Review - Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

"Whoa! Can It Be? A Brother Lombax?"

June 11, 2021 - Sony Interactive Entertainment / Insomniac Games

Platformer, Third-Person Shooter

PS5, PC

During a celebration for the heroes, Clank accidentally tears apart the fabric of dimensions with the Dimensionator, a device that let’s you open portals to other dimensions. The heroes are seperated as Ratchet meets the robot Kit, and Clank meets another Lombax, Rivet. Meanwhile, Doctor Nefarious discovers a dimension where he finally has won.

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Characters, World, and Presentation

The number one thing this game excels at is its characters. I used to be a superfan of this series back in the day, and this was the first time I played an entry in the series in over a decade. I completely forgot just how good and well-written these characters are. Ratchet and Clank feel like genuine friends, with both of their personalities completing the other. Dr. Nefarious is the fantastic villain I remembered him to be, coming off as a bit of a joke but also still a threat in different ways. Newcomer Rivet is the MVP here, as she emerges as her own hero rather than a Ratchet clone, and I hope she isn’t a one-and-done in the franchise. Another newcomer, the robot Kit, has the most interesting character arc in the game, and you can’t help but root for her.

As for the world and presentation? Top-notch quality. The art direction looks beautiful, and even if it’s an animated game, it has some spectacular views when looking out into the sky. The world has a goofy feel, not in a bad way, and the art style feels as much a part of that feel as the characters and writing do. It just looks incredibly good, and no matter which graphics option you choose, it’s easy on the eyes. The particle effects and shiny surfaces showcase the PS5’s strengths in those small areas.

Overall, this is one of those cases where everything comes together nicely. The character ensemble is great, with all the major characters having their own arcs that end satisfyingly. The world fits the stories it tells, and the writing and humor are witty, never feeling cringey. I especially loved the showcases from Zurkon Jr. when buying weapons, as well as the interesting sales pitches that were made.

Gameplay, Design, and Sound

The core gameplay hook of the series has always been the over-the-top, silly guns, combined with some platforming elements. You still get that here, but this time around, they add dimensional rifts you can use to traverse to pocket dimensions or get higher in the level. There are also set pieces where you’ll use these rifts when escaping an enemy or obstacle. The rifts do work well when it comes to platforming, but during combat, I tended to forget about them and walk over to areas. Now and then, I would use them, but it never felt necessary when they were optional.

There are also some puzzles and side stuff to do with a little robot that takes care of viruses, and surprisingly, it even has its own story and character arc! Clank will also complete a puzzle to help resolve specific dimensional issues, which requires you to decide how to guide “possibilities” of Clank, in the form of spirits, to the finish line without dying. These puzzles were really cool, but I do see how they can get annoying for some people. Luckily, you can skip them if they stump you.

That being said, when the rifts open, pocket dimensions do look pretty crazy. One moment I’m in one type of area, and I see a hole leading to a new location. I walk in, as if it’s an open door, with no loading or tricks - it’s there. This is a pretty impressive mechanic by the developers, and while there was some controversy regarding the PR about the required SSD, having one can’t hurt, especially since they implemented this mechanic. Outside of that, it’s the typical big and crazy guns and they’re all fun to use and upgrade to take down your enemies and bosses.

The bosses are pretty good, but the variety with them isn’t that great. There’s a lot of repeated use of big, bulky robots and not enough creatures, as you’ll see from time to time. There are some chase sequences where you’ll grind on a rail like a Sonic game and those were some real awesome moments for me.

The soundtrack is pretty good, but I’ll admit there was never a moment or particular score that stood out for me. I wouldn’t call it bad, it’s just not going to be among some of the best video game music you’ll hear. But it gets the job done. Sound design is perfect. I was playing this with headphones on and the 3D audio added to the immersion, as well as the Dualsense’s haptic feedback.

Negatives

The only negative I really can think of with this one is that the dimensional rifts didn’t feel as special as they were advertised. Sure, it’s an important plot point in the game and ultimately the whole series, as Ratchet continues to learn more about his race and his search for his missing family becomes more of a reality. However, as a mechanic, it felt gimmicky most of the time. I do think the rifts, especially the side pocket dimension stuff, look really cool, but the dimensional areas that could’ve been created felt uninspired.

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Overall, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart could jump Metroid Dread as my favorite game of 2021. I love the writing, the humor, the characters and their arcs, and the whole story; I really dug it. While the dimensional rifts felt more gimmicky than innovative, they were a significant point in the continuation of the main plotline of the series. I hope we see more of Rivet and Kit, whom I have grown to love as characters, especially Kit. It’s one of those games that might be more targeted at teenagers, but I have no problem recommending it to a ten-year-old. I pretty much fell back in love with this series, and I can’t wait to play the next adventure it has to offer.

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