Recenze Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart » Vortex
Already in 2016, Ratchet’s comeback proved beyond any doubt that action platformers also have a place on modern consoles and are not just a surviving nostalgic memory that belongs to scrap metal. This success was followed by other classic heroes, and now the popular duo from Insomniac Games is returning to prove to players that fun, humor, exaggeration and light styling certainly do not mean that even the oldest can not have fun with such a title. Exactly opposite. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is like the best animators from Disney or Pixar, which can appeal to everyone regardless of age or gender.
Coming up with a sequel to a long-running series like this is a much bigger challenge than it may seem at first glance. It is not a matter of course. The branched saga started in 2002 on the PlayStation 2. It has changed several developers and includes many games. But her Insomniac Games parents know what she needs. After the re-imagination from 2016, he returns with a full-fledged sequel, which wants to appeal to veterans and newcomers and take full advantage of the performance of the PlayStation 5, for which the title is tailor-made. About half a year after the release of Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the authors launch an exclusivity that has the potential to sell the console itself.
If we said about Ratchet from 2016 that he looks almost like an animator, Rift Apart often looks better than some such films. Not only in animations, but also in action.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart at first glance in gameplay is not so different from the game from 2016. But why also fundamentally change something that worked brilliantly? It’s again an addictive mix of platform and action with a huge plethora of crazy weapons and hordes of bizarre comic enemies that need to be eliminated. A mixture of shooting and acrobatics awaits you, which has a great pace and a cheerful story full of funny messages and self-referential humor, where the heroes pull themselves out. At the same time, the game transitions back into the story scene completely smoothly, alternating worlds and heroes, and in some places, thanks to a successful cut and individual scenes, you will feel like in Star Wars. Plus, it looks great. If we said about Ratchet from 2016 that he looks almost like an animator, Rift Apart often looks better than some such films. Not only in animations, but also in action.
The graphics are simply brilliant. It has a beautiful stylization, the individual planets have an amazing architecture, but above all the technical processing. The game is so full of details and lots of small animations and objects that sometimes one can fully appreciate the sophistication of scenes only when the game stops and enters the photo mode, which allows you to zoom in on the smallest detail, including the hair of the protagonist. However, the cracks in time and space, which allow almost instant jumps, will probably take your breath away. Whether you’re just moving from place to place within one location, or traveling to a completely different planet or dimension. It is not just about technological tinsel. The authors found above all meaningful use for this SSD magic in terms of playability. You use cracks in acrobatics, but there are also various challenges and puzzles connected to them. In one case, you may be exploring the same planet in two time frames – before and after its destruction. And the change affects not only the shape of the environment, but also gravity.
Of course, all these cracks did not appear in space just for nothing. The central pair must prevent the destruction or even fragmentation of the entire universe. And as the dimensions begin to intersect, Miss Rivet also encounters a mysterious lombax. Of course, I won’t tell you more about her, but it’s enough to know that she can do basically the same thing as Ratchet, and it’s played almost the same. You will have plenty of time to enjoy both characters, unlocking not only collectibles in the game, but also new weapons, upgrades and equipment. Ratchet and Rivet share these things. Gradually, you will get new pieces of costumes, other crazy weapons, but also flying shoes. But you won’t just play for Ratchet and Rivet. You will also enjoy parts for Clanka, who solves logical and physical puzzles with the help of special orbs. It’s a completely different type of gameplay, the pace slows down and you have to start straining the brain threads. But even though I sometimes felt that this interlude tore me a little from the main action, I must admit that it contributes to the overall variety and makes the gameplay more plastic. And then there are the short combat missions with Glitch, which will help you turn around with computer viruses in the digital world.
If you don’t have enough of the event, you can take part in one of the challenges in a special arena. But you won’t be bored in the main story either. It offers side missions with special rewards, in some moments a non-linear order of tasks and even the opportunity to return to previously visited worlds. One might argue that the authors recycle a planet here and there, but each such return means a slightly different environment and experience. In many cases, I would like to show you or tell you more. He supported his claims with specific shots or descriptions of interesting situations. But with regard to spoilers and the authors’ wishes, I will not do it. Everyone has the right to jump into the game and look forward to the same surprises.
But without worries I can tell you something about weapons or control. Although I can’t show you most of the weapons, I have to describe the haptics and adaptive triggers. They perfectly emphasize the impression of shooting and depending on the strength of the trigger, what you do with the weapon also differs. You will feel the feedback not only in action, but also when running, jumping or watching animations. Since the release of Astro’s Playroom, no PlayStation 5 game has been able to squeeze more out of the DualSense driver. After all, the Astro may remain in tight lead, because its design and the design of the missions themselves are directly subordinate to the gamepad and to the fact that you feel something different at every step. Otherwise, Rift Apart will demonstrate an incredible host of tricks with the controller. In some places, the perceptions of haptics and adaptive triggers may be too intense that they may get a little tired during longer play, but their strength can be adjusted directly in the game. As well as a million other things from the form and size of subtitles to various assistance aids. And that brings us to framerat and resolution. Like Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Ratchet offers three display modes. The former prefers 4K resolution, ray tracing and detail for 30 fps. Another attracts at 60 fps, but without ray tracing. Alternatively, you can choose 60 fps with ray tracing, but lower resolution.
The improved movement of the main character, who learned new tricks and deserves his own experience from Sider-Man and Sunset Overdrive, deserves its own mention and praise. I also have only words of praise for musical accompaniment, sound and dubbing. Home players will undoubtedly enjoy Czech subtitles, which are perfectly translated and especially full of playful turns and colorful titles and phrases. Somehow we don’t get negatives in the area of this review. And you know what, that’s it. Rift Apart is a great game that is very difficult to find negatives and mistakes. Once, the game got stuck, but that was before the update was released, which is already available. It may come to some that Ratchet & Clank, with the exception of the technology and the cracks attached to it, have not changed dramatically, and Rivet is actually just a copy of Ratchet in terms of playability. However, I sincerely believe that this is not a point worthy of real criticism. If similar games came out like on a treadmill, so be it. But it’s been five years since the previous title was released, and I can only add that such great games can easily be released more often.
