Genre: Action-platformer
Release Date: July 11, 2021
Platforms: PS5
Total Gameplay Score: +14 Total Story Score: +2
Summary
Rift Apart may be similar in gameplay and story to past Ratchet and Clank games, the next-gen haptic feedback and 4K graphics set it apart as something special. A very solid game all around without any glaring issues. If you’re into platformers and action games in general, this game is a high recommend and a must-play PS5 title.
Gameplay Pluses and Minuses
+ Good setting and accessibility options. I’ve never seen options to apply contrast outlines on all characters and interactables before in a game. Some other interesting setting options include choosing HUD and reticle colors, and then your nice quality of life options like setting motion blur, depth of field, film grain, etc. Great options, not just for a console exclusive, but across the board.
+ Graphical fidelity and style is just…wow, incredible. Let’s just say that despite the more cartoony aesthetic and focus away from realism, the PS5 is being put to full use churning out high def visuals an amazing color pallette. Rift Apart probably has the most impressive graphics I’ve seen on PS5 so far. The cartoony animations and visuals are rendered so crisp and vividly colorful it almost looks 3D somehow
+ Graphical fidelity in terms of ray tracing, lighting, and particles are superb as well. This is the very first game I noticed the ray tracing capabilities of the PS5
+ Doodad design is great. Environments are populated with interesting set dressing and nothing looks sparse, and it’s pretty much all destructible.
+ The intro tutorializes the gameplay well with exciting pacing, while still being beginner friendly. Opening level is fun in general on top of that.
+ Glitch sections are a fun diversion from the typical gameplay, pretty much acting as a shoot-em-up stage controlling an adorable little spider bot. The art direction and sheer detail in the environments are, once again, simply amazing. The banter from the adorable Glitch make me like these sections even more
+ The gameplay has a consistently brisk pacing to it throughout the game. No single part of the gameplay overstays its welcome.
+ Good variety in weaponry and gear, as per usual for a good Ratchet and Clank game since weaponry is one of the selling points of these games; this game doesn’t disappoint in that regard
+ General movement is fun, zippy, and convenient. You have a pretty fast sprint, the super fast rollerblading, as well as hover and the dimension-pulling gimmick. It’s the opposite of a hassle to explore the map and run around the levels. I typically went out of my way to explore and zip around levels in this game
+ Gameplay is just really fun in general, helped by some of the novelty weapons such as the Pixelizer and Ryno. A lot of weapons in this game successfully manage to work well in terms of gameplay balance and usefulness and viscerality/gimmicky fun
+ Rewards for collectathoning and doing optionals are both fun, useful, and numerous
+ Savali is a dynamic level with fun traversal and really fun collectibles and objectives. The giant walking platforms just look really cool on the open terrain, not unlike Tallnecks in Horizon. Rollerblading across the plains and going off jumps is fun.
+ Cordelion is a treat to go through on the gameplay axis. Not only is the undersea lab a really cool and interesting locale, it serves the gameplay well with its fun stealth/horror segment (minimal though it is) and walking on the ocean floor. Huge Manaan vibes here (props if you get the KotOR reference.)
+ Zordoon Prison was wonderfully paced and really fun with a variety of gameplay elements like rail grinding, scaling walls, and enemy hordes, etc.
+ Replayability is good thanks to the new game plus challenge mode keeping all your fun end-game weaponry and two new weapons only available after beating the game. Features like mirror mode and experimenting with different filters ramp up the already super fun replayability (and get their own positive.)
+ Mirror mode and pixelation filter add even more replayability to an already replayable game and legitimately compel me to do a second playthrough despite just finishing it
– Poor indications of out-of-bounds zones, often leading to death. Most notable was a ledge with some shacks directly below the main path that greeted me with instant death for jumping down. For a game that rewards exploration so much, the penalty for going out of bounds is certainly a stain on the game. These out-of-bound zones also tend to softlock the game with the all too familiar Elder Scrolls ‘stuck in cliff-face’ bug. Through my playthrough, I also ran into a vendor refusing to sell any equipment due to hostiles in the area (Even after I liberated the entire planet from hostiles)
– Boss fights are generally unremarkable and have repetitive patterns, especially the disappointing final boss fight. The biggest problem is the lateral beam attack that so many bosses use. Towards the end, it becomes a drinking game with how often they use that same attack. The final boss is especially in love with that darn beam attack
+16 -2
Total Gameplay Score: +14
Story Pluses and Minuses
+ The intro in terms of story is good in how it recaps events of the previous game through the plot itself with the hero parade. The intro also simultaneously characterizes how dorky Quark and a lot of characters are, and sets the tone in general
+ Art direction is phenomenal at setting the tone and vibe of the game and its worlds. The direction is always distinct and well-realized, and just good across the board
+ Visual continuity is consistently amazing. Nefarious City, for example, has many vantage points where you can see other sections of the level, most notably the end-of-level hot tubs on the rooftops being visible from the starting bazaar. Landmarks are visible from most points on the map, such as the imposing and dumb-looking Nefarious Tower.
+ Good set dressing and environmental detail that inform the setting and story. The various patrons and activities in the gastro pub are especially noteworthy for this
+ Forging the dimensionator on Cordelion was filled with some cool story moments. The twist at the end of the mission revealing the power source of the forge and the way the tables get turned was surprising and added to the lore of the setting a bit
– Moving the goalposts plot regarding the process toward fixing the dimensionator. It feels artificially elongated just for the sake of visiting new planets, and the sheer percentage of the plot involving fetching materials for the dimensionator drags down the otherwise fun story and drags out a bit too long
– Some really annoying instances of audio spam. “That spinergizer could use some energizing” is a line of dialogue I never want to hear again in my life and almost made me put down the game during the Meta-terminal puzzles. There’s some repeated dialogue after you’ve done what they’re talking about and overlapping story dialogue, which can be aggravating
– Fake drama for the sake of drama regarding Rivet and Kit drags down the enjoyment of the story. There’s little motive or lead-up warranting the drama between the two, and the annoying way it was directed made it more apparent than it should have been
+5 -3
Total Story Score: +2
Overall Score: +16
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