Multidimensional Exhilaration

User Rating: 10 | Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart PS5

While I am not a longtime fan of the Ratchet & Clank series, I have played the 2016 game and have now completed a Rift Apart. I missed the PS2 games and I never had a PS3, but I was excited when the PS4 version released and even more so with the announcement of a Rift Apart. In my mind, Ratchet and Clank are to Playstation what Mario is to Nintendo. All around good guys and mascots that can appeal to everyone. Having said that, Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart would be on par with the caliber of Super Mario Odyssey in quality.

I started out the game playing in the Performance RT mode, which has now spoiled me rotten with visuals and gameplay. The light reflections off of glass, the glow of light from the various weapons, and the shadows all looked so clear and clean that if I didn't know I was playing a game, I could have been convinced it was real life. Character animations are crisp and the lip syncing and character emotion are flawless. I noticed no hitches in the frame rate (a rock solid 60fps) in the performance RT mode and I am of the opinion that this is the mode the game must be played in.

Newcomer Rivet is wholly welcome. Ratchet & Clank are awesome characters in their own right, so it would be hard to top them. Rivet adds to the cast in exceptional ways and is a true treasure to play as, just as it is with Ratchet. The voice acting on all Characters is superb, and Rivet is no exception. Just like Ratchet, she has great charisma and emotional depth that will win anyone over. I spent 18 hours playing through the campaign and I loved playing as either Ratchet or Rivet, either was a blast to play as and had their own personality that made them feel unique despite their lack of differences in combat or overall gameplay.

Combat in A Rift Apart is fast and hectic, just as I understand it to be with the other games (and as I have noted from the 2016 game). Rifts can transport you behind enemies to gain the advantage, but it's the weapons that shine in these scenarios. The weapons are all varied and fun to use in different ways. My personal favorite weapon was the ricochet. A weapon that you fire, let hit your enemy, then continue to pull the trigger at the right time to bounce it repeatedly off of your target or onto other targets once they have been defeated. It's a lot of fun to see an enemy run after you and suddenly just get smacked sideways 5 different times. In the mayhem of combat, there are numerous weapons to choose from and every single one feels like the right choice.

The overall story of the game is a pretty straightforward "bad guy does this, let's stop him" scenario, but that isn't a hindrance. I played through the game enjoying seeing the story told to me and all the small gags as they happened in real time. It's just a flat out fun, good time of a game. I look back on the hours I spent playing it and have only one thought: that game was exceptional in every category. Not once did I feel frustration or that it was unfair.

I may be a fairly new player of the series, but I am a fan of Ratchet & Clank. I hope the developer Insomniac makes more of these games and I would love to see Rivet get her own game. I don't know how anyone could be on the fence about the game, but if you are, it is a game that is well worth your time.