R&C has been my favorite PS3 game, so I downloaded this one as soon as it became available. Took about an hour to download, which is surprising since PS3 downloads are usually very slow, and this game is around 2.3 GB.
It only took 4 hours to get through. And I'm one of those players that smashes every crate, kills every enemy, and pokes around every corner for extra coins. Faster players can probably get through in under 3 hours.
While the gameplay looked the same, I don't think the cutscenes had that Pixar-look that made the last game total eyecandy. Cutscenes are also much shorter, which is fine by me. But overall there's not much story.
The only new stuff involves the wrench. You can use it's new magnetic power to manipulate objects for the platforming sections. And you can pickup/carry/throw a few objects when required. Other than that, there's nothing really new.
No new weapons or tools. There's only about 7-8 guns altogether. Many of the favorites are missing, including the penguins and disco ball. The nano-swarmers are there, but it's not the kill-all monster like in the last game. The tornado gun is back, and it still sucks. And there's no weapon upgrade system. The guns will upgrade on their own as you use them.
I didn't notice anything to collect, other than the basic coins (or whatever they are). The coins are only really used to get stuff from the smuggler. But you will require his help, so grab the coins.
Gameplay was fairly basic. There was only one section I had any trouble getting through (one of the major gunfights). I'd say the platforming to shooting ratio was probably 50/50.
I don't really see much replay value. I played through the first game three times to keep upgrading the weapons and collect all the bolts. I may play thought this one again for the hell of it, but there's nothing more to achieve in the game.
Overall, I enjoyed playing R&C again. I just wish there was more. The game wasn't very deep, and it was over fairly quickly. Plus, I was a bit disappointed that it was a watered-down version, missing many of those great features that made R&C the best PS3 game of 2007. Worth the $15 to a R&C fan. But don't expect too much from this game.
And the final note is something along the lines of "See you again in Fall 2009". If we have to wait another year for more R&C, I hope it's a full-blown game and not just another shallow chapter.