Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (PS5) Review

23/1/2022

Guest Blog post by Adam Foster @AngelicWiganer / @snoopfozziefozz

Hi Team 24 I am back with another review. I do apologise for the lack of content lately. I had been tied up in Balan WonderWorld and Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise. There will be reviews of them to come, once I get over how poor they were to play. So it’s with great pleasure that I get to review this PS5 exclusive title from Sony and Insomniac.

The Ratchet and Clank series is one of Sony’s most valuable and most loved IP’s. Ever since its inception on the PS2 way back in 2002, we have seen a number of games and sequels released on all Sony’s hardware since then. The tried and tested formula of 3D Platforming combined with a third person shooter has proven to be very successful. In addition to that, we’ve been treated to a great cast of characters over the years to fill out the great stories which have always been fun.

We knew that Rift Apart was going to be one of Sony’s flagship titles within the PS5’s first year of being available to the masses. Its debut on the PS5 Showcase, gave us a small insight as to what we were able to expect in terms of the graphics and the new rift function which would essentially pull players into new dimensions and areas of the map instantly without any slowdown, pop ins or load times. Truly showing that this was a next generation game and showing off the power of the PS5.

Our story here once again pits our favourite Lombax Ratchet and his buddy clank against the evil Dr Nefarious who once again is plotting to take over the galaxy. Nefarious this time is trying to use a tool called the Dimensionater in order to cause chaos all over. We are also joined this time in the alternative dimension by another Lombax call Rivet and her partner Kit. In unison they must stop the evil Doctor to restore balance to the galaxy. A simple story but well told throughout.

One of my friends had the game and played it before I had (usually the case with my backlog). I wanted to gauge his opinion of the game before I started it. I always ask my friends if they have the game what they think of it. Just to get a different perspective or opinion and try and appreciate the little nuances that may matter to them, but not matter as much to you. So I said to him “What’s it like?” His response “It’s amazing, like playing a Disney Pixar movie". That is a pretty bold statement. After five minutes of playing I could see exactly what he meant. This is a truly wonderful game in my opinion.

Racthet and Clank: Rift Apart is WOLRDS apart from the competition

Visually this game is a treat. You cannot tell the difference between the actual gameplay and the cinematics, it looks so good. The planets, the areas, the maps, the texture, the character design and models. Bang on the money. There are no issues at all with frame rate or processing even when you are in the height of battle. Believe me there is a lot going on the screen at any one time in battle and then when you use the new rift mechanic to pull yourself to new platforms and areas it is seamless. It truly is.

The gameplay mechanics haven’t altered much over the years, run around clear the baddies with your wrench for melee attacks, but the number of weapons and upgrades have definitely increased in this game. As usual you pick up your bolts as currency and your raritanium to upgrade each weapon your purchase from the delightful Ms Zurkon ( I love her accent by the way). Some of the weapons here are just downright insane. My personal favourites to use are the Lightning Rod (mainly for how funny it is when the enemies are being electrocuted) and The Executioner which acts like a highly powered shotgun. In total there are over twenty different weapons you can collect during the game, bear in mind for you achievement trophy hunters you will require multiple play throughs to get them all. The power ups and weapon also cross over between Ratchet and Rivet as well, so if you upgrade/purchase with one then the other will have it as well.

There are puzzles as well during the game where you can use Clank to make a kind of circuit board to ensure that you can access certain areas. In addition Ratchet needs to clear viruses from time to time, he does this with the help of his buddy Glitch. She essentially does into motherboards and clears the viruses with the aid of her little guns. The puzzle elements are really fun and just offer a little difference to the overall arc of the story and require the player to think a bit more, rather than frantic run and gun action. In addition to this, if you don’t want to do these puzzle sections or they get too annoying then you can always skip them which was quite welcome towards the end of the game.

It has so many collectables such as armour suits, guns, weapons, artwork to keep the achievement hunters happy and it definitely warrants further play throughs of the game to get them. I would say that this an absolute must buy for any PS5 owner. It really is that good. I’d go as far as to say it’s the best PS5 game that I have played.

Overall Rift Apart is a fantastic addition to the PlayStation library. Once again Insomniac have smashed it out of the park for me on this one. I often say “If it’s not broken don’t fix it”. This is so true of this game. A truly wonderful experience to be had. Thank you Sony and Insomniac for producing such a high quality game which I am dying for another sequel to. There is no doubt in my mind that Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is a 10/10 game. Another wonderful title in the PlayStation eco-system.

Guest Blog post by Adam Foster @AngelicWiganer / @snoopfozziefozz