Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a continuation of the Future series from the PS3, rather than a remake like the previous game on the PS4. Ratchet and Clank returns in familiar frantic gameplay, with a humorous story filled with innuendoes. It is also one of the first games to make full use of the PS5’s often touted SSD, with speedy load times that’s utilized to great effect during gameplay where Ratchet can be instantly warped between completely different environments.
The plot has Ratchet and Clank being celebrated as heroes. Clank presents Ratchet the dimensionator, so that they can use it to explore the different dimensions and hopefully find more Lombaxes. Naturally, Dr Nefarious appears and after some struggle, the dimensionator malfunctions sand Ratchet and Clank are plucked and deposited in another dimension where Nefarious wins. They then need to try to find a way to return to their dimension.
Insomniac was always great as graphics, but this game is on yet another level. Given the multitude of colors used, the graphics really pop, and you’re given several different options such as high framerate, or high fidelity. The gameplay is also very familiar. This is primarily a third person shooter, with Ratchet being able to obtain and wield a host of different weapons. These weapons are imaginative and fun, and every one is a joy to use. Helping to make it more addictive are the light RPG elements, where each weapon can be leveled up with use, and be upgraded.
Platforming is another focus area. Ratchet is nimble, being able to run, jump, climb and wall dashing. Adding to those abilities is Clank, allowing the pair to glide and travel extremely fast using hoverboots. The new gimmick for this game is the rift tether, which is just a fancier version of a rope gun. You can tether to predetermined spots and instantly get there, but the effect is a little bit disorientating at first.
Exploration is a big factor as Ratchet, and later, the other character Rivet, who plays exactly the same as Ratchet, explores the many different plants on offer. There will be story events on each planet, but that usually only uses up a small portion of the environment. You’re then given the freedom to roam around finding secrets, things to collect, and enemies to blast away. Hitting boxes and killing enemies gives you bolts, which is used as the currency of the game. The ching of the bolts as Ratchet collects them still makes it as addictive as ever.
The alternating character viewpoints doesn’t feel forced and doesn’t significant affect gameplay. Weapons, upgrades, levels and everything else is synced between the two. Even though Rivet and Clank is paired up, Ratchet will still be able to hover while jumping, or burst forward when the hover boots are available. This is a great decision because otherwise it would have been frustrating. As a rule of thumb, each planet is dedicated to one of the characters.
The game feels super polished thanks to the fantastic graphics, and the insanely short load times, it’s genuinely impressive. There aren’t any major bugs, although Ratchet can stumble like he’s falling when you’re trying to climb things from time to time. There are also some little things such as having to constantly open the maps to locate collectibles, and the last of fast travel within a planet.
As expected, things can get chaotic when there are a lot of enemies about, and you’re stuck in an enclosed area. That said, it is more satisfying when there are a lot more enemies, and the enemy density feels like it could be increased. The difficulty is nicely balanced, maybe on the easier side if you are a gaming veteran but the main point is that the game does not get frustrating on its default difficulty. Dying only respawns you to the last checkpoint, which isn’t usually that far back.
While the planets do feel that they are large, you end up returning to those planets often. The story takes you back to each planet multiple times, and while it is different each time, you can’t help but feel the game recycles a lot of content, including the enemies. There are not that many different enemies, but thankfully the gameplay is fun enough for you to overlook that. Similarly, the world doesn’t hide too many secrets, so it does not take long to find everything that there is. Although if you have played previous games, the weapons feel a tad bit too familiar and several weapons have way too similar effects to each other.
The story is simple in the end, which isn’t too surprising for the series, however, you play the game for the gameplay and experience the story for the puns and humor. The boss battles are fun, and the game takes around 12 to 15 hours to complete. After you beat the game, you can continue to explore and find everything, or you can play Challenge Mode, which is a new game plus of sorts. In it, the enemies are tougher, but you also carry over everything, and it unlocks new weapons and levels for those weapons.
Overall, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a sequel that’s full of fun. It’s fine for newcomers and returning players, with polished gameplay that has fast and frantic gunplay mixed with some light platforming. The impressive graphics coupled with the colorful aesthetics really make the game pop on your screen. The humor in the story is on point, and all in all, this is a fantastic game.
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