of the environment and defeating enemies. These bolts are used as currency throughout the game to purchase weapons and gadgets from non-playable characters and from the Gadgetron Vendor machines present on each level.