You may be wondering where Clank fits into all of this, and the answer is gadgets.  Even though he spends most of his time strapped to Ratchet's back, Clank can give Ratchet plenty of new moves and abilities when he's accessorized.  For example, in the demo there is a scientist with a robot lab that hooks Clank up with a deployable rotor.  The result is that after the upgrade you can make higher jumps with Clank's assistance and glide over large gaps that Ratchet wouldn't have a prayer of clearing if he tried to leap across on his own.  Needless to say this can open up whole new areas of the game's expansive environments.

Speaking of environments, not only are they large and good looking, they feel alive as well.  The demo takes place in a bustling futuristic metropolis and while you are busy trying to save the galaxy, the residents of the city go about their business as if nothing is happening.  We found ourselves stopping at times just to admire the view and watch the aircars buzz around the city.

The demo also gave us a chance to get a feel for the game's control, and we found it to be remarkably easy to control.  You can switch between weapons quickly and easily, and the control of Ratchet was remarkably smooth.  It is obvious that the game's designers want the game to be intuitive and easy to control and that they are spending some time on getting it just right.  It will certainly be interesting to see the final product in action.

Ratchet & Clank is due to be released at the end of the year.  If you are a fan of platform games, then you should definitely give Ratchet & Clank a close look.  Even if you don't play this type of game too often, you should keep an eye out for this one.  At this point in its development Ratchet & Clank looks like it will be a platform game done right, and you owe it to yourself to give it a look ... you just might find yourself enjoying it.

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