Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Review: An Inter-Dimensinal Adventure Spanning Worlds

Ratchet & Clank’s latest adventure is the newest PlayStation game on PC. This new game is an inter-dimensional adventure as you must save your world and every other dimension. The basic premise is that Ratchet & Clank have basically been in retirement for a little while. Clank wants to surprise Ratchet by building a Dimensionator. This would allow Ratchet to go to other dimensions to try and find other Lombaxes. Clank will give this gift to Ratchet during a big celebration, but Dr. Nefarious has other plans.

The PS5 Exclusive Comes To PC

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was initially marketed as a game that only the PlayStation 5 could run. Of course, that was marketing nonsense, as this PC version illustrates, but this game requires high-powered hardware to get the intended experience. This is a game where you will need an SSD drive if you want to get the whole experience. SSD drives are faster than traditional hard drives and can easily keep up with the action. Technically speaking, you can use a standard hard drive with this game but will have a bad time. If you still want to go the HDD route, you need one with at least 7200 RPM (the traditional drives are 5400 RPM). I used an NVME m.2 SSD drive for this review, which worked great. Of course, you need a good CPU and GPU as well. The computer I used for this review has a 12th Gen i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a GeForce RTX 3080. I also used a PlayStation 5 DualSense controller for my playthrough.

Something that I immediately noticed the first time I booted up Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the accessibility options that are included. It starts with a simplified traversal system. Since I was using a controller, it said I could use the circle button for all my traversal needs if I turned this option on. There is also an option to turn the directional button movement on if you are more comfortable using the directional pad instead of the sticks. Other assists include turning auto aim on, deciding how melee will work, whether actions in the game, like swinging, will require you to hold the button down or toggle, and more. If you get motion sickness, there are also options to help. I won’t go through every single option, but there is a lot here to ensure you have the best experience possible.

The actual gameplay is a tremendous amount of fun, and the game ran really well for me. These games combine a few genres for those unfamiliar with the Ratchet & Clank series. The easiest way to describe it is an action-adventure game with platforming. You can also control your level of difficulty ranging from really easy to really hard. If you are someone that wants a good challenge, this game can definitely give it to you. On the other end of the spectrum, there is an option where your character can’t get killed, and you are essentially invincible. This is an excellent option for those who only want to focus on the story rather than necessarily worry about surviving the next fight. This option will work great for those who might not be familiar with games but are curious. It will also work for veterans who have played games for years but want to relax and enjoy the story unfolding around them.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Delivers Gameplay The Series Is Known For

As you progress through the adventure, you will visit different dimensions and encounter other people. Someone new to the franchise is Rivet, a new Lombax. Those playing the Ratchet & Clank games through the years will also get a kick out of seeing the dimensional counterparts of some of the characters they know. A great example is the character Rusty Pete. In this game, he is known as Pierre Le Fer and appears to be the spokesman for space pirates. Once completed, you will also encounter a couple of mini-games that will prevent the dimensions from tearing themselves apart.

The first one you do will be a Clank when you visit an anomaly. Each anomaly section has different puzzles for you to solve and repair it. You do so as Clank by directing clones to the finish line. You need to help them cross chasms or prevent them from getting squished or whatever the case may be before they can finish. The other mini-game you will come across involves a new friend, Glitch. He goes into computers affected by a virus and gets rid of them by shooting them. These two mini-games also have stories within themselves, are fun to play, and have a nice change of pace from the main game. If you don’t like them, you can skip these puzzles entirely without penalty other than potentially missing out on some story. There are also some inter-dimensional rifts that are optional. Still, you can get some nice-looking stuff by completing them, so you will want to try a few to understand what is happening.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has nine different worlds you will explore during your journey. Each one does a great job of showcasing the game’s beauty. The team at Insomniac, who made this game, did an excellent job here, and the team at Nixxes did a fantastic job porting it to PC. You will want to admire the environment and the character models when possible. There is also an excellent photo mode that you can use if you want to capture the perfect moment or pose. There is a small section of the game where you are underwater that looks amazing. This game also features some pretty incredible particle effects, which can give more impact to what is taking place on screen, whether that is an explosion or you have a bunch of nuts and bolts flying around because you destroyed some boxes. Regarding aesthetics and environment, my favorite locales in the game have to be Sargasso and Ardolis. However, there is an honorable mention for Corson V. They all look great, but those really stand out for me.

The Weapons Are, as Expected, on Point

As you pick up nuts and bolts throughout your adventure, you can use them to purchase new weapons. The weaponry is one of the things that always makes the Ratchet and Clank games so fun, and this is no exception. One really fun weapon here is the Pixelizer. This is a weapon that will pixelate your enemies. Another one is the Topiary Sprinkler, which temporarily turns your enemy into a plant, allowing you to get in some nice hits. The Ricochet weapon is remarkable because you can hit the enemy multiple times. When you fire at an enemy, it can strike several times due to it ricocheting off the target. This weapon is handy with enemies that carry shields. You can also upgrade each weapon, giving it a higher firing rate, carrying more ammo, making your shots more accurate, and more. I won’t spoil what all the weapons are in the game, but as you can see, there is a nice variety here, and they are all fun to use.

Earlier in the review, I mentioned that you could earn items by completing inter-dimensional rifts. One of these items might be boots, a helmet, or something similar. If you can collect all the parts from an outfit, it will help you throughout the game. For example, a collection bonus might be damage from an enemy group reduced by 10%. Because of this, it is worth searching out the different items for these collections. There are also other collectibles that you can find to enhance your experience. One thing that gave me a chuckle is that you can replace bolts with different items. One of those items is a can of Overcharge drink from Insomniac’s game Sunset Overdrive. It is a nice easter egg for those who have played that game.

Wrapping Up

My experience with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has been very positive. If you don’t like mini-games, you might not care for them in this game much, but you can skip them. The weapon variety is excellent, and the game feels great. Remember what I said, though, about hard drives. You will want an SSD drive to get the best experience. Some interesting new characters debuted in this game, and I would love to see at least a couple of them in future titles. If you are a Ratchet and Clank fan or just a fan of this genre, you must try this game.

Rating: 9/10 SPECS

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is available on PC and PlayStation 5. We went through the PC version for this review.