Random Video Game Review - Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

 

It's been a long time since I last went into a Ratchet & Clank video game. The franchise itself has come a long way since its PS2 days. Several games have been made (some having connections to each other and part of a series of games within the franchise), we've had a feature film (the less we talk about that the better) and Insomniac Games have learnt that having bizarre weapons is often the best way to go about things. Now we are on their latest game which serves as their debut on the PS5 and follows up on Into the Nexus and the film's tie in game which funnily enough is actually better than the film (who would've thought). So let's see what awaits us in this game:

In light of their recent heroics, Ratchet (reprised by James Arnold Taylor) and Clank (reprised by David Kaye) are given a celebratory parade in their honour as they are celebrated as galactic heroes. As part of the ceremony, Clank wants to give Ratchet a device called the Dimensionator which he repaired so that the pair can travel the dimensions together to find the lombaxes. But things soon get interrupted by long time rival Dr. Nefarious (reprised by Armin Shimerman) who, despite being long believed that he had retired, returns to ruin things for the heroes and manages to take hold of the Dimensionator which he uses to travel to a dimension where he always wins. He does so, but somehow manages to take Ratchet and Clank with him. Separated upon arrival, Ratchet sets out to find his friend and the Dimensionator while navigating a world that is unlike his own. While Clank goes on his own adventure with the native lombax of this dimension, Rivet (voiced by Jennifer Hale) who has her own Nefarious to deal with. As with previous games in the series, you have a selection of wacky guns to use which can all be upgraded using bolts. You also have gadgets to use, automatic upgrades and pretty much all you would expect and more in this long-running series of games. New to the series is the ability to move between dimensions on planets to see an alternative version, pocket dimensions and rifts to get from one place to the next. Some planets are a mix of old and new ones, each with at least two different versions set in the main dimension of the game and an alternative one. There are some accessibility options too and also every world is its own little sandbox.

I find it interesting that after such a huge change of genres in games and so forth that Insomniac Games would return to this franchise, having had huge success with Marvel in recent years. Despite this, this is very much a Ratchet & Clank game that not only builds upon what was great about the series, but gives us a fresh new take on things, which in this case is the exploration of alternative dimensions or travelling the franchise's very own multiverse. It's funny as always with heart, a means to keep going with things and although not perfect, it takes full advantage of what the PS5 can do and I like that. 9/10