Next week will see the launch of the long-awaited Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on the PlayStation 5. By the looks of it, the game will faithfully translate the Ratchet & Clank series gameplay to the new console, retaining the 3D platforming and action-packed third-person shooting that has defined the series since its start on the PlayStation 2. But while Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart looks like a typical Ratchet & Clank game from a gameplay perspective, it is doing some surprising things with the story that should help set it apart.
In Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, the titular Ratchet and Clank find themselves in a dimension parallel to their own and are separated from one another during the course of the story. Clank meets a female Lombax named Rivet, who could very well be that dimension's version of Ratchet. While Clank and Rivet team up to explore various alien planets together, Ratchet finds himself flying solo and has to adapt without Clank's abilities at his disposal.
The introduction of a brand new playable Lombax is quite the departure from previous Ratchet & Clank games, and to some, so too could be the splitting up of Ratchet and Clank. However, those who have played the previous games in the series may remember that this is actually far from the first time that the duo have been separated. In fact, Ratchet and Clank have found themselves separated on more than one occasion, sometimes for more than one game in a row.
The Original Series
For the most part, Ratchet and Clank are inseparable in the original Ratchet & Clank trilogy on the PlayStation 2. Clank is on Ratchet's back and pretty much never leaves ever since the two meet at the start of the very first Ratchet & Clank game. However, there are some times throughout the original trilogy where the duo are indeed separated. In the first Ratchet & Clank game, their relationship isn't nearly as friendly, leading to some friction between the two, and in Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, Clank finds himself kidnapped and needing Ratchet to save him.
Some of the Ratchet & Clank spinoff games that are part of the original series also saw Ratchet and Clank split up. In the combat-focused Ratchet: Deadlocked, Ratchet has to go through the entire game without Clank, as Clank is in more of a support role during the events of that game. And in Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters on the PlayStation Portable, there is a segment where Ratchet and Clank are separated, with Clank having to transform into a giant mech to save his friend.
The Secret Agent Clank PSP game may not be considered part of the original series, but it's also notable for having the heroes separated. In this game, Ratchet is in prison, whereas Clank is out trying to clear his name. Clank's stages are a mix of typical Ratchet & Clank action mixed with stealth sections and mini-games, whereas Ratchets levels play like the various gladiator arenas from past Ratchet & Clank games.
Future Series
When Ratchet & Clank made the jump to the PlayStation 3, it kicked off a new storyline known as the Future saga. This saga is notable for putting a bigger emphasis on storytelling and cohesion from one Ratchet & Clank game to the next, and it's also noticeable for keeping the titular heroes separate for an extended period of time. At the end of Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Clank finds himself whisked away by the mysterious Zoni creatures, leaving Ratchet clueless as to his friend's whereabouts.
The next game in the series, Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, is a short PSN game where Ratchet spends the entire time trying to figure out Clank's location. The game ends with Ratchet getting a lead on Clank's whereabouts, and that leads directly into the events of Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time. Though Ratchet now knows where Clank is, they still spend nearly the entire game completely separate from one another.
Ratchet and Clank's separation leads to some unique gameplay opportunities in A Crack in Time. Whereas Ratchet levels are more traditional Ratchet & Clank stages, Clank's levels are more about platforming and puzzle-solving. While the puzzle-solving bit may have not been all that popular with every Ratchet & Clank fan, there's no denying that it helped A Crack in Time have more variety than most games in the series.
By the end of Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, the two heroes are once again reunited, and players are able to complete some stages as both Ratchet and Clank. The two continue to have various adventures in subsequent Ratchet & Clank installments, though it seems as though they will once again find themselves split from each other in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. One has to imagine that they will reunite at some point in the game's story, so it will be interesting to see exactly how they get to that point.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart launches June 11, exclusively for the PlayStation 5.
