"Elegant roller coaster with a meaningless plot": what the press writes in Ratchet & Clank reviews: Rift Apart
The official release of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, a new PlayStation 5 exclusive, took place today. The project received rave reviews from critics, and the average score on Metacritic was 89/100 based on almost 100 reviews. Rift Apart is called perhaps the most beautiful game for today and is praised for using new technologies, but at the same time criticized for outdated gameplay in places.
About the game
Rift Apart is already the 16th game in a series of action platformers. This is the first project in the franchise since Ratchet & Clank 2016, which was a reinterpretation of the very first game. Insomniac Games was engaged in the development of the title.
Prior to the release, among the main features of Rift Apart, the use of the SSD capabilities of the new PlayStatioin and gameplay tied to moving between different dimensions were mentioned. There is also a new playable character here — a Lombax girl named Rivet.
Opinions of critics
Rift Apart has received top marks from 15 publications. Among them was the VG247 portal, which praised the game for its successful combination of breakthrough technologies, beautiful graphics and exciting gameplay.
In the past, we’ve had flashy games for new consoles (Sonic Adventure for Dreamcast, The Bouncer for PS2, Ryse for Xbox One, and Killzone Shadowfall for PS4). However, they rarely offered gameplay comparable in quality to the picture. Insomniac has become one of the most reliable studios in the gaming industry, and therefore it is not surprising that Rift Apart is not just an incredibly beautiful circus pony.
— VG247
Jeff Grubb from GamesBeat also rated Rift Apart 5/5 and called it an exciting and beautiful adventure. Among the few shortcomings, he noted only imperfect shooting mechanics and sometimes inappropriate puzzles.
I got the impression that Insomniac understands game development better than most other studios. They used technology to construct an elegant roller coaster with a meaningless plot, in which, nevertheless, there are fantastic characters with interesting storylines about self-acceptance.
GamesRadar+ gave Rift Apart the highest score and called it the best part in the series. The publication praised the game for its impressive graphics, characters, plot and use of new technologies.
Despite the high-speed pace, the game always looks flawless. I’m even going to use the old cliche “like Pixar cartoons” because the characters and the game world deserve it. The series has always been a marker of how PlayStation exclusives are able to harness the power of new consoles, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart continues this tradition. The game also perfectly demonstrates the capabilities of DualSense adaptive triggers, giving perfect feedback for weapons and your actions. They send signals to your brain that you didn’t even know about.
IGN portal put Rift Apart 9/10, noting that the game is best suited to demonstrate the potential and capabilities of the PlayStation 5. According to the author of the review, the game is perceived as one of the main adventures of the year.
The feeling of speed is also explained by the impressive time of downloads, which, as promised, practically does not exist. Whether you jump through gaps to a new place on the same planet, or move to a new one, or change characters, I’ve never noticed even a hint of pauses and freezes. Some of the downloads are cleverly hidden behind transitions and cutscenes, but still Insomniac managed to create a seamless adventure from start to finish.
— IGN
The Video Games Chronicle edition put Rift Apart 4/5, praising the use of PS5 technology and its controller, as well as charming characters and addictive gameplay. The only drawback is that it is basically the same game as 20 years ago.
The capabilities of PlayStaiton 5 expand and improve the already existing series of games, and do not give us a fundamentally new option. This is not a bold reinvention of Ratchet & Clank, but the same relentless, diverse, sometimes funny, but always charming action game with some new fancy tricks and a higher price.
— VGC
The Push Square portal rated the Rift Apart 8/10, noting the impressive visual style and the use of SSD and new controller capabilities. In small minuses, the project was recorded sometimes too easy complexity.
In an era when games are released unfinished, Ratchet & Clank turned out to be polished to the very shine, just like metal armor with Clank racing. The music immerses you in every scene, the script feels thoughtful and funny in places, and the game itself is pure entertainment from beginning to end. At the same time, she never pretends to be something more.
Rift Apart received only a few mixed ratings — only four portals gave the game 7/10. Among them was The Washington Post, which called the new project the same adventure in a new wrapper. Also, the author of the review noted sometimes too simple puzzles, but in general was satisfied with the project.
The game is full of fast action and cute characters who don’t hesitate to show emotions. If you’ve seen one of the trailers, then you know what’s waiting for you — something completely familiar, but only with next-gen graphics. In other words, from the point of view of marketing, this is a win-win option.
Russian publications warmly welcomed Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, but also noted the almost complete absence of gameplay innovations. Igromania rated the game 4/5, praising for good action and graphics. Only the scenario and the not fully realized potential in the application of new technologies were criticized.
This is not a revolution and not a future trendsetter of the genre. You will hardly see anything here that you have not seen in previous games in the series, albeit in a smaller version. But the main thing is that Insomniac Games has once again turned out to be a dynamic, witty game with charming characters and extremely picturesque landscapes.
“Kanobu” put Rift Apart 8/10, also recording in the non-delivery only the absence of tangible changes in the gameplay.
Perhaps Insomniac could tie in even more with the gameplay of moving between dimensions and come up with more significant differences between Ratchet and Rivet, the main playable characters. But even without this, Rift Apart is able to delight both long-time fans and those who discover this series for the first time without any problems.
— Kanobu
The DTF publication generally positively assessed Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, but scolded the game for outdated gameplay and sometimes monotonous shootouts.
If game reviews are needed for some reason, it is to adjust expectations. And about Rift Apart, first of all, you need to know one simple thing — this is a qualitative evolution for a series of old-fashioned shooters and the most graphically impressive release of the year to date, but not a game that will surprise you with innovative gameplay or forever change your ideas about a new generation of consoles.
— DTF
