Nostalgia is a curious beast. On one hand, it makes us feel warm and tingly when we reminisce about years before when life seemed simpler, better, and hopeful. On the other, it's a fleeting moment, as we resurface to the reality that things, including ourselves, have changed and life is different (for better or worse). Video games have often struggled to strike gold on the delicate and beautiful balance of nostalgia and progression, and if a game ever were to truly conquer this beautiful dance, it would be one of the most rewarding times in gaming. Well, thanks to Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, that day has come.



The story of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart begins in the bright and cheerful city of Metropolis, as we bask in the glory of a parade float in our honour - that is Ratchet & Clank, not us in real life - although now that I say it out loud, that should happen. Anyway, as we navigate the parade, we relive our heroic tales through some comical re-enactments of our historic battles, after which Clank tells us that he has a gift for us. Our metal co-hort delivers a heartfelt message to Ratchet, after which he presents the Dimensionator, a gift for Ratchet that will allow him to finally visit the Lombax dimension, since Ratchet has never actually met another of his kind.

The festivities are interrupted by an old nemesis, one of the Lombax’s oldest in fact, and we are thrown into a flurry of chaos as the Dimensionator is used to rip a hole into the Space-Time Continuum, threatening the very fabric of time. We set off trying to regain some form of order, and save the parade. Our dastardly foe has seized the Dimensionator for himself, and is now out to use it to gain the power he so desperately craves, and finally conquer Ratchet and Clank.



It is here, in Metropolis City, where an emotional (and nostalgic) turn of events kicks off our inter-dimensional adventure, as Ratchet and Clank try to reclaim the Dimenstionator and undo all the damage-wreaking havoc on space and time. We meet another Lombax from another dimension, Rivet, who is meant to be the “Ratchet from another dimension”, but as we spend more time with her, we realise that she is a personality all on her own; one that has been built on her own trauma, experiences, and relationships. We bounce between the two Lombaxes throughout the game, where each planet we visit can only be experienced through either Ratchet or Rivet, and as the game progresses, we not only learn about Rivet, her motives, and her place in the world, but we learn more about Ratchet as well.

We bounce between the two Lombaxes throughout the game, where each planet we visit can only be experienced through either Ratchet or Rivet...

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart doesn't focus on the hero vs. villain storyline, but rather on the interpersonal connections between Ratchet, Clank, Rivet, and a new robotic friend we meet along the way. Rivet is a uniquely impressive addition to the Ratchet & Clank universe, and offers more than just a mirror image of Ratchet. Rivet brings a refreshing bravado to the table, one that bounces off Ratchet and compliments him while still managing to remain strong and independent. Her addition is a much needed refresh to the comedic duo, as she also serves her own brand of comedy.



More than this, Rivet also brings with her an expansion to the world of Ratchet & Clank - more so than just another dimension - thanks to the interactions we see between her and other creatures in the universe; their natural exchanges of admiration, desperation, and simple anecdotes remind us that Rivet is a real, individual being rather than just a shoe-horned character. This is thanks to the beautiful writing team over at Insomniac Games who have managed to take a never-before-seen character and make her feel like an old friend.

Though, it's not just our protagonists who are given another dimension (hehe, puns) but it is our antagonist as well, as it's not just Ratchet and Rivet that get inter-space counterparts, but Dr. Nefarious as well. Without giving too much away, Nefarious gets his own little subtle story arc, where he is kept under the boot of his dimensional co-hort. While we don’t see a change of heart from the nefarious villain, we do see some moments where we can’t help but feel a little sympathetic towards our arch nemesis.



Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart brings a story that manages to propel the franchise forward, all while giving us all the sweet nostalgia we can suck up, which is a rather difficult task to accomplish. It is a story that highlights the bonds of friendship, the power of redemption, and how to safely navigate the intricacies of inter-dimensional space travel to prevent the collapse of reality as we know it.

It is a story that highlights the bonds of friendship, the power of redemption...

The world of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is explored by both Ratchet and Rivet on various planets, which serve as levels, essentially. The semi-open world allows you to explore each area to your heart’s content, where you can find materials to enhance your weaponry, as well as explore pocket dimensions - secret challenge areas for you to navigate where you are rewarded with armour pieces for Ratchet and Rivet. Each planet (level) has its own unique signature look and feel, which makes each area feel alive, rather than a static arena.



Level design extends further than simple cosmetics, with the dimensional rifts that are central to the plot also incorporated into the gameplay. Mini-portals are scattered around battlegrounds which allow you to shoot across the arena which keeps combat fast-paced and intense, gives you access to new areas, as well as incorporating a narrative element into the gameplay which is something we do not see often. Portalling across levels, and even entering and exiting pocket dimensions, is super-smooth, where we would typically expect to see some short jitters or frame stutters to let us know the next segment is being loaded, we had none of these in Rift Apart.

One specific challenge saw us being shot through multiple portals in short succession (not a cutscene) which not only saw us briefly enter-and-exit, but engage in combat as well, with not a single hitch or stutter. This is all made even more impressive when you consider that everything in Rift Apart is rendered in real-time. What does that all mean? Simply, seamless transitions between levels for uninterrupted gameplay.



Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is one of our first ventures into next-generation gaming and the art design reflects this beautifully. Ratchet and Rivet are enhanced with phenomenal fur textures that react to wind, water, and movement. Clank has also been given texture updates, smoothing out his metallic body, as well as the introduction of ray-tracing, making him the smartest mirror across the dimensions. This can also be said for reflective materials throughout the game, such as floors, puddles, and even just metallic sheets on a wall.

...Rift Apart is one of the most visually impressive and colourful games that I have played to date...

The colour palette of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart feels like Insomniac Games took the previous 8-bit RGB colour spectrum and ran it through a Pantone-certified 16.7 million sRGB colour spectrum. While 4K HDR was a marvelous sight to behold - one that I felt my eyes were not worthy of witnessing - even the standard 1080p visuals were nothing to scoff at. It is fair to say, then, that Rift Apart is one of the most visually impressive and colourful games that I have played to date, which serves as nothing but a testament to the art direction of Insomniac Games.



As we said in our preview, gadgets play a large role on how we navigate the world of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart with fan favourites returning, as well as the introduction of some new slick tricks. Hoverboots utilise the new adaptive triggers of the PS5’s DualSense controllers where you can “skate” with them to increase your speed, which gives the old gadget a modern twist, and the new Phantom Dash not only adds to combat but general level traversal as well.

Something we also touched on briefly during our preview is that progression in terms of currency, weapons, and gadgets is shared between Ratchet and Rivet. Insomniac could’ve simply left it at that, but instead, the characters actually address it after switching between them - in one case, Rivet asked the merchant where “all this extra money came from”, where the merchant stated that they “share a mutual friend”. This small detail not only brings the progression into a believable system, but also reminds us that Ratchet and Rivet are, in fact, separate characters that are moving both simultaneously and independently of each other.



Weapon design has been kept quirky and fantastical, with some notable contenders for “Most Fun” including the Ricochet (sends a ball with disco lights bouncing off enemies), Mr. Fungi (little mushroom helpers that liven up the party and distract foes), and the Negatron Collider which hurtles a giant beam of planet-melting energy and makes you feel like a god. Each weapon has a “final form” after they are leveled up, simply by using them to defeat your enemies.

Weapon designs, ammo drops, and even enemies have been purposefully created to encourage you to rotate between your entire weapon wheel...

As they level up, you can upgrade them at the shop to make them more potent in battle, and depending on your difficulty, is quite necessary, especially in the later stages of the game. Even traditional weapons are given the Ratchet & Clank treatment, making it all feel wonderfully natural. Weapon designs, ammo drops, and even enemies have been purposefully created to encourage you to rotate between your entire weapon wheel, making every battle fun and exciting rather than a chore for you to slog through over and over.



Rift Apart was designed to be a full-on Marvel cinematic experience, but some players might not have the dexterity or even the will to play it in the default fashion. Sometimes you just want a relaxing, whimsical, and charming story to warm your heart in these terrible times. Accessibility options are quite comprehensive, adding in features we saw in Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales such as colourblind modes, as well as assistance mechanisms for platforming, including a slow motion mechanic for rift jumps, allowing all players to feel comfortable and enjoy the game their way. Injecting a piece of personal observation here, it is just so great to see developers take a vested interest in understanding that not all players will want the same experience as others, and catering for inclusion when the gaming community can be rather toxic when it comes to playing games differently to them, is just fantastic and wholesome.

Finally, the score of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is just an absolute masterpiece. Mark Mothersbaugh, the composer of Rift Apart, was also the composer for Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok, and wanted to bring that same energy of the film to Ratchet & Clank. While there were plenty of sections that felt like we were simply awaiting for the Marvel hero to make a dramatic entrance through a flash of lightning and a plume of smoke, there were moments where we were transported to the realm of nostalgia, and it was almost as if we were back on the PS2 being introduced to the hilarious hero-duo all over again.



Overall, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart not only exemplifies what the PS5 is capable of, but it's also everything that a video game should be: fun. The story has been masterfully crafted to engage with new audiences, as well as long-standing fans that have been with Ratchet and Clank through the past 19 years without having to beat the nostalgia-machine to death. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart perfectly balances its legacy while paving a new direction for the franchise in a beautiful homage that pays tribute to everything we love about Ratchet & Clank, while unapologetically forging ahead in a bold new direction, and I am so excited to follow the adventures of Ratchet, Clank, and friends.