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Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Extended Gameplay Demo I PS5, "Launch Window"
- Thread starter Theorry
- Start date
I think it looks smooth to me despite being 30 fps, but a 60 fps mode with dynamic resolution, slightly less insane effects would be good. I would play at 30 fps with max graphics though.
i feel like they act more like set-pieces used sparingly, otherwise yeah its great showcase for next gen but can get really disorienting really fast.
See the thing with some games is that you can only change it up so much. They are clearly going back to the roots here with a cool level switching gimmick (Though disappointed that planet hopping is only during on rail setpieces), and when you do that you will have have that samey feel. Which is why despite it featuring some pretty impressive visuals, it doesnt have that mind blown next gen effect we are craving from these games.
There is a reason why Spiderman is the best game they have made. They went and did something different and brought the awesome gadgets from Ratchet over. Sadly, when this is like the 10th ratchet game in 20 years, things will begin to get stale. They shouldve just focused all their resources on Spiderman miles and made it the best game they can make. It wouldve been far more mind blowing as a next gen showcase than another ratchet title.
Zurkon has been run into the ground at this point. I really hope they aren't in the game. I wouldn't mind if the entire weapon roster was new. New generation of hardware, new generation of weapons. The only thing I'd be excited about returning is the Groovitron.
Yeah seems only a couple of reflections get traced not everything. But still very impressiv for 500ish dollar konsoles at that resolution.
One thing we're still missing is a relationship for Ratchet and Clank beyond just agreeing with each other.
game looked great but yeah I sort of noticed that too, AMD Ray-tracing may not be up to speed I think for year or 2 on these platforms.
They dont seem to be full res...I don't think ray traced reflections should be super obvious in all materials though. That would probably be visually messy and not particularly realistic.
Does show though, that ray tracing isn't the only thing for next gen that is going to have significant impact though. Effects here are a big step up from current gen. Overall lighting is also very nice.
Agreed, game did look fantastic but I think you're right, raytracing might be somewhat dialed back in comparison to high end PC.
Oh yeah for sure, I am considering moving to console full time for the big AAA releases and using my PC for older games and indie titles until GPU prices drop because of the absurd prices Nvidia are rumoured to be asking for next gen cards, morally I can't justify dropping £1500 on a GPU but for £500 I can get on board with what the PS5 is offering, plus I am big on single player and Sony always have great exclusives in this area.
Agreed, the package as a whole looks really great, is this going to be running 60fps at launch or have they not confirmed that yet?
The hot takes are starting to come in ain't it? xD
The game looks mad fun on top of looking incredible visually. Weapons look like a mad fun time, the world looks alive and full of charm.
Cool that it looks a tad bit polished over the PS5 event demo as well.
The game looks mad fun on top of looking incredible visually. Weapons look like a mad fun time, the world looks alive and full of charm.
Cool that it looks a tad bit polished over the PS5 event demo as well.
Pretty much what we can expect for majority of titles on both next gen machines. RT being used smartly by developers to enhance the visuals without impacting performance.
Hopefully there will be a 60 fps mode. I do think this looks mostly smooth though with their awesome motion blur.
Very fun. i don't normally care to play through games more than once and the 2916 game I platinumed with two play throughs and was totally worth it and fun.
If the new RYNO does not shoot out enough particle effects to drop the framerate by at least 5 frames, Insomniac is doing something wrong
The Ratchet and Clank games are always great, and I'm sure this one will be too.
That said, I was expecting a lot from the rift portals, particularly during an extended gameplay sequence. It looked like they were mostly just used for on-rail scene transitions and the occasional "pull yourself in" moments, where it didn't seem to really impact the game. I was expecting some really inventive puzzles or ways to shift in and out of portals as a key mechanic to the moment-to-moment gameplay. Like shift to a different world as a projectile is coming at you, reposition, shift back, take down the enemy, or more Portal type mechanics. Like Titanfall 2's time mechanic but even more applications, and throughout the game. Between that and not showing the gameplay off in 60FPS...the start of next gen isn't feeling super next gen to me yet, outside of Flight Simulator (which isn't even confirmed to Series X launch).
That said, I was expecting a lot from the rift portals, particularly during an extended gameplay sequence. It looked like they were mostly just used for on-rail scene transitions and the occasional "pull yourself in" moments, where it didn't seem to really impact the game. I was expecting some really inventive puzzles or ways to shift in and out of portals as a key mechanic to the moment-to-moment gameplay. Like shift to a different world as a projectile is coming at you, reposition, shift back, take down the enemy, or more Portal type mechanics. Like Titanfall 2's time mechanic but even more applications, and throughout the game. Between that and not showing the gameplay off in 60FPS...the start of next gen isn't feeling super next gen to me yet, outside of Flight Simulator (which isn't even confirmed to Series X launch).
One of my favorite gaming sounds in all of gaming is the bolt collecting sound in the Ratchet and Clank games. I don't know why, but it's just such a satisfying sound. Like collecting coins in Mario, or rings in Sonic. The sound department at Insomniac do some fantastic work in the sound design department. The score is also always excellent. I can't wait to play this game with my 3D audio headphones.
I feel like there's this unhealthy obsession among some gamers that if every game isn't some kind of paradigm-shifting moment in gaming history, then it's a failure, and I think that's such an unfair burden to place on game designers. I grew up in the 80's, so I've seen firsthand gaming evolve from barely decipherable blocks on a screen, to, well, what we just saw with Rift Apart, and it blows my mind how far we've come every time. Hell, I wouldn't be working in the gaming industry now if it wasn't for that constant amazement at how this industry has evolved in the past 50 years. And a lot of the time, the biggest improvements in gaming are those quality of life improvements that make an experience just that much better.
I mean, it's not a small example, but going from digital pads to analog sticks as the primary way of moving a character made a huge difference (play a PS1 platformer or something, then play a PS2 platformer, and the difference in night and day), and then further controller improvements (tighter analog movement and deadzone calibration, more comfortable form factors), improved our experience even further. And how that translated to gameplay was that existing genres were able to feel even better, even if, at it's core, you're still jumping on Goombas and navigating platforms.
I feel like level design and polishing existing mechanics that just work, is where our industry can really showcase improvements over previous generations over, say, a singular focus on revolutionary gameplay mechanics that fundamentally change the way we play games. Some aspects of a genre are immovable because it's the nature of the genre. A first person shooter must be in first person. A fighting game must have fighting. How the developers and designers utilize that genre is more important to me, at least, than it being something new and innovative. And then, sometimes, you still get that innovation anyway!
I'm not gonna ding a game like, Ghost of Tsushima, for example, because it has elements that have existed in previous open world games. How that game utilizes those elements, while also capitalizing on its setting, themes, and genre, is what set it apart for me. I remember people seeing the footage of Jin worshiping at a shrine, and they assumed, incorrectly, that it was the same as the eagle towers in the AC games (which I also enjoy, full disclosure), and they would reveal more of the map once activated (narrator: they don't). Or downplaying the wind mechanic, when it's actually a really well implemented and intuitive way of guiding the player to objectives without having them have their eyes glued to a mini-map, or going to the map screen every two minutes to get their bearings. Those little refinements to an existing formula can make a world of difference.
Yeah, I really enjoyed Full Frontal Assault and All for One myself, and I'm totally up for them doing more experimental things with the R&C world (and even creating games in the R&C universe that don't actually star Ratchet and Clank). And I'm with you there. I've been waiting for a follow up to A Crack in Time for years now, and while I really enjoyed the PS4 Ratchet title, since it satisfied that R&C itch for me, it was more of a scaled back version of the series compared to how expansive and packed A Crack in Time was. Personally, I'd have loved it if Insomniac had done a remake of Up Your Arsenal in their PS4 engine, because that is probably my favorite of the series. I can't decide between UYA or ACiT, to be honest, because they're both just so damn good. I lean more towards ACiT, because the visual presentation was just stunning, while UYA was massive in scope and content, which I adored. I'm hoping that Rift Apart draws from those two titles in terms of size and activities to pursue.
Makes sense, truthfully I am one of the very few who isn't that concerned with raytracing, especially when it comes to lighting because I feel like that's one area where trickery and baking can really truly enhance a scene in a game.
So yeah, a modest use of raytracing in certain areas might actually be the best way to use this tech anyway.
If the lady Lombax is gonna feel pretty different from Ratchet, then I'm happy that Ratchet plays like Ratchet always has.
speak for yourself! Obviously you are lol...
But I disagree, I think Ratchet is unique enough in gameplay and feel that it can be iterated on and not completely change up the formula with every game. I don't expect to pick up DMC6 or 7 or 8 and be completely out of my element. Same for Monster Hunter. Some games already did the more unique and innovative things when they created the franchises, now it's time to keep iterating and making it better and putting these gameplay loops in different settings. This is also the beginning of the game and they mentioned there's different gameplay elements with the warping left to show, and of course we haven't seen all the guns or the new lombax gameplay.
We got 1 ratchet game on PS4 this gen, the formula is not stale at all to me.
The Groovitron can GTFO, but yall can back off from Zurkon. I need to see raytraced Zurkon, then yall can kill him off 😭
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There we goooo. That makes more sense to me, personally. ^_^
EDIT: I just recently passed R&C Remake on the PS4. Enjoyed it for sure. I don't think I am feeling this one as much, but I will say, I usually do enjoy the writing in these games. I do not approve of the motion blur in this demo, it was not appealing.
You're seeing like the very first minute of rift gameplay. I wouldn't judge the whole game based on their introduction.
So long as a have a raygun that can transform my foes into Chickens, Sheep, & what have you, then everything else is gravy.
I can't believe how much stuff (characters and vfx) they can have on screen at once. Also the scale is really impressive.
Lmao!
I totally agree with you. I think game franchises should look to find a good balance between evolution and revolution when it comes to their games. I think keeping what works helps a lot as the develop the games vs trying to blow things up. great example is NBA2K when they Intro'd a shot stick years ago and people hated it vs the face button shooting. They are attempting it again now but again why break things that don't need fixing if people like where it's at for the most part. great example with Ghosts too, I think people are too quick to poo poo things that borrow form a good formula but they should rate on execution. It's hard as hell to be inventive and damn near everything we have in the work are people building on initial ideas and working around that core and making it better. Strong refinements are great. Very rarely a newly invented thing works out. There are so many examples If that. Like apple didn't invent the touch screen phone but executed the idea better than anyone. Etc.
There are still people who at this point pretend it doesn't. People are crazy...
When Geoff asked them how often it's used in gameplay, their answer wasn't super encouraging (to me).
Paraphrased:
"Is that something you're going to see frequently? How often do you use that for gameplay?"
"There's a few more types of dimensional damage you haven't seen. Now being pulled between worlds is localized to chasing after Dr Nefarious in the demo. In the full game it's reserved for special moments." Makes it sound like the actual jumping between worlds that was the wow factor is just on-rail transitions/cutscenes and the other portals will be little tools to use, but I'm not confident they will amount to much more than a different skin on a familiar mechanic (like the one we are seeing looks kind of just like a grapple?).
Again, think the game will rule...
