It’s hard to believe it’s been 4 years since the last Ratchet & Clank game, and 7
if you don’t count the remake of the original game for PS4, but the duo is coming back in
a big way in Rift Apart which was revealed during Sony’s Playstation 5 event.
It’s an impressive showing to be sure, but we wanted to take a slightly deeper look at
the trailer and gameplay with the old Analysis Machine to see what else we could learn.
What will we discover amongst the chaos?
Well, let’s find out.
The first thing we’d like to focus on is actually the story as it seems to be picking
up sometime after the last game in the original canon, Into the Nexus.
A big focal point of the series ever since Tools of Destruction was a device known as
the Dimensionator that could access other dimensions and was often portrayed as a disastrous
tool in the hands of villains as well as Ratchet’s last chance to reunite with his banished race.
However, after the events of Into the Nexus, the Dimensionator was broken although Clank
secretly took it with the supposed intention of fixing it.
Well, based on all the rifts sprouting across the universe, that seems to have happened,
only for the returning Dr. Nefarious to somehow get his hands on it.
The evil doctor is mentioned both in dialog and seen as a hologram placed prominently
on the final planet that Clank lands on.
Despite everything looking like utter chaos across the universe, it seems Nefarious was
able to work this to his advantage though we don’t know how much he’s actually conquered.
But we’re willing to guess that something he did caused the Dimensionator to go haywire,
spawning these rifts across the universe.
That seems to be the set-up, but it goes beyond that thanks to the introduction of a new female
Lombax at the very end.
But that leads to questions as well.
Her design is similar to Ratchet’s except with white and blue fur, a bionic right arm,
a hammer rather than a wrench, and a fluffy tail.
But that tail shouldn’t be there.
Back in the second game, Going Commando, Ratchet met a female Lombax in the form of Angela
Cross, who was portrayed with smaller ears and absolutely no tail.
In the past Insomniac has insisted that Angela is definitely a Lombax though she has yet
to appear in a new game beyond references since Going Commando.
So either this is a soft reboot of Lombax lore or Clank has found himself in a completely
different dimension where these sexual differences don’t exist.
It’s certainly possible considering the likely influence of the Dimensionator, but
for now this female Lombax is only the 4th Lombax we’ve ever met in the series.
That being said, let’s take a look at all this crazy portal jumping that Ratchet & Clank
do throughout the trailer.
And for longtime fans of the series, these may feel like a blast from the past.
It begins with the two landing on a planet that heavily resembles Sargasso from Tools
of Destruction.
The giant beast that the two see is a Troglosaur and the planet itself served as one of the
Lombax testing facilities for the Dimensionator.
But the two aren’t on the planet for long as Nefarious’s troopers arrive and attack.
The creature they escape on is actually from Tools of Destruction as well, an Anthropod,
though this is the first time they ever rode one.
It’s not a very long ride as portals appear everywhere and the duo are blasted through
one.
But within the rift, it’s actually possible to see many different planets, all of which
they visit during the trailer.
So let’s just continue on for now as Ratchet lands on a rail-grinding section in a canyon
at night where he must double jump to avoid a minecart.
It’s a short section, but we believe this is Torren IV from A Crack in time.
However this isn’t the only time Ratchet & Clank will be here.
But first, the next rift takes them to a cityscape that’s likely Kerwan from the very first
game.
Here Ratchet must slide down the glass while avoiding the birds perched there.
Once he does, he lands on a dragon-like creature back on Torren IV, this time during the day.
But again another rift appears, taking the two to a city at night as the dragon has to
avoid oncoming traffic.
We’re not entirely sure which planet this is, but we think it could be the canal city
on Notak from Going Commando.
After all, there’s a billboard nearby that advertises the Protopet from that game.
It could also be a completely new planet as neither Ratchet nor Clank recognize it so
the Protopet might simply be an Easter Egg.
Either way, their rift jumping is nearly at an end as they arrive on planet Ardolis from
Tools of Destruction.
The pirates from that game are fighting a kraken, though we don’t know if they’re
affiliated with Slag from that game, Darkwater from Quest for Booty, or are completely new.
Either way, they’re distracted by a rampaging kraken until spotting Ratchet.
But during the firefight, Clank is knocked through a rift where the Nefarious-conquered
planet awaits along with the female Lombax.
So will the two be separated for a large portion of the game again?
The game is called Rift Apart after all.
Does that mean this new Lombax will be playable?
We have a feeling that’s the case!
Of course the Playstation 5 Event also provided a small taste of the gameplay, and this seems
to take place before the trailer with the two fending off Nefarious’s attack on what
we presume to be Igliak from Tools of Destruction and the end of Into the Nexus.
While we think this could be the first level of the game, that might not be the case as
Ratchet already has access to a brand new tool, the Rift Tether, which allows Ratchet
to kind of pull rifts toward himself and instantly travel through.
It’s a trippy effect, but as we see it’s useful for traveling large gaps and getting
around enemies.
However, we only see Ratchet use it on the orange rifts rather than the purple.
So it seems like orange is for short-range travel while purple is between planets.
But we do later see that travelling through the purple portals will always be as quick
as in the trailer though this rift keeps Ratchet on the planet.
The rift jumping doesn’t always feature animal riding chase sequences.
This is also our first look at the HUD in the game.
At the top left is Ratchet’s health which currently has a max of 20, an image showing
his selected tool, in this case the Rift Tether, and an XP bar below that.
To the top right is Ratchet’s current weapon, its level, and the amount of ammunition.
Finally, at the bottom right is the bolt count which only appears when actually collecting
the currency.
However, this seems to indicate that Ratchet & Clank are going through the first level
of the game with the bolt count so low.
As we’ll see later in the gameplay, it doesn’t take long to build up a sizable amount.
But that again begs the question of why they have the Rift Tether so soon and who gave
it to them?
Of course, there is the other explanation that Ratchet simply spent most of his bolts
before, which would explain why he has access to four different weapons.
Or it could be as simple as this level was mostly designed to show off these new gameplay
elements as Rift Apart is still in pre-Alpha.
I suppose we’ll see for ourselves in due time.
Bolts aren’t the only returning element in Rift Apart as we can see a stack of normal,
explosive, and healing crates, all fulfilling their previous duties.
But a somewhat more surprising return are the goons from Thugs-4-Less who were prominent
in Going Commando and didn’t return until Into the Nexus.
With so many references and callbacks to past Ratchet games, most notably Going Commando,
we can’t help but wonder if Angela Cross will return as well.
Of course, these are far from the last returning element seen in the gameplay.
But first the scene shifts to a terminal labeled the Omni-Transit Hub which shows off just
how many more civilians are around as they battle the Thugs-4-Less.
It’s not just enemies that the rifts are dropping into the hub though.
We can spot a large plant in the middle of the hallway indicating that different planets
are merging somehow.
There’s even a civilian that gets sucked into a portal, really showing just how big
the stakes have grown.
Meanwhile, the other civilians comment on Ratchet & Clank’s arrival or react to the
chaos happening, including the arrival of Sandsharks from the original game, the only
one they’ve ever appeared in.
It’s not only Sandsharks causing havoc though as the scene shifts to another area where
a kraken is attacking through a portal, very likely the same one the pirates were fighting
during the trailer.
More importantly is the fossil nearby which could indicate that the duo have arrived at
the Intergalactic Museum of History on Igliak.
Perhaps they’re checking on the status of the Dimensionator even though Clank took it
before?
Either way, we get our example of jumping through a purple portal as a giant robot crashes
through the walkway and Ratchet dives through the rift, finding himself at a landing hub.
Interestingly, Clank comments on not getting used to it which could mean a rift brought
them to the city in the first place?
There definitely seems to be some kind of major event that the two experience before
the chaos in the city.
But the goal seems to be reaching Dr. Nefarious himself as the Thugs declare that they can’t
let Ratchet reach the boss.
We never actually see that though as this final section of gameplay is meant to showcase
some of the new weapons in Ratchet’s arsenal.
Up until this point Ratchet’s been using a blaster called the Burst Pistol, but it’s
not that different from others in the series.
More unique is the new Topiary Sprinkler, a turret weapon that stuns enemies by covering
them in rapidly growing flora.
It can only hold a max amount of 4 at a time, but it certainly lasts a while with a sizable
range.
And that’s only at level 1.
Next up is the Shatterbomb which holds 9 uses and is a pretty basic explosive.
Nothing too notable.
The same could be said of the Enforcer, a shotgun-like weapon that holds 20 shots.
Naturally the quick-change option returns for Ratchet as well, but there is one other
addition to the UI.
As part of the aiming reticle, there’s a small bar that shows how much ammo is left,
ensuring that the player’s attention is always on the action.
However, it’s not just new weapons we see during this fight.
Throughout the battle, Ratchet shows off a new dash move that seems to work in tangent
with his strafing ability.
We even see him use this dash backwards.
He can still flip as before, but the dash gives a greater sense of speed to combat.
Heck, even the Thugs are rolling around making them slightly harder to hit.
That speed is notable though as there’s not a hint of slowdown even as Ratchet uses
the Rift Tether to travel throughout the area, destroys boxes for ammo and bolts, and indirectly
causes nearby plants to burst apart with falling leaves everywhere.
Thankfully, it looks like Ratchet won’t have to worry about not shooting civilians
as none are affected by his weapons despite being close by.
The fight comes to a close with the defeat of the returning Robomutts from the original
game, another throwback for Rift Apart.
In all, the game is an incredible showcase of what the Playstation 5 could be capable
of while showing how the Ratchet & Clank series can improve and progress.
It seems to be a culmination of much of the series at least in terms of locations and
enemies, but we’ll see how many characters return as well.
Still, I couldn’t be more excited to see more of Rift Apart and the new ideas it brings.
And we’ll be there every step of the way.
Of course, let us know if we missed anything in the comments below.
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