Secret Agent Clank Should Be The Blueprint For Future AAA Projects

It seems like the world of videogames has gotten away from the beauty of smaller projects that might not light the world on fire, but still provide a good amount of fun. Sure, you have titles like Kirby’s Dream Buffet on the Nintendo Switch and Hi-Fi RUSH on PC and Xbox X|S but those are few and far between. The industry is getting way too comfortable with its AAA mega-budget experiences for my liking. As someone who struggles with retaining his attention for many games, this trend just keeps getting worse. But my struggles aren’t the only issues here because, for a series like Ratchet and Clank (which has drifted far away from what originally made it famous), the lack of smaller experiences has affected it greatly.

For example, Ratchet and Clank used to be known for its social commentary and occasional crude humour. Now, it has become yet another generic (but admittedly) gorgeous PlayStation 5 exclusive that fades into the background instead of basking in the limelight of its originality. So if the developers want to keep their fanbase’s diversity alive, they’re going to need to release smaller titles that go back to what made the games great in the first place. It’s disappointing to see their reluctance to this method because there is already an example of it in this very article: Secret Agent Clank.

Secret Agent Clank was released on the 17th of June 2008, for the PlayStation Portable, receiving generally mediocre reviews, later being ported to the PlayStation 2. It’s a 3D platformer where you play as Ratchet’s sidekick, Clank and set out on a mission similar to that of James Bond in search of a rare gemstone that Ratchet has been falsely accused of stealing. But let’s not talk about all that boring history stuff; Instead, let’s discuss why stories and smaller projects or just doing something new in general with an older videogame series is a good idea. The 2008 release will be used as an example for my argument to prevent this article from becoming too all over the place.

Outside of being a side project, it also focused on a side character while giving players an entirely new playstyle. So switching to stealth for a change gives players a break from the standard format while giving others a chance to get into a series they might not have been able to before. Plus, it could spark new ideas for developers wanting to experiment with future projects because the precedent has already been set for experimentation. Giving side games to less experienced developers is a great idea all around, so Secret Agent Clank should definitely be used as a blueprint for future AAA projects.

While it might not be an amazing game by today’s standards, Secret Agent Clank still kept the franchise alive by giving the developers time to focus on more significant projects and allowing their higher-ups to get something out onto store shelves. This was also when the series started to stumble, but that’s exactly the point — continuously doing new things with your classic franchise by handing it off to smaller studios is a great way to keep your fans happy and prevent developer burnout. Why can’t Sony’s Bend Studio develop a new Uncharted game? Or why do we have to wait so long for a new Star Fox when a new studio could very well take the reigns from Nintendo if its run out of ideas for the series? If your answer is it’s a waste of time, then you clearly haven’t been paying attention.

There are so many benefits to doing smaller projects with a classic series, such as preventing developer burnout, re-energising your team’s creativity, and keeping old fans happy while they wait for the next release. In the late 2000s, it was far more common to see indie games pop onto digital stores for a low price. Secret Agent Clank was released in the midst of those days, so perhaps the world was ready to move on and instead focus on breaking the bank with its safe and uninspired products. But just because everybody is out there digging themselves closer and closer to their inevitable failure doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t do something a little different. So to the publishers out there, please make more games like Secret Agent Clank because gamers keep getting busier, and we don’t have all day to sit down and play. Oh, and apply the same philosophy to Ratchet Deadlocked 2. That would be pretty cool, too.