The story about alternate dimensions, doppelgangers, and the universe falling apart is interesting. Most of the game takes place in an alternate dimension where Dr. Nefarious never lost to Ratchet. I love Doctor Nefarious' mannerisms and his kookiness. For the most part, the story is all about Rivet, with Ratchet and Clank taking a back seat. The series' mascots still have plenty to do gamewise, but the story doesn't revolve around them. Rivet never met her dimension's version of Clank. This is what mainly drives the story forward. The two Lombaxes are surprised to find another Lombax, but Insomniac leaves that unexplored.

The computer virus levels are frustrating. You must navigate a 3D maze with a character that can climb up walls. The 3D mazes remind me of that M.C. Esher drawing of many stairs going in many directions. These computer virus levels play like a bullet hell game, with enemies that constantly respawn. Getting lost in the maze with infinitely regenerating enemies was frustrating. I played this game on hard mode, so others may not find these sections as trying. Thankfully there are only five of these sections lasting under 10 minutes each.

Clank's puzzler levels are lumbering timesinks. They feel like pointless filler. Luckily, there are only four of them in the game. It takes about an hour to complete all four.

There are many collectibles in this game, with a map upgrade that lets you track most of them down. The hidden teddy bears required for a Platinum Trophy were unable to be tracked via the map upgrade. I spent about 30 minutes using a guide to find these pointless scavenger hunt items.

The Dualsense controller gets used like crazy in this game. Remember when Nintendo bragged that Switch had ultra-precise rumble? Dualsense delivers on that promise. Mute the volume on this game. Hand a blindfolded person the Dualsense. Ask them “What is Rachet doing now?” They will tell by tactile rumble feedback alone, that Ratchet is typing, or stomping over a metal pathway. My only complaint about Dualsense in this game is that my trigger finger gets tired from the triggers resisting to simulate gun recoil. The sound effects coming from the controller are awesome. They add a bit of surround sound to the game. Insomniac is a master of turning the TV's sound down in the game for an instant, to get you to notice a whistle coming from the controller.

My favorite weapon in the game is the new Ryno, which I can't spoil here. My second favorite weapon is the Glove of Doom, which lets you command an army of tiny robot sidekicks. Kinda like those things Baxter Stockman from TMNT was always building.

The game is not very challenging, and I recommend starting with hard mode, for a first playthrough. Health packs are abundant in this game. Several weapons devastating if leveled them up quickly. The majority of your deaths will come from falling. There are about six bosses in the game, but two of them are repeatedly recycled. Going back to a previously beaten boss with a fully upgraded weapon (and then trashing it in short order) is an excellent barometer for how much your character has grown.

It took me about 25 hours to platinum this game. New Game+ mode unlocks more powerful versions of the weapons from the normal playthrough. Upgrading all the weapons to the max is not required for a Platinum Trophy. A second playthrough on New Game+ will net you about 15 more hours of fun. Many games tend to slog, with hours of tedium used to stretch a short game out. Rift Apart is the complete opposite of that. You are constantly moving onto new objectives and cool things.

Insomniac returns to form with Rift Apart. The game fails to break any new ground but is a must-have for anybody that enjoyed the PS2 games.