For a series that used to be defined by a singular blend of tongue in cheek cynicism and genuine sincerity, it's incredibly disappointing to see the latest title continue the series' trend of removing any personality. Characters are stale and lifeless, never changing or developing throughout the 12 hour campaign. Any conflict between characters is resolved within ~30 minutes (I won't spoil, but Rivet has an argument with one of the characters in the late game and it is laughable how little this third act conflict affects anything). Rivet is the biggest missed opportunity here; there were so many interesting directions to explore but instead, they opt for making her a copy of Ratchet. There are a few lines of dialogue alluding to the idea of her isolated lifestyle causing problems when it comes to working with others but nothing comes of this. Ratchet gets it even worse than Rivet, as he doesn't even get an under cooked conflict or really any development at all. There's a few minutes in the second act dedicated to him being scared of connection but, again, this amounts to nothing. There are no peripheral characters that leave an impression, unlike the original games which were stuffed with entertaining side characters. These games used to be cutting and use humor to discuss (admittedly basic) ideas about consumerism, but none of that is here now.

It's not all bad though. In fact, a lot of it is excellent. Pacing is swift as you hop from planet to planet with a real sense of urgency. The vast selection of weapons allows you to approach combat in a multitude of ways, especially when the harder difficulties force you to think quickly about your strategy (it's miles better than the 'jump and shoot' formula of Ratchet and Clank 2016). The game is stunning, with every world given a richness by the astonishing attention to detail. Set pieces rival Naughty Dog at times with their grandeur and cinematic style. I love everything that isn't the story and writing, which is what makes this all the more frustrating.