Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

[paul]

A new console dimension
[...] "Part of the reason we wanted to add dimensionality as a theme is, it's wide open. This is one of the few franchises that can get away with doing anything. We can basically do whatever we want. And being able to transport players nearly instantaneously, which is a huge, new feature of the PlayStation 5, that was something that we were aiming to do and really capitalise on. And I will say, even hearing about how fast it was, I was blown away when we saw how fast it actually was." [...]

"What you don't get to see, of course, is that you can also feel this [rift] coming [with the PS5 DualSense controller] – like, the energy of a portal is sort of its own unique sensation. You get a sense of the distance of it, because the haptics add so much sort of texture to that experience," adds game director Mike Daly. "And the same goes for 3D spatial audio. Basically, you know, all the other new channels of feedback we have, reinforce this notion that you are passing through this portal."

Alt-dimension Ratchet?
[...] "[Previously], we were trying to tell this story that revolved around, you know, strengthening these two heroes, who are basically diametrically opposed. They don't see eye to eye on anything, but they're better together," says Smith. "And we really wanted to make sure that we had a message about that – that these are, you know, tumultuous times, and people need to have more empathy, and see past each other's differences to make sure that we're made stronger together, right? It's the overarching message of the franchise."

"And with Rift Apart, we're trying to tell a story that involved seeing another version of these characters, who have never really become the heroes that they could be. So we immediately started talking about this duality of multiple dimensions. And then, of course, we already had this device from the franchise that does what we need it to do. So we've spun a yard that incorporates the Dimensionator."

"And, it helps a lot that the Dimensionator adds so much to Ratchet's story" adds Daly, "because it gives us a lot of intriguing clips to drive that character forward and let him grow."

Interestingly, from talking about the story, Smith seemingly suggests that the female (and, as of writing, unnamed) Lombax may actually be a Ratchet from another dimension, thus creating a kind of Ratchet and Clank multiverse. You could read into the fact that at the end of the gameplay trailer, the female Lombax doesn't question for a moment who Clank is, but rather questions why he's calling her Ratchet. Of course, go deep into the lore and canonically female Lombax don't have tails, whereas our new playable heroine does.

"I will say that in the dimension that Ratchet is from and that we are used to, that very well could be a rule of Lombax physiology," laughs Smith when I ask him about it, although he says the team isn't ready to start talking about the intricacies of her character or how she'll play just yet. [...]

Insomniac is also utilising various features of the new DualSense PS5 controller to add more dimensions to its weapons. From being able to control the individual shotgun round releases with a half- or full-trigger press, to the additional haptic control, Daly and Smith both joke that "it feels like the PS5 controller was designed with Ratchet and Clank weapons in mind".

"The fact that we can layer haptics as a new channel of feedback over everything, all parts of core gameplay stand up," explains Daly. "For example, for traversal, now you get this extra layer of feedback when you attach to a grind rail or switch, or if there's a huge car incoming. You get that extra layer of feedback when you swing on a swing shot. You can sort of feel his acceleration, and the wind blowing past. It just gives you an enhanced sense of velocity that you don't fully realise just from the visuals and the audio. So it enhances traversal, and it greatly enhances weapons. It enhances the UI – just all parts of it feel a little bit better than they ever have before, just thanks to this new, ever-present thing." [...]

Inside Ratchet and Clank: A Rift Apart PS5 support, biggest new features, and the mysterious new female Lombax | GamesRadar+