This will allow you to go in search of the other Lombaxes who apparently are trapped in an alternate dimension. The Dimensionator, a device that allows you to travel to other dimensions obviously. Upon finishing this parade which neatly recaps some of the previous games, you are to be given a gift from Clank. But as our titular Lombax comments, it’s been a while since you’ve done anything particularly heroic (the last mainline Ratchet game came out in 2013, nice nod there).Īt the start of the game, you are being honoured with a parade in your name, organised for you by Captain Quark (imagine Zapp Brannigan in the Crimson Chin’s body and you’re not too far away). So, by the time Rift Apart rolls around, you’re already something of a galactic hero.
In the following sequels, you repeat this feat several times, meeting a host of colourful characters along the way. In Ratchet & Clank you play as Ratchet, the last of a species known as Lombaxes who upon encountering Clank, a defective warbot created by the Blarg (yep, that’s their name), embarks on a quest to save the universe. On top of that, the game looks phenomenal, it was never going to have the same grandeur as a Horizon but in its own style it pleases the eye. Basically, the game renders multiple locations at once and allows you to travel through them seamlessly. The game promised to make use of the PS5’s processing power in conjunction with the game’s mechanic of jumping through portals. When Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was announced as a PS5 exclusive I was very excited. Fighting through each stage will require you to constantly watch your ammo count and the game does a superb job of forcing you to mix and match various guns in order to succeed.
Similar to Psychonauts as well is the sheer variety of weapons you have at your disposal, from the standard Combuster to the hilarious and frankly absurd Mr Zurkon, each has its own place in your arsenal. I loved it, it’s an action platformer in a similar vein to Psychonauts I found. Or is it a reimagining? We’ll never know (you can look it up if you want, I won’t stop you).
My first experience with this franchise was with the PS4 remaster of the original Ratchet & Clank. Prior to the last couple of years, I’ve had no history whatsoever with Ratchet (or Clank for that matter). You can barely read the Rift Apart bit I know, but that’s not my fault ok?! So welcome in Ratchet & Clank! Couple of great lads.
So in order to spare me the effort of playing through a new game, I figured I’d go back and talk about something I’ve already played. This is likely a side-effect of me assigning deadlines to a hobby of mine, putting pressure on myself to find and play something each week. I found choosing a game to talk about difficult again this week. I’ve embedded the video underneath as she makes the point far more eloquently than I but it has given me food for thought this week. For instance, FromSoftware games are more likely to be reviewed by hardcore fans of the company, making these reviews inherently skewed to the positive, whereas someone like me might benefit from a review from a different perspective that isn’t particularly cost-effective. She makes the case that the nature of human beings combined with the nature of the video game reviewing industry makes it so there are certain games and franchises out there that are locked into certain review scores. This week Alanah Pearce, a writer for Santa Monica Studio, posted a video on her YouTube channel talking about this very thing. Don’t get me wrong it’s clearly a good game but perhaps there’s something to be said for reviewers being big Souls fans giving this a 10/10 etc. I’m getting better at the game for sure, sometimes I go an hour without dying! But I’m still having issues progressing and to that end, I don’t fully understand how it’s getting the reviews that it is. Another week, another attempt to get into Elden Ring.