5 reasons why Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a PS5 topper (review)

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will soon be on (digital) shelves. We started with this new title for a review.

While Microsoft does not yet have an impressive range of exclusive titles with the Xbox Series X, competitor Sony is working hard on the road. Having only just recovered from a title like Returnal, the next topper is already ready. And yes, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is also really a hit for the PlayStation 5.

You taste, see and notice when a game is designed exclusively for a platform. The experience is as smooth as you never get with a game that is available on multiple platforms. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a PlayStation 5 exclusive title. And if you have a PS5, or are planning to buy one, this game is not a bad buy. On the contrary, what fun you can have with this game! We give you 5 reasons why in a review. We also deal with the negative aspects, because all that glitters is not gold

1. Every planet is incredibly rich in detail

Insomniac Games has donned the PS5 gauntlet. And how. With Spider-Man: Miles Morales, we already saw what the developer was capable of. With Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, the company happily continues. Each planet in the game is very diverse and has its own unique elements. Graphically it is unparalleled. You can play the game in 4K HDR, or at a fixed 60 fps in a performance mode. Then the graphic is slightly less beautiful, but the image is super smooth.

As beautiful as the game looked in the trailers, it is just as brilliantly beautiful in reality. There are hardly any loading times. Cinematics flow smoothly into gameplay and every planet is alive and teeming. Outlier is Nefarious City. A real city where traffic flies through the air and you just have to look around you to let it all sink in.

2. You don’t need to have played the previous parts

In case you didn’t already know this. The Ratchet & Clank series has been around for a long time on PlayStation. But this doesn’t mean you have to have played the previous games to understand Rift Apart. It’s a standalone story. Of course there are references to previous parts, but you can just start Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart as your first R&C introduction. So don’t worry. Insomniac Games has done well, because for many PS5 gamers, Rift Apart will be the first R&C.

3. Diverse Gameplay

A platformer can feel quite monotonous. Well, that’s not an issue with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. The missions are very diverse. One time you fly somewhere on an animal, or you ride a snail on some kind of track. The next moment you’re in a gun battle with monsters and the game’s many bosses. Because of that diversity you keep playing and it is difficult to leave the controller alone for a long time. There are also several playable characters, but we won’t talk too much about that. You have to experience it for yourself!

In addition to various elements of the game itself, there are also a lot of weapons. They are imaginative weapons with elements of real weaponry. Each weapon can be upgraded so that they become better and more powerful.

4. Playable for everyone

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has several difficulty levels. From very easy to very difficult. If you are not that good yet or have just come to watch, you can also just get started with Rift Apart. I myself play games for relaxation and I don’t like a difficult challenge. I want to enjoy the story and gameplay of the game. In that respect you are in the right place with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. In addition to a main story, there are also optional assignments that you can perform.

5. Intense gaming experience

Besides the almost lack of loading times and the fast pace of the game, the PlayStation 5 brings another advantage. Namely 3D audio. We have already made a separate review about this with the Sony Pulse 3D headset. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has support for 3D audio and it really makes the playing experience different. The sound in the game comes from the front, back, left and right when you wear a headset. This contributes a lot to the gaming experience.

Cons

Is Rift Apart perfect? No definitely not. First, the price of the game. The suggested retail price is 79.99 euros. That’s big, because the story isn’t extremely long. The undersigned had completed the main missions in a long weekend (about 20 hours). With all optional missions you’ll be ready in about 35 hours I estimate.

Unfortunately, I also had to deal with some glitches and bugs while playing. Now I have to add a caveat to that. The review of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was made before the so-called Day 1 fixes patch for the game went live. So the version I played still contains some teething problems. At one point there was even such a serious glitch that no further play was possible. There was no other option but to delete a save and continue on old saved data. I lost about 5 hours of progression, which is very unfortunate.

Moments later I ran into a bug again that made it impossible to continue playing. The Day 1 patch from Monday June 7, 2021 was installed here, but unfortunately this didn’t matter. As a result, for me the game hangs at 93 percent progression and I have not been able to complete Rift Apart 100%..

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will be available exclusively for PlayStation 5 starting June 11th. The suggested retail price is €79.99.