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Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

GOTY 2021: #5 - Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Insomniac's excellence in game development continues to shine in this charming and brilliant platformer.

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There are certain figures and names that are just synonymous with PlayStation. Kratos, Nathan Drake, Joel & Ellie, Ratchet & Clank. These characters have grown to define what Sony has built with its Sony Interactive Entertainment family of developers. But with that understanding comes a weight and expectation, an expectation that titles belonging to these series are memorable, unique, and truly great experiences, and for Insomniac, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart checked all of these boxes.

Following the Lombax and robot duo, this game picked up in the middle of the quite convoluted wider Ratchet & Clank storyline, and began with the pair being celebrated for their many, many exceptional heroic endeavours over the years. Shortly afterward, the evil Dr. Nefarious bursts onto the scene and uses a newly repaired Dimensionator to shatter the boundaries of time and space, sending the iconic double-act into a parallel world to save not just their own world, but someone else's.

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It's a tale that split Ratchet and Clank up, and saw the pair having to overcome all manners of new threats in a world where they aren't the top dogs, with the insurmountable task of saving world being balanced out with a new hero joining the fray: the silver Lombax, and Ratchet's dimensional counterpart, Rivet. This choice by Insomniac broke all kinds of previous expectations, as up until this point there was only playable Lombax, Ratchet, but the addition of Rivet led to new way to divulge and unpack the story while still preserving the iconic and timeless gameplay systems that catapulted this series to where it is today.

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On this matter, Rift Apart once again gave us a wealth of outright wild and crazy weapons and gear to use to our advantage and ensured they were delivered and played in a unique and satisfying manner. Whether you chose the Topiary Sprinkler, great for controlling the onslaught of enemies, or instead looked to whip out the Warmonger for some explosive and destructive carnage, the list of tools at Ratchet's and Rivet's disposal was broad and never failed to disappoint.

Then there were the new features that defined why Rift Apart had been marked as a PlayStation 5 exclusive game. Being able to traverse levels by using the Rift Tether and the new console's more powerful hardware to instantly pull yourself to a new location without having to physically move expanded the combat and platforming portions and elevated them to new heights. And all of this is before we even touch on the PS5 and DualSense specific features that look to make the world more immersive through the use of haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and with the Tempest 3D audio system.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift ApartRatchet & Clank: Rift Apart
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As the series has in the past, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart also served as a great example of how video games can cater to all ages through ingenious gameplay elements and a charming storyline. It doesn't matter whether you have been playing Ratchet & Clank games for years, or just started on your journey with the Lombax and robot, Rift Apart delivered an experience that could be enjoyed by series' veterans and even younger players alike, and once again affirmed the brilliance of the IP and how it manages to bring audiences of all ages together.

There's no doubt that Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will be recognised as one of the better outings in the series, as its charming and engaging storyline, its gorgeous and striking level design, and tight, polished and fluid gameplay mechanics all combine to make for a top-notch title that is undoubtedly one of the best experiences that 2021 has offered us. And this is all the more impressive when we look at what Insomniac as a studio has served up over the past couple of years, as Rift Apart is the concluding chapter of a hectic release schedule of Spider-Man into Spider-Man: Miles Morales into Ratchet & Clank, all in the space of less than three years.

The beauty of this game is how it also opens up the potential for future endeavours. Rivet, new dimensions, and a much wider universe, all give us a lot of hope for what comes next for this team of Lombaxs and robots, and with Insomniac at the helm, anything seems to be possible.

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Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

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Ratchet & Clank: Rift ApartScore

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

REVIEW. Written by Ben Lyons

The Lombax and robot duo are back for an interdimensional trip that uses the PS5 and the DualSense hardware to deliver the most immersive Ratchet & Clank experience to date.



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