Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty first impressions

Ratchet's search for his best friend Clank pits him against a notorious pirate in this mini swashbuckling adventure.

Having already released Resistance: Fall of Man and Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction on PlayStation 3, and with Resistance 2 and Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty still in development, it's hard to see how anyone at Insomniac Games ever gets any sleep.

Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty is best described as a mini adventure; a shorter game than Tools of Destruction, available from PlayStation Store at a reduced price.

The action begins on the deck of a rain-drenched flying pirate ship, where Ratchet has to blast his way through the crew. The graphics are stunning, retaining the unique art style and high quality animation that the series is renowned for, and making good use of water and particle effects - especially when things are blowing up, which is, as Ratchet and Clank fans will expect, very often.

After blasting through Darkwater's minions, play moves to Hoolefar Island: a lush jungle paradise with a network of caves containing all kinds of nefarious creatures. It's the largest of the game's environments and the most beautiful; the contrast between the kaleidoscope of vegetation on the surface and the sinister underground is a credit to Insomniac's art team.

Gameplay consists of a familiar mix of platforming and shooting, providing the player with an arsenal of extravagant weaponry such as the Nano-swarmers: posts that when erected, release a flurry of fluorescent insects. Ratchet's new Omniwrench is a welcome addition, introducing new gameplay elements, such as the ability to manipulate the environment. Ratchet can throw his wrench at certain platforms and trapdoors and move them to a better position, adding a puzzle element to platforming sequences. You can also pick up explosive lava rocks and small blob-like creatures, Heliogrubs, which emit light. The former can be used to blow up doors and the latter to light dark caves and keep bats away.

Another series hallmark making a return is the sense of humour driving everything from dialogue to weapon design, in a tone that appeals to both children and adults. It's an aspect that adds to the general shine of the game; like its predecessors, Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty is dripping with polish. Everything smacks of quality, and even in its current unfinished state, animations run as smooth as Lombax fur and loading screens are practically non-existent.

Whatever they're putting in the water over at Insomniac Games, any developer in the world would give their mouse hand for some. Not only is their output prolific, the quality of their games is always second to none. Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty is no exception, retaining all the gameplay elements that earned the series wide acclaim, and introducing new ones that only add to the experience.

It's a juicy morsel of a game, and one that will surely be a huge hit when it arrives on PlayStation Store later this year.