Ratchet and Clank PC Review
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart has finally made its way to the PC platform, offering an exhilarating gaming experience for fans and newcomers alike. This stunning action-adventure title developed by Insomniac Games continues the legacy of the iconic Ratchet and Clank series, taking players on an enthralling journey through a multitude of dimensions and worlds.
With its visually stunning graphics, engaging storyline, and fluid gameplay mechanics, this instalment is surely a delight for both long-time followers and players new to the series.
Genre
Action, Adventure
Release Date
Out Now!
Publisher
PlayStation PC LLC
Platforms
PlayStation 5, PC.
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Story and Characters
As Ratchet and Clank traverse through the various rifts in their mission to restore harmony to the universe, gamers experience a refreshing blend of classic platforming elements and intense combat scenarios. The combination of fascinating characters, exciting worlds, and the newly added mechanics introduced in Rift Apart make it a truly immersive and satisfying gaming experience. With the transition to the PC, the engaging world of Ratchet and Clank is now accessible to an even larger audience, providing hours of entertainment and thrilling gameplay that won’t disappoint.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart takes players on an interdimensional adventure filled with excitement and challenges. The story introduces some new faces alongside familiar ones, weaving a captivating narrative that captures the essence of the series.
The lovable duo, Ratchet and Clank, find themselves separated in a mysterious alternate dimension. Here, they meet Rivet, a fierce and resourceful female Lombax with a troubled past. Together, they must navigate through various dimensions to stop the evil Dr. Nefarious from carrying out his sinister plan – manipulating dimensional rifts to conquer alternate realities.
Throughout their journey, the characters experience personal growth and face internal challenges as they come to terms with their past and adapt to the responsibilities thrust upon them. The game seamlessly blends humour with heartwarming moments, creating a perfect balance that fans old and new will enjoy.
In addition to the main cast, Rift Apart features a diverse range of supporting characters that enrich the game world. Some of these include:
Kit: A charming and intelligent robot with a mysterious connection to Clank.
Dimensions: Each dimension is brimming with colourful and quirky inhabitants that showcase various cultures, offering players delightful settings to explore and discover.
As Ratchet, Clank, and Rivet work together to defeat Dr. Nefarious, they forge new friendships and strengthen existing bonds. Players are sure to appreciate the dynamic between the characters as they embark on their thrilling quest to save the multiverse.
Gameplay Mechanics
The gameplay in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart features smooth and engaging traversal mechanics. Players can easily navigate through different environments using Ratchet’s or Rivet’s various abilities. For instance, their wrist-mounted grappling hook allows them to swing across gaps, while the hover boots provide speedy travel across long distances. Additionally, dimensional rifts are cleverly incorporated into traversal, allowing players to teleport between different sections of the level seamlessly.
Combat
Combat in Rift Apart is both thrilling and satisfying. The game offers a wide array of unique weapons, each catering to different playstyles. Players can choose from classic Ratchet & Clank weapons, such as the Buzz Blades and Warmonger, to new additions like the Topiary Sprinkler that turns enemies into harmless shrubs. As players progress throughout the game, they can upgrade their weapons using a currency called Raritanium. This system encourages experimentation with different weapon combinations to find the most effective strategies.
Unique Weapons
The weapons are quite varied that is on offer and they are upgradable for improved combat. When you factor in what is on offer, the game encourages you to experimentat with weapon combinations.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart also incorporates varied puzzles that challenge the player’s problem-solving skills. These puzzles come in several forms, such as:
Clank puzzles – Involve guiding other versions of Clank to reach a specific objective
Screw puzzles – Require players to rotate objects in the environment to create a clear path
Glitch challenges – Have players control a small robot named Glitch to eliminate viruses from malfunctioning computer systems
These puzzles add depth to the gameplay and are well-integrated into the story, making them feel like a natural part of the players’ journey.
Graphics and Performance
The graphics in Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart on PC are truly stunning. Insomniac Games has done an incredible job in crafting detailed environments, vibrant colours, and crisp character models. The particle effects, in particular, stand out, making each dimension feel unique and alive. Players will be impressed by the level of detail that has been packed into every inch of the game’s diverse planets.
Performance-wise, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart runs smoothly on my PC, with frame rates hovering around a solid 60 FPS on recommended settings. Though even though I maxed everything out, it still ran smooth, like butter. The game did have it’s crashes at times, but these were few and far between them. R&C includes several options for players to customise to their liking, ensuring the best possible experience for their specific hardware setup. Some of these options include graphical presets, resolution scaling, and an optional frame rate cap.
Loading times in the game are surprisingly quick, thanks in large part to the impressive work done by the developers in utilising SSD technology. This ensures that players can jump between different dimensions quickly and seamlessly, without being hindered by long loading screens.
Here are some key graphical features that contribute to the game’s visual fidelity:
Ray tracing: Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart employs ray tracing technology, resulting in highly realistic reflections and enhanced lighting. This helps to make the game’s worlds feel more immersive and true-to-life.
Improved textures: The game features high-resolution textures, making every object and character model stand out with impressive clarity.
Volumetric lighting: Light sources in the game cast realistic, atmospheric shadows, adding another layer of depth to the visuals.
Challenges and Replayability
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart offers a well-balanced mix of challenges and replayability that keeps players engaged and entertained. The game presents various difficulty levels, catering to both casual gamers and hardcore fans who are seeking a true test of their skills.
Players will encounter a wide range of enemies throughout their journey, each with unique abilities and tactics. The game encourages strategic thinking by providing players with an arsenal of weapons and gadgets to utilise in combat. With diverse enemy types, combat scenarios remain fresh and engaging, preventing repetition.
In addition to combat challenges, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart also features a variety of puzzles and platforming sections that add depth to the gameplay. Solving these puzzles requires players to experiment with their available tools and think creatively, presenting a satisfying sense of accomplishment upon completion.
The game includes optional side missions, collectibles, and upgrades that encourage exploration of the beautifully crafted worlds. By completing these, players can unlock additional lore, customisation options, and improve their characters’ abilities. This entices players to return to previously visited areas, searching for hidden secrets that may have previously gone unnoticed.
Furthermore, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart introduces a New Game Plus mode, allowing players to re-experience the game with all previously acquired weapons and upgrades. This mode features increased enemy difficulty, offering a fresh challenge for those who have already completed the game, while also allowing them to further enhance their characters.
The gameplay mechanics are fluid and engaging, with various weapons and upgrade options at the gamer’s disposal. The new characters introduced in Rift Apart have successfully grabbed our attentions and added more depth to the overall story. Furthermore, the game utilises the astonishing capabilities of the PC platform, offering a seamless and immersive gaming experience.
There were however a few issues, one being that during the start of the game, I tried jumping over a group of NPCs and I got stuck on top of them. Ratchet was just there floating in mid air. Then after the first boss battle, the game crashed on me when navigating the menus. There were also a few frame dips here and there, plus a few crashes, this is even with a Ryzen 9 7950x/RTX 4090 combo. However, thanks to how the save feature works, it wasn’t a game breaker. Hopefully an upcoming patch may resolve these issues.
Overall
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is undoubtedly a fantastic addition to the beloved gaming franchise. The game truly shines with its stunning graphics and visual effects, making it a treat for the eyes. Players are captivated by the well-designed and unique worlds, which provide both challenges and excitement.
While it’s not without it’s faults, it’s a fantastic addition to the ever growing catalogue from PlayStation Studios…
SSG Rating 8.5/10