Ratchet and Clank: A Rift Apart surprised me.

[entremet]

I know there are many Ratchet superfans on this site. I got into the series with the PS3 games, although I haven't finished that series yet, but their in my library. But I've always seen it as a B level franchise. Solid games, but nothing to go nuts about. I never played the original games on PS2 either.

While Rift Apart looked and still looks amazing, I only bought it since I wanted to try another PS5 exclusive after the excellent Demons' Souls remake.

The presentation is just bananas, but I've really been enjoying the double protagonist approach. Moreover, in higher difficulties, the game is rather challenging and requires a tactical approach in encounters.

If Insomniac keeps this level I can see it becoming an A level franchise for me. This one just hit better than the others I played. I can't put my on finger on it, but I think it is the pacing.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

It's great but nothing will top A Crack in Time for me :) try it if you havent

The production values are indeed top level

 

[St. Elmo's Fire]

I know there are many Ratchet superfans on this site. I got into the series with the PS3 games, although I haven't finished that series yet, but their in my library. But I've always seen it as a B level franchise. Solid games, but nothing to go nuts about. I never played the original games on PS2 either.

While Rift Apart looked and still looks amazing, I only bought it since I wanted to try another PS5 exclusive after the excellent Demons' Souls remake.

The presentation is just bananas, but I've really been enjoying the double protagonist approach. Moreover, in higher difficulties, the game is rather challenging and requires a tactical approach in encounters.

If Insomniac keeps this level I can see it becoming an A level franchise for me. This one just hit better than the others I played. I can't put my on finger on it, but I think it is the pacing.

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It's my GOTY. It so damn good.

 

[entremet]

It's not even the best modern Ratchet game. If you can do PS Now, try A Crack in Time.

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I own it. My PS3 is not hooked up though. I moved recently and my legacy consoles are boxed up still. I will get to it in time (no put intended!) lol.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

I own it. My PS3 is not hooked up though. I moved recently and my legacy consoles are boxed up still. I will get to it in time (no put intended!) lol.

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Oh even better. Definitely throw it to the top of your backlog when you can.

But Rift Apart is a really great followup to the PS3 games.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

It was good, it everything was completely unsurprising (still really impressive), including the story. Definitely a huge step up from R&C 2016 in that regard and now where near as bland, but still very straightforward.

Like the above poster said, A Crack in Time was probably the best overall experience at the time of its release. That managed to have some real moving character moments and turns in the story.

 

[entremet]

It was good, it everything was completely unsurprising (still really impressive), including the story. Definitely a huge step up from R&C 2016 in that regard and now where near as bland, but still very straightforward.

Like the above poster said, A Crack in Time was probably the best overall experience at the time of its release. That managed to have some real moving character moments and turns in the story.

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I got R&C for free I think. Never touched it though as I heard it was lackluster.

 

[Aru]

Eh I love me some Ratchet & Clank but even at max difficulty, I still apply the same strategy in every game: use all ammo from weapons that need to level up and then the rest.
Jump and shoot. Works almost everywhere.

Also, from what I remember, A Crack in Time is still better in the gameplay department and bosses in R&C 2016 were more varied and fun than those from RA.

 

[Renna Hazel]

Sounds like I really picked the worst time to jump off of Ratchet and Clank since I was getting bored with the formula when Crack in Time released. Sounds like I missed the best one.

With that said, Rift Apart was a great game to return to the franchise with and I really enjoyed it.

 

[TooBusyLookinGud]

I 100% it and it most certainly looks amazing, but it's the same formula and format as previous entries. The double protag approach doesn't add too much because they have the same move set and gear. Loved the game, but it was nothing spectacular gameplay wise.

 

[TheGummyBear]

I 100% it and it most certainly looks amazing, but it's the same formula and format as previous entries.

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Why fix what ain't broke?

For me it was a lovely little sci-fi romp that doubled as the first game to really nail the feeling that the new consoles are a generational leap upwards.

Also, while everyone was vocally falling in love with the introduction of Rivet, Emperor Nefarious doesn't get nearly enough praise. The end credit villain song alone is an absolute delight.

 

[LossAversion]

Ratchet & Clank games are consistently excellent. Definitely never been a "B level franchise" unless most other franchises are "C level" and below.

 

[TooBusyLookinGud]

Why fix what ain't broke?

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No reason to do so, but it would be nice to see an evolution in gameplay mechanics and not just weapons. Think Mario 64, to Sunshine, to Galaxy.

 

[Trigonometrize]

Genuinely impressive presentation is it's strong point.

Couldn't disagree more about the tactics-based combat. They're still on that unload weapon ammo > switch weapon > unload weapon ammo formula. I'm finally at that point, albeit after a dozen or so games, where I'm sick of it. They could make the weapons feel a lot more interesting and tactical.

And then the difficulty in the rifts being a joke didn't help. Those gave me flashbacks to Mario Odyssey (in a bad way).

 

[Xiofire]

The game is a graphical powerhouse, but the story is so inconsequential I felt absolutely nothing for my entire playthrough.

The closest it gets to saying anything meaningful is with Kit, and even then it's the most cookie cutter storytelling of the franchise.

I hope they take more risks with the next entry.

 

[Mugen X]

I know there are many Ratchet superfans on this site. I got into the series with the PS3 games, although I haven't finished that series yet, but their in my library. But I've always seen it as a B level franchise. Solid games, but nothing to go nuts about. I never played the original games on PS2 either.

While Rift Apart looked and still looks amazing, I only bought it since I wanted to try another PS5 exclusive after the excellent Demons' Souls remake.

The presentation is just bananas, but I've really been enjoying the double protagonist approach. Moreover, in higher difficulties, the game is rather challenging and requires a tactical approach in encounters.

If Insomniac keeps this level I can see it becoming an A level franchise for me. This one just hit better than the others I played. I can't put my on finger on it, but I think it is the pacing.

Click to shrink...

I agree with what makes this game great, I haven't played any prior ratchet games other than 2016's remake and I found Rift Apart to just be a expertly designed experience. Not too much to collect and each level feels manageable in that sense, combat is fun and frenetic, and ya visually is a Ps5 show piece. Narratively it was good, nothing special but it grabbed me and kept my attention from start to credits. My runner up for GoTY so far, can't wait for more.

 

[entremet]

Ratchet & Clank games are consistently excellent. Definitely never been a "B level franchise" unless most other franchises are "C level" and below.

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B-Level is not an insult. They're not definitely at the God of War and ND (Uncharted, TLOU) mainline project level. Those are still the crown jewels in Sony's stable.

 

[Trigonometrize]

The game is a graphical powerhouse, but the story is so inconsequential I felt absolutely nothing for my entire playthrough.

The closest it gets to saying anything meaningful is with Kit, and even then it's the most cookie cutter storytelling of the franchise.

I hope they take more risks with the next entry.

Click to shrink...

It was an improvement over the 2016 game... which says next to nothing.

They really need to designate someone to decide wtf is the point of a Ratchet and Clank adventure. These designed-by-a-committee stories are not going to keep it going forever.

 

[LossAversion]

B-Level is not an insult. They're not definitely at the God of War and ND mainline project level.

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I guess it depends on your criteria. If fun is a factor then I would argue they are easily at that level, if not higher.

 

[Servbot24]

It was my first ever R&C game. I was amazed by its graphics and gameplay the entire game. Strong GOTY contender.

 

[gothi]

It was my first ever R&C game. I was amazed by its graphics and gameplay the entire game. Strong GOTY contender.

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It was my first too. I'd tried the remake that came with PS+ but bounced off really fast, it wasn't bad, it just didn't keep my attention.

I found Rift Apart to be a great looking, easy to digest romp. The story wasn't too complex, the gameplay was easy to pick up and whilst the weapon wheel didn't get a lot of use in my run through there were enough differences in the guns that I had a few favourites that carried me through the entire game.

As a first foray into this universe it was a great first step. It felt like a game first and foremost in a really good way, nothing too complex and fun to play.

 

[Electricb7]

B-Level is not an insult. They're not definitely at the God of War and ND (Uncharted, TLOU) mainline project level. Those are still the crown jewels in Sony's stable.

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I disagree with this. I don't like Rift Apart but Ratchet has never been a B-tier franchise. It's always been one of sonys heavy hitters. And as far as crown jewels go ps2 era Ratchet beats those games out in a lot of areas except for sales. Imo.

 

[aCid]

I know there are many Ratchet superfans on this site. I got into the series with the PS3 games, although I haven't finished that series yet, but their in my library. But I've always seen it as a B level franchise. Solid games, but nothing to go nuts about. I never played the original games on PS2 either.

While Rift Apart looked and still looks amazing, I only bought it since I wanted to try another PS5 exclusive after the excellent Demons' Souls remake.

Click to shrink...

Have you tried Returnal? If not, it is an excellent PS5 exclusive, and is challenging as well if that's what you're after. The game feel can't be matched and I really enjoyed the music/audio and uncovering the story too. It's my current GOTY no question. I haven't played R&C though… haha.

 

[xtib81]

I thought this game was okay. It felt very familiar. They completely oversold the dimension thing.

 

[VanDoughnut]

It's debatable if Crack in Time is better. Like go play A Crack in Time now you'll immediately notice the lack of feedback, and the game just feels better than the series has ever felt (due to just advancing hardware, also haptics). And if we're talking about at the time of release: Crack in Time also has a bunch of space flying missions which drag down the pace, because they aren't that fun. Especially not fun enough for how much there is of it. The story isn't that great in Crack in Time either, where Rift Apart tells a nice simple story and tells it well.

I think Rift Apart is one of the best entries since the PS2 days.

 

[Diogo Arez]

It's so good, easily my GOTY in a year most releases fell flat for me, I felt like a child all over again playing it on launch day.

 

[Deleted member 1003]

It's great but nothing will top A Crack in Time for me :) try it if you havent

The production values are indeed top level

Click to shrink...

A Crack in Time has an amazing story. Probably the best by far of the series.

 

[janusff]

I still need to come around and play this. Only Ratchet game I played was 2016. And I had a good time with it. Probably will enjoy this one well enough when I eventually get to it. Waiting on a sale I think.

 

[AnimeJesus]

It surprised me too...didn't expect such a polished formulaic, bland game for a new-gen only title.

 

[Dr. Mario]

It surprised me too. I remember rating the previous game PS4/10 and that wasn't as much a joke as I wanted. Outside of the graphics the previous R&C was just all around mediocre and dull. This game, outside of the graphics is actually all around decent. Well except the story, what a fucking waste again. But the gameplay has a lot of variety and the weapons are also more fun. It does a lot of things, none of them particularly well, but okay enough. It's probably going to reach my GOTY list, albeit near the bottom. I would still rate it a B series though.

 

[Diogo Arez]

A Crack in Time has an amazing story. Probably the best by far of the series.

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Too bad it's rotting on the PS3

 

[Crayon]

I'm getting through a huge rpg right now and I keep thinking maybe this will be the next game. I'd like to get a copy for $30 and the are more typically going for 40 on ebay at the moment.

On the other hand, my other possible next games are kind of more interesting and I already bought them. I don't see myself getting to this, sadly.

 

[ThisThingIsUseful]

Genuinely impressive presentation is it's strong point.

Couldn't disagree more about the tactics-based combat. They're still on that unload weapon ammo > switch weapon > unload weapon ammo formula. I'm finally at that point, albeit after a dozen or so games, where I'm sick of it. They could make the weapons feel a lot more interesting and tactical.

And then the difficulty in the rifts being a joke didn't help. Those gave me flashbacks to Mario Odyssey (in a bad way).

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I can't figure out which part of Odyssey that is, and I just played it for the first time a few months ago. :-X

I'm gonna feel stupid when you remind me. xD

 

[Powerofthecloud]

The game looks slick. The border lines of the maps etc are frustrating I've been stuff a handful of times.

 

[TitanicFall]

It's good, but some stuff felt undercooked. The rift stuff is underutilized. I'm not talking about the parts where you just go to a pocket dimension. I'm referring to what are effectively portals that you can zip to that they used during the intro of the game. That mechanic tapers off significantly so I'm not sure what they were going for. They also give you a run option which makes you marginally faster and I'm not even sure why it exists. Maybe they planned on using it later but ran out of time.

 

[Manta_Breh]

Best looking game currently available and anyone who say's otherwise is full of it. No game comes close to it.


Had a ton of fun with it as well, but agreed, the rift mechanics felt undercooked.

 

[DominicanGlory]

Crack in Time and 2016 are even better

 

[ThisThingIsUseful]

The thing R&C has is fun factor.

The best R&C games are games I can decide to play right then and there, don't even have to think about it, and get a fun-as-hell romp that I can come back to a few months later after finishing. I've played through Arsenal, Tools, Crack in Time, and 2016 more times than I can count. I'll probably go back and try Into the Nexus again since I was impressed with how fun a "bite-sized" traditional R&C game could be.

Rift Apart is one I'll be coming back to. In fact, I've been thinking about jumping back in before playing some of my other backlog and I think this thread might have just done it.

Crack in Time and 2016 are even better

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2016 is a lot of fun but I feel like the lack of an arena will hold it back from being an elite R&C. I think if it had one, it would really have benefited it considerably.

 

[Pinku]

I loved it. Sure it's nothing super new but it still felt fresh. The traversal with the hoover boots was amazing and I actually got the platinum trophy. Now I want more.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

The weapons in this are not that exciting, though. That's one of the bigger downers for me. Mr. Fungi and the Topiary Sprinkler were not adequate replacements for Mr. Zurkon and The Groovitron.

 

[dancingphlower]

It's the first Ratchet game I've played since the very first one and it's been a blast. That said, the workplace stuff with Insomniac has hung like a shadow over my enjoyment of it...

 

[Lady Gaia]

Crack in Time has significantly better puzzles, and I enjoyed switching back and forth between Ratchet and Clank's utterly different play styles. By contrast, Rivet doesn't bring anything new to the table from a gameplay perspective and Clank's puzzles in Rift Apart are pretty lame. Rivet's just there for the story, which is cute and lovingly told, but not well matched with gameplay innovations.

Visually, though? The game is absolutely stunning. It's very much your launch window showcase.

 

[Diogo Arez]

The weapons in this are not that exciting, though. That's one of the bigger downers for me. Mr. Fungi and the Topiary Sprinkler were not adequate replacements for Mr. Zurkon and The Groovitron.

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I find Topiary Sprinkler way better than Groovitron when it comes to a gameplay perspective, especially when it's coupled with Max level Mr Fungi it's really awesome to behold.

 

[icyflamez96]

It's debatable if Crack in Time is better. Like go play A Crack in Time now you'll immediately notice the lack of feedback, and the game just feels better than the series has ever felt (due to just advancing hardware, also haptics). And if we're talking about at the time of release: Crack in Time also has a bunch of space flying missions which drag down the pace, because they aren't that fun. Especially not fun enough for how much there is of it. The story isn't that great in Crack in Time either, where Rift Apart tells a nice simple story and tells it well.

I think Rift Apart is one of the best entries since the PS2 days.

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I've always thought that about the PS3 games when compared to the PS2 games. R&C 2&3 feel so good to play. UYA is still probably my favorite but RA is the best since the PS2 era imo. Though Crack in Time has the best story.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

I find Topiary Sprinkler way better than Groovitron when it comes to a gameplay perspective, especially when it's coupled with Max level Mr Fungi it's really awesome to behold.

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Oh yeah they're both super powerful. They just weren't quirky enough for me haha. The Topiary Sprinkler is a neat concept though when its hard to come up with unique weapons after so long.

 

[Neoxon]

That said, the workplace stuff with Insomniac has hung like a shadow over my enjoyment of it...

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No argument there, there really needs to be positive change at the company.

 

[Xiofire]

It was an improvement over the 2016 game... which says next to nothing.

They really need to designate someone to decide wtf is the point of a Ratchet and Clank adventure. These designed-by-a-committee stories are not going to keep it going forever.

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Agreed. A strong lead (like Barlog/Druckmann) really needs to pen where this franchise is going so they can plan risks and twists that are genuinely shocking to the player.

 

[RedHeat]

Agreed. A strong lead (like Barlog/Druckmann) really needs to pen where this franchise is going so they can plan risks and twists that are genuinely shocking to the player.

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Why in the world would you want Ratchet and Clank to turn into a 'serious' game?

 

[Corine]

Best looking game currently available and anyone who say's otherwise is full of it. No game comes close to it.


Had a ton of fun with it as well, but agreed, the rift mechanics felt undercooked.

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That's not true at all

 

[Diogo Arez]

Oh yeah they're both super powerful. They just weren't quirky enough for me haha. The Topiary Sprinkler is a neat concept though when its hard to come up with unique weapons after so long.

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Ah that definitely makes sense, yeah I'm impressed 20 years later they still have gun ideas left by this point haha.