It’s been a few years since Insomniac Games dropped Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart, and honestly, I still find myself booting it up just to stare at the fur textures. That sounds weird. I know. But if you’ve seen the way the light hits Ratchet’s ears in the opening parade sequence, you get it. This wasn't just another sequel in a long-running franchise; it was the moment the "next-gen" promise actually felt real. While other games were still tethered to the aging hardware of the PS4, this one cut the cord. It went all in on the SSD. It made loading screens feel like a relic of a primitive past.
We were told for years that solid-state drives would change game design. We heard the buzzwords. "Near-instantaneous traversal." "Seamless world-swapping." Most of us rolled our eyes. Then we played this. Watching Rivet—the fierce, robotic-armed counterpart to Ratchet—pull herself through a literal tear in space-time to end up in a completely different biome in half a second was the "aha" moment. It’s the kind of technical wizardry that makes you realize we aren't just playing games with better shadows anymore. We’re playing games that literally couldn’t have existed ten years ago.
The DualSense Magic You Probably Forgot About
Most developers treat haptic feedback like a glorified rumble pack. It’s annoying. You’re trying to aim, and the controller is shaking like a leaf for no reason. But in Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart, the DualSense is basically a musical instrument. Insomniac did something clever with the adaptive triggers that I wish more shooters would copy.
Take the Enforcer, which is essentially a double-barreled space shotgun. If you pull the R2 trigger halfway, you feel a distinct "click" or resistance. Pulling to that point fires one barrel. If you push through that resistance and bottom out the trigger, you blast both. It’s tactile. It’s intuitive. You don't have to look at a HUD to know your fire rate; your fingers just know.
Even the haptic vibrations are nuanced. Walking across a metal floor feels different than running through the neon-drenched mud of Nefarious City. You can actually feel the "thrum" of a club’s bass through the plastic of the controller. It’s immersive in a way that’s hard to explain until you’re holding it. This isn't just a gimmick; it’s a core part of the game’s identity.
Rivet, Ratchet, and the Multiverse Fatigue
Let’s be real. We are drowning in multiverse stories. Every movie, every show, every comic book is obsessed with "what if" scenarios and alternate versions of characters. It’s exhausting. Usually, it’s just an excuse for lazy cameos.
But Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart actually uses the trope to do some heavy lifting for the characters. Rivet isn't just "Girl Ratchet." She’s a survivor. She’s been fighting a winning Emperor Nefarious for years without a Clank-like companion to balance her out. Her loneliness is palpable. When she finally meets Clank, the dynamic is awkward and sweet. It’s not a carbon copy of the original duo's chemistry. It’s something new.
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The story beats hit surprisingly hard for a game about a space cat and his toaster friend. It deals with the fear of failure and the anxiety of meeting your own expectations. Ratchet is terrified of finding the other Lombaxes because he’s scared he won't fit in. Rivet is guarded because she’s used to being the only one fighting. It gives the game a soul that goes beyond the flashy particle effects.
Performance Modes: Fidelity vs. Performance RT
If you’re playing this on a high-end display, you have a choice to make. Honestly, there’s only one right answer.
- Fidelity Mode: 30fps, 4K resolution, maxed-out ray tracing. It looks like a Pixar movie. It really does. But once you go 60fps, it's hard to go back.
- Performance Mode: 60fps, no ray tracing. Smooth as butter.
- Performance RT: This is the sweet spot. It targets 60fps while keeping the ray-traced reflections. The resolution takes a dynamic hit, but in the heat of combat, you won't notice. You will notice the way the neon signs reflect in the puddles while you're grinding on rails at eighty miles per hour.
Why the PC Port Actually Matters
For a long time, Ratchet was the poster child for "Only on PlayStation." When the PC version launched in 2023, ported by the wizards at Nixxes, it was a litmus test. People wanted to know if a high-end NVMe drive on a PC could actually match the PS5’s custom architecture.
The results were fascinating. If you have a fast enough drive (Gen4 or better), the experience is nearly identical. But on older SATA SSDs or—heaven forbid—a mechanical hard drive, the game struggles. You’ll see "hangs" where the character freezes in mid-air while the next world loads. It proved that Insomniac wasn't lying. The game design is fundamentally built around the speed of data transfer. This isn't just about pretty graphics; it’s about how much data the game can shove into memory at any given second.
On PC, you also get access to things like NVIDIA DLSS 3 Frame Generation and ultra-wide monitor support. Seeing the sprawling vistas of Savali on a 32:9 monitor is breathtaking. It makes the world feel massive, stretching out to the horizon in a way that a standard TV just can't capture.
Weapon Variety and the "Insomniac Way"
No one does weapons like Insomniac. Period.
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The Topiary Sprinkler is a stroke of genius. You throw a little turret that sprays water on enemies, turning them into hedge-sculptures. It’s hilarious. It’s also a vital crowd-control tool. While the enemies are busy being literal bushes, you can go to town with the Negatron Collider or the Ricochet.
The Ricochet is particularly fun. You fire a ball that hits an enemy, and then you keep tapping the fire button to make the ball bounce back and hit them again and again like a lethal game of paddleball. It rewards rhythm. It’s not just "point and shoot." It’s "point, shoot, and dance."
The Complexity of the Level Design
Savali is probably the standout planet for me. It’s an open-zone area that lets you use your hoverboots to their full potential. The sense of scale here is huge. You’re zooming over sand dunes, jumping off ramps, and hunting down archives. It feels less like a linear platformer and more like a playground.
Then you have levels like Blizar Prime. This is where the rift mechanic gets really clever. You hit a "Blizon Crystal," and the entire level instantly swaps between a lush, thriving mining colony and a destroyed, silent wasteland. You have to navigate the ruins in one dimension to bypass obstacles in the other. It’s a puzzle-solving mechanic that feels seamless. There’s no "Loading..." screen. Just a flash of light and a completely different reality.
Addressing the "It’s Too Short" Criticism
You’ll see this a lot on Reddit. "I finished it in 10 hours, it’s not worth $70."
I disagree.
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We’ve become so used to "map-vomit" games—the ones with a thousand icons and 80 hours of filler—that we’ve forgotten the value of a tight, polished experience. Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart doesn't waste your time. Every minute is high-octane. Every cinematic is meaningful. The pacing is relentless. I’d rather have 12 hours of pure, unadulterated joy than 100 hours of climbing radio towers and collecting 500 hidden feathers.
Plus, Challenge Mode (New Game+) is where the game actually shines. You keep all your weapons, the level cap increases, and you can buy "Omega" versions of your gear. The difficulty spikes, forcing you to actually use your entire arsenal rather than just leaning on the Burst Pistol. It’s meant to be played at least twice.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Playthrough
If you’re just starting or thinking about a replay, don't sleep on the accessibility settings. Insomniac is a leader in this field. You can slow down time if the combat gets too frantic, or change the shaders to make collectibles pop.
Also, hunt for the CraiggerBears. They’re small, easy to miss, and named in honor of Craig Goodman, an Insomniac artist who passed away. They don't show up on the map like the Gold Bolts do. Finding them feels personal. It’s a nice touch that adds a layer of quiet exploration to an otherwise loud game.
Final Technical Tips for 2026 Players
If you're playing on the PS5 Pro or a high-end PC in 2026, make sure you've enabled System-Level VRR (Variable Refresh Rate). Even with the most optimized code, the rift transitions can occasionally cause tiny frame-time stutters. VRR smooths these out completely.
Also, use a good pair of headphones. The 3D audio implementation is some of the best in the business. You can hear exactly where a robotic pirate is shouting from, or the direction a projectile is whizzing past your head. It’s a sensory feast.
Actionable Steps for Players:
- Prioritize Performance RT: Go to the settings immediately. Don't play in 30fps unless you absolutely must have that 4K clarity. The fluidity of 60fps is essential for the fast-paced combat.
- Vary Your Arsenal: Don't just stick to one gun. The game rewards you for leveling up every weapon. As a weapon hits level 5, it evolves into a new form with different properties.
- Explore the "Pocket Dimensions": These are small, optional platforming challenges hidden throughout the levels. They reward you with armor pieces that give permanent stat buffs—even if you aren't wearing them.
- Use the Map-O-Matic: On the planet Ardolis, there is an optional side quest to find a treasure map. Get it. It reveals the location of every Gold Bolt and Raritanium crystal on your HUD, saving you hours of aimless wandering.
- Check Your SSD Health (PC Users): If you're playing on PC and experiencing hitches during rift jumps, check your drive's read speeds. Anything under 3,500 MB/s is going to cause visible lag in those transitions. Upgrade to a Gen4 NVMe if you want the "console-like" seamlessness.