Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart - PS5

Legend of Legaia was one of the first JRPG's I had ever played as a child. While the concept of a playable story on such a large scale was new to me, the game was an immediate draw in with it's unique type of combat system and a story that starts vague but blooms in the same way the difficulty curves as an average RPG requires. The story is not the greatest by any means, but looking in depth it addresses many dark topics that are often ignored even today such as refugeeism, subjugation, slavery, poverty, over dependency, xenophobia and so many more. The combat is unique and is only used once more in the sequel, but is quite memorable as it requires players to carefully plan attacks and the use of arts (skills through attack combinations), spirit (raising the ... MoreLegend of Legaia was one of the first JRPG's I had ever played as a child. While the concept of a playable story on such a large scale was new to me, the game was an immediate draw in with it's unique type of combat system and a story that starts vague but blooms in the same way the difficulty curves as an average RPG requires. The story is not the greatest by any means, but looking in depth it addresses many dark topics that are often ignored even today such as refugeeism, subjugation, slavery, poverty, over dependency, xenophobia and so many more. The combat is unique and is only used once more in the sequel, but is quite memorable as it requires players to carefully plan attacks and the use of arts (skills through attack combinations), spirit (raising the required amount to use arts as well as applying defense), and magic which can only be obtained through besting unique monsters called Seru, which I will not explain to avoid spoilers. About the only thing that is a downside to the game is how cliche some of the characters are, including the main protagonist who fills the stereotypical role of many RPG's requiring they be silent, the ignorant girl who becomes the heroine after learning a truth, and the muscle man who is oblivious to the aura of jealousy he brings to others. These particular stereotypes will be overly played out as you progress in the game, but if you look past it you have a solid masterpiece. I have played this game for years on and off numerous times and I would highly recommend it for RPG lovers that love a good story, and are expecting the unexpected with a combat system.

The Ratchet and Clank PS4 game already felt like playing a Pixar movie at the time. Rift Apart on the PS5 kicks things up another level. The level of detail on characters, the environment, particle effects - it's hard to imagine this kind of graphical feat being possible last generation.By now, Ratchet and Clank games have a well-established formula. You'll traverse various planets using a myriad of gadgets, while blasting enemies and upgrading a creative assortment of weapons. In terms of innovation, the weapons this time around have great distinctive feels, especially with the PS5's adaptive triggers providing additional functionality. There's a weapon that bounces a projectile off the same enemy with each press of the trigger. There's one that shoots drills ... MoreThe Ratchet and Clank PS4 game already felt like playing a Pixar movie at the time. Rift Apart on the PS5 kicks things up another level. The level of detail on characters, the environment, particle effects - it's hard to imagine this kind of graphical feat being possible last generation.By now, Ratchet and Clank games have a well-established formula. You'll traverse various planets using a myriad of gadgets, while blasting enemies and upgrading a creative assortment of weapons. In terms of innovation, the weapons this time around have great distinctive feels, especially with the PS5's adaptive triggers providing additional functionality. There's a weapon that bounces a projectile off the same enemy with each press of the trigger. There's one that shoots drills underground to jump out at foes from afar. There's another that turns enemies into hedges. The weapon upgrade grind is much more forgiving this time, so maxing out your entire arsenal isn't much of a chore if you're inclined to do that.I felt that having maybe one or 2 more planets to explore would've been great, but what's already here is also plenty to explore. Planets are large with optional objectives and areas. They're quite varied from one another. The Rift mechanic is essentially a glorified teleportation device, but nevertheless fun to use and handy in combat and platforming.You'll switch between 2 characters who play almost identically to each other. As with the PS4 entry, Ratchet and Clank are quite bland characters. The series has taken on a wholesome tone that caters well towards a younger crowd but may disappoint fans of the crasser PS2 titles. That being said, you'll still feel invested in the characters, and plot events will unfold that make it hard to put the controller down. I just hope the obsession with Dr Nefarious dies down. It's time the series introduced new compelling villains.

If you’re looking for a game to showcase some of the stuff a PS5 can do this is a perfect title. Loading times are non-existant, the graphics are amazing, and the framerate on performance mode looked and felt like a locked 60fps. The game controls are responsive and the haptics are cool. I did not use them but a bevy of accesibility options are available. Now as a Ratchet and Clank game, however, I think it was wuite middling. It was a bit on the shorter side and even on higher difficulties there was not much of a challenge. Even worse is some of the sillier guns requires beating the game first just to play with them. And speaking of silly, there just wasn’t a lot of funny moments compared to previous entries which I attribute to the story juggling six characters ... MoreIf you’re looking for a game to showcase some of the stuff a PS5 can do this is a perfect title. Loading times are non-existant, the graphics are amazing, and the framerate on performance mode looked and felt like a locked 60fps. The game controls are responsive and the haptics are cool. I did not use them but a bevy of accesibility options are available. Now as a Ratchet and Clank game, however, I think it was wuite middling. It was a bit on the shorter side and even on higher difficulties there was not much of a challenge. Even worse is some of the sillier guns requires beating the game first just to play with them. And speaking of silly, there just wasn’t a lot of funny moments compared to previous entries which I attribute to the story juggling six characters constantly.