Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on PC

I was asked to test Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on PC. It has been a number of years since it came out. Many people praised the game for its divine graphics and light-hearted approach. I had never played the series as it was a Playstation exclusive, so this was my first encounter with the characters and the world. I must start by saying that the Swedish dubbing that the title automatically turned on was not terrible. English is preferable, however, and the adventure begins with us becoming part of a ceremony with lots of dialogue. It's pompous, we seem to have saved the world and I don't know why. A little research on the internet gave me a better understanding of the how, why and what. If you are new to Ratchet & Clank, it could well be seen as a certain disadvantage to start with this title.

Already in the beginning it is clear that things will go wrong and they do. I want to give some plus points to the antagonist Dr. Nefarious, a hysterical cliché of typical moustache-twirling villains. There isn't a single frame with him where he doesn't talk about his diabolical plans and is generally in high gear. He is so hysterical and often unintentionally funny that he steals the show every time he appears. Since we've already reviewed this, I won't go into too much detail about the story. However, I can say that it entertained me with its light-hearted premise. Our villain uses a weapon that shatters the barriers between dimensions. You try to stop this and end up in a rather dark dystopian world. Despite that, there are bright spots and it never gets serious but instead is mostly comical. The characters are vibrant and the game is inviting to watch. It's a bit like watching a well-made animated movie at times. Because it is good looking and a lot of it is due to good lighting, texture work and well done animations down to the hairs. The PC version really takes this to new heights with its ability to push the visuals even further.

On the technical side, it runs seamlessly on my computer and I consistently have over 60 frames per second. The only thing I have not been able to turn on is Nvidia Reflex which shuts everything down. Otherwise, it is possible to make this game look better in all respects than its console version. The settings are many and you can customize them as needed. The mouse and keyboard work so well that I play with it over a controller. The fast-paced combat lends itself to the precision the mouse can offer. The upgrade system rewards your play style by ranking up the weapons you use. It encourages experimentation. Although the user interface is designed for a handheld controller, my opinion is that it works well even with traditional PC controllers.

I am fond of Insomniac Games and their attention to detail in story and design. The humour works very well and small details in how weapons of mass destruction are launched with small cranks or similar create more joy than seriousness to the developing drama. The whole adventure is infused with these forms of comedy. It is somewhat reminiscent of Monty Python or Rowan Atkinson's plays. There's really no reason why it should be done that way, but it is. It's silly so it's funny. It twists and turns everything that is reasonable. I can still appreciate that. We need more Monty Python in our computer games.

If my first encounter with both Ratchet and his little robot Clank is so good, I wonder what I missed. Thanks to the setup with dimensions and traveling between them, there are plenty of appearances of characters veterans recognize and for me it will be my first encounter with them. In the end, it didn't matter too much as the adventure is easy to follow and most things are explained in almost exaggerated ways. Although the design with corridors leading to arenas with enemies is a bit too industrialized, the gameplay is smooth with seamless transitions. It's also all very simple and the difficulty level rarely becomes challenging in a rewarding way. I like the conversations and the quick switches between action and platforming. Nothing overstays its welcome and the whole thing is almost over before it began.

One of my major concerns is the length. Considering you're playing two protagonists, the game almost needed to be twice as long to really do it justice. I barely have time to get to know a character before I see the end credits. This is probably my biggest takeaway from the adventure. Despite great design, great graphics and great gameplay, the length here is to the title's disadvantage. One can often criticize experiences in modern times for being too long and contentless, this is an example of the opposite. A too short (about 10-12 hours) game that tries too much in little time. It may also be an indication that I hope for more in the future. I can definitely see the series having a future on PC. Hopefully some older titles will come to the format. For now, this is a competent platform action game that entertains with its humor and impressive graphics. Thanks to its shooting approach, it can stand on its own against competitors like Spyro, Crash Bandicoot and other platforming newcomers to the format.

If you need a nice game to just sit back and be entertained, this is a competent title for that purpose. It won't challenge your intellect but might make you laugh or brighten your day for a while. As Playstation ports go, this is one of Sony's better ones. That doesn't mean it doesn't have problems. AMD users got the short end of the stick this time with problems initially with ray tracing. Some Nvidia features like Nvidia Reflex are unusable. Still, it looks great and runs smoothly on my computer. Spider-Man is still the king of ports but this needs some polishing before it reaches the same quality. The sound complements the technology very well. Music, voices and effects harmonize and sound really good. Unlike other titles I've played recently, the sound mix is great. However, I can feel that the music is a bit anonymous. It does not really stick with me and I do not feel that it captivates me.

Overall, it's a charming adventure and a good port of a couple of years old Playstation 5 game. It fits well into the PC market and delivers brilliant technical graphics on the format. It offers a charming journey through time and space even if it is unfortunately a bit too short. The music is not captivating but the fantastic voice acting and character acting is all the better. There is an eye for detail and despite this being my first encounter with the series, I am more than satisfied. The humour is enjoyable and hits the mark more than it misses. Given that the competition on PC is a bit different for this kind of game, I can recommend the title without hesitation. Aside from the shortcomings I've described, I don't have much to say other than that my first encounter with the series was positive and surprisingly good.