There was a concern going into Rift Apart that it would be more of a tech demo for the PS5 hardware than an entry that stands on its own merits in the series, or that they had learned the wrong lessons from their 2016 R&C remake.
Thankfully, those concerns turned out to be largely unfounded, as Rift Apart is one of the finest games in the Ratchet & Clank series and a truly marvelous and gorgeous game in its own right.
While I still maintain that A Crack in Time is overall the best in the series thus far, that game doesn't have Rivet and Kit in it, so advantage Rift Apart on that front. But yes, the worlds and characters are as charming here as they've ever been, and while its story doesn't have the emotional depths or bite that ACiT does, it nonetheless provides a very enjoyable Ratchet & Clank adventure, something that honestly was sorely needed after the remake, just to right the ship at the very least.
Rivet and Kit, the main duo's alternate-dimensional counterparts, are very easy to root for and always fun to watch, managing to not just be gender-swapped versions of Ratchet and Clank but with their own strengths and flaws that are honestly reminiscent of the boys' personalities in the original game, which makes for a nice dichotomy between the four of them interchangeably.
The main attractions here, however, are the rift-jumping gameplay mechanics as well as the Dualsense controller feature integration. Both of these manage to stop short of just being gimmicks and become integral parts of the gameplay. Rift tethering helps with traversal and provides different vantage points in combat, while the Dualsense's adaptive triggers feed into the feeling of the weapons themselves, allowing you to be more precise than ever before with how you use them. It all feels incredibly intuitive and doesn't stop being fun to play around with from start to finish.
Oh yeah, and this game is GORGEOUS, and I mean constantly stunning, even in the 'uglier' locales you visit. I've seen it described as an interactive Pixar movie before, and honestly, that's not hyperbolic in any way. Insomniac truly are digital wizards.
Exploring the worlds you visit is perhaps the best it's ever been (which I've said for several games in this series now, but I really do mean it this time), thanks to new traversal methods like the aforementioned rifts and wall-running, combined with a much more tactile sense of what there is to uncover, thanks in part to the game's surprisingly deep accessibility options, which is always great to see.
However, as usual, the hacking minigame is a bit of a letdown. Granted, the unique character you control in these sections, Glitch, is super endearing and adorable, but the actual hacking just involves a variation of the shooting gameplay you were already doing before. It would have been nice if these sections were a different genre like past R&C games, but it's not that big of a deal as these parts are fairly few and far between.
The primary villains, Dr. Nefarious and Emperor Nefarious, are also lackluster, especially compared to the last non-remake game, Into the Nexus, which managed to give its villains decent depth despite the fairly short length of its campaign. Here it's just the same ol' Dr. Nefarious up to his usual tricks, but this time joined by an even more evil and superior alternate dimension version of himself. It's entertaining, to be sure, but not exactly thrilling.
Nevertheless, Rift Apart is still a fantastic Ratchet & Clank adventure, that brings new life to the franchise in more ways than one and delivers a decent enough story that does lack the sharpness of previous games, but is elevated by its continually charming cast of characters, new and old.
8.5/10
Thankfully, those concerns turned out to be largely unfounded, as Rift Apart is one of the finest games in the Ratchet & Clank series and a truly marvelous and gorgeous game in its own right.
While I still maintain that A Crack in Time is overall the best in the series thus far, that game doesn't have Rivet and Kit in it, so advantage Rift Apart on that front. But yes, the worlds and characters are as charming here as they've ever been, and while its story doesn't have the emotional depths or bite that ACiT does, it nonetheless provides a very enjoyable Ratchet & Clank adventure, something that honestly was sorely needed after the remake, just to right the ship at the very least.
Rivet and Kit, the main duo's alternate-dimensional counterparts, are very easy to root for and always fun to watch, managing to not just be gender-swapped versions of Ratchet and Clank but with their own strengths and flaws that are honestly reminiscent of the boys' personalities in the original game, which makes for a nice dichotomy between the four of them interchangeably.
The main attractions here, however, are the rift-jumping gameplay mechanics as well as the Dualsense controller feature integration. Both of these manage to stop short of just being gimmicks and become integral parts of the gameplay. Rift tethering helps with traversal and provides different vantage points in combat, while the Dualsense's adaptive triggers feed into the feeling of the weapons themselves, allowing you to be more precise than ever before with how you use them. It all feels incredibly intuitive and doesn't stop being fun to play around with from start to finish.
Oh yeah, and this game is GORGEOUS, and I mean constantly stunning, even in the 'uglier' locales you visit. I've seen it described as an interactive Pixar movie before, and honestly, that's not hyperbolic in any way. Insomniac truly are digital wizards.
Exploring the worlds you visit is perhaps the best it's ever been (which I've said for several games in this series now, but I really do mean it this time), thanks to new traversal methods like the aforementioned rifts and wall-running, combined with a much more tactile sense of what there is to uncover, thanks in part to the game's surprisingly deep accessibility options, which is always great to see.
However, as usual, the hacking minigame is a bit of a letdown. Granted, the unique character you control in these sections, Glitch, is super endearing and adorable, but the actual hacking just involves a variation of the shooting gameplay you were already doing before. It would have been nice if these sections were a different genre like past R&C games, but it's not that big of a deal as these parts are fairly few and far between.
The primary villains, Dr. Nefarious and Emperor Nefarious, are also lackluster, especially compared to the last non-remake game, Into the Nexus, which managed to give its villains decent depth despite the fairly short length of its campaign. Here it's just the same ol' Dr. Nefarious up to his usual tricks, but this time joined by an even more evil and superior alternate dimension version of himself. It's entertaining, to be sure, but not exactly thrilling.
Nevertheless, Rift Apart is still a fantastic Ratchet & Clank adventure, that brings new life to the franchise in more ways than one and delivers a decent enough story that does lack the sharpness of previous games, but is elevated by its continually charming cast of characters, new and old.
8.5/10
inferno60x
8 months ago