Now I'll never unsee that Ratchet & Clank and Spider-Man use the same UI design.
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The above anecdote may be a joke on my end but I feel it is a good indication just which Insomniac studio has developed Rift Apart. It is definitely not the up-and-comer miracle workers of the PS2 era who had edge to their narrative style but were also onto something unique with their peers, Naughty Dog and Sucker Punch. Then again nor is it the PS3 and early PS4 era who were all heart but struggled to find true footing in an industry on the brink of the AAA-Indie schism. The Insomniac developing Rift Apart has also delivered 2 Spider-Man games by the time the latest R&C game was finalising and with Spider-Man2 out the door to critical acclaim, they are confidently in the big leagues now.
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Although the above career has done wonders for their presentation, technology and balance in target demographic, I am not entirely sure it has served them well when it comes to their legacy franchise.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a finely tuned, polished, shiny game. It looks amazing, it smells amazing, it runs amazing, it controls amazing but somehow it feels as thought this should not be the natural evolution of a collectathon, action-adventure then platformer, now shooter with platforming elements. The planets are GORGEUS but lack exploration. The story is once again, finally getting there but it just lacks (fur)balls and ends up being pretty by the numbers. The weapons once again show inventiveness but don't really push you out of the comfort zone. The money and the polish came with caveats. The hook: the gameplay is the BEST it has ever been and the series looks the best it ever looked, but the edges ... the history and grit has only lip-service here and no function.
I do hope this iteration of Insomniac will find the golden ratio for the current state of Ratchet & Clank and judging by how S-M2 hit the ground running and how divine it feels to play all current Insomniac games, I maintain high hopes.
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The above anecdote may be a joke on my end but I feel it is a good indication just which Insomniac studio has developed Rift Apart. It is definitely not the up-and-comer miracle workers of the PS2 era who had edge to their narrative style but were also onto something unique with their peers, Naughty Dog and Sucker Punch. Then again nor is it the PS3 and early PS4 era who were all heart but struggled to find true footing in an industry on the brink of the AAA-Indie schism. The Insomniac developing Rift Apart has also delivered 2 Spider-Man games by the time the latest R&C game was finalising and with Spider-Man2 out the door to critical acclaim, they are confidently in the big leagues now.
-
Although the above career has done wonders for their presentation, technology and balance in target demographic, I am not entirely sure it has served them well when it comes to their legacy franchise.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a finely tuned, polished, shiny game. It looks amazing, it smells amazing, it runs amazing, it controls amazing but somehow it feels as thought this should not be the natural evolution of a collectathon, action-adventure then platformer, now shooter with platforming elements. The planets are GORGEUS but lack exploration. The story is once again, finally getting there but it just lacks (fur)balls and ends up being pretty by the numbers. The weapons once again show inventiveness but don't really push you out of the comfort zone. The money and the polish came with caveats. The hook: the gameplay is the BEST it has ever been and the series looks the best it ever looked, but the edges ... the history and grit has only lip-service here and no function.
I do hope this iteration of Insomniac will find the golden ratio for the current state of Ratchet & Clank and judging by how S-M2 hit the ground running and how divine it feels to play all current Insomniac games, I maintain high hopes.