Review — Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart

Embark on an interdimensional adventure to stop Dr. Nefarious in Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart.

When the PlayStation 5 was revealed, one of the biggest game announcements that came with it was Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart. Not only because it was a well-known and beloved IP, but also because the game looked stunning and the interdimensional gameplay was very fascinating. Roughly a half year after the console came out, people got to find out what all the fuss was about.

A Thrilling Adventure

Come to think of it, it’s hard to believe that the Ratchet & Clank franchise is nearly 20 years old already. I vaguely remember playing the original game on PlayStation 2 and I still have the Ratchet & Clank Trilogy for PlayStation 3 in my collection. But I haven’t exactly kept up with the franchise throughout the years, although I did play the PlayStation 4 remake of the first game. Luckily, you don’t have to be entirely up to date with the whole story to enjoy A Rift Apart. I think most people will be familiar enough with the main characters to dive right into the game.

The story of Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart kicks off during a celebration for our heroes where Clank plans to give a newly built Dimensionator, a tool that allows travel between dimension, to Rachet. As you might have guessed, their archenemy Dr. Nefarious spoils the party as he tries to steal the Dimensionator. In the process, the tool gets broken, which damages the fabric of space and time and causes dimensional rifts to appear everywhere. In the process, Ratchet, Clank and Dr. Nefarious end up in an alternate dimension where this dimension’s Nefarious managed to become emperor. Here, Ratchet and Clank meet another Lombax named Rivet and a robot named Kit. Together they most undertake the dangerous endeavor to create a new Dimensionator and stop both Dr. and Emperor Nefarious.

Planet and Dimension Hopping

Throughout the game you’ll be hopping from planet to planet and from one dimension. As it turns out, building a Dimensionator isn’t an easy task and neither is stopping Emperor Nefarious, who isn’t exactly a pushover like Dr. Nefarious. While the planets offer a great diversity in scenery and are pretty much what you’d expect from a Ratchet & Clank game, the dimensional rifts really up the ante in terms of design and gameplay. Not only does it allow you to explore the same world in another dimension, but you’ll also be able to use rifts to instantly teleport a bit further down the road. This creates a whole new sense of movement, which is certainly interesting for a game with platforming elements.

But what really shows off this whole new system on interdimensional travel are the pocket dimensions you can explore. By opening dimensional rifts you can instantly enter these dimensions and you can even look into them while standing in front of the rift. Plus, combining the rift teleporting with all the slinging and grinding the series is known for, and even some added wallrunning, makes the platforming sequences even more chaotic and fun. Especially if the game also combines them with impressive set pieces that will make your mouth drop to the floor.

An Arsenal of Craziness

Jumping around isn’t the only thing you’ll be doing of course. The Ratchet & Clank franchise is also known for its arsenal of playful weapons. In A Rift Apart, this statement is ever so true as you get to fight back with some of the craziest weapons I’ve seen in a game. Seriously, this game has a glove that shoots sprinkler that cover enemies with foliage so they can’t move anymore and a gun that shoots fungi to distract the enemy. Heck, there’s even a dimensional portal gun that drops objects from other dimensions, including from various PlayStation franchises such as Jak & Daxter, Sly Raccoon and even Horizon. There’s even an nod to another title made by Insomniac that was an Xbox and PC exclusive, which might even be a little tease for a future PlayStation release (I’m talking about Sunset Overdrive of course).

One missed opportunity here, is that Rivet has the exact same load-out and moveset. Meaning that playing with her isn’t a significantly different experience. It would have been nice if she had something that would make her stand out against Ratchet. Now, the only difference is that Rivet will ride a Speetle creature occasionally, while Ratchet has a little spiderbot that will hack certain command stations. But these moments are very rare in the game. The addition of Rivet is thus mostly important for the story and it’s here that she shines next to the already beloved duo.

Visually Stunning

Where the whole games shines however, is in the graphics department. A Rift Apart has to be the most beautiful game I’ve played so far. You’ll probably read this in every other review, but this game feels really like you’re playing an actual interactive Pixar movie. The graphics of the game rival the best-looking computer-animated movies. Everything looks so crisp and vivid, the lighting is amazing and the level of detail is absolutely stunning. Especially if you play in Fidelity-mode, which offers a 4K resolution and ray tracing, additional VFX and increased scene density against the offset of having a frame rate of 30 FPS. But boy does the game look pretty in this mode. The other two modes the game offers are Performance and Performance RT, which let you play with a frame rate of 60 FPS. The first one sacrifices ray tracing for a higher resolution, while the second one offers a lower resolution in favor of ray tracing. Personally, I find it hard to say no to 60 FPS these days, so you’ll know where my preferences lied while playing.

Beautiful graphics, engaging gameplay, and a funny and interesting story. Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart certainly offer the whole package and then some. The game proves once more that Sony aims to bring pure quality with their first-party titles. A Rift Apart is an absolute blast to play and my only grievance is that the game might be a little bit too short. The game can be completed in about 10 hourse, adding a few more hours if you want to collect all collectibles and completing all sidequests. But if you own a PlayStation 5, there’s very little reason not to pick up this game, as it is yet another fine showcase, next to Returnal, of what the PlayStation 5 is capable of. If Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart is a glimpse of what we can expect the coming years, the future is certainly looking bright.

4,5/5

Reviewed on PlayStation 5.
Download code provided by the publisher.