Rift Apart is the latest game in the Ratchet & Clank series, which sees its two protagonists transported to another dimension where some things are the same but much has changed. One of the biggest changes is the introduction of Rivet, an alternate version of Ratchet from this strange new universe.
While they may not look the same, comparing Ratchet to Rivet will reveal many similarities as well. While they are versions of the same character, Rivet's timeline has a wildly different history that has lead to her developing her own unique personality. Throughout the game, players will control both Rivet and the series' original protagonist as they jump between dimensions in their quest to stop Dr. Nefarious.
10 Her Announcement Caused A Lot Of Speculation
Fans were first introduced to Rivet in the trailer for Rift Apart. At first, little was known about this new character except she appeared to be a female Lombax without an equivalent for Clank.
Rivet's announcement generated a lot of speculation amongst fans of the series, especially around her name which was not revealed at the time. One nickname that caught on amongst players was Rachette, after her male counterpart. Another popular name chosen by fans was Mallet after Rivet's signature weapon of a large hammer.
9 She Isn't The Only Female Lombax In The Series
The developers of Rift Apart put a lot of work into designing Rivet, but she wasn't the first female Lombax to appear in the series. Angela Cross first appeared in the game Going Commando, and has been mentioned by name in other titles, not only is she a lady Lombax, but she also looks very different to Rivet.
Angela shares Ratchet's furry ears, but she also looks far more human without her tail. The creators of Rivet, on the other hand, decided to make her look less like a human woman, and more like a Lombax with a tail bigger than Ratchets and ears to match.
8 Her Voice Actor Has Featured In Many Other Games
One of the best parts about Rivet as a character is her dialogue lines. She has all the quick-witted suavity of Ratchet, while also retaining her own personality traits and quirks.
Rivet's excellent voice lines are the work of Jennifer Hale, a voice actor who has worked on numerous other games. Hale's previous works include the female voice for Commander Shepphard from Mass Effect. According to an interview she did with Game ZXC, Jennifer Hale stated that she enjoyed bringing Rivet to life and hoped to see her feature in other games in the future.
Jennifer Hale Has Also Appeared As:
- Bastila Shan In Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
- Samus Aran In The Metroid Prime Trilogy
- Various Characters In Baldur's Gate
7 Her Planet Was Featured In Tools Of Destruction
Sargasso was a planet originally inhabited by Lombax's. Ratchet himself visited the planet in search of a mighty weapon called the Dimensionator during the previous game Tools of Destruction.
Ironically Rift Apart begins with Clank repairing the Dimensionator, causing the accident that sends him hurtling into another reality. This ancient Lombax world is hasn't changed much in Rivet's dimension and she seems to be the only Lombax left on the abandoned world. The primordial swampland is still filled with hostile Grunthors, killing 5 of which will award a special trophy.
6 She Built Her Own Prosthetic Arm
Rivet joined the resistance movement from a young age, aiding Captain Quantum in his battle to unseat the tyrannical Emperor Nefarious (the interdimensional counterpart to Dr. Nefarious but more successful). Unfortunately, she attempted to sneak into the emperor's tower alone and lost her right arm as a result.
Much like Ratchet, Rivet is a skilled mechanic and after losing her arm, she was able to build herself a robotic replacement. Her proficiency with robotics is ironic considering how her limb was lost in the first place...
5 Rivet Has An Innate Distrust Of Robots
When Clank falls through the dimensional rift at the beginning of the game, he finds himself damaged and alone on an alternate version of Sargasso. Rivet is the first to discover him and upon meeting Clank she is immediately suspicious of his story.
The reason for Rivet's distrust of Clank is rooted in how she lost her arm. When attempting a solo mission into the tower of Emperor Nefarious, her right arm was blown off by a security robot. Rivet still suffers PTSD from this incident and as a result is very cautious of all robots, including Clank.
4 Her Dimension Has Its Own Version Of Rusty Pete
Rusty Pete is another character featured in the game Tools Of Destruction where he was a space pirate trying to steal the fabled Lombax secret.
In Rift Apart, Rivet's dimension has its own version of this swashbuckling robot called Pierre Le Fer. Much like Ratchet and Pete, Rivet and Pierre have a love-hate relationship, to say the least. The robot pirate acts as Rivet's informant, selling her useful information for a price, but that doesn't stop them fighting it out during the course of the game. After saving Pierre's life, he will award players with the Map-o-Matic.
3 At One Point Her Character Was Going To Be Much Closer To Ratchet's...
Being the first game to continue the main series since the 2016 reboot, Rift Apart had high expectations to fulfill. The game had a long development where many ideas were proposed that didn't make it into the final release.
When first discussing the idea of a story about alternate dimensions, the developers considered just having two copies of Ratchet. This idea was abandoned as the developers said in an interview that it felt too much like "a cheap soap opera". Instead, it was agreed to use the multiple dimensions as a chance to explore how Ratchet would have been if he had had a very different past where he never met Clank.
2 ... And Then They Were Very Different
Once the developers agreed to make the alternate Ratchet a separate character with their own attributes, they began working on designing Rivet. As well as her aesthetic differences there were also plans to make her play differently than her male counterpart.
The team behind designing Rivet went through numerous ideas on how to differentiate the two protagonists, including different inputs and abilities for each character. However, while this could have been an interesting direction to take, the creators decided that they didn't want to risk players preferring one character over the other because of better or worse controls. As such both Ratchet and Rivet can use all the abilities and best weapons in the game, allowing players to have equal fun with both the new protagonist and the old one.
1 Both Ratchet And Rivet Share The Same Dream
If there is one thing that connects the two main characters of Rift Apart, it is their shared ambition to find another member of their species. While Ratchet has met Angela Cross, Rivet has yet to meet another Lombax.
This shared desire for kinship also highlights the biggest difference between Ratchet and Rivet, which is their circumstances. While Ratchet still lives in a galaxy free from tyranny, in Rivet's dimension Nefarious has already won. Ratchet's dimensional twin doesn't even have her own clank to keep her company, and Rivet's voice lines make it very apparent that underneath her hard exterior she is very lonely.