A new trailer for Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart puts the spotlight squarely on the planets in the game, and they look gorgeous. I’m genuinely blown away by what Insomniac Games has been able to do with these areas, especially considering that we’ll probably be able to explore every nook and cranny. There are brand new planets to explore, new versions of planets from the series, and even alternate dimensions. There’s a lot to unpack in this, so I want to take an article to look at what this could all mean for us, the players.
With the new and old planets, I think Insomniac Games is doing something really clever. It’s giving fans something they want, a bit of service and referencing the older games, but it’s also providing brand new locations to explore. There will always be a section of the fan base that just wants new stuff, and that’s fine because it’s here. I believe that we’ll be introduced to old mechanics and tutorials on the older planets, and the new planets will be where the bulk of brand new stuff happens. This is where we’ll be tasked with using all the new weapons and abilities the most. I don’t see the developer messing around too much with the older planets, but I could be wrong.
As for the alternate dimensions, I think these will be new versions of every planet that players can access after the game’s story is finished. It’ll add a new layer of challenge to every planet, and give players something to work towards if they want 100% completion. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time did this, and it pretty much doubled that game’s content. I was a big fan of it, but mainly because it adds so much more value for money. That’s something that I think resonates with other people, and will ultimately be a big draw of this latest Ratched and Clank entry. Hopefully, the worlds are big enough and enjoyable enough that they live up to the expectations around this game. It would be a crying shame if they didn’t and we were left with a mess.
