Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Gameplay

The game shares many gameplay similarities with Ratchet & Clank (2016) and other entries in the series. It retains elements of previous Ratchet & Clank games, such as strafing, gunplay, collection of bolts, automatic weapon and health upgrades, manual Raritanium weapon upgrading and gadgets. The main playable character is Ratchet. He is accompanied by his robotic friend and sidekick Clank, who is hung on his back. Additionally, the game has a playable female Lombax named Rivet, as well as a robot similar to Clank, Kit. The player navigates Ratchet and Rivet through diverse environments across a multitude of levels, defeating enemies with an array of varied weapons and gadgets, and traversing obstacles to complete key mission objectives.

The game introduces to the series the concept of real-time near instantaneous travel between different areas, planets and other worlds within gameplay scenes via a system of inter-dimensional portals. In order for the player to utilize this feature, a new mechanic dubbed the "Rift Tether" is introduced in Ratchet and Rivet's arsenal that pulls them from one side of a portal to another, allowing them to move quickly between points. The game features the return of planets explored in previous entries with a dimensional twist, through their alternate counterparts, alongside new planets not seen previously in the franchise. The game features enhanced mobility and traversal options with the addition of moves such as dashing and wall running. In addition, the game's arsenal features a mix of brand new weapons and returning classics from prior installments.

The game features an assortment of accessibility options, including a high contrast mode and toggles for simplified traversal, camera sensitivity, flight assistance, etc., to ensure that all players can enjoy the gameplay and complete the story.

Plot

Some time after the events of Ratchet & Clank, Ratchet and Clank are celebrated as galactic heroes during a parade hosted by Captain Quark, Skid McMarx, and Rusty Pete on Corson V. Clank reveals that he has repaired the Dimensionator, a device capable of opening rifts to other dimensions so that Ratchet can search for the Lombax race and his missing family. However, Doctor Nefarious attacks the parade and attempts to steal the Dimensionator. During the struggle, Ratchet unthinkingly shoots the Dimensionator, which causes dimensional rifts to begin opening randomly. Ratchet, Clank, and Dr. Nefarious are transported to an alternate universe, where the Dimensionator explodes, damaging the fabric of space and time and separating the three. Clank awakens to find himself alone and now missing his right arm from the blast. He is discovered and picked up by a female Lombax named Rivet. Meanwhile, Dr. Nefarious ends up in a throne room, where he is mistaken for Emperor Nefarious, an alternate version of himself who, unlike him, has never been defeated and rules over the galaxy. Ratchet, elsewhere, finds himself alone and starts his search for Clank. With the emperor currently absent on a conquest, Dr. Nefarious secretly assumes his identity and sends his new minions after Ratchet and Rivet.

While searching, Ratchet witnesses Rivet escaping the planet with Clank. Ratchet encounters Phantom (the alternate Skidd), a member of the resistance opposed to the emperor, which Rivet is a part of, who gifts him an electronic helper named Glitch to help him get a ship to follow her. Rivet takes Clank to her hideout on Sargasso to interrogate him, not believing his words about the dimensional rifts due to her distrust in robots. They discover a dimensional anomaly on the planet which Clank investigates, making contact with a prophet named Gary, who enlists his help in repairing other dimensional anomalies to prevent the Dimensional Cataclysm. Rivet learns the truth by looking into Clank's memories and repairs Clank's communicator so they are able to contact Ratchet and devise a plan to rebuild the Dimensionator.

Ratchet heads out to find the blueprint for the Dimensionator, and recruits one of Gary's robot apprentices, Kit, to be his partner. Kit warns Ratchet that she is a warbot built by the emperor and worries she might lose control of her programming and attack him, but Ratchet reassures her that they make a good team. They head to a secret lab on Cordelion to forge a new Dimensionator, while Rivet and Clank head out to Blizar Prime to gather the Phase Quartz needed to power it. After it is accidentally destroyed, the two search for the mythical Fixer on Torren IV who can repair anything and convince him to overcome his own self-doubt to repair the Phase Quartz. Ratchet and Rivet meet in the Scarstu Debris Field, and Kit becomes Rivet's partner. They complete the Dimensionator, only for Dr. Nefarious to arrive and steal it. Dr. Nefarious is defeated in battle, but the real Emperor Nefarious arrives, easily defeating Ratchet and Rivet and stealing the Dimensionator for himself, which he plans to use to eliminate Captain Quantum (the alternate Captain Qwark) and destroy the resistance.

Development

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was developed by Insomniac Games as a PlayStation 5 exclusive title. Unlike past games in the Ratchet & Clank series where development was helmed by the secondary team in North Carolina, Rift Apart was developed by the entire team from both studios. It features a full-length, stand-alone storyline that is intended to appeal to veterans and newcomers of the series, serving as a follow-up to both the 2013 game Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus and the 2016 remake of the first game. The game was directed by creative director Marcus Smith and game director Mike Daly.

Insomniac Games received PlayStation 5 development kits early on in the console's development cycle and the team promptly started work on conceptualization. Creative director Marcus Smith stated that, initially, they were confronted with the quandary of how to make the game appealing to both long-running series fans and new players who may have not even been born when the last full-length game in the series was released. Initial ideas for Rift Apart came about after the team had multiple discussions about the possibilities offered by improvements made in next-gen hardware. Game director, Mike Daly said that they knew from the start the game would be a PS5 exclusive and they wanted to take advantage of that fact. He added that "we wanted to make a game that was new and took the experience further than it had before. When we were thinking about what we could do, knowing what we could never do before, it became clear that so much of the structure of games is informed by how you're able to load things into memory." Regarding the ease up of workflows due to the PS5's custom-designed SSD, Smith stated that the "game utilizes dimensions and dimensional rifts, and that would not have been possible without the solid state drive of the PlayStation 5," further adding that it is "screamingly fast. It allows us to build worlds and project players from one place to another in near instantaneous speeds. It is an unbelievable game-changer in terms of, we can now do gameplay where you're in one world and the next moment you're in another." Smith recalled that the team had an idea on leveraging dimensional travel into parallel worlds, citing the 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life as inspiration for the game's direction. Smith stated that the team's curiosity was piqued by the question, "What would a different dimension of Ratchet and Clank be like? And in particular, what would Ratchet's life be like if he didn't have a Clank?".

On building the game's traversal mechanics, there was a learning opportunity for Insomniac Games to leverage their experiences from past titles they have developed, to improve upon and expand on the traversal mechanics in Rift Apart. Smith stated that "I think the lessons that we learned from Sunset Overdrive and Spider-Man whereas we might've just had a hook shot somewhere, now we're having areas where you can Hook Shot and then use Phantom Dash and then wall run and then rift tether and it flows together really nicely".

Music

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart features an original score composed primarily by Mark Mothersbaugh and Wataru Hokoyama. Known for his works in Hotel Transylvania, The Lego Movie, Thor: Ragnarok and The Croods: A New Age, Mothersbaugh was contacted early in the game's development. Insomniac Games wanted the soundtrack to evoke a retro-futuristic sound; this approach informed the sound direction, and led to their subsequent search for the right composer to fulfill this vision. They requested Mothersbaugh who later agreed to compose for the game. Mothersbaugh went for a more experimental sound using various instruments including synthesizers to compose the score. By combining eclectic synth sounds with orchestral beats, Mothersbaugh was able to deliver a more cinematic sound experience in line with the guiding vision of the studio.

Release

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was announced at the PlayStation 5 reveal stream on June 11, 2020. At Gamescom's Opening Night Live on August 27, 2020, Insomniac Games presented a 7-minute gameplay demo of the game. On February 11, 2021, Insomniac Games announced several pre-order editions for the game. The standard edition includes a graphically upgraded version of the Carbonox armor from Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, as well as the Pixelizer weapon from Ratchet & Clank (2016). The digital deluxe edition contains five armor sets, a sticker pack for the new Photo Mode, 20 Raritanium used to upgrade weapons, and a digital soundtrack and artbook. In Sony's State of Play presentation on April 29, 2021, a lengthy 16-minute gameplay trailer was released. Rift Apart was released for the PlayStation 5 on June 11, 2021. On May 30, 2023, a Windows port, developed by Nixxes Software, was announced for a July 26 release. It features ultra widescreen support and ray tracing.

Reception

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received "mighty" approval, being recommended by 93% of critics.

IGN's Jonathon Dornbush praised the visuals of the game, saying that the animations and detailed models allowed "the entire cast to be more expressive than ever". Dornbush additionally felt the game's narrative reached the standards set by animated movies, comparing it favorably to Pixar "in its ability to tell an emotional story while also maintaining its excellent comedy."

Kyle Orland of Ars Technica enjoyed the game's combat, feeling that the core gameplay loop of shooting and dodging enemy projectiles was solid. Orland mentioned that enemy variety could have been better, but felt that enemies were used to great effect with different combinations. He criticized the gameplay usage of rifts, saying that they were underutilized for a large portion of the game.

Chris Carter of Destructoid praised the game's presentation, saying that "we're at the point of playable Pixar." Carter praised the performances of the voices cast alongside the soundtrack. He also enjoyed how the new hardware reduced loading times and felt that Rift Apart utilized the DualSense controller well.

Game Informer's Andrew Reiner particularly commended the game's visuals, and the designs of the environment, adding that "it steals your eye with its stunning vistas, makes you care about the characters". Reiner made positive comments about the Rift Tether feature, stating that its inclusion in the game elevates the gameplay experience, that quite, "often wowing you with just how different the next world is compared to the one you are currently standing in."

In a glowing review, Ryan Gilliam from Polygon wrote that Rift Apart was an impressive game that took advantage of the PlayStation 5 hardware. "But more importantly, it's a great entry in a nearly two-decade-old franchise, offering fans more wacky weapons, clever writing, and fresh biomes to explore."

Sales

In the United Kingdom, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart became the second biggest launch of the series behind the remake from 2016. Rift Apart also had the second biggest physical launch for a PlayStation 5 game behind another game developed by Insomniac, the launch title Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Sales in the United Kingdom continued to be strong in the second and third weeks of release as well. In Japan, Rift Apart was the third best-selling retail game during its first week of release behind Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and Game Builder Garage, with 14,663 physical units being sold across the country. Rift Apart was also the best-selling video game in the United States during the month of its release.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart had sold over 1.1 million units by July 2021. In December 2023, Insomniac Games were the victims of a ransomware attack causing private data and information to be leaked publicly. Parts of these leaks revealed that in June 2020 Rift Apart was projected to sell 2.2 million units and generate $73 million in revenue on an $81 million budget. In the same leak it was revealed that over 2.7 million copies of the game were shipped (sell-in) and turned a profit with $145 million in net sales by February 2022. Further leaks revealed that Rift Apart had sold over 3.97 million units by its second calendar year (June 2023).