Saturday, Sep 23, 2023

Game Review: ‘Ratchet and Clank’ fails to make a mark

Game comes from a franchise known to build solid games but increasingly on the verge of being forgotten

By Aditya Deshbandhu

Published Date - 11:26 PM, Sun - 27 June 21

Game Review: ‘Ratchet and Clank’ fails to make a mark

Hyderabad: This review was in the making for two weeks but due to the shortage of the PS5, it seemed prudent to wait, and reach out to as many new owners as possible. A launch title, Ratchet and Clank comes from a franchise known to build solid games but increasingly on the verge of being forgotten.

Despite the 2016 game and the movie, the franchise failed to make a mark and this time with Rift Apart it was a do or die moment. As an early generation exclusive, the stakes were never higher and Insomniac delivers with aplomb. Makers of the fantastic Spiderman, Insomniac taps into the varied features of the PS5 to deliver a game experience unlike any other. This is the potential of a first party title done right as the controller whirrs to life the first time you control Ratchet in the opening cinematic.

A game where Ratchet is no longer the last lombax in the universe, this game introduces us to new heroes and antagonists. As you try to save the multiverse from two villains set on destroying everything that stands in their way, you meet Kit an adorable bot that packs quite a punch. The game offers you a variety of weapons some devastating and some plain humorous as each has a detailed level-up and upgrade system. As weapons level up their names change and so do their abilities, with limited ammunition it is a great way to experiment with all of them for combo effects. Rift Apart is built around the dual sense controller and most weapons respond to the half-trigger and full trigger modes. One weapon even uses the speaker in the controller to great effect.

This game is picturesque and at times in the PS5’s fidelity mode, each frame can be breath-taking. As you shuttle between dimensions you can’t help but marvel at the simplicity which renders all the transition. Most of Rift Apart’s strengths are also strengths of the new hardware but that doesn’t mean the game is buoyed by it. Rift Apart’s premise and playability are of the highest order. This game can pick up a frenetic pace and, in those moments, every second matters; at such a time a game needs to be flawless as each button tap and directional manipulation must register accordingly. Here it does nearly every single time. As you switch weapons on the brink of death or tether to a rift just before falling off, this game seldom lets you down.
The best launch title for the PS5, it showcases the device’s power to the fullest. A game that almost leaves you wanting the sequel right away, it is a bit too steeply priced. Give it a try if you can.