I can already hear the laughter of some of you, but I tell you anyway: sometimes, dealing with video games is not absolutely easy. Don't believe it? So let's move the hands of the clock to about a week ago; the first summer heat begins, which means only one thing: theE3 2021 is upon us. In the midst of organizing (and dividing the work) for the videogame event par excellence, Sony knocks on the door, delivering a copy of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
After a few minutes of undeniable initial euphoria, the picture of the situation became increasingly clear and "heavy". In the space of a few days, the coverage of E3 2021 was concentrated, with news, insights and previews (here is our mega-hyper recap, which cost hours of sleep and diopters for our good Alessandro) and the review of the most awaited exclusive of the most unobtainable console on the market.
We don't have to go around too much, or lie to each other. Since its presentation, the new title from Insomniac Games has shown what the new magic box from Sony was (or could have been) capable of. In short, pending the Microsoft exclusives, this work represented the "real" advent of the next gen.
If for many Demon's Souls and Spiderman: Miles Morales were "just" a remake and a remaster, Godfall and Destruction AllStars were little more than holes in the water, while Returnal was a production as intriguing as it was destined for a niche, Ratchet & Clank : Rift Apart was the exclusive it should have get everyone to agree, making the general public understand what Playstation 5 is made of, and underlining even more the weight of Sony's absence from the videogame festival par excellence, now the scene of the fascinating and solitary "monologo Xbox".
The stable of the exclusives of the Japanese giant can already boast several rampant foals, to which now is added a thoroughbred of rare beauty, which touches the highest qualitative peaks, perhaps betrayed by a certain "realization shyness". What am I referring to? Don't rush, we have a whole review ahead!
Your own personal Lombax
How exhausting can the life of a couple of heroes be? A lot, directly proportional to how many times we are called to save the universe. And it is precisely the case of our beloved Ratchet and Clank: in the middle of a celebratory parade (with which we briefly retrace the deeds of the mythical duo), the protagonists are attacked by an enemy commando, led by the evil and incorrigible Dottor Nefarious. The villain's purpose is one and only one: to steal the Dimensioner and use it for his shady plans of intergalactic tyranny.
The contraption was supposed to be a gift from little Clank to his lifelong companion, allowing him somehow to reconnect with other members of his kind: those heroic Lombax of which only legends and tales seem to remain.
However, events take an unexpected turn: the clumsy Nefarious inadvertently destroys the Dimensioner, triggering an ever greater collapse between its dimension and another, populated by bizarre "alternative versions" of all the most famous characters in the series, including a Lombax named Rivet who, like his "dimensional equivalent", is leading a real resistance against an evil emperor with delusions of grandeur named ... Nefarious!
Our aim, once again, will be save the fate of the galaxy, teaming up with Rivet and all the newcomers, restoring order of all dimensions.
It is not my job to make spoilers of any kind, but I can tell you that, over the 12 / 15 hours necessary to get to the end credits, there is no dead moment, thanks to a basic and effective narration, capable of entertaining almost any player. Add to the above two twists and you will have obtained one of the first strengths of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
Continuing to dwell on the plot, it is necessary to make a clarification: the Insomniac Games saga includes well 8 main chapters and 4 spin-offs. I already know what you are about to ask me: how many and which of these games will we have to recover to better understand the plot of the latest Ratchet & Clank? The answer is: maybe none! The last main entry of the series would be placed, chronologically speaking, after Into the Nexus (the last chapter released on PS3); however, Rift Apart is a work also (and above all) designed for younger players, who have probably never even heard of the games released on PS2 and PS3.
Precisely based on what has now been written, you can safely relate to the latest Sony exclusive even if you are at your first experience with the saga. However, in case you do not want to be "caught unprepared", the advice I give you is to recover the 2016 Ratchet & Clank (remake of the first episode of the franchise) or, in case you wish to close the case in a short time, to watch the animated film of the same name from the same year.
And speaking of animated films ...
The technological leap has served
Do you remember that first gameplay trailer shown at the Playstation 5 presentation show? What had struck you in those 2 minutes and 20 seconds? The very refined graphics? The almost total absence of transitions between cutscene and gameplay? The possibility of crossing the dimensional gaps, passing from one world to another as if nothing had happened? Maybe all these things together? Let's go in order, but unbuttoning ourselves a little: we are facing the the most technologically advanced PS5 title that was ever produced.
If watching that famous Rift Apart trailer you were starting to worry, accustomed as we are to the danger of the downgrade, the title of Insomniac Games it is perhaps one of the few cases where reality exceeds all expectations. The cleanliness and attention to detail of the Burbank studio definitely leave you speechless, managing to give greater consistency to the next gen one that had already been seen in Returnal (if you haven't done it yet, read our review by clicking here, you don't want to have made me die all those times in vain, do you?).
Dwelling on the graphics alone, the Sony exclusive takes us three modes available. The Fidelity Mode, the most spectacular of the triptych, which guarantees a resolution in 4K, the activation of Ray Tracing and all those lighting and particle effects capable of enhancing the most demanding palates, having to come to terms with a framerate of 30 fps ; the Performance Mode, on the other hand, is designed for anyone who just can't do without 60 frames per second, as long as they make some sacrifices in terms of graphics; the RT Loyalty Mode, added with the day one patch, is a mixture of the previous two, with the aim of maintaining both the 60fps and the Ray Tracing, however, having to cut a little something in terms of image resolution.
Whatever choice you make (the writer has opted for the last solution listed) you can be sure that your opinion on the technical sector will not change. The shaders, the lighting system, the details offered by Ray Tracing and the particle effects, all at the service of an excellent artistic direction (which we will focus on shortly): if Spider-Man had exalted us, with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart we are totally on another level.
Insomniac's manufacturing care is very reminiscent of that seen in more recent animated films, and this feeling is made even stronger by the almost total absence of loading times and, above all, by a dubbing work that doesn't really have nothing to envy to any Pixar / Dreamworks production. Could it be a prelude to a new feature film about our heroes? As a famous poem said, there is no certainty about tomorrow, but the conditions seem to be truly all there.
Art direction, longevity and action
We mentioned earlier an artistic direction that is very over the top, but what does it consist of? There would be many elements to mention, but none of them is second to the nine planets on which we will land during our adventure. Each of them presents unique and immediately recognizable peculiarities: whether it is the marshes of Sargasso or the "double nature" of Bizar Prime, you will love exploring these stages far and wide, completing side missions and interesting ones puzzle stages, collecting collectibles and, above all, accumulating resources to upgrade our arsenal (don't worry, we'll get there soon).
Each planet presents unique game solutions, all marked by the same goal: to entertain the player. Whether it's a dialogue between two NPCs or even a simple environmental interaction, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a huge gaming playground where it is practically impossible to be disappointed. What is not possible, however, is to freely explore the nine planets, as we will always be confined to more or less predetermined tracks; this feeling, however, is absolutely not a burden for the player, even if, I do not hide it, I would have liked to visit every corner of these splendid stages.
As previously pointed out, in about 15 hours it is possible to complete the journey of our two (or four) heroes, but Insomniac has come up with a solution for the most demanding players: the challenge mode. This is the most classic of the New Game +, in which we will keep the inventory and we will have the opportunity to continue to improve our arsenal, getting our hands on both brand new weapons and on enhanced versions of those already in our possession. In this respect, Rift Apart can reach a longevity much higher than that indicated, making the joy of completists.
Moving on to the more "sparacchina" part of this latest incarnation of Ratchet & Clank, we can say that, once again, we will have a respectable arsenal, composed of the beauty of 20 weapons, all different in terms of characteristics and functions. From the most classic pistol to the crazy balls of Shrinker (capable of hitting multiple enemies at a time), passing through the rockets of the Lawbringer (perhaps the highest damage gun in the game) and ending with the Hydrant of the Plant Sprayer (capable of turning your enemies into hedges): each weapon will have its function, adapting to your style of play and allowing you to get out of the most intricate situations.
The fights, in fact, will put you in front of real hosts of enemies, which will prevent you from staying still and always having recourse to the same weapon, as you will run out of magazine in a short time. Six commands, especially in the exploratory phases, they are a bit awkward, fortunately this does not occur in fights, where the game pad gives its best.
In this respect, once again, the Dualense confirms itself as the flagship of the next generation by Sony, returning a different vibrant feedback for each weapon and external element (from the footsteps of the protagonists to the simple ticking of the rain) and, finally, integrating the game audio. A small mention for the adaptive triggers. Beyond the "double position" (already seen in Returnal, but this time applied to both lats), I cannot fail to mention the acceleration of the Hoverscarponi, which will ask us to press the R2 button several times: well, the first pressure will be heavier, while the following ones will be gradually lighter, almost as if we were pulling the ignition cord of a small aquatic engine.
It is practically impossible not to be impressed by this feature, but even here the impression is that of having discovered only a small part of the potential of this hardware.
Fun gameplay… but that doesn't dare
There is little to do: when it comes to action, few teams can hold a candle to Insomniac Games, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart undoubtedly represents the highest point ever reached by the US developer. If the game action does not know any dead moment, however, it must be emphasized how much the level of challenge is not very high. The writer has managed (at standard difficulty) to complete the title without practically ever being defeated, finding his death practically only due to badly calibrated jumps and too “daring” explorations. With the New Game + and the higher difficulties the speech becomes more interesting, but there will be nothing that can really get you in trouble.
Secondly, next gen does not only mean better graphics and higher framerate, but also (and above all) new solutions for development, and it is precisely here that Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was expected at the gate. THE dimensional leaps they were immediately praised, made possible by the performance of the infamous SSDs that the Sony console is equipped with. Well, it is possible to define this experiment as successful, but not entirely.
If the Fendilink (the gashes present in the individual stages) have both an exploratory and a tactical function, the "leaps" between one dimension and another are as spectacular and well made as they are limited in number. The same dimensional pockets, however fascinating, they are a mere ploy for the collection of collectibles, capable of offering nice platform phase, which can be completed in a few minutes.
Of course, there are the exceptions of Blizon Prime and Cordelion, where actually there is the possibility of making one dimensional switch in a few moments, but I hope you will forgive me if I confess that I would have liked to experience more moments similar to those shown in the trailers, in which our beloved duo went from one planet to another in the snap of their fingers.
This is exactly what I was referring to when I talked about realization shyness: to that "fear to fly”Which prevents us from making that little leap forward that would have made us scream at the masterpiece. Let's be clear, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart represents the state of the art on Playstation 5, leaving the feeling that we could have dared more, but making us understand what the actual potential of this generation is.
Final judgement
Insomniac has hit the mark again and, after Spider-Man, manages to pack a new work of great caliber, with the adrenaline-pumping gameplay that made the American studio famous, together with an animated film atmosphere, which it manages to practically conquer any user. From a technical point of view, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart stands at levels of absolute excellence, perhaps representing the first, true next gen videogame, also thanks to a very inspired artistic direction. Although in its 15 hours there is no trace of boredom, there are two small "out of tune notes" in an otherwise perfect symphony from every point of view. If it is possible to overlook a level of challenge that is perhaps overly accommodating, what leaves us a little disappointed is the lack of “large-scale” application of those dimensional leaps that, at the PS5 Reveal, had made us roll our eyes.
Was there a lack of audacity to make the definitive qualitative leap? Or are we the ones who are simply insatiable? In any case, had that extra bit of hubris been present, we would probably be in front of a perfect score. But mind you, Rift Apart is in any case a title to have at all costs: why like it or not, it has made it clear what Playstation 5 is capable of, paving the way for the next exclusives and for the whole next gen. And believe me if I tell you that, if these are the conditions, years of great gaming await us.
