Pat PilcherSummary
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Sony PS5) REVIEW
It’s got great characters, great action sequences, spiffing graphics. What’s not to like about the new PS5 game? PAT PILCHER plays.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the latest PlayStation 5 flavoured line in the long-running Ratchet & Clank series. It sees gamers controlling Ratchet, a furry alien with large cat-like ears and his shiny toaster-like robotic pal, Clank.
One of the great things about testing games for a new console is that each new game title release manages to look better than the last. With this latest Ratchet & Clank title, there’s some stunning graphical eye candy on offer. Ratchet actually looks furry, and, dare I say it, cute. Clank’s chrome is now very shiny and metallic thanks to the PS5’s real-time ray tracing capabilities.
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The game kicks off in a teeming futuristic city complete with cute aliens and an evil super-villain. As with previous Ratchet & Clank titles, you’re getting a platformer with attitude. Not only are you running, jumping, leaping and grabbing power-ups, but you also need to be pretty handy with a shooter.
Rift Apart kicks off as the city celebrates Ratchet & Clank’s heroic deeds. Still, celebrations are cut short as the arch villain’s henchmen invade. Before you know it, Ratchet and his pet toaster are leaping through dimensional rifts.
As well as beautiful graphics, complete with clever shading and ray-tracing effects, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart also showcases another killer PS5 feature – load times. Jumping between levels now happens in the blink of an eye. Compared to the 30-50 second grind commonplace with most titles on the original PlayStation, near-seamless level changes really help to keep you immersed.
Speaking of immersion, Rift Apart also makes good use of the PlayStation 5’s controller and its fancy pants haptic capabilities. These often complement in-game audio, to help make everything even more engaging.
Chip shortages and Covid related production delays may have delayed the availability of the PS5. Still, games such as Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart are making up for lost time. It’s a tonne of fun to play thanks to well thought out action set pieces and likeable characters, all of which is enriched with gorgeous audio and graphics. If you’re a fan of the Ratchet & Clank series, Rift Apart is a must get.
