Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

General information
Developer	Insomniac Games, Nixxes Software (PC)
Publisher	Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release date	June 11, 2021 (PS5) July 26, 2023 (PC)
Genre	Action-adventure
Modes	Single-player
Platforms	PlayStation 5, PC
Media	Ultra HD Blu-ray, digital
Previous release	Ratchet & Clank (2016)
Next release	Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a 2021 platformer and action-adventure video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It is the 16th installment in the Ratchet & Clank series, and a sequel to Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus. It was released on June 11, 2021, for the PlayStation 5, and on July 26, 2023, for PC.

Gameplay

The gameplay of Rift Apart allows the player to play both as Ratchet and Rivet, although they both play identically, sharing weapons and gadgets. It retains elements of previous Ratchet & Clank games, involving gunplay, collection of bolts, upgradable weapons and gadgets.

Rift Apart features both entirely new planets, as well as alternate dimensions of planets from previous games. Between planets there are seamless transitions, with no load screens.

Weapons

At Mrs. Zurkon and Ms. Zurkon's vendors, Ratchet and Rivet can purchase new weapons, ammo and use their collected Raritanium to apply upgrades to their weapons. Like in many previous games, weapons can be upgraded up to level five in which they will change form. Leveling up weapons through combat will increase their damage and unlock more cells at the vendors, allowing more additional Raritanium upgrades to be made. In Challenge mode, Omega weapons can be bought for all fully upgraded V5 ones and can be further leveled up to V10.

Ratchet and Rivet have twenty weapons in total: fifteen new and five returning. New weapons are the Burst Pistol, the Shatterbomb, The Enforcer‎, Mr. Fungi, the Negatron Collider, the Topiary Sprinkler, the Ricochet, the Lightning Rod, the Drillhound, the Void Repulser, the Cold Snap, the Bombardier, the Blackhole Storm, the Headhunter and the RYNO 8. Weapons returning from previous games are the Glove of Doom, the Buzz Blades, the Warmonger, the Bouncer and the Pixelizer. The Bouncer and Pixelizer only become available for purchase in Challenge mode. The Pixelizer however can be obtained early in the first playthrough if the player has pre-ordered the game or purchased the deluxe edition.

To unlock the RYNO 8, the player must collect all ten Spybots in the game. The Spybots are found both on planets and as rewards for completing side challenges. Once all ten are found, it can be obtained for free from the vendor.

The Shatterbomb is an explosive weapon similar to the Fusion Grenade. The Enforcer is a double-barrel shotgun resembling the Shock Cannon, which uses the DualSense controller's adaptive triggers to give tension; if the player holds their finger down half-way they can fire one trigger, or two if they pull it all the way.. The Topiary Sprinkler resembles the Miniturret Glove, but instead shoots streams of water, that cause plants to sprout on anything it touches and traps enemies for a brief period of time.

Gadgets

Though most of Ratchet's moveset is identical to that of the previous Ratchet & Clank (2016 game), he has two new glove gadgets in his Omniglove that he acquires early into the game. The first of which is known as the Rift Tether; allowing him and Rivet to pull themselves towards rifts to quickly travel across battlefields or to reach inaccessible areas. He and Rivet can also use it to pull open gaps in the damaged dimensions to access pocket dimensions, where they can complete platforming challenges to reach new armor pods. The second is called the Phantom Dash, allowing him to run horizontally along specific wall panels and perform a short dash forward that will make him intangible for a very brief period to phase through barriers and enemy attacks. Additionally, pressing whilst moving will toggle a sprint function, allowing Ratchet and Rivet to run faster. The Lombaxes also have access to their own O2 filtrator masks which supply them with oxygen, allowing them to survive underwater and in space.

The hoverboots also return with new enhancements and can be used much easier for use in and out of combat. They can be used by holding and pumped using or repeatedly to activate the accelerator.

Whilst standing on specific Mag Surfaces, Ratchet and Rivet can use their Magneboots to walk along them at any angle. Using , they can aim at another Mag Surface with a target reticle and press to Mag Jump to it.

When Clank is on Ratchet or Rivet's back, his Heli-pack can be used to glide by holding whilst in the air. When Clank is not present, the Lombaxes will employ the use of their Glide Boots to perform the same exact function.

Armor

The game features armor that can be obtained from collectible armor pods found in pocket dimensions or by completing challenges. The functionality of wearing them however is purely cosmetic and the system has more in common with Insomniac's previous games; Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Each complete armor set comes in threes, one each for the head, chest and legs; similar to Size Matters. Fully collecting a set will grant a gameplay bonus such as inflicting additional damage to specific enemy groups or bonus collected bolts. Once the armor is collected, the obtained gameplay bonus remains permanently in effect. Ratchet and Rivet's speech will be muffled if they are wearing a helmet that covers their mouth and are speaking during gameplay. During cutscenes however, the helmet becomes automatically unequipped and re-equipped once it is over.

There are eight sets to be collected in Rift Apart with five additional sets available as a pre-order bonus or as part of the game's digital deluxe edition. For the franchise's 20th anniversary, five new armor sets were made available for free to all players via a software update. This brings the full total number of armor sets in Rift Apart to eighteen. Standard editions of Rift Apart will offer players the option to upgrade to the deluxe edition from the title menu for an additional cost, granting them the bonus content including the five armor sets. The ten additional armor sets however do not grant any gameplay bonuses, only armor collected in-game has this effect.

Mounts

There are two rideable mounts featured in Rift Apart. The first of which is a fast running insect called a Speetle used by both Ratchet and Rivet to traverse quickly across hazardous surfaces and launch off of ramps. There are specific Speetle Nests that can be hit to summon one.

The second is a dragon-like creature named Trudi, who is good friends with Rivet and is used by her to fly around the sandbox level on Sargasso. She becomes freely available to use during the optional side mission "Help Trudi". Trudi is not ridden by Ratchet, only by Rivet.

Glitch challenges

Early into Rift Apart, Ratchet obtains a hacking program named Glitch. Throughout the game, there are five challenges of sequential increasing difficulty, in which she is sent into computer systems to destroy Zeta Virus infections that are rendering the machines inoperable. In each challenge, Glitch must use her Electro-Guns and Blitz-Infectors to delete the viruses attacking her to protect herself and destroy all of the Virus Nests located in each level to clear them. Three of these challenges are completed during the story and two are optional in order to obtain Gold Bolts.

Zurkie's Battleplex

At Zurkie's, Rivet can partake in challenges at Zurkon Jr.'s Battleplex to win prizes, including: Bolts, Raritanium, Gold Bolts, Armor Pods, the Box Breaker and a Spybot. The arena features three Cups; Bronze, Silver and Gold with each Cup containing five challenges. The challenges vary from surviving waves of enemies with stage hazards, to riding a Speetle through an obstacle course under a time limit. The final challenge of each Cup has Rivet fight a boss.

Story

Introduction

Rivet, disguised as a robot, successfully steals an infobot from an escort.

In a dystopian alternate dimension, Rivet, a Lombax Resistance fighter, steals an infobot from an escort while in a robot disguise. She escapes after briefly defying her mission to rescue an organic citizen being hunted by troopers. The city's forces pursue her to retrieve the stolen infobot.

Megalopolis

Ratchet and Clank at the Festival of Heroes.

In Ratchet and Clank's dimension, the Festival of Heroes in Megalopolis is interrupted by Goons-4-Less seeking their bounty. Clank reveals his rebuilt Dimensionator to Ratchet, intending for him to find the other Lombaxes. Dr. Nefarious steals the Dimensionator. During the chase, Ratchet shoots the device's Phase Quartz power core, causing mass dimensional chaos. Ratchet uses the chipped quartz to create a Rift Tether. He and Clank defeat Nefarious, who then uses the damaged Dimensionator to transport them all to a dimension where he always wins. They arrive in a neon city; the device explodes. Clank's arm is damaged, and he is taken by Rivet, who mistakes him for an enemy robot. Dr. Nefarious awakens and is mistaken for his tyrannical counterpart, Emperor Nefarious.

Nefarious City

Ratchet and Phantom on a rooftop in Nefarious City.

Ratchet awakens in Nefarious City on a dimensional counterpart of Corson V. He meets Ms. Zurkon, a Resistance ally, who directs him to the Resistance member Phantom (a counterpart of Skidd McMarx). After Ratchet defends him from Nefarious Troopers, Phantom upgrades Ratchet's Omniglove with the Phantom Dash gadget and directs him to Rivet's base on Sargasso. Phantom agrees to help Ratchet get a royal starship in exchange for help hacking a propaganda blimp. After the hack, Phantom gives Ratchet the hacking program Glitch to steal the Emperor's private shuttle, then turns himself in to fight the Empire from within. Glitch, initially hesitant, helps Ratchet by clearing Zeta Virus infections from the shuttle's access console. Ratchet uses the shuttle to get a royal starship, narrowly escaping Dr. Nefarious and the Troopers.

Sargasso

Rivet and Clank after crashing on Sargasso.

En route to Sargasso, Rivet refuses to believe Clank's story. A distress call from her friends, the Morts, prompts her to investigate. A Nefarious Seekerpede forces Rivet's ship to crash. Ms. Zurkon informs Rivet that Ratchet's vendor account is linked to hers. Rivet and Clank cross acid swamps on a Speetle, which Rivet captures using her own Rift Tether to enter and exit a pocket dimension. They arrive at the Morts' Gelatonium factory, finding them held hostage by Goons-4-Less. After defeating the Goons, Clank inspects a purple dimensional anomaly. His consciousness is transported to a space between dimensions, where he meets Gary, a cosmic prophet and son of the Plumber, who resides on Savali. Gary teaches Clank to repair dimensional damage and warns of an impending Dimensional Cataclysm, requiring a new Dimensionator. Clank repairs the anomaly and frees the trapped Morts.

Rivet searching Clank's memory banks..

Rivet takes Clank to her hideout, plugs him in, and reviews his memory banks, witnessing the events in Megalopolis. Shocked, she admits Clank was truthful, revealing her difficulty trusting robots due to past trauma (losing friends and her arm) caused by the Emperor and pirates. Once the infobot is decrypted, its signal attracts the Seekerpede, which mistakenly abducts Clank. Rivet, plagued by guilt, saves Clank, destroying the Seekerpede and its pilot. She then reveals the infobot contained the Emperor's hitlist, including her and Phantom. They board a fixed ship and broadcast the list to the Resistance network before departing.

Zurkie's Gastropub and Battleplex

Rivet meets up with Pierre to acquire the part to fix Clank's communicator.

Clank blames himself for the current situation as they arrive at Zurkie's Gastropub and Battleplex. They seek Zurkie, the pacifist owner and counterpart of Mr. Zurkon. Rivet finds the Space Pirate with the needed communicator part, Pierre Le Fer (a counterpart of Rusty Pete), who is Captain Quantum's first mate. To get the part, Rivet challenges Pierre to a fight, which is moved to the Battleplex, overseen by Zurkie's son, Zurkon Jr.. Rivet defeats several waves of Pierre's crew, and then François, a Marauder sent by the cowardly Pierre. Rivet wins the part.

Back in the Gastropub, Rivet fixes Clank's communicator, allowing him to contact Ratchet, who is flying towards Sargasso. Ratchet informs them Dr. Nefarious is now the Emperor. Clank concludes they must build a new Dimensionator: Ratchet will go to Savali for blueprints, while Clank and Rivet will go to Blizar Prime for Phase Quartz. Unbeknownst to them, the Emperor's Assistant eavesdrops on their plans. Dr. Nefarious issues a public bounty on Ratchet and Rivet, sending strike teams to intercept them on Savali and Blizar Prime.

Savali

Ratchet arrives on planet Savali.

Ratchet lands on Savali and meets Gary, who directs him to the Interdimensional Archives to find his apprentice. Ratchet fights off Nefarious Troopers attacking Monktown. The Archives enter defensive mode and walk away; a small robot, Gary's apprentice, falls off. Ratchet teams up with the reluctant apprentice, who introduces herself as KT-7461 (later nicknamed **Kit**), after making a deal. To get back onto the Archives, they must free the Monks, Gary's acolytes, held captive in forcefields at three temples. Kit gives Ratchet Lombax hoverboots.

Savali Monks being held captive by the Nefarious Troopers.

Ratchet frees the Monks, clearing out Troopers, with Glitch helping to clear a Zeta Virus infection at the final temple. The Monks open a path with rifts, allowing Ratchet to boost to the Archives, where he fights off Troopers attempting to plunder its contents and convert it into a war machine. Kit is relieved that the Dimensional Map and contents are safe. Ratchet scans the Dimensionator blueprints. Kit reveals the construction requires the Rubion Forge at Kedaro Station on planet Cordelion.

Kit transforms into her Warbot form to defend the Archives from Nefarious Dropships.

Dropships attack the Archives, forcing Kit to reluctantly transform into her giant, aggressive Warbot form to defend the structure. She reveals she was a creation of the Nefarious Empire, intended as a weapon, and exiled herself to Savali in shame after injuring someone. Ratchet accepts her and they leave for Cordelion.

Blizar Prime

Rivet and Clank arrive in the ruins of Blizar Prime.

Rivet and Clank arrive at the shattered Blizar Prime. They find a purple glowing Blizon crystal, which Clank realizes allows them to shift between Rivet's dimension and an intact alternate one. They seek a miner to use the main drill for Phase Quartz. They encounter a survivor who quickly realizes they used the Blizon and leaves, then starts broadcasting unclear warnings about the drill. Goons-4-Less follow them through the rifts and attack.

At the main mining hub, the Chief Engineer (in the intact dimension) refuses to authorize the drill until her three Science Bots investigate the garbled transmissions. Rivet finds the three bots, who return to the Engineer. A dimensional anomaly appears, which Clank enters, meeting Gary again. Gary explains his father is the Plumber. Clank realizes he and Rivet are starting to trust each other. Clank repairs the anomaly and receives advice on confidence.

Rivet retrieves the broken Phase Quartz pieces and tells Clank about the Fixer.

The Engineer decodes the message: her counterpart warns that the damaged drill will destroy the planet. Rivet activates the drill, excavates Phase Quartz, and shifts back to her dimension, followed by Troopers. She shifts back, narrowly saves the planet by knocking a goon dropship into the drill, dislodging its laser. Clank and the Phase Quartz fall into the laser's trajectory. Rivet saves Clank, shattering the Phase Quartz. Rivet retrieves the fragments, recalling Morts' tales of the Fixer on Torren IV, whom they decide to seek. They depart as Dr. Nefarious increases the bounty.

Cordelion

Ratchet and Kit arrive at the surface entrance to the underwater Kedaro Station.

Ratchet and Kit arrive at Kedaro Station on Cordelion, locked down by Nefarious Troopers. Using a Blizon crystal, they shift to an abandoned alternate dimension of the station. Ratchet shares his unease about meeting the Lombaxes; Kit, who never knew her family, encourages him. Upon arriving at the Kedaro Station's surface entrance, the Nefarious Troopers lockdown the facility, leaving Ratchet and Kit with no way inside.

Ratchet and Kit meet Junk Bot in the other dimension's derelict Kedaro Station.

Inside the derelict station, they meet a friendly but mentally disturbed utility robot, Junk Bot. After being stalked by a slavering creature named Juice, they shift back to Rivet's dimension using another Blizon crystal. Ratchet successfully bluffs their way past Junk Bot's counterpart. At the Rubion Forge, Ratchet accidentally causes an explosion using auxiliary power. They shift back to the abandoned dimension. Junk Bot explains a virus is preventing the forge from working; Glitch clears the Zeta Virus.

Ratchet and Kit search for a power source, again being stalked by Juice. Ratchet uses slurpion jelly cannisters to distract Juice, whose shell is impenetrable. They discover a video log showing Juice being forcibly captured by station workers. Ratchet is ambushed, and the room floods with seawater, forcing him to navigate the ocean floor using his gear while Juice stalks him from above. Kit tells Ratchet she is glad she risked her good life on Savali to join him, assuring him she believes in him.

The two versions of Juice meet eachother.

Upon returning to Rivet's dimension, they discover Juice is the power source for the forge. They free him. This Juice helps them defeat the Elite Security Detail and leads Ratchet to another Blizon, shifting them both back to the abandoned dimension. The two versions of Juice meet, and after an intense stare-down, they become docile and use their bio-electricity together to power the forge. Ratchet correctly activates the forge using the marked button, creating the Dimensionator. They leave, agreeing to meet Rivet and Clank at Zurkie's.

Torren IV

Rivet and Clank arrive at Molonoth Gulch on Torren IV to find the Fixer.

Rivet and Clank arrive at Molonoth Gulch on Torren IV, seeking the Fixer. A Vullard informs them the Fixer is deactivated and the bridge to him is destroyed. They must retrieve the Hurlshot gadget from a smelting pit to cross the chasm. Rivet questions Clank about Ratchet's hesitation to find the Lombaxes.

At the smelting pit, Pierre Le Fer and the Space Pirates invade for scrap. After acquiring the Hurlshot, Rivet battles through pirates, defeating two Marauders ("Wee" Roger and "Not-So-Wee" Roger). She reactivates the Fixer, who is acting erratically, proclaiming that everything is broken and cannot be fixed. The Fixer attacks them, firing lasers and attempting to crush Rivet while declaring destruction is their natural state.

The Fixer repairs the shattered Phase Quartz in thanks for restoring his faith in himself and his work.

Clank appeals to the Fixer's psychology, stating that he has been "fixed" by realizing he is still himself despite his changes. This restores the Fixer's hope. In thanks, he repairs the shattered Phase Quartz with a beam from his eye. They decide to meet Ratchet and Kit at Zurkie's.

Building the new Dimensionator

Ratchet and Rivet meet eachother for the first time with Clank and Kit to finally build the Dimensionator.

Rivet and Clank arrive at Zurkie's. Rivet, nervous, rehearses meeting Ratchet. In the weapons confiscation room, the two Lombaxes (Ratchet and Rivet) and the two robots (Clank and Kit) meet. Rivet and a nervous Kit fist bump. Before they can begin building, Nefarious Troopers ambush them. The Emperor's Assistant takes the Dimensionator and Phase Quartz, presenting them to Dr. Nefarious. Ratchet and Rivet coordinate a surprise attack, with Rivet tackling Dr. Nefarious through a window into the Battleplex.

Rivet and Kit fight Dr. Nefarious, who uses the new Dimensionator to send them through rifts to Blizar Prime and Sargasso before mistakenly bringing them back to the Battleplex. They defeat him, and he drops the Dimensionator. Ratchet and Clank are knocked into the arena by the real Emperor Nefarious, who retrieves the device.

Emperor Nefarious makes his return and seizes the new Dimensionator for himself.

The Emperor accepts Dr. Nefarious as an ally and uses the Dimensionator to suck several audience members into a rift. He opens a large rift and drops Dr. Nefarious in before entering himself, signaling he is going to Sargasso. Clank urges Ratchet to find Captain Quantum first. Rivet tells them to go to planet Ardolis and find Pierre for information on the captain. The teams split up.

Saving Sargasso

Rivet and Kit arrive on Sargasso to fight the Emperor's invasion.

Rivet and Kit fly to Sargasso, where the Emperor is using the Dimensionator to advance his invasion. Rivet's resolve is strengthened by Kit's support, though Kit maintains their alliance is temporary. They rescue the Morts, who tell them the repaired Seekerpede is stuck in a dimensional anomaly. Kit makes contact with the anomaly, and her consciousness is transported to the space between dimensions, where she happily reunites with Gary, who helps her fix the anomaly. Kit and Gary discuss how quickly the dimensional cataclysm is worsening due to the Emperor's overuse of the Dimensionator. With the Seekerpede freed, the Morts pilot it to attack the Emperor's cruisers.

Rivet, Kit and Trudi succeed in destroying the last of the battle cruisers and the invasion mothership.

Rivet and Kit destroy one cruiser. The Emperor orders the remaining cruisers to use Destruct-o Beams to destabilize the planet's core. Rivet and Kit fly on their friend Trudi and use her fireball attack to destroy the cruiser generators, but the Emperor activates energy shields. The Morts provide powerful bombs made of Gelatonium waste that penetrate the shields. The Seekerpede distracts the invasion mothership while Rivet and Kit, riding Trudi, destroy the final battle cruiser. The cruiser crashes into the Mothership, causing a chain reaction of explosions and destroying the invasion force.

Rivet recounts the Nefarious Warbot that caused her to lose her arm.

The Emperor emerges from a rift and sends Rivet and Kit into a pocket dimension. Kit asks Rivet about her history, and Rivet recounts losing her arm in Nefarious City to one of the Emperor's warbots, which surprisingly spared her. Kit realizes with dread that she was that warbot. Rivet finds an exit and they return to Sargasso, deciding to head back to Zurkie's.

Ardolis

The pirates preparing to excecute Pierre by feeding him to their pet kraken; Bubbles.

Ratchet and Clank fly to Ardolis. They learn via space radio that Pierre Le Fer is being executed for violating the Pirate Code (destroying his own ship). Ratchet agrees to help Clank find the other Lombaxes after their current mission. After rescuing Pierre from being fed to a Kraken named Bubbles, Pierre tells them they must complete the Pirate Trials at Skull Mountain (a theme park attraction) to meet Captain Quantum. Bubbles stalks and attacks them throughout the trials.

Ratchet meets Quantum at the Captain's Port.

They meet Quantum, who is annoyed when his helmet disguise falls off, revealing him to be a counterpart of Qwark. Quantum has bugged the Emperor's Assistant and knows all of Nefarious' plans. The other pirates, mistaking the commotion for Quantum's decapitation, attack. Quantum promises Ratchet the spy bug device if he helps him escape. Ratchet fights off the pirates, and, out of options, rings a large bell to attract Bubbles, who pulls the pirate ship under.

Quantum gives Ratchet the spy device. Ratchet tells Quantum about Qwark's many failures and redemptions. The Emperor emerges, opening a large rift to send them to Zordoom Prison. Quantum sacrifices himself, allowing Ratchet and Clank to escape with the spy device. They decide to return to Zurkie's.

Retrieving the Dimensional Map

The Emperor declares his intention to conquer the dimensions.

Emperor Nefarious declares the galaxy his, but Dr. Nefarious infers the Emperor is unhappy because he mistakenly equated happiness with success. The Emperor resolves to conquer all dimensions, requiring the Dimensional Map from the Interdimensional Archives on Savali. Ratchet, Clank, Rivet, and Kit reroute to Savali, but Nefarious has already destroyed the Archives.

Undead Goons begin breaking into Rivet's dimension.

The Emperor's reckless use of the Dimensionator has caused dimensional boundaries to break down, allowing skeletal creatures (Bone Goons) from a nightmare dimension to invade. Ratchet and Clank fight the Bone Goons and Nefarious Troopers at the Archives, finding the map missing. Rivet and Kit sneak onto the Emperor's Flagship, free Gary, who reveals he and the Monks hid the map inside a dimensional anomaly.

Ratchet and Clank enter the Savali catacombs to reach the Dimensional Map before the Emperor.

Ratchet and Clank enter the catacombs, fight off Bone Goons, and allow the Monks to seal the rift. Clank enters the anomaly alone, repairs it, and gains the knowledge needed to stop the Cataclysm, now only needing the Dimensionator. The two Nefariouses capture Ratchet and Clank. The Emperor threatens Ratchet, forcing Clank to hand over the map; both are sent to Zordoom Prison.

Rivet discovers the truth about Kit.

As Rivet and Kit arrive, the Emperor inserts the map. Kit, knowing the truth will be revealed, transforms into her Warbot form, horrifying Rivet. Kit shoots the Dimensionator out of the Emperor's hand but is sucked into a rift (sent to Zordoom by Dr. Nefarious). Dr. Nefarious saves the Emperor, but the Emperor steals the Dimensionator back and sends the Doctor through a rift before leaving himself. Rivet, shellshocked, throws her robotic arm to the ground and leaves the planet.

Zordoom Prison

Rivet lands her ship on the outskirts of Zordoom Prison in a desperate solo mission to rescue her friends.

Rivet flies to Zordoom Prison on Viceron for a solo mission. She navigates the facility, finding many prisoners, including Resistance members, Goons-4-Less, and Space Pirates. The Emperor's Assistant is the new maniacal Warden. The Assistant orders Clank sent to incineration, but Rivet rescues him just in time. She frees all prisoners, including Phantom and Quantum. Phantom directs Rivet to Ratchet and Kit's priority cell, which is being moved. Rivet and Clank latch onto the cell.

Rivet catches back up to Ratchet and Kit's priority prisoner cell in Zordoom's West Wing V.I.P. area.

Rivet flatly reveals to a stunned Clank that Kit is the warbot who took her arm. Rivet deduces she needs to reach the Warden's Office to free them. Clank urges Rivet to try to forgive Kit, but Rivet is unsure. Rivet breaks into the Warden's Office, initiates a cell shutdown, and causes the main reactor to go critical. The Assistant escapes and reroutes power to the VIP section, sending in troopers. A massive prison riot ensues, with Goons and Pirates allying with Rivet. Ratchet and Kit's cell is transferred to Maximum Security.

The Goons and Pirates team up with Rivet to fight their Nefarious Trooper captors.

Rivet catches back up with the cell again. During the chase, Rivet, Ratchet, and Clank question a despondent Kit, who states she has no ideas. The prison announces a "giggle gas" protocol, causing Rivet to laugh uncontrollably before the effects wear off. Rivet fights off the Assistant's forces and destroys the Royal Guard Escorts. The Assistant is fired but angrily quits. Rivet reverses the cell transfer, freeing Ratchet and Kit. Phantom arrives piloting Rivet's ship.

Rivet and Kit bitterly dissolve their partnership.

Rivet and Kit talk; Kit, remorseful and self-loathing, decides to return to Savali. Rivet, frustrated by Kit's self-defeating attitude, bitterly tells Kit to hide as she wishes, asserting she doesn't need a partner. Rivet leaves with Ratchet, Clank, and Phantom.

Planning the final assault

Ratchet confronts Rivet about Kit and the two have an argument.

Rivet, Ratchet, Clank, and Phantom return to Zurkie's. Ratchet confronts a deeply frustrated Rivet about Kit, arguing that Rivet is acting out of fear and should not give up on Kit. Rivet lashes out, comparing Ratchet's fear of the Lombaxes to her own fear of Kit. They quickly apologize. Quantum reveals he knows how to find the Emperor.

The Emperor broadcasts his declaration to invade and conquer every dimension in existence.

The power is cut, and Emperor Nefarious broadcasts a declaration to conquer all dimensions, revealing a large war fleet assembled over Corson V. He thanks Dr. Nefarious by invading his home dimension first, creating an enormous rift to Megalopolis (Ratchet's dimension), which he intends to redub New Nefarious City. Dr. Nefarious is shocked and angered. Ratchet, Clank, Rivet, and their many allies (Resistance, Monks, Goons, Pirates) follow the Emperor's forces through the rift to Megalopolis.

Cross-dimensional invasion

Ratchet and Clank arrive in Megalopolis in the midst of the Emperor's invasion.

Ratchet and Clank fly into Megalopolis, finding it fragmented by dimensionally displaced structures. Rivet, riding Trudi, instructs Ratchet to distract Nefarious so she can grab the Dimensionator. Ratchet joins the Goons and Pirates fighting the Troopers. The Emperor deduces Ratchet and Clank are the dimension's heroes and creates a rift to disappear with the Doctor.

The Emperor emerges piloting his Imperial Power Suit.

Rivet sees the Emperor emerge in his enormous Imperial Power Suit. The Power Suit attacks Rivet with rift-based lasers. Rivet, with the Goons, attacks the monitors on the Suit's arms. Pierre and Quantum arrive with a kamikaze ship containing Ratchet, Clank, and Qwark. Ratchet steers the ship into the Suit's head, which has little effect. Ratchet continues fighting the mech with the Space Pirates, targeting the arm monitors and eyes.

Ratchet launches himself through the monks' rift and into the Suit's Heart Chamber.

Dr. Nefarious, enraged by the Emperor's lack of "artistry," snaps and furiously bellows that this is his dimension to rule. Ratchet and Clank are sucked into a rift and land in a debris field. Rivet informs them the Savali Monks can help. With the Suit blinded, the Monks stabilize a rift in its chest, allowing Ratchet to enter the heart chamber and destroy its power source, making the mech collapse.

Rivet and Kit prepare to fight the Emperor and his armies together.

Dr. Nefarious retrieves the Dimensionator but is punched and knocked off the wreckage by the Emperor, who takes the device back. The Emperor, in a rage, begins wildly firing the Dimensionator, creating thousands of rifts and calling in thousands of Troopers to surround Rivet. Suddenly, Kit, in Warbot form, flies down and destroys a Juggernaut. Kit apologizes to Rivet and declares she is done running. Rivet agrees to fight alongside her, instructing Kit to hold back the armies while she takes down the Emperor.

Rivet stops the Emperor from overclocking the Dimensionator and destroying the dimensions.

Rivet fights the hysterically raving Emperor, who proclaims his love and denies the reality is being torn apart. Kit fully denounces the Emperor. Left alone after their combined attack defeats the remaining Troopers, the Emperor begins to lose his mind, overclocking the Dimensionator to collapse all dimensions. Kit hurls Rivet through the air; Rivet strikes the Emperor with her hammer, knocking him down.

Rivet and Kit reconcile with eachother after the Emperor's defeat.

Ratchet, Clank, and Quantum catch the Dimensionator. Dr. Nefarious coldly asks the Emperor, "What do you know about winning?" before kicking his hand off a ledge, sending him into the rift below. The Doctor is then pinned by the falling Power Suit wreckage. Ratchet holds the Dimensionator for Clank, who reverses the damage, closing the rifts and repairing the dimensions. Kit and Rivet reconcile, and Kit proposes they continue to be a team, which Rivet happily accepts. Ratchet, Clank, Rivet, and Kit decide to make one final stop before returning to their respective dimensions.

Ending Credits

Clank receives a new replacement arm to match Rivet's.

Ratchet, Clank, Rivet, and Kit are celebrated in Megalopolis. At Zurkie's, Clank receives a new yellow replacement arm, matching Rivet's. A news report shows Rivet and Kit (in Warbot form) pulling down a giant statue of the Emperor in Nefarious City, marking its liberation.

Dr. Nefarious ends his brief stint as Emperor and visits his assistant Lawrence's family, doting on their newborn robot child. On Sargasso, Trudi is seen flying with her newborn offspring (Rivet had earlier fed her Zurpstone and learned of her pregnancy).

Gary and his father the Plumber looking through their book of universal knowledge together.

Gary and his father, the Plumber, catalogue the events in their book of universal knowledge, which shows Zurkie, Ms. Zurkon, and Zurkon Jr. celebrating after fighting Troopers at the Battleplex. On Savali, the Goons-4-Less and Monks teach each other (goons learn meditation, monks learn bodybuilding). In Rivet's homebase, she hangs a new picture of herself, Ratchet, Clank, Kit, and the Morts, next to her Resistance friends (Quantum, Moydoy, Clatchkey).

Ratchet, Clank and Talwyn looking through the returned Dimensional Map in the Archives.

Ratchet introduces Rivet, Clank, and Kit to Glitch, the nano-systems IT bot who destroyed the Zeta Master Virus, halting the virus spread. The Emperor's Assistant is chased out of the Emperor's office by Ms. Zurkon and Phantom while attempting to usurp power. On Ardolis, Bubbles the kraken holds Quantum's helmet, and Pierre throws an Emperor Nefarious statuette into a feeding pit.

Talwyn Apogee accompanies Ratchet and Clank to the Savali Archives to return the Dimensional Map. Ratchet looks into the map's holographic viewscreens, seeing Rivet and Kit helping Gary and the Monks fix the damage to the Archives, which has regained its defensive walking capability.

On the debris of Blizar Prime, the Fixer is seen repairing the planet piece by piece, accompanied by the "Mysterious Stranger" (the Chief Engineer from Rivet's dimension) and her Science Bots. Qwark and Quantum try out heroic poses. Rivet and Kit look through the Emperor's record collection, laughing at the cover for "Join Me at the Top," a song the Emperor forced Dr. Nefarious to sing a duet with him.

Ratchet, Clank, Rivet and Kit use the Dimensionator to travel to one more destination in the final scene of Rift Apart.

Junk Bot of the abandoned Cordelion station happily greets benevolent members of Juice's species. Back at Zurkie's, Ratchet, Clank, Rivet, and Kit dance and celebrate. Chef Tulio and the Sous Chef serve the Chief Engineer and miners on the unknown Blizar Prime. Finally, Ratchet powers up the Dimensionator; he, Clank, Rivet, and Kit jump into the rift, their destination unknown.

Development

Background

Rift Apart was built from the ground up for PlayStation 5, and directed by Insomniac Creative Director Marcus Smith, who had previously directed Sunset Overdrive and Resistance 3.

In the announcement trailer, Ratchet and Clank are seen running through rifts that take them through several planets, including alternate reality versions of Sargasso, Torren IV, Ardolis, as well as a city named Megalopolis. The Goons-4-Less and a giant hologram of Dr. Nefarious are also seen, as well as Rivet, a female lombax. The scenes depicted in this trailer differ from those of the final game.

The PlayStation 5's increased horsepower allowed more enemies, effects, and objects to be loaded per world, as Insomniac intended for each planet to feel real and alive than was possible on previous generations. The Solid State Drive of the PlayStation 5 also allowed gameplay in which players could be projected to other worlds at near-instantaneous speed, creating the first Ratchet & Clank with no load screens between planets. The PlayStation 5 also allowed for 3D spatial audio, creating greater immersion.

On the 11 of February in 2021 the release date of June 11 in the same year was revealed on the PlayStation website blog. It also included information on the game's pre-orders for the Standard Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition. The former includes a graphically remastered version of the carbonox armor from Going Commando (for both Ratchet and Rivet), as well as the Pixelizer (also visually improved) from Ratchet & Clank (2016 game). The Digital Deluxe edition contains, aside from the full game, five armor sets (four plus the carbonox armor), a sticker pack for the new Photo Mode, 20 Raritanium used to upgrade weapons, and a digital soundtrack and artbook. Standard editions of Rift Apart will offer players the option to upgrade to the deluxe edition from the title menu for an additional cost, granting them all of the aforementioned bonus content.

Most of the voice actors from previous games, such as James Arnold Taylor as Ratchet, David Kaye as Clank, and Armin Shimerman as Dr. Nefarious, reprise their roles in Rift Apart. The only longtime voice actor who did not reprise his role was Jim Ward, who voiced Captain Qwark, as he developed complications of precocious Alzheimer's Disease and COVID-19 in 2021, which forced him to retire from voice acting. His new voice actor is Scott Whyte.

Early script (Ratchet & Clank: Eternal)

In an early draft of Rift Apart, the game went under the working title of Ratchet & Clank: Eternal. The Dimensionator is notably not part of the plot, and its role is instead filled by a device known as the Universal Remote. Many elements from this draft were restructured into what would be in the final game. In an unused announcement of the game by Qwark, the premise was described as follows: "When a villain from a parallel universe invades our dimension, Ratchet and Clank are forced out of retirement to save the day. But our dynamic duo are torn apart when Ratchet accidently swaps places with his alternate dimension self. And this version of Ratchet is a little different. Both Ratchets and Clank must work together across space and time to get back home before the inevitable collapse of all dimensions. Ratchet & Clank: Eternal sends our heroes on a wild ride between two wildly different dimensions, popping players back and forth between universes instantaneously."

Malori's unfinished model.

In Ratchet and Clank's dimension, a cosmic event of universal unity known as the Celestial Alignment is taking place, with a celebration on Corson V, which is attended by Ratchet and Clank, where they end up in a battle with Dr. Nefarious. In a parallel dimension, Emperor Nefarious rules the universe, where he has replaced all organic life with robots, and out of boredom, seeks to break into more dimensions to repeat the process. At the Emperor's behest, his ingenious robotic assistant, Malori (Clank's counterpart), creates the Universal Remote (which the Emperor takes credit for), allowing him to break down the walls between dimensions to invade Ratchet and Clank's universe next.

Clark's unfinished model.

The Remote's power materializes in the Corson V of Ratchet's dimension as an energy field, and Ratchet, Clank and Dr. Nefarious are caught in it, blasting them back miles. Ratchet and Rivet end up swapping universes, and Ratchet breaks the Remote with his Wrench in an attempt to stop it, the same as Rivet simultaneously attempts to, causing them and the pieces of the Remote to be scattered across both dimensions. After the Remote's explosion, Ratchet is captured by Nefarious Troopers and thrown into Zordoom Prison, where his cellmate helps him escape. At some point, Ratchet creates a crude scrap version of Clank he names Clark to be his co-pilot. At another point, he sees an ad for Zurkie's Gastropub and Slaughterplex and goes there.

Ratchet travels to Savali to find a Remote piece, and meets Malori, who is also looking for the pieces. She confides that she hates the Emperor and is trying to stop his plans, and helps Ratchet in his quest to find the pieces of the Remote. She also explains that the rare crystal used to power the Remote can be found on Blizar Prime. They go to the planet Molonoth to get help in reconstructing the Remote, and find that Nefarious has shattered the planet to stop them, but luckily the planet is covered in tears to Ratchet's dimension where it is intact.

Unfinished model of Rivet's early design.

Clank wakes up damaged in a junkpile from the blast and meets Rivet, who repairs him. Rivet's aversion to robots is still present, but she is not used to seeing organic life, and is shocked to see so much in Ratchet's universe. She works with Clank to recover the pieces of the Remote from across the dimension, leading them to Sargasso to get the Remote's casing before Nefarious. Rivet starts to trust Clank and opens up to him about her past and how she lost her arm. They later trail the Emperor to Krell Canyon and steal another piece from him, then join Ratchet and Malori at Kedaro Station to power up the rebuilt Remote.

Unfinished model of the Clank backpack.

The team fight together against Emperor Nefarious and seemingly defeat him for good, during which Clank is cornered by a horde of robots and is badly injured as Ratchet rushes to save him. Clank's body is destroyed and he is reduced to a head, requiring Rivet to now transport him inside of a backpack. At some point later, using parts Rivet stole from Molonoth, Ratchet builds Clank a new body, and surprises him with it. Malori seizes control with the Emperor now gone, and it is revealed she is going to take on his plan for herself, for her intended good cause of bringing everyone together as robots, believing she can do it successfully and will not let anyone get in her way. They try to talk her out of it, but she refuses and uses the Remote to transport them back to Zurkie's.

To stop Malori, Ratchet, Clank and Rivet gather allies from across the universe to help fight Malori's army, including the robot space pirates on Ardolis, the miners on Sargasso, and locals at Krell Canyon and Savali. At some point, Zurkie and Dr. Nefarious are both thrown into Zordoom as cellmates, and the Doctor begs to help Ratchet and Clank, as he does not want to be under Malori's rule, and they accept before fighting their way back to Zurkie's. Rivet and Clank go to Molonoth and shut down Malori's robot factory, where Clank saves Rivet, and they return to Zurkie's. Wanting to shut down the Emperor's organization from the inside, Malori became corrupted by his code instead. Clank cleans out the corruption that has made Malori evil by rebooting her, and she and Rivet form a bond and go on their own adventures. In the end, Malori modifies Clark to keep the walls between the dimensions open, allowing organics and robots to now live together in harmony.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack contains the music that is featured in the game. It was composed by Mark Mothersbaugh and Wataru Hokoyama, and released on June 9, 2021 with 20 tracks.

#	Song title	Length
1	Rift Apart	3:19
2	Festival of Heroes	3:54
3	A Most Nefarious City	4:06
4	Sweet Home Sargasso	4:08
5	Ride Through the Omniverse	2:16
6	Ode to Nefarious	1:58
7	Meet Me at Zurkie's	3:00
8	Urfdah Mesa Major	3:34
9	Blizar Prime'd and Ready	4:47
10	Molonoth Means Paradise	4:44

#	Song title	Length
11	Cascading Entropic Fissure	4:02
12	A Tale of Two Cordelions	5:01
13	Glitch in the System	3:05
14	A Late Arrival	2:10
15	The Battle for Sargasso	1:49
16	Urfdah Mesa Minor	1:41
17	Y'Ardolis	3:53
18	Zordoom and Gloom	4:03
19	Culmination at Corson V	5:36
20	Join Me at the Top	2:29

Reception

Aggregator	Score
OpenCritic	88 (based on top critics' reviews) and 95% (recommended by a total of 197 critics)
Metacritic	88 (based on 136 reviews)
Publication	Score
Easy Allies	8.5/10
Electronic Gaming Monthly	5/5
Game Informer	9/10
GamesRadar+	5/5
GameSpot	9/10
IGN	9/10

Rift Apart received highly positive reviews. Critics praised the visuals, the introduction and writing of Rivet, and the refined gameplay mechanics. Most of the praise focused on the game as a strong showcase of PlayStation 5 hardware, as critics were most impressed by the SSD's fast loading between levels, the DualSense making weapons feel different, and the graphical fidelity and high performance the hardware provided. As an adventure in its own right, it was commended for its heartfelt and humorous story, the weapons, and the traversal mechanics, though some critics noted that some of the side missions were poorer than core gameplay. Rachel Weber, writing for GamesRadar+, called it the "best Ratchet and Clank adventure yet".

Rift Apart was noted for taking advantage of the PlayStation 5 hardware. Andrew Reiner, writing for Game Informer, praised the graphics at both its Fidelity and Performance RT modes (while recommending Performance RT), calling the game a "visual dynamo that lights up the screen with cluttered sci-fi cityscapes, colorful aliens, and intricately detailed texturing". Weber, of GamesRadar+ agreed, saying the game deserves the "like a Pixar movie" comparison, and looks pristine even with a high-speed pace. Weber also mentioned finding collectibles by accident after wandering around to take in more of the scenery. Praise also went towards the use of the SSD for fast loading. Steve Watts, writing for GameSpot, said the lack of load times made the game feel "feel cinematic and harmonious in a natural, unselfconscious way". He also said the DualSense controller made a significant difference in how the weapons felt, helping the functionality feel "more impactful than a mere gimmick". Weber also said the use of the DualSense in Rift Apart was "a great exhibit A in my campaign to convince the world" of the controller's merits.

The story also received a positive reaction, with many comments focused on Rivet's character. Jonathon Dornbush, writing for IGN, said Rivet's distinctive personality made her feel like more than a gender-swap of Ratchet, calling her one of Insomniac's best-written characters and praising Jennifer Hale's performance. Dornbush said that she, and other new characters, were so indelible that it was "hard to imagine the series without them", but also said the old characters felt fresh. Watts of GameSpot agreed, highlighting voice actress Jennifer Hale's portrayal of self-doubt and loneliness while maintaining her "heroic determination", and called Rivet the real star of the game and a "fantastic addition to the larger Ratchet & Clank universe". Weber more broadly said that Rift Apart had evolved the series' storytelling, and said it was the first game in the series she had engaged with emotionally.

Reaction to the core gameplay was positive. Most critics highlighted the Topiary Sprinkler as a standout weapon, and praise also went to the traversal mechanics. Watts of GameSpot praised the newly introduced Phantom Dash and Rift Tether for combining well with Ratchet & Clank mainstays to allow for "breathless, harrowing setpieces" in platforming segments, and for being fun to use during combat. Goroff of EGM also praised the use of the hoverboots, saying that their smoothness and ease of use made other ground-level traversal systems in gaming feel "pedestrian" by comparison.

Critics were more divided on the game's secondary gameplay, with Clank and Glitch's missions receiving a positive reaction while the mount riding sections were criticized. Dornbush of IGN felt that moments spent riding mounts were the only times the game lost momentum. Conversely, he felt that the Clank puzzles were successful in making the player feel clever while not being too challenging, and said that Glitch's segments were fun due to Glitch's personality. Watts of GameStop agreed, saying that riding Trudi felt "sluggish and temperamental" in comparison to Ratchet and Rivet while noting these segments were short enough to not detract too much from the overall experience, and praised the puzzle gameplay of Clank and Glitch.

Gallery

Logo

Japanese cover of Ratchet & Clank: Parallel Trouble.

Key art