Review of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

A new plane of existence

Reader,

I will not deny when I say that I’ve been somewhat putting this review on hold for a bit too long. Not because of a lack of interest or that I hate the title that I will be reviewing today but more so for the way I played it on my first time through.

You see, when I heard that my beloved video game duo would be returning to the newly announced PlaySation 5 last year I was beyond hyped.

This news also came just under a year after it was announced that Insomniac, the developer of this series, was bought out by Sony Interactive Entertainment, meaning they could achieve more funding for their projects including this title as well as their growing partnerships with Marvel Games to make three Spider-Man games and a upcoming Wolverine Game as well.

However, as the months of 2020 rolled by I got steadily more anxious about the title. Not that I had much doubt to begin with but even in the first two trailers that were officially released for the game (one during the PS5 reveal that I discussed above and the other an extended demo at Gamescom), there were quite a lot of questions that those same trailers showed off.

Firstly, we’re now actually continuing the events of the 2013 game Into the Nexus, as opposed to the timeline started with the 2016 remake/reboot of the original.

Secondly, Nefarious would be returning as the main villain once more, also addressing another cliffhanger at the end of All 4 One 10 years ago.

And thirdly, a brand new female lombax to the series when Ratchet is supposed to be the last of his kind.

Needless to say, there was a lot to digest with what direction this new entry was taking and that’s just talking about the story. Well regardless, before we get into all of that, we might as well talk about the preproduction of the game and how it went.

Preproduction: Sowing the seeds for interdimensional chaos

So there actually, not surprising at this point, very little info surrounding the preproduction of this title. The main thing I can deduce from my research is that Insomniac Games were given early prototypes of the PS5 by Sony and given leeway with what they wanted to do with the new hardware.

And as if by habit now, the idea came to try and make a new Ratchet and Clank game for the system and to specifically test out the console’s incredibly fast loading times. By using the now established dimensions system from the future games.

However, early on there were some snags hit on the road to getting this project started. Like I mentioned last time, Brian Alguyer, the creative director for the series up until that point had left Insonmiac after work was finished on the 2016 remake with T.J Fixman, the head writer for the series since Tools of Destruction also leaving soon after.

This left the series in a bit of a confusing dilemma soon after though as the team wondered if they should continue the continuity of the 2016 remake or the timeline left behind after Into the Nexus.

Even before this game was announced, I think myself and several other fans of the series expected that the next Ratchet installment would be picking up after the events of the 2016 remake, especially with how well it did during the PS4’s lifetime.

Well regardless, the title’s new creative director, Marcus Smith, alongside his team decided to continue the events of ITN and create the title that we have today.

And that’s pretty much it. I know I shouldn’t be baffled at this point but it still somewhat surprises me that a new entry in this series is more so considered a inevitably rather than because of a real creative passion for the series.

That could just be the lack of any real talk about the development behind the series, especially with how new this game is but still comes across as unusual to have so little info.

But I guess now, the next question I have to ask now is that even though the team had a focused direction with this adventure, what exactly does the finished product say about their efforts?

Well, if we’re talking about the story, very well.

Story: Around the multiverse in just under a week

Several years have passed after the ending of Into the Nexus as our once more retired heroes, Ratchet and Clank, make their first public appearance as part of a festival dedicated to them in the city of Megapolis.

We aren’t given any details of how long these two have been gone for, why that is or even why they decided to host a party like this to begin with but it doesn’t really matter all things considered.

Either way, after a pretty spectacular presentation by their old friends Skidd Mcmarx, Captain Qwark and Rusty Pete they eventually reach the end penultimate event of the festival with Clank revealing that he has repaired the Dimensonator after its destruction in ITN with Ratchet a little conflicted about this news.

But before anyone can ask why that is, Dr. Nefarious makes his own long awaited reappearance, steals the Dimenosnator for himself and plans on using it to go to a dimension where he always wins. A very clever logically step up from his plans in A Crack in Time if you ask me.

However while trying to stop the mad scientist, the dimeonsator is ultimately destroyed causing massive dimensional rifts just as the three land in a mysterious new plane.

After the chaos, Nefarious is taken by some troopers believing him to be the Emperor of this new dimension, Ratchet ends up on the lower levels of Nefarious City (the place the three crash land on) and Clank ends up being taken by a brand new Lombax to the series, Rivet.

Now this is danced around a couple of times in the game, but yes, Rivet is the alternate dimension equivalent to Ratchet. And this concept only gets bigger from there.

Eventually after Rivet helps get Clank’s communicator chip working again, he’s able to get back in touch with Ratchet and begin a new plan. Since the Dimensonator has been destroyed, the only thing that can be done now is to create a brand new Dimensonator and use it to repair the damage caused by them.

With this in mind, the respective parties split up to try and get the resources for the new Dimensonator. Rivet and Clank locate a new piece of Phazon Crystal that helps power the Dimenosonator as Ratchet locates the blueprints and rebuilds the body of the device itself, while also coming across a new tiny robot friend in the form of Kit.

And yes, Kit is Clank’s dimensional counterpart too, in case you were wondering.

The parts all together, the four reconvene, Ratchet and Rivet swap teammates and help construct the all new Dimensonator… just as Dr. Nefarious comes to take it off of them.

And as if things couldn’t get any worse, while fighting off the mad doctor, Emperor Nefarious (the Nefarious of Rivet and Kit’s dimension), joins the fray, takes the device for himself and the gang split up once more. Rivet and Kit to stop the two Nefarious’ while Ratchet and Clank go and help the remainder of the resistance that Rivet is a part of.

Unfortunately though both groups are unsuccessful in their efforts and Emperor Nefarious celebrates being the unquestioned ruler of the universe. However, his life goal now fulfilled and the power of dimensional travel on his side, he now decides to become the ruler of all dimensions, starting with locating a map made by the Lombaxes containing the coordinates to every dimension in existence.

And as to be expected by now, the four ultimately fail with Ratchet, Clank and Kit being thrown into Zordoom Prison.

Now this is technically something that’s alluded to several times over the course of the game but Rivet and Kit actually have an interesting history between the two. Not only that but it’s also not fully revealed until everyone but Rivet is captured by Emperor Nefarious.

See, it’s revealed in an early sequence that Kit was once a warbot constructed by the Emperor to hunt his adversaries. But during one patrol, Kit ends up having doubts about her true intentions after nearly killing a resistance member. And as it’s later confirmed, Rivet was that resistance member losing her right arm after trying to escape Kit.

Despite this though, Rivet ends up traveling to her dimension’s Zordoom Prison (a location originally featured in Tools of Destruction), freeing the other Resistance members and our title characters. Kit however chooses to stay behind feeling guilt for her actions as a Nefarious enforcer.

In the end, the Resistance recuperates just as news is revealed that Emperor Nefarious is moving ahead with his dimensional conquest, starting with Ratchet’s home universe.

With no time to spare, the group end up personally taking the fight to Emperor Nefarious, with Kit joining near it’s climax to help deliver the final blow to the Emperor’s dreams. Just as Dr. Nefarious sends his dimensional counterpart to be fed to the fishes.

The day saved, the dimensional disturbance reverted and Rivet and Kit officially a duo, the four decided to take the reclaimed Dimenonsator for a spin. Their destination? The location of the Lombaxes.

So, it’s fair to say that in comparison to the remake and Into the Nexus that there is a lot going on within this plot. And that’s with just a very brief summary of the events.

To go over a few things I didn’t discuss, Rivet, Kit and Emperor Nefarious aren’t the only alternate dimensional counterparts in this story. There’s Phantom, a version of Skidd McMarx that works as a spy for the resistance, Pierre delaFerr who is a French take on Rusty Pete and Captain Quantum, a red spandex double of Captain Qwark.

I didn’t really feel the need to mention these guy’s during the summary since none of them really have that much of an impact on the story aside from rubbing in the fact that this is a universe that’s different but similar to our established knowledge of the series.

As for the idea of this alternate setup itself, I actually think it’s a natural progression of some of the concepts that’s been toyed with since Tools of Destruction.

We’ve known for the longest time that Dimensions have been used several times throughout the series, primarily with the Dimensonator in TOD as well as the Netherverse in Into the Nexus so fully diving into an alternate dimension doesn’t feel out of place from what’s been established.

And with the characters themselves, I will say that they do achieve the goal of “feeling similar but different” all at once, especially with Ratchet in comparison to Rivet.

See the first time you get to play as her Rivet explains that the reason she took Clank early on was because she thought he was a spy bot working for the Emperor and partly because she has a bad history with robots in general.

Later on, Clank runs into Gary who acts as an chronicler of the different dimensions with Clank wondering why Rivet is so hostile to him if Ratchet was never so harsh on robots himself. This leads Gary to speculate that perhaps Ratchet is the outlier and that every other dimensional version of him hates machines in their own way.

This idea is also explored with the previously mentioned backstory to Kit, paralleling Clank’s origin as a defective robot for Chairman Drek. And I really like how that idea of branching alternatives is explored with the history between our two duos, especially with their personalities.

Ratchet is still as wide eyed and eager as he was in the 2016 remake (which may be still seen as a detriment to long time fans) while Rivet is slightly more cynical and sarcastic, though both still strive to do the right thing in the end.

I kind of wish this was explored a little further with the other dimensional versions of the cast but as it is, it’s a pretty interesting question to ponder and something that actually has gotten my brain thinking about alternate dimensions and versions of ourselves.

By the way, Gary himself I originally thought was a villain in disguise at first as when you first visit him he outright ignores telling Clank how he already knows him or about his father.

But as it turns out later, Gary is actually the son of the mysterious Plumber, marking the first time he hasn’t had a feature role in the series since… forever I think and also taking on his dad’s duty of guarding the dimensions while he’s on his first and so far only holiday away from his duties.

And in case you’re wondering, Insonminac also hasn’t forgotten some of the older characters in the series canon, mainly Lawrence, Nefarious’ butler and Talwin, Ratchet’s love interest from TOD. Neither of them are featured in the main plot but both show up near the closing credits and it was a good compromise to allow the new faces more time to shine.

It does also help as well that this is one of the best entries in the series acting wise. Almost all of the main cast from the PS2 games return to reprise their characters (the main exception being Qwark whose voice actor had to retire due to severe health problems) but the alternate dimension cast are pretty great too.

Jenifer Hale’s Rivet was a solidly brought to life character through her laid back voice, even if I think it was too similar to the actress’s prior role as Emma Emmrich from Metal Gear Solid 2. They may have been made 2 decades apart but they still do sound a bit too similar.

I will say though that I was not expecting myself to like Emperor Nefarious as much as I did in the game. The cookyness of Ratchet’s Dr. has been toned down significantly but Robert Atkin Downes (who played Slag back in TOD and a fellow Metal Gear veteran) brings a level of utmost confidence with his portrayal of a villain that’s always one step ahead.

What’s more as well, story sequences now play out in real time cutscenes and dialogue, mainly between Ratchet, Rivet and their respected partner for the chapter. And I was surprised to see this myself but I actually think these moments are surely some of the best story driven moments in the series to date.

For example, during their second mission to a Nefarious research station, Kit decides to chat with Ratchet about why he never bothered to chase the lombaxes for so long, with him saying that he didn’t want to risk what he already had in front of him.

And kit’s response nearly brought a tear to my eye:

“Ratchet, you’ve believed in me all this time. Now it’s my turn to believe in you.”

I know it may sound strange for a longtime fan to only now be emotional over a moment like this but that seriously got to me when I heard it.

And in another moment, I especially love that during his final battle in Megapolis, Emperor Nefarious uses the Dimensonator constantly throughout the fight to summon more and more of his troops until by the end, the last portal he fires is just a collection of flapping fish. And with how speechless he is by the fact he’s actually losing sells that moment so hard.

Okay, okay! I’m done talking about the story now. But really, it actually deserves the praise since it feels the most well acted and written of the series thus far. But regardless, how does the presentation pair with this new narrative?

Presentation: Hoping into a world of excitement

I think this is probably going to be the most praised section out of all of these next few review points given how well Rift Apart works on PlayStation 5.

Since this is one of the few games developed by PlayStation Studios to be made exclusively for brand new hardware, the amount of boundaries that the team are able to push with this kind of tech is immaculate.

But I think the best way to do that is by listing off some of the things that the PS5 is flexing and demonstrate how that’s used in this title. The first of which particularly defines the “gimmick” of the entire game.

Loading times. Or more rather, the lack thereof.

As I’ve explained during my story synopsis above, the main crisis of the game involves dimensional tears causing havoc throughout the universe, and that’s often heavily expressed in the loading times between different sections.

For example, a new device, the Rift Tether, allows Ratchet to essentially quickly jump from one part of the map using specifically marked orange tears in the environment.

And alongside other occasional rifts that may quickly appear throughout the story, these have Ratchet or Rivet quickly jump to either that part of a given map or even an entirely different location seamlessly and without any pauses in the pacing to boot.

While on a similar topic to visuals, let’s talk about the PlayStation 5’s new Ray Tracing abilities. This ability essentially allows light to reflect and even gleam off of reflective surfaces such as metal or water.

Clank himself is quite literally an embodiment of this new power as you can see a wide variety of different light bouncing or even mirroring the light around him. Personally I think it’s a fine addition even if it being featured made me wonder how the Clank seen in games prior would look like with ray tracing.

In terms of other senses, sound is actually given quite a bit of attention as well with the system’s 3D audio. A feature that essentially allows the PS5 to project sounds all around the player dynamically as they shift the camera around them.

This is something that’s a little harder to notice, especially since the system only works with compatible headphones as of writing, so I didn’t really notice it or felt like it was needed really.

There are a couple of more PS5 specific features but it’s better if I leave that for the gameplay section later.

Now onto the more established aspects of these reviews, starting off with the looks of the game.

Aside from the new Ray Tracing software, Rift Apart still proves itself to be a wonderfully beautiful game running on the PlayStation 5.

Not only can players choose their preferred viewing options for the tile (whether or not they want to have more looks or a better performance) but the amount of visual details that players experience are sublime.

Similar to my previous reviews with this series, I always find it so interesting how Nefarious can have a lot of presence on the environment even when he’s not featured in the planet he’s on.

Examples of this can be seen on Nefarious City or Planet Cordellia, both of which feature construction sites ordered by the Emperor. And that apparently to keep production rates up, all breaks have been ceased except for one near the end of a 24 hour shift. That lasts about 5 minutes.

In another example, a new collectable in the form of Resistance Spybots will give occasional spurts of lore about the planet or location you’re currently exploring.

On Sargasso for instance, there’s a spybot that details that the Kerchu, the scavenging tech wizards from Tools of Destruction once used to live on Sargasso as they did on Ratchet’s home dimension.

However in Rivet’s dimension they were whipped off of the face of the earth a while ago after they misspelt the Emperor’s name on a delivery shipment to him. Yikes!

Back on the topic of sound, while I’ve already praised the great voice casting and performances by the cast involved, the music I’m a little conflicted upon this time.

For the score, we now have Mark Mothersbaugh as the composer (who also did Thor Ragnarok and is a founder of the band Devo), with a soundtrack that I think once more follows the line of being acceptable or generic.

I don’t know, I felt like once again, certain parts of the music blended into the environment a bit too much and I can’t say for certain if that’s me busy with the firefight or just an underwhelming score as ever.

And to my knowledge, the only songs I can think of at the top of my head are the main theme (Rift Apart), the theme of Megapolis (Festival of Heroes) and the theme of planet Sargasso (Sweet Home Sargasso). It does get a little more praise since this is the first Ratchet soundtrack to be released on streaming platforms like Spotify, meaning I don’t have to turn to pirate sites or YouTube videos to get a feel for the atmosphere.

Oh and also a special mention to the bonus track featured in the credits sequence for Rift Apart called “Join Me at the Top”. A musical number between Emperor Nefarious and his Dr. counterpoint about how great he is. And it’s one that needs to be heard to be properly enjoyed.

But again, this is one of those soundtracks where I like it for playing safe but dislike it for that very reason.

At least with the original trilogy, I may not like most of the music as much as this title but I can still remember at least half of the tracks just by the images that come with the planets they’re associated with. Or that could be because I’ve played through the original PS2 trilogy at least twice by now.

Now, with the visual improvements covered, what did the gameplay benefit from with the hardware leap? As it turns out, quite a lot.

Gameplay: New tricks of the trade

Now there’s a bit of an interesting break from the usual Ratchet and Clank formula. While we do control a space rat across a wide variety of planets like before, now the gameplay is split across 10 large planets to explore instead of 20 or 25 smaller ones.

Added to this is the fact that all of the odd numbered planets see you control Ratchet for that planet, with the even numbered ones handed to Rivet instead. Both characters do control the same and also share weapons, upgrades and gadgets across the board if one of them grabs one.

This part I kind of wish was explained a little better early on but it does prevent any noticeable changes between our two main characters beyond the cosmetical.

But despite that, this is still a great Ratchet game through and through, emphasised by the new and improved roster of weapons in store.

If you recall during my review of the 2016 remake, I explained that I didn’t really like the reliance that the game had on largely old weapons of the series. The combustor, groovitron, Mr. Zurkon, weapons that were fun back in Tools of Destruction that have lost most of their fun after being reused so often.

But I’m glad to say that that issue has been (largely) addressed by not only a wide assortment of brand new tools but also once more, because of the enhancements made possible with the PS5 hardware.

One key area is with the Dualsense (the PS5 controller) and it’s new Adaptive Trigger capabilities that allows the trigger keys, L2 and R2, to have programmable resistance when pressured.

In the case of something like the Burst Pistol, the starting blaster weapon, that features two seperate firing modes depending on how hard you pull the trigger. Pull it half way to fire out singular accurate bullets with less damage, or pull down fully to fire more rounds with the benefit of doing more damage overall.

In another example, the Neutron Collider, a massive cannon weapon, can be charged up by holding the trigger button halfway and stored until the user fully presses down and unleashes a massive energy cannon towards their foes.

The gameplay is also heightened by a new version of rumble support called Haptic Feedback. While it is the same as regular rumble support on paper, it actually allows for more dynamic forms of vibration feedback in the control, instead of the more “on or off” style used in previous PlayStation controllers.

This can range from something as simple as feeling different types of surfaces as Ratchet or Rivet traverse a location to something as incredible as emitting vibrations so sutely that it almost sounds like music coming from the controller.

Both of these new additions don’t really add much to the game to be fair but they are still a unique and fun way to spice up gameplay.

And speaking of spicing up gameplay, Rift Apart does some pretty interesting stuff when it comes to adding variety into its structure.

In the core combat for example, a new addition has been made in the form of the “Phantom Dash”. Given very early on in the game by the Resistance member of the same name, the dash allows Ratchet or Rivet to briefly phase through objects, enemies or projectiles in their way.

And it’s a great feature to have as the enemies, especially on the hardest setting are some of the most determined out there. Instead of harder difficulties adding way more enemies to deal with, you have to actually put up with way more focused enemies then before.

Ranged enemies can shoot halfway across the map with unparalleled accuracy, melee troopers come in hordes that can easily overwhelm you and the arena’s themselves are way bigger than ever before.

In other words, using both the Rift-Tether and Phantom Dash becomes paramount since many attacks from opponents like the Gruntor (an enemy on Sargasso) to a Nefarious Trooper’s laser beam cannot be avoided normally without the use of the dash or Tether.

Though a quick sidenote, using the Rift-Tether during a fight doesn’t make you invincible so just be aware when you use it, as you’ll still take damage while the transition from one part of the map to the other happens.

Aside from the previously mentioned Rift-Tether that I mentioned during my presentation summary, the most prominent new addition is in the form of Dimensional Puzzles.

At certain points in the story, the player will be required to play as either Clank or Kit as they try to solve a dimensional obstacle that’s in their way. These serve as new takes on the previous times you’ve controlled Clank and see the robots get “possibilities” of themselves to an exit using various orbs that inflict status effects.

These aren’t challenging at all but for what they are, I think they are an interesting break from the action of the main story, and you get some interesting dialogue between Gary (the chronicler I mentioned previously) and Clank or Kit as they discuss the dimensional chaos and story so far.

On a more optional side of things, both Ratchet and Rivet can explore dimensions themselves by visiting “pocket dimensions”. These are small tears in reality that the pair can travel through using the Tether’s in their glove and feature some small platforming/puzzle scenarios to go through.

Again, these aren’t difficult at all but some of them are pretty interesting with how they expect you to go about the level. Like floating crates in the air that you have to destroy specific boxes of to form a path across or the parade floatees from the opening that you need to bounce off of to reach the end.

Finishing these optional sections will reward you with a new piece of armour to wear, which is a series stable that’s been taken to an interesting turn this time around.

See previously, armor in the series was deemed as a necessity as it gave you protection from the more damaging enemies that you’d soon meet. Here however, the armor sets are entirely optional but completing an armor set will give you specific perks across your adventure like increased resistance against certain enemies or more bolts or raretinum when discovered.

Back to more main content, there’s the addition of Glitch challenges. A new helper for Ratchet given by Phantom near the start of the game, this section sees you control the bot as she blasts through viruses that are blocking a computer or terminal from being used.

Personally, these feel more boring when you actually play it yourself as Glitch moves very slowly on her spider legs and it’s very easy to get overwhelmed by viruses with no sense of personal space. They still do have their moments of fun but overall, they do feel a little unnecessary in terms of adding more shooting in a game that’s already about shooting.

However, in terms of other gimmicks, I was surprised to learn that there aren’t too many gadgets introduced in the game this time. Sure there’s Glitch who kind of works like a bullet hell version of the Trespasser or Hacker puzzles previously but no new general gadgets beyond a addition to your swingshot in the form of the hurlshot.

In terms of side content, we get a bit more of what we’d expect from this series by now but with a couple of smart new additions or enhancements made since.

For the returning stuff Gold Bolts are back and can be found in several tucked away parts of a planet. But instead of being used to unlock skins for Ratchet or some pretty minor visual alterations, we now essentially get a form of unlockable cheats for the game.

Like I said there’s the usual screen changes like black and white filters or changing the look of Ratchet’s wrench but now you also have improvements such as unlimited ammo and nanotech during confrontations, mirror mode to even changing objects like the bolts into different items like overcharge cans, a reference to Sunset Overdrive another Insomniac games title.

The arena also makes a return once more, this time found at Zurkie’s Gastropub and Battleplex, a family diner run by the Zurkon family. These aren’t all too special than before however, as they are the usual by now missions that have you use one specific weapon, time trails and mini bosses to unlock more bolts, gold bolts and other items to make your game time a bit easier.

It’s still not a bad feature to have but unfortunately beyond the setting and the ear-grating sound of Zurkon Jr. providing battle commentary, it’s nothing that the previous arenas from 2 onwards haven’t done yet.

However in terms of new additions, we have the Lorbs found on the planet Savlii.

A planet noteworthy for not only being the home of Kit and her monk friends, but also for being a former Lombax outpost, the Lorbs are a series of audio diaries left by a Lombax researcher before the race collapsed.

Finding these Lorb’s is part of a side quest for Ratchet but on top of getting a unique armor set to unlock, the Lorb’s themselves give a bit history to the recorder as well as his goal of mapping out the different dimensions for Kaiden (Ratchet’s father).

Not to mention, this is one of many occasions where Insomniac takes the opportunity to use the dimensional backdrop to pay homage or reference countless PlayStation IPs.

These range from the previously mentioned conversion from bolts to overdrive cans, the narrator of the Lorb’s traveling to the realm’s Sly Cooper, Jak and Daxter and Littlebigplanet during his mapping of the dimensions to the new R.Y.N.O. 7’s gimmick of opening up dimensional portals to other PlayStation worlds to do a massive AOI damage.

This is such a fantastic idea brought to life and a treat to see in action in the moment. Even if these references want me to have a new Sly Cooper or Jak and Daxter game made by now.

Conclusion: The bridge between the old and new

Overall, I think for a brand new Ratchet and Clank game since 2013 (if you aren’t counting the reboot), Rift Apart manages to be a fantastic game both as a new entry to this series and a general showcase of just what the PlayStation 5 can offer.

The story is arguably one of the best of the series yet with it’s dimensional shenanigans and for being a pretty great jumping off point for new fans of this franchise and the gameplay is arguably tuned to perfection with it’s smart design changes.

The side content isn’t particularly good unfortunately and the lack of a stand out presentation does hurt too but don’t let that take from an otherwise great package overall.

Insomniac found themselves in one of the most unfavourable positions for a near 20 year long IP but by god did they manage to prove that this series still has some fresh and interesting new ideas to explore.

It will actually be interesting to see how my opinion for this game will change a few years from now but overall, this is one game you should not miss out on.

I can’t say anymore. Play it.

And if you don’t own a PS5, still play it. Somehow.

First drafted 17th of July 2021

Last edited 15th of September 2021