After the events of Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, Clank finds himself recognized as an interstellar robot of mystery and intrigue after starring in his own television series, Secret Agent Clank. This comes about as a result of the recent victory that Ratchet and Clank achieved alongside one another. Despite the fact that Ratchet is upset at being demoted to the role of sidekick, he is able to put his feelings aside when the Galactic President asks the two of them to work together to bring peace to the cosmos. They are forced to make the perilous journey back to Planet Veldin in order to engage in combat with Dr. Nefarious, a robotic supervillain who is behind a dastardly plot to exterminate all organic species in the galaxy.
The player has control of Ratchet the vast most of the time, but on occasion they will take control of Clank instead. The gameplay consists of platforming, although the most of the time is spent shooting or beating up various adversaries. These foes include robots, aliens, vehicles, and bosses. The game has a vast array of weaponry, including a variety of guns as well as beat ’em up weapons that can be leveled up to increase their potency as well as their magazine capacity. During the course of the game, improved body armor becomes available and can be bought. The player can also play on a video game console-like device on the Starship Phoenix as Captain Qwark, narrating the history between Qwark and Dr. Nefarious in a number of 2D side-scrolling stages. These levels can be navigated by moving left and right.
