One of my most anticipated releases for the PlayStation 5 was Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. Thankfully, I managed to nab my hands on one of the elusive consoles in May. So, when the latest entry in the Ratchet and Clank game came out in stores, I visited my local JB Hi-Fi and picked it up. Once home, I slipped it into my PlayStation 5, already anticipating the adventure that was to be.

The game picks up several  years down the line from the last adventure enjoyed by our heroes. Ratchet and, his best buddy, Clank, have retired and are looking to enjoy a celebration held in their honour. As the parade makes its way through Megalopolis, thugs from Goons-4-Less descend to cause havoc. It isn’t long before Doctor Nefarious rears his head as the actual mastermind behind the attack and grabs the Dimensionator. A chase ensues. Before I knew it, the dimensions were in array and the characters are thrust in a city that is ruled over with an iron fist by someone known as Emperor Nefarious.

Enter Rivet.

Though she is Ratchet’s equivalent in this new dimension, she is not simply a carbon copy of our protagonist with a palette and gender change. Though both she and Ratchet are the type to help those in need, Rivet is shown to have her own quirks and backstory. Whether that’s her connection to the Morts or the robotic right arm that she sports.

Kit, too, is also not just a palette and gender swapped Clank. A warbot with a conscience, she struggles with the past actions – with the end desire to atone and become better than her initial programming.

While it is very much a game aimed towards younger audiences, I felt that it was great how each of the heroes connected with their counterparts and allied against the threat that the two Nefarious-es posed. And though Rivet was only introduced in this one game, it felt as if I had known her for years.

Often, it is the games with the simplest of premises that somehow make the best impression – particularly now that I have to juggle gainful employment with my myriad of time-consuming hobbies. Rift Apart is no exception. And I liked how the game managed to balance the need to provide backstory with the high-octane adventure that we were gifted with.

Plus, we got a slew of new, but really the same characters, in the form of Phantom, Quantum and Pierre Le Fer. 

Narrative aside, the game also shines in terms of graphics and gameplay. Both Rivet and Ratchet play similarly as they jump around the screen – dodging projectiles and shooting at the wide assortment of enemies that are thrown at the player. Each also get their own worlds to explore and travelling to Ardolis instead of Sargasso will see the two switch.

Interestingly enough, the game allows all weapons to be available for Rivet and Ratchet. Rather than limit the player based on the characters, Insomniac saw fit to simply allow each character to use all the available weapons. It’s not quite explained why Rivet would have the Void Repulsor when Ratchet purchased it from the alternate dimension Ms. Zurkon, but I wasn’t about to complain about being able to level-up all the guns that I could.

On the graphics side, I liked how much the colours popped. With the previous generation still focused on gritty and realistic, it was quite refreshing to play something more vibrant and cartoonish. Maybe I’m showing my age, but seeing new games like Kena: Bridge of Spirits has me more excited than more staid entries such as the next Call of Duty or Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.

Rift Apart doesn’t stray too far from the formula that was established back in the PlayStation 2 era. But when so many games have changed to adapt to a growing market of first-person shooters, having a third-person action platformer feels like a throwback to when games were just starting out. Maybe it’s simply the nostalgia, but I miss playing these games and feel like they round out a little more of the catalogue. 

On a side note, I’m eager to see a Rivet and Kit solo adventure. And honestly, there are still so many questions left unanswered about the Lombaxes and their culture! After all, it’s been 8 years since the last entry. Yes, I know there was a game that came out in 2016, but it was a rehash of the original Ratchet and Clank.

Also, more Talwyn please. Why did she only appear in the credits?