Ratchet and Clank have been doing the whole saving the universe thing for quite sometime and their latest adventure rift apart amusingly acknowledge that right from the start but the duo's age doesn't show at all thanks to an amazing multi-dimensional trip unlike anything the series has done before.
It's a gorgeous and expertly crafted example of what PS5 exclusives can look and play like as well as insomniac's most heartfelt and hilarious story in years.
Whether you're new to swinging Ratchet's wrench or a veteran of the dread zone, Rift Apart’s mix of third-person shooting and platforming is immediately easy to understand.
Ratchet has always been a series about exploration and combat and thanks to the dip free stability of the 30 frames per second fidelity mode, the latter in particular has never felt so good.
And while I've only gotten to spend a bit of time with them so far the performance and performance ray tracing modes are even smoother at a steady 60 frames per second.
I'm completely okay with sacrificing some of the visual effects on my challenge mode run, thanks to how well the higher frame rate keeps up with rift apart's controlled chaos.
That sensation of never slowing down is also thanks to the spectacular load times which are as promised practically non-existent.
That's achieved despite the fact that this is the prettiest PS5 game yet and probably one of the best-looking games I've ever played.
Back in the day we used to see all these Ratchet and Clank looks almost like a Pixar movie comparisons and with Rift Apart impressive use of ray tracing reflections and other graphical updates, this series has just about kept pace with Pixar's recent work in Incredibles 2 and Soul.
Rift Apart also gives Pixar a run for its money and its ability to tell an emotional story while also maintaining its excellent comedy.
While it's the funniest game I've played in some time, the writing strikes just the right balance between that comedy and the heartfelt, the silly and the sincere.
The story's exploration of the multiverse sees the debut of rivet a playable parallel of Ratchet who proves to be one of Insomniac's best written characters ever and yet another memorable performance from voice acting veteran, Jennifer Hale.
Rivet's characterization isn't just a gender swap; she's a distinctive personality all her own with unique wants hopes and problems including trust issues that come fromyears of fighting without a parallel Clank by her side.
I can't imagine a new Ratchet and Clank without her now and the series is all the better for it.
While it's a little disappointing that Rivet doesn't get her own set of moves, it at least means you don't have to worry about upgrading and equipping the two protagonists independently when you land on a new planet and are automatically switched from one to the other.
None of that is to say the headlining duo gets the short end of the intergalactic stick.
Ratchet's internal struggle over whether he actually wants to find the rest of his cat-like Lombax race looms large, while Clank's own sense of self-worth in the face of injury is moving.
Rift Apart has a surprisingly deft approach to dealing with mental health topics among its entire cast in ways that feel honest and deep, and it's all wrapped up in this exciting bright and bubbly adventure.
The stunning graphics and excellent storytelling are backed by Mark Mothersbaugh's great score.
It sounds like a cousin of his fantastic Thor Ragnarok work, mixing familiar franchise themes with new orchestral takes and a series of scent latent pieces. Moment-to-moment gameplay also has new nuances for returning fans to explore.
Ratchet and Rivet’s movement has been fine-tuned since the 2016 reboot on PS4 and simple additions like a beautifully animated dash move and wall running make a world of difference.
It not only allows for trickier and more intricate platforming sections and more varied collectible placement but it brings new refinements to combat as well.
The dodge ability allows the Lombaxes to phase through incoming attacks and timing a dash just right to getting close and deal big damage is a consistent new thrill.
I found that I've used Ratchet's wrench a lot less frequently and Rift Apart than I did in previous games because of the increased scale of battles.
You need to be more clever with your array of wacky weaponry and the rifts scattered throughout come in handy both for battles and scouring the environment.
It's certainly reminiscent of jumping through a portal in, well, portal, but the effect of the new location hurtling towards you coupled with the dual senses haptics gives rifts their own distinct flair while adding much more tactical variety to combat than the series has ever seen.
And Rift Apart's arsenal of weapons let you make the most of those opportunities especially with some instant classics like the Topiary Sprinkler and the Ricochet because you're facing more enemies at a time than in the previous games and often different combinations of them, I also found myself switching between weapons more than ever before.
That leads to a satisfying loop of offensive, defensive and crowd control maneuvers that keep combat lively throughout.
These weapons are of course where you'll also get the most use out of the dual senses haptics. Each weapon's firepower from the wild booms of the enforcer to the short blips of the burst pistol is mirrored in the controller's advanced rumble.
Naturally rift apart isn't all about combat as any action platformer worth its bolts, coins, studs, rings whatever you want to call them will find ways to vary up gameplay.
However, some of these segments were the only parts of the campaign where I felt momentum was lost.
For an instance, there are occasional bits where Ratchet or Rivet have to hitch a ride on a speedy space slug to avoid poisonous waters.
It's amusing the first time or two but never really becomes anything more than getting from point A to point B.
To be fair there are many other twists that fare much better like Clank's clever physics puzzle sections optional, pocket dimensions hidden throughout Rift Apart worlds that offer engaging platforming challenges, and a new battle arena where you can earn some extra upgrades in between story missions.
And one of my favorite additions is the introduction of glitch, a tiny software companion whose endearing personality and journey of self-discovery is positively charming.
I eventually finished rift to parts campaign after about 16 hours having completed 90 of everything including those collectibles.
Beating the story also unlocks the perennial challenge mode though that amps up the difficulty substantially and let you upgrade weapons even more.
And that's a good thing because Rift Apart standard difficulty is a relatively breezy one.
I may have died two or three times in battle at most but that said I had enough close calls early on to really drive home the benefits of staying mobile, varying up my weapon use and keeping an eye on ammo.
Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart is a stunner. It not only gives the latest generation of consoles a game that looks as beautiful as the improved tech promised but it's also a fantastic experience to play.
Insomniac has been around the Ratchet and Clank block plenty of times before but Rivet and other new characters add so much charm, wit and heart to a franchise I've loved for most of my life.
That's coupled with series best action platforming gameplay and incredible art and sound design across the board.
Rift Apart may not be the biggest adventure around but its big heart wild weapons and incredible detail easily make it one of the most memorable of the generation and the year so far.
