Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

This is as much a technical marvel (taking advantage of what the PS5 is capable of) as it is a well-crafted single-player adventure. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has strong story and emotion, impressive graphics/animation and voice acting, and great pacing. Aside from a relatively short experience (and no multiplayer mode) and a couple of glitches that will no doubt be ironed out, this is a welcome addition to the franchise, and a stellar action/platformer for those new to the series. Without giving away too much, adding a likable female character like Rivet is a great idea. Rivet adds another "dimension," if you can pardon the pun, in both gameplay and in the story. (Previously, we thought Ratchet was the last of the Lombax species in the galaxy.) There's also more to the story surrounding each planet, which makes the universe feel deeper, too. You'll meet some memorable characters, with a few twists thrown in. Controlling Ratchet and Rivet feels great with the PS5's DualSense wireless controller. The Ricochet, for example, was inspired by pinball, and you can feel the silver ball as it pops up next to an enemy, bounces off its head, and potentially strikes other enemies in a combo attack based off your timing. The game runs at a smooth 60 frames per second and loads fast, switching between gameplay and cutscene quickly and seamlessly. Some of the set pieces are huge, while up close the detail is amazing, like the fur on Ratchet and Rivet's bodies. Gamers will no doubt enjoy the new weapons added, along with some new gravity-defying moves performed by Ratchet and Rivet with their enjoyable wall running. Plus, Clank still has his more puzzle-centric levels, too, which breaks up the gameplay nicely.

The game can be finished in a weekend, though, which might not be enough meat for some, after shelling out $69. There's no multiplayer, and it's a pretty linear adventure, so there's little replayability. That said, the more you play, you more you can access various planets and portals (in a desired order), and other goodies pop up. There's also an unlockable Challenge mode once you complete the main game (as with past Ratchet & Clank titles, it lets you play the story again while retaining all weapons with any upgrades and mods, and more), as well as a Photo mode. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is an extraordinary solo adventure that gets it mostly right. It's super fun, offers responsive controls, and is ideal for most players. It has humor and heart and intense third-person gameplay, and it's a stellar example of PS5's technical prowess.