This franchise is one of if not my favorite game series of all time. I enjoyed every game that got released for it. There are some I enjoy a lot more than others but even the much derided spin offs I enjoyed to varying degrees. The 2016 came out and the movie didn't turn out to be the mega blockbuster Sony expected but surprisingly Insomniac announced a new game in the series that went back to the original continuity of the series through Rift Apart. I didn't want to buy a new console but every PS console I got was for a Ratchet game. I did get a PS5 sooner than I expected especially back when they were rare. I played Rift Apart back in 2021 and I loved it. I decided to buy a physical and play it again but more so on higher difficulties. I still really enjoy the game even there are some glaring issues I notice more on this recent playthrough.
The story is a weird one. I enjoy it but it's a good story that is just two steps away from being great. Two major issues I have is with the begginning. Before it was weird that Clank would build the Dimensionator again after everything in the Future games but it was interesting that from Into the Nexus all the way to Rift Apart, there was a lengthy period of peace time. I did wish they tied into the boredom aspect more into Clank's character. He was worried that without enemies to fight him and Ratchet would start to drift so he creates the Dimensionator as a favor to maintain the friendship with Ratchet. As it is, it can come off as a weird excuse plot to have the dimension gameplay and to start the story.
Another issue is that Emperor Nefarious is a decent villain but I always do wonder why he never *pops* at me. I now know why, it's mainly because that despite him very competent, he never gets an epic on screen worf effect. I did like how he feels empty when he takes over his dimension and he needed Dr. Nefarious to motivate him to take over more terrority but you never seen to something really cool. Compare that to Dragon Ball's Cell where he gets what he wants but likes to have a challenge, he does have multiple on screen victories that are won clean. I mainly wished Emperor Nefarious had moments like this.
Other than that, there's lots the story does well. The new characters like Rivet and Kit I enjoy especially the latter. How Ratchet and Clank have to motivate them both to look past their initial insecurites. I also like Gary and during the puzzle sections, while the player is solving the them, he slowly drips feeds the Rivet and Clank advice on handling the current situation they are in. I also like how Kit was once a former warbot who chose to exile herself due to fearing her destructive cabalities. Rivet is also someone who isn't used to making geniune bonds. Yes, these are stories done before but it's presented well here.
The gameplay is in terms of combat in a lot of ways is the best the series has ever been. Yes, the gadgets have been downplayed but combat is so fast and frenetic that I don't really mind. Platforming also has some new mechanics added this time around like how your phantom dash can be used both as a way to evade enemy attacks. You also have a slingshot hook now as well as the dimenension thethers. The platforming now has a lot more specticle to it than before but with everything that I mentioned it can feel exhilarating in the comment to chain wall runs, slingshot over to another part of the map then dimension warp somewhere else.
Combat is also the best the series has ever been. Yes, it's obviously borrowing from games like Doom Eternal and to a lesser extent "boomer shooters" but that's the thing. Ratchet's shooting prior to this game was already this to begin with. With finite health, enemies firing primarily projectile weapons with not a single hitscanner, and being able to hold all your guns. It's why in a lot of ways the series has endured for so long. This kind of combat you can't really find in many other 3D platforming contemporaries and during the 7th gen where it was mainly realistic shooters with hitscanners, Ratchet still stayed true to this style of combat.
The enemy count is much higher than past games, there is a quick select shortcut for weapons. Now the series embraces it's boomer shooter DNA and have many shootouts be large arena fights. Gunplay is also the best every felt with enemies have expressive damage animations and weapon sounds being nice and punchy. You still got the addicting level up and raratanium system here.
One big issue I notice now is how enemies can often attack you from behind and get a cheap hit in at times being no indicator or audio cue that they are nearby you. In past games, enemies often attacked from the from the front where you have line of sight on them but not often from behind when they did, they died in a single hit.
The game can also be unpolished at random points. It can feel jarring since most of the time it is very much the opposite.
Playing on Resistance Leader can be enjoyable since it ups enemy aggression and doubles the projectiles they fire at you. It can make getting by combat encounters very intense and by the skin of my teeth. However there will be random moments where you are low on ammo and the pickups are too small to kill the waves with. This at it's worst during the final boss partnered with how the game can randomly get glitchy with Emperor Nefarious getting stuck into geometry and to finish him off you need to kill hordes of enemies but will be so low on health and ammo to actually finish them all off and do the finishing blow.
I also wished the game pulled a R&C 2002 where it gets harder later with deadlier enemies since combat is better here since combat here is much much better but you could only do in RA by raising the difficulty.Overall, despite some glaring flaws I still really enjoy RA.
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