Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on PC is a third-person action-adventure platformer with shooter mechanics, exploration, puzzles, and dimension-hopping set pieces. The current Steam and Epic Games Store listings use the same official name, so "Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart" remains a common search variation rather than a verified rebrand, legacy edition, or replacement product.

Developed by Insomniac Games with the PC version handled by Nixxes Software, the game is published by PlayStation Publishing LLC. Its standalone story makes it accessible to newcomers while still connecting to long-running Ratchet & Clank characters and ideas.

Third-Person Combat With Platforming Momentum

The main loop alternates between shooting, traversal, collectible hunting, environmental puzzles, and story scenes. Ratchet and Rivet move through colorful planets while fighting robotic forces, dimensional creatures, and larger boss encounters.

Combat is built around a flexible arsenal rather than a single primary weapon. The Burst Pistol provides reliable ranged damage, while tools such as the Shatterbomb and Topiary Sprinkler create different tactical options during crowded encounters.

Weapons gain experience through use, and Raritanium upgrades let players improve individual properties inside a branching upgrade grid. This gives the action a light progression layer without turning Rift Apart into a conventional role-playing game.

Ratchet and Rivet share the same broad combat language, but they are separate playable Lombax characters with different story roles. Switching between them follows the campaign structure rather than functioning as a free character-selection system.

Traversal is equally important. Players jump, hover, wall-run, boost, rail-grind, and use dimensional tools to cross gaps or reach optional paths. The movement is forgiving enough for newcomers, but hidden areas and collectibles reward players who inspect each planet instead of following the critical route.

Rifts, Alternate Worlds, and Clank Puzzles

The defining mechanic is the ability to pull Ratchet or Rivet through dimensional rifts during combat and exploration. These portals can reposition the character, expose new routes, or create a sudden change in battlefield layout.

Rifts are not simply a fast-travel system. They are integrated into the level design, allowing players to cross an arena quickly, escape pressure, or move toward a combat advantage. The result is a more mobile form of third-person shooting than a cover-based shooter usually provides.

The game also visits alternate versions of familiar locations alongside entirely new planets. These environments use contrasting enemy groups, traversal challenges, and visual themes, helping the campaign maintain variety without becoming an open-ended sandbox.

Clank puzzles provide a slower counterpoint to the gunplay. They focus on arranging dimensional objects and guiding energy through a logical space, while other sequences use Clank's interdimensional mechanics to explore cause, effect, and parallel outcomes.

Players who prefer puzzle-led third-person platforming can compare the environmental manipulation in Rift Apart with storybook action platformers such as Moss: The Forgotten Relic, although Moss places much more emphasis on guided puzzle solving and much less on explosive weapon combat.

Story Structure and Playable Characters

The campaign follows Ratchet and Clank after a dimensional crisis gives the villain Doctor Nefarious an opportunity to conquer alternate realities. The story introduces Rivet, a Lombax resistance fighter from another dimension, and Kit, whose identity connects directly to Clank's role in the adventure.

Rivet is not a cosmetic alternate skin for Ratchet. Her sections provide a parallel perspective on the conflict and introduce a different emotional context for the same interdimensional threat.

The cast also includes familiar figures such as Captain Qwark and recurring versions of Nefarious, while the alternate-dimension premise gives established characters new relationships and motivations. The narrative is self-contained, so knowledge of earlier games is useful for references but not required to follow the plot.

Story missions are supported by optional planetary activities, hidden collectibles, arena challenges, and side objectives. This structure suits players who want a focused cinematic adventure with room for completionist detours rather than a game dominated by procedural replay.

Weapons, Collectibles, and Challenge Mode

The weapon system is the strongest reason to replay individual encounters. Each tool changes the shape of combat, from direct firearms to area control, enemy disruption, and weapons that create temporary environmental effects.

Bolts fund purchases, while Raritanium improves weapon properties. The upgrade system encourages experimentation because different weapons become more effective when their special traits are developed instead of treating every gun as a simple damage increase.

Planets contain Gold Bolts, armor pieces, CraiggerBears, spybot collectibles, and other optional rewards. These items support exploration and unlock extras, but the campaign does not require players to collect everything before progressing.

After completing the story, Challenge Mode provides a New Game Plus-style replay with carried-over equipment and additional weapon progression. It is aimed at players who want to push the arsenal further, revisit encounters with a complete loadout, and pursue a more demanding second run.

Photo Mode is also included for players who want to pause the action, adjust the camera, and capture the game's character animation, particle effects, and alternate-world environments. It is a presentation feature rather than a separate gameplay mode.

PC Features and Storefront Details

The PC release supports mouse and keyboard with customizable controls as well as controller play. It also offers full controller support through the major PC storefront versions.

Compatible wired DualSense controllers can provide haptic feedback and adaptive trigger effects. The feature is optional, and the game remains playable with standard controllers or mouse and keyboard.

Display options include 21:9 ultrawide, 32:9 super ultrawide, and 48:9 triple-monitor support. The PC version also includes configurable ray-traced reflections and exterior shadows, alongside DLSS, FSR, XeSS, Temporal Injection, Reflex, and DLAA options where supported.

Steam lists achievements, Steam Cloud, Family Sharing, and a third-party EULA. Epic Games Store lists cloud saves, controller support, single-player functionality, and an Epic account requirement for that storefront. The game is therefore tied to the client through which it is purchased rather than presented as a standalone DRM-free release.

There is no verified multiplayer campaign, co-op mode, competitive mode, dedicated server tool, or anti-cheat ecosystem associated with the PC release. It is designed as a single-player adventure, and Remote Play or similar platform features should not be mistaken for native multiplayer.

Localization is extensive. The PC storefront listings provide interface and subtitle support across languages including English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Korean, and several additional European languages. Full audio is available in a smaller selection of languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and others depending on the storefront listing.

Who Should Play Rift Apart?

Rift Apart is a strong fit for players who want accessible third-person shooting, readable platforming, frequent spectacle, and a story that moves briskly between planets. It also works well as an entry point for PC players who have never owned a PlayStation console.

The game is less suitable for anyone looking for deep character builds, open-ended role-playing systems, online co-op, or a highly competitive endgame. Its replay value comes from upgrades, collectibles, Challenge Mode, and mastering the weapon arsenal rather than from endless procedural content.

Players interested in a more traditional colorful platformer with shared-screen play may prefer cooperative 2.5D platforming such as Sonic Superstars. Sonic focuses on speed, route timing, and local multiplayer, while Rift Apart is centered on third-person combat, cinematic traversal, and dimensional set pieces.

For a more combat-heavy fantasy adventure with third-person exploration and environmental puzzles, action-adventures like Kena: Bridge of Spirits provide a useful comparison. Kena emphasizes staff combat and spirit companions, whereas Rift Apart gives players a much broader science-fiction arsenal.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart FAQ

Is Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart rebranded on PC?

No verified rebrand was found on the current Steam or Epic Games Store listings. The official PC title remains Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart; "Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart" is a common search spelling without the ampersand and punctuation.

Is Rift Apart a standalone game?

Yes. The story is designed to work as a standalone adventure. Long-term fans will recognize returning characters and references, but new players can follow Ratchet, Clank, Rivet, Kit, and the dimensional conflict without completing earlier entries.

Does the PC version have co-op or multiplayer?

No. Rift Apart is a single-player game. The PC storefronts list single-player functionality, and official support information does not identify native co-op, split-screen, online multiplayer, or a competitive mode.

What is Challenge Mode?

Challenge Mode is the game's New Game Plus-style replay. It lets players carry equipment into a fresh run, face a more demanding progression path, and continue developing weapons beyond the first campaign.

Can Rift Apart be played with mouse and keyboard?

Yes. The PC release includes customizable mouse-and-keyboard controls, and it also supports a broad range of gamepads. DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers require compatible hardware and a wired connection for the complete feature set.

Does the PC release include paid DLC or a season pass?

The current Steam and Epic listings identify a paid base game and do not present a separate gameplay expansion lineup or season pass for the PC version. Optional digital extras associated with other editions should not be confused with additional PC campaign content.

What type of game is Rift Apart on PC?

It is best described as a third-person action-adventure platformer with shooter combat, environmental puzzles, collectible hunting, character progression, and cinematic science-fiction traversal. Its central identity comes from combining weapon experimentation with dimensional rift movement.