Ratchet and Clank Rift apart is a PS5 exclusive game.
The game will release on 11 June 2021.
The game takes full advantage of PS5 features like the DualSense controller, 3D audio and the super-fast SSD.
Ever since Ratchet and Clank made their debut on the PS2, the franchise has inspired the feeling of playing a Pixar movie. It was during the era of the PS3 that the visuals of the game were almost indistinguishable from an animated movie. Now, it looks like Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart scheduled to hit the PS5 (review) is dialling things up to 11. We had a chance to check out some behind the scenes gameplay of Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart. We also heard what the developers had to say about the game; from crafting the story to exploiting the features of the PS5 and building the beautiful world the game takes place in. Here is our hands-off preview of Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart.
Visually stunning
Insomniac Games, the developers of Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart have already flexed their muscles with Spider-Man Miles Morales (review) and Spider-Man Remastered for the PS5. But those were cross-gen games, available for the PS4 as well. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is a PS5 exclusive and the developers are not held back by the limitation of the previous generations. This allows the developers to exploit the potential of the PS5. From what we’ve seen the game has an incredible amount of detail, large open environments and some breathtaking animations for all the characters. Needless to say, the game also shows off impressive raytracing as well.
Another feature we can look forward to is the load times. In a matter of seconds, Ratchet can jump through a tear and enter a whole new world. While previous Ratchet and Clank games had an animation of a spaceship flying through space as a loading screen, this game has no loading screens. Simply jump to a Rift Tears and you are in a new world. Games like Returnal (review) and Demon Souls have exploited the insanely fast SSD on the PS5 and it looks like Ratchet and Clank will do the same.
Upping the Arsenal
Ratchet and Clank have a legacy of introducing players to a diverse portfolio of weapons, some of which have interesting personalities. From Mr Zurkon, your flying robot companion who constantly refers to himself in the third person with the cheekiest one-liners to the Groovitron which makes every foe on-screen dance to disco tunes, the weapons in Ratchet and Clank are a definite highlight. We are most definitely looking forward to the quirky weapons Rift Apart has in store.
Another interesting thing we saw during the preview was that player will have to mix their weapons use if they want to survive the hoard of enemies. Some shield-wielding enemies will be able to deflect attacks from some weapons. We experienced something similar in Doom Eternal (review) where each enemy was vulnerable to a specific weapon forcing players to mix things up. If the same holds true here, the gameplay experience in Rift Apart will be truly diverse.
With the power of the DualSense, it will be interesting to see how the weapons feel in the game. During the sessions, the developers told us that traditionally, players would need to charge up a weapon with one button, and then press a second button to execute an attack. But with the adaptive triggers, that’s no longer the case. The experience of using each weapon in the game will be different thanks to the tension in the triggers.
The Burst Pistol, for example, will fire slow but accurate rounds when the trigger is half pulled. When pulled completely, the gun will fire rapid but less accurate rounds. The same for the Enforcer (the game’s version of a shotgun). Pull the trigger halfway for a single barrel shot or pull it completely for a double barrel shot. The NegaTron Collider charges up as you half pull the trigger and fully pulling it lets out a charge. We have already experienced half pull to aim down sights and full pull for alternate fire in Returnal, so it will be interesting to see how the adaptive trigger features feel in-game.
While we are on the subject of the DualSense Controller, another interesting feature will be the haptic feedback. From grinding on the rails to collecting bolts and even traversing different terrain, it looks like the developers are looking to indulge as many of the player’s sense as they can. Speaking of sense, we are also looking forward to the 3D audio implementation in Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart.
Two sides to the Story
Moving over to the story, the developers have said that this is a story that will appeal to newcomers and fans of the franchise alike. The story kicks off a few years after Into the Nexus. Clank has remade the Dimensionator so that Ratchet can travel to the Lombax dimension. But as always, Dr Nefarious is there with his evil plan and opens the doorway to a parallel dimension, one with a female Lombax named Rivet.
Players will be able to play as Ratchet and Rivet and while the gameplay mechanics and weapons for both the characters are the same, we look forward to seeing how the story of the two Lombax plays out.
The Ratchet and Clank franchise always been a visual showcase for the PlayStation. The franchise has also succeeded in delivering a story that has a lot of heart, gameplay which is frantic yet fun and weapons that have a personality of their own. Not to mention impeccable voice acting and humour that’s straight out of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Rift Apart looks like it will surpass the legacy laid by preceding games and we can’t wait to embark on the journey when the game launches on June 11, 2021, exclusively for the PS5.
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Sameer Mitha
Sameer Mitha lives for gaming and technology is his muse. When he isn’t busy playing with gadgets or video games he delves into the world of fantasy novels. View Full Profile
