Thanks again for joining me on this journey - it's easily been the most fulfilling project I've worked on yet, and I can't wait to follow up with both projects of this vein (and some complete wildcards!) in the coming months. Don't ask me for more R&C for at least a year, I'll get the stragglers eventually but they involve trying to pry into completely different companies, and that's work I'd rather save for another time! *Original comment below:* Quick note for early viewers: The 4K resolution option for this video may not appear for you - I had to re-render and reupload this morning to fix a small mistake, and even though RUclips says on my end that the 4K version is complete, it sometimes takes another 12 hours or so to show up so all I've got is 1080p for now. But you've been waiting long enough, so screw it!
Thank you for the heads up and by the way me and my brother love the stuff you do how in-depth and how you see from the so many perspectives and being able to do all of the work you do and all that goes into it is qwarktastic
Saaay, are you ever going to do Insomniac's Not Ratchet stuff? The Spider-Man games are the obvious ones, but how about Sunset Overdrive? Now that's a fantastic game barely anyone remembers, and built on the good old Insomniac design ethos of "Hey, what's the most awesome way you can blow stuff up?"
Ironically Clank being like "I'm sick of you leaving your junk around your apartment, go find your family" reminds me of a plotline the original Ratchet games would do.
I'm a big fan of the series btw like i kinda see the ps2 and ps3 games as thier own thing and story wise i feel like crack in time was one of the best in the future saga cus i remember being so invested in the game as a kid i was like whoa I'm actually interested and when there was plot twist I was like oh shi no way that's crazy
My dad and I have played these games over & over since the first one came out. He fell quite ill in 2020 and January 2022 decided he wanted to play through them all. He sadly passed away last month, but I'm so glad he managed to get to this game, it absolutely blew his mind! Thanks for the brilliant vids, I literally drop everything to watch these!
I'm so sorry to hear about your dad, but that's a really sweet story, and a memory that you'll be holding close for years and years to come. Much love, friend!
That’s really cool he got to play this one at least before he passed. I never played any of the previous games before Rift Apart and my mind is still blown every time I see it on my TV. I have a feeling this game is ten years ahead of its time.
Not quite. Rivet mentioned she escaped prison with Angela in the... well, the prison level. Most likely this'll be alternate reality Angela, but it seems like the franchise is keeping Angela being a Lombax or not vague and up in the air. Personally I'd say she's not. All we have to go on her being a Lombax is her appearance and what some very unreliable news anchors said.
1:13:35 i feel like they did this so that they can finally re-introduce Angela as someone who both Ratchet and Rivet already met, not to mention the fact that Rivet(just like Ratchet) didnt know that Angela was a Lombax at that time because she doesn't looks exactly like her.
When it comes to the Lombax race, I like to imagine that every universe has lombaxes, and every lombax race eventually learns to traverse dimensions. So eventually, every universes version of the lombaxes interbred and became one species spanning multiple universes.
I'd assume that the Lombax race are one dimensional and since they invented the dimensionator they were able to migrate to different galaxies that way and start colonies until Tachyon destroys the original dimension resulting in them fleeing as far away as possible
Yeah you would see lots of interesting variations of Lombaxes who have changed, either with tech, organic, or other abilities from their respective universes. Like from hive minds to godly powers, to full mech suits. A lot of possabilites and LOTS of weapons.
"Interbred" sounds so weird XD I like to think that each alternative to a character is a different person entirely, just two sides of the same paper, and that each "species" is interchangeable with "race" or "culture"
Rift Apart is one of the highlights of recent releases to me. It juggled the best elements of a nostalgic throwback to stuff I loved when I was younger while also brining in stuff I haven't seen before and offering me something new. It's something I reccomend to customers all the time when trying to start their PS5 collection cause I think it's a breath of life in the new platform. It felt like a game that just came in, knew what it wanted to be, came in with a plan and just executed it. It didn't overpromise and underachieve, but it also didn't settle for less. It's just a good ass game and I love it for that.
I agree and disagree a bit, I feel like this game had a lot of missteps. The story and enemy variety really bogged me down but I still loved it! Such a weird feeling for me
Holy crap it's Sunset City's 3rd key member. Even in the advertising this was the game that made me start saving for a PS5. I avoided every video on it for months and finally found stock of the console and I agree with you entirely; I was rewarded with a tight feedback loop of awesomeness that didn't worry about the messiness of other narratives and delivered on the gameplay front. As soon as that first playthrough ended, it was an easy decision to platinum the game because like you pointed out, it utilized the PS5 so wonderfully to keep the flow of the game going and executed that flow to near perfection. It isn't the type of game that is world shatteringly viral but it is a damn good time for anybody with a brain and a controller in their hands.
Dads are honestly the heart of the series ive found? Im one of the younger fans, and my father was the one who introduced me to the future saga, and specifically ACiT, and I suspect if we hadn’t been robbed when I was younger, I wouldve got my hands on the OG trilogy games as well. A lot of my friends as well were shown the games through their dads, and I think thats so nice with RA came out. My dad picked me up and skipped work on June 11 so we could play together. I loved it so much!! I spent 17 hours straight playing this game, the only break being my dad forcing a 40 minute nap on me. I loved it so much
@@CantusTropus my dad means everything to me, im so happy i can say something i love dearly has a clear origin to him. Its always fun to scream and KILL ENEMIES with him!!!
The craziest part of Rift Apart is that it looks so friggen good the ENTIRE time. And it’s NEAR Flawless in its graphical presentation. Like I’m jealous of kids today getting to experience ratchet like this. I know when we were all 10 we imagined that RA is what we thought ratchet looked like. But now the game looks as good as an animated movie.
Cannot agree more! I don't feel jealous for the kids, I feel lucky to still be here to experience it as an adult. What a fantastic experience it was. And as an animator, I was creaming my pants constantly at the near impeccable animation work.
The Golden Bolt, I just want to thank you. I remember when I accidentally stumbled upon the RaC retrospective for the first game. I remember when UYA's retrospective dropped and I watched it all in one setting. I remember being so excited when you covered the PS3 and PS4 parts. This video? It made my day. I have had a long grueling week at work and seeing this vid pop up got me so excited. It's been an absolute joy watching these amazing videos of yours. I won't lie, I started to tear up at your conclusion. I truly did. I've been a RaC fan since the very first game came out and here I am in 2022 excited to see where the series goes. The magic may be different now but it's still magic. I hope you have a good day, Golden Bolt. Because you certainly made mine good.
This has easily been the best retrospective series I've had the pleasure of watching. And yes, R&C nostalgia plays a part in that, but the effort you've put into each of these instalments is clear in the quality of each instalment, and that's the big thing that kept me coming back. I especially loved all the behind-the-scenes insights you shared that really shifted my perspective in the series. I've actually replayed the series almost all the way through with these videos in mind just to see how much they've affected my understanding of the series as a wholes, and I'm very happy with the new view I've had on each of these games! Thank you for putting this together, I'm very excited to see whatever's next from you. Stay golden!
I have to say, TGB earns that from quality alone. Even factoring out being a fan of the games, TGB puts out consistently well-edited and narrated documentary-level productions, as thoroughly well-researched as People Make Games' documentaries, but from a much tinier channel. Guy's missing another million subs or two. I mean, come on.
I'm 38 and I still play through the entire Ratchet and Clank series every now and then. Rift Apart is so special to me because it truly makes me feel that nostalgia, but in a modern way. Can't really explain it better than that. As always, great video.
If I could ask for anything more from this game, it's literally just arena filler. I always loved the arenas in 2, 3 & Deadlocked. An area with tons of missions to mess around in, even if it wasn't important to the story.
The least I wanted were more hard arena challenges. The Enforcer challenge, Boomstick Blast, is incredibly unbalanced and should be changed; it's nearly impossible to beat without a maxed Enforcer because you run out of ammo all the time. The Warmonger challenge, Ka-boomstick Blast, is mildly challenging because you, once again, keep running out of ammo, but the Warmonger is OP as is, so it's not that hard. Everything else is pretty much free
@@jaynator495 I believe they're referring to the arena challenge in the second game that's literally called "Impossible Challenge" not that the challenge you're referring to is impossible.
This was a damn good retrospective, Kev. I have nothing but respect (and a little bit of pity, because holy shit, those dev cycles for over a decade sound horrific) for the devs of this series because of the stuff I've gotten out of this. How appropriate that it basically ends (for now) on a game that basically breaks from that cycle and learned from it. It's like a documentary with a massive rough patch and a happy ending, at least a little bit.
That was pretty much the secondary MO of this video series once I really started understanding how vicious the cycle was - those stories deserved to be told, and if Insomniac had those struggles despite being seen within the industry as one of the few that's "figured it out?" And they were able to address those issues, albeit more slowly than they'd have liked it seems? That's worth sharing!
Yes the devs really weren't treated the best in the early days. I spoke with an ex dev and he said he wished things ended better with him and the company.
@@thechugg4372 The way they re-used assets is incredibly genius, though. The Dimensionator and having multiple universes allows the devs to be smart about re-using assets without it feeling incredibly out of place or cheap. The way they introduced and used Bone/Skeleton skinned enemies despite still being the same Goons & Grunthors was smart as hell.
My whole family played the og trilogy. I had surgery last week and my parents came to my house after to help with my recovery. Instead of sleeping I spent all day watching my parents (in their 50s) taking turns playing rift apart and having the time of their lives. I truly loved this game and all the family memories it has given me over the years This video was incredible and so was the whole series. Love your stuff, dude!
I absolutely adore the mission on Torren IV with the Fixer. Clanks realisation that he isn't broken really spoke to me as an amputee, Rift Apart doesn't get the credit it deserves for its incredible writing.
I just wanted to say this series has been so valuable to me. When you aired the first episode my life was completely in a rut and I used to come home from my horrible job and sit in silence watching the same retrospective over and over. Seeing the R&C gameplay on the screen became my favourite background noise as it reminded me of my childhood, simpler times. That, coupled your with extensive research meant I’d learn something new every time I watched. Now the series has ended, I’m at a different stage in my life. Healthier, moved to a famous company with better prospects and I bought a car. All the while I had your retrospectives. It’s been a pleasure to watch Golden Bolt
This was an amazing video and an amazing retrospective in general. I really loved it. The conclusion about the game’s humor made me realize how much the world changed in the last 20 years. In 2002, to a kid, the world felt genuine. So R&C felt was cynical. In 2021, to a kid, the world felt cynical. So R&C needed to be genuine.
I just spent this weekend watching your entire retrospective series and loved every second of it. And this is coming from someone who has never actually played the games but has always been interested in them. Thank you for all of the behind the scenes development stories, the personal anecdotes, the context of community reactions, and most importantly showing just how fun and inspiring these games can be. I was engrossed through every video, especially loving the running gags throughout. The French little teapot had me DYING of laughter after all of those references before, felt like 9 hours of set up for this one joke, absolutely perfect. I'll be picking up a PS5 for this and Astrobot soon, so thank you for getting me so excited to jump into these world and experience them myself.
15 hours of retrospective later. And it really is one of the greatest stories of a game developer ever. Between ratchet, Spyro, and now Spider-Man. Insomniac is responsible for some truly great gems. And I haven’t ever even touched some of their other work.
Finally! I have been waiting for the rift apart retrospective since I finished watching the PS4 retrospective. Since then, I have watched every other video at least 7 times and binged the entire series at least 4 times. Thanks for making excellent content. Stay golden!
I consider this the best retrospective on this series. Seriously how you understand both the themes of the PS2 games, as well as how those same corporate pressures affected both the production and the legacy of RC gives a feeling of completeness of analysis unique to this channel. Bravo and good work my guy.
Something I think I love the most about this game is how well Insomniac endears the player to not only the classic characters we already know and love but also the new characters we're introduced to in this game. I have no attachment to the Tresspasser puzzles from the old games, but you bet your ass I want to help Glitch through not only her mini levels but also with her personal issues because I care about her. Kit is also such a lovable little robot, and seeing her so excited to meet Rivet was so sweet it gave me diabetes. Even Trudy was a lovable side character, and I wish all the best for her and her little ones.
42:50 not gonna lie, i was kinda expecting the 'shut up' cutaway joke to make a comeback when you mentioned Angela Cross. When it didn't happen, I was kinda disappointed into thinking said joke was retired....... only for you sneak it back in later on, you sly Lombrax.
Gotta compliment you on your choice of background scene during the close of this video. The Ratchet/Rivet giving each other crap over "maybe you're me" while Kit and Clank share a laugh brought a smile to my face just like it did when I played the game. Which perfectly goes with what you are saying with how much these games stick in your mind. Have really enjoyed this retrospective series. I played the PS2 games I don't even know how many times when I was a kid, but since I was one of those PS2 to Xbox 360 people, I never played any of the PS3/PS4/PS5 games. Stumbled on your original Ratchet and Clank retrospective about 6 months ago and they reminded me just how much I loved these games, so I ended up getting Ratchet and Clank PS4 and Rift Apart. And ended up liking PS4 and absolutely adoring Rift Apart. And now I've installed an emulator to replay the PS2 games and will probably end up playing the PS3 games for the first time ever. All of that to say: thank you for doing this retrospective and helping me rediscover a game series I didn't realize had the effect on my childhood that it did.
After binge watching the series through the past couple weeks - thank you! You've pointed out many good and bad points of the series I never payed attention to or didn't know about - and now I think I need to start replaying them.... Keep up the great work!
This video made me realize that Tall and Strong vs Short and Utility duo for Ratchet and Clank isn't just reflected in Rivet and Kit. It's also reflected in Nefarious and Nefarious.
Some people have noted that there's some developer notes from back in the day that mention Croc actually analysing and researching mascot platformers while being a mascot platformer as a sort of meta take. So I think we all should give a thanks to Croc for inspiring this amazing retrospective series you've made here!
Dang it I have to go to bed, thanks a lot Golden lol. I still can't believe it's been a year since this game came out, a year since this retrospective started and 20 years since the R&C series has been thriving.
I thought about holding off until tomorrow (had to edit a quick fix, but 4K renders take forever to process), but then I said screw your sleep I uploaded R&C PS4 at 10:30pm too
One thing i learned from this series is that insomniac really needs some kind of achievement. How they made all these games so great under such tight deadlines is amazing. We can talk about the quality of each of the games, but I think we can all agree that all of them are at the very least good
Amazing video about an amazing game. However just wanted to bring one thing up. You say that Emperor Nefarious's psychic telepathy powers seen in the cutscene are never brought up again but it's actually a part of the boss fight. He picks up boxes with that same purple glow and hurls them at you. Our Doctor Nefarious can do it too surprisingly. I only found that out cause I spent a whole hour on his great fight to get as many shots of his beautiful new model as I could in Photo Mode. I do think it's a bit weird to give him a new power for a pretty insignificant attack that rarely occurs. And I do agree it should happen in more cutscenes.
“Did you play 2? Or Deadlocked?” Also the comics, wasn’t he also stuck in a prison in Vartax? I’m glad I’m not the only one who wished Rivet had just a bit more of that R&C 1 edge to her. I felt like at times she’s a bit too much like our current Ratchet xD
I can’t believe it’s been a year…. Love this game a lot, Definitely in my top 3 ratchet games. These retrospectives have been amazing and thank you so much for making them. I love this game series so much and I can’t wait to see what the next game has in store.
What I find fun about the two Nefarii, is that while the Emperor seems to be everything the Doctor isn't at first, by the end it becomes clear that Dr. Nefarious constant failures have made him more resiliant and mature than his counterpart. While the Dr. takes his defeats on the chin and just resolves to come back swinging next time, while actually enjoying any victory he does get, Emperor Nefarious lives in a shallow way, equating Success with Happiness, which leaves his life empty after he just keeps winning and keeps him unable to handle loosing, to the point where he's willing to destroy all of reality after being properly beaten a single time.
What I thought was interesting was that the game not only highlighted how both ratchet and rivet need their clank and kit to be practically unbeatable, but that when both Nefarious's worked together they both were practically unbeatable until one started trying to overlap the other
10:12 funny enough In Into the Nexus, Clank did give a hint about him cleaning after Ratchet when shedding(when he turn into a robot in the Biobliterator section).
I'd buy the Lombax civilizations from various universes creating their own Dimensionators, encountering each other as consequence, and forming a singular unified Lombax civilization in a chosen universe, which would likely be what the Lombax cityscape Ratchet saw in Tools of Destruction was. So Rivet could still be her world's Ratchet counterpart.
Such an amazing video and a beautiful wrap up to the whole retrospective. The magic this franchise carries is what keeps me a fan of all sagas (Original, Future, Current) even after such a long time. Also, since he was barely mentioned in the video I wanna take a moment to give his moment of appreciation to Gary: Yes, he was a very small and somewhat unremarkable character; But there's something involving him that I feel NOONE brings up and I feel it should be appreciated more cause it shows the strength of the game's writing despite the script hiccups it faced: Throughout the Clank and Kit sections, Gary is constantly chatting with the bots and trying to help them face their current issues, but besides a couple of repetitive hints when a player takes too long, nothing he says ever feels condescending or comes off as he knows better. Rather, he casually asks them how are they doing. Questions them about their relationships with Ratchet and Rivet and how that makes them feel and suggests ways to take things one step at a time while admitting that he doesn't have a cure-all for their problems but rather leads them into figuring themselves out through their conversations. It's almost like during these sections Clank and Kit are basically having a psychiatrist session with Gary. I have had my fair share fair of psychiatrists and therapists throughout my life due to mental issues and depression, and the way Gary lends an ear to the bots' insecurities feels like genuine methods of how a good psychiatrist speaks to you! It really fits nicely in this story about characters facing and overcoming their doubts and it's amazing how well it comes off DESPITE the massive rewrite that caused the game delay. I don't know WHO in the writing department I must give a handshake to but I'd do it in a heartbeat for showing one of the most genuine and, for lack of a better word, realistic takes into a therapeutic conversation I have ever seen...and in a flipping Ratchet game, no less!!
I actually really did love Gary, as well! I didn't feel there was a great place to work in his character without pulling away from the focus on this one, though earlier script drafts did have a bit more about him, before I reworked everything around the midway spoiler warning. So, I ended up deciding to leave him for folks to discover for themselves when they play, since so many viewers are watching only the first half or the whole thing without having had the chance to play.
Wow! Dude, that is SO TRUE! How tf did I never realize this until now? Lol 😂😂! Honestly, Gary is such an amazing character in Rift Apart, and it REALLY shows through his interactions with Ratchet, Clank, etc. Also, after rewatching this game for the second time just a couple of weeks ago, since I don't have a PS5 to play it yet (and because I watched the first 12 R&C games here on RUclips before rewatching Rift Apart), I was genuinely surprised when Gary himself reveals that he's the son of the PLUMBER, like, wtf!?!? I did not expect that at all! Like I was shocked and happy at the same time, because the plumber guy is actually one of my favorite characters from the R&C games, lmao!🤣🤣 Also, personally speaking, its funny how just 1 year ago, when I watched Rift Apart for the first time, I knew little to NOTHING about any of the characters, or the story, and nothing really made any sense to me, so I thought the game was JUST good and nothing else, and that was because I've never played NOR watched any of the R&C games at the time, and to this day, I STILL haven't played any R&C games (well, besides the 2016 remake, of course, but we all know that game isn't canon, lol). So, after at least watching ALL of the first 12 games, and actually getting to know the characters and the story, I began to understand things alot more, and eventually fell in love with the series as a whole. After all that, I then went ahead and rewatched Rift Apart, and OH BOY, did I FELL in love with the game!😍😍 Honestly, It's SOOO MUCH better than I remember it being! The characters are awesome, the story is amazing, the graphics and animation look so BEAUTIFUL and real, like your watching an animated Disney or Pixar movie, and the gameplay looks so COOL and extremely FUN! The game as a whole is truly a MASTERPIECE and a beautiful work of art! 🥰🥰 And now suddenly, everything made a lot more sense to me story-wise, and I'm simply grateful that Ratchet and Clank exists as a franchise! 😃😃 As for now, I really, REALLY want to get my hands on all the R&C games asap, and if I ever have the time, I simply hope I'll get to play them all soon! Also, I cannot wait to FINALLY have the PS5 in the future, and when I do, this game will be the first one on my Playlist!😆😆 PD: Also, I'm so, so sorry if I went TOO overboard with my response, or if it was SUPER unnecessarily long!😥😥 I honestly don't know how I went from talking about one topic to a completely different one...my bad lol!😅😣 Other than that, I REALLY liked your analysis on Gary from Rift Apart, and how you think he contributes to the story and relates to the rest of the characters from the game! You sure gave us a lot to think about!🤔🤔 Awesome job, dude!😎👍
It is so nice that so many comments compliment your series, it is evident that you did a good job. As a fan since the first game I really appreciated it!
1:08:38 100% agreed, I was SOOOOOO CONFUSED when I was trying finish this particular side quest all because the game doesn’t tell you how to breathe fire 🙄 I hope insomniac doesn’t make a mistake like this ever again
1:21:50 I’ve actually never really been “on” this series in the first place, I’m just watching to keep up with Croc’s lasting legacy. Jokes aside, I just love hearing people talk about things they love, even as they acknowledge they aren’t perfect. The kind of passion that makes someone say “Yes it has flaws, but I don’t care, I still love it” just makes me happy to see. Couple that with your engaging writing style and humor, and I really enjoyed this video, even as an outsider to the series. All that to say, thanks for such a great video!
I haven't played it yet, but I have seen the game in action and heard a lot about it. Rift Apart really just seems to have tried, and succeeded, at being a culmination of everything the series did well in its entire run since the very first game on PS2. There are so many little details in the game that really showcase that running Insomniac trait of never forgetting a good idea and finding a great place for it later. I mean, the armor piece system is an improvement off friggin' Size Matters. They remembered that and decided to do it better. That's incredible. Fitting too, for a game that's about looking back at your beginnings. One of these days I'll get a PS5 and experience it myself. Eventually. But for now, I'm glad it exists, as a triumph of overcoming toxic work culture and learning from past mistakes. Here's to another generation of Ratchet and Clank - and Rivet and Kit, because I don't see those two going away anytime soon.
Once again, watching something about Rift Apart makes me want to replay it. Your writing and points were delivered fantastically - I’m the same way, while there were some issues and quibbles I’d had with the game, it never outweighed the sheer goodness on display. I’m so excited for what’s next. Thank you for all you do, can’t wait to rewatch earlier parts after I’ve finished those titles.
I don't think anyone goes more in-depth into this game series then you do, so I just wanted to say I appreciate the work and time you put into these videos:)
Ratchet and Clank and Jak and Daxter were my games I constantly played during my childhood. I played the future games in high school and beyond. Earlier this year I played Rift apart and fell back in love with the series. My first child is about to born in a few days. I look forward to playing through these games again with her and her siblings when are born. These games always sparked my imagination. When you mentioned driving down the street and picturing Ratchet grinding on the power lines, that was something I did. I would pretend to be fighting in a blarg invasion with Ratchet and Clank. I just look forward to being able to share those memories and make new ones with my kids. Thanks for doing the retrospective. I’ve really enjoyed reliving the games through this series.
Here we are the last game in this retrospective (until we gonna get a video on the psp spin-offs). It’s was fun and I’m glad you make this videos on my favorite video games franchise. Thank you golden bolt. Edit (this gonna be long but if you managed to read it all then thanks) So my history with rift apart is maybe shorter (as writing and editing on this comment because it’s been a year and a month since the game release) but it’s feel much longer. I remember back in 2019 that’s we heard rumors about a new ratchet game being developed, i was scared because I really wanted it to be a nexus sequel and not a sequel for the ps4 movie tie-in game but i had hopes because sony needed the mario of Playstation back especially after a console generation that’s had too much cinematic games that feel the same. Back in june 2020 i just completed persona 5 royal during the 1st lockdown and sony announced a stream that’s showing the ps5, I remember i saw miles morales and i was angry because I wanted a ratchet game from insomniac not another marvel game but after the gran turismo 7 reveal… rift apart was announced and i was happy. When rift apart was announced i had 3 missions until the release of the game i need to get every physical copy of the ratchet & clank franchise and finish all the main games. I managed to get all the games physically and finished all the main games (even completed up your arsenal, tools of destruction, quest for booty, nexus and the movie tie-in). The third mission was difficult and that was getting a ps5 until the game release, i have rules when a console announced and is not buying it until at least after 2 years passed (did it with every console I’ve ever own) but because i just wanted to play a new ratchet & clank game and the adrenaline to find a ps5 i broke my own rule and it’s getting a brand new console on the first year. I remember trying to find online and retail during the pandemic and it’s was difficult as hell but april 2021 i was busy finding a new car to get and I finished an Inspect for the car I’ve got i saw on a Playstation fan group on Facebook that’s a store open a limit stock of ps5 for sale and shocking I managed to buy it! I remember the day i got rift apart i have a good friend who’s have a retro video games store and he’s managed to get me a copy of the game 2 days before release day! And i never been exited for a video game since i think the ps3 generation. So now after the story i told what’s i think about rift apart? It’s not only the most important game in the franchise is in my opinion the most important Playstation game ever released, it’s not celebrated the ratchet & clank franchise it’s just celebrated Playstation and insomniac games overall with easter eggs with the lorbs or the many cameos from the ryno 8 it’s feel good and really show how much important ratchet & clank is as Playstation mascots. The story is amazing i don’t feel it’s rushed like going commando or just lazy and childish like the movie tie-in I actually think a lot of moments in this game make me feel emotional like the dialogue of ratchet with captain quantum (the captain qwark from rivet dimension) is maybe my favorite moment in the franchise especially when ratchet talk about qwark because rift apart was the first game in the franchise that’s jim ward didn’t voice him because of his retirement. I liked rivet i never expecting to enjoy a female ratchet that’s voiced by naomi hunter from metal gear solid, kit was a huge surprise didn’t expect to see a female clank and emperor nefarious was a great villain. The only character i hate and honestly the biggest negative i have about this game is zurkon jr, I already dislike richard horvitz voice other characters in the franchise other than the zoni but zurkon jr is just invader zim but just annoying more than ever! I hate the arena stages in rift apart because of zurkon jr! About the ratchet fandom it’s similar to both sonic and mario, sonic fans always crying about 2d better than 3d and mario fans are just don’t know what but that’s because Nintendo don’t care about legacy content (im looking at you 3d all stars) the ratchet fandom is divided but not at the same level. Other than that’s it’s in my top 4 favorite ratchet & clank games (still loved 3, TOD and nexus much more) and I’m glad i got my ps5 early because I needed this game and that’s pretty cool. 😉
@@elharvey5032 yeah as a long time fan I’m just glad about the direction of rift apart. We got a sequel that’s feel brand new without playing previous games and not a nostalgia trip remake, reboot like every platformer in this generation. It’s not easy to be a ratchet & clank fan especially during the ps4 days when sony only published 1st party cinematic games like the last of us, god of war 2018 and horizion and only marketing 3rd party ps1 remakes like crash & spyro because of stupid nostalgia ps1 kids.
@@BensyBens I personally don't mind that but the problem for me is that Sony doesn't want to reboot all PS1 or PS2 mascots such as Jak & Daxter and Sly Cooper (My childhood game) they pretty much left those for dead, but at least Ratchet and Clank is still going and because of Rift Apart I got interested in the series and learned about the games lore and behind the scenes of what happened
@@elharvey5032 there are a lot of classic Playstation ips I really want to see back, not only sly and jak but franchises like twisted metal, ape escape, gravity rush, tomba, resistance and many more I’m glad you enjoyed rift apart and interest checking the rest of the franchise.
@@BensyBens Yeah I can't wait to see the next Ratchet and Clank game, and I have respect for Insomniac for not giving up on their mascots while also doing other video game ideas
I'm so glad Rift Apart exists. The instant it was first shown off, I wanted to play it so it got me playing all of the older games to prep and it was such a fun time. By far my favorite game of last year. Great retrospective!
I think they missed a big opportunity with Rivet. If they really wanted a "what if" situation with Ratchet, have Rivets backstory play out where she had a falling out with Kit at the same point where Ratchet had his falling out point with Clank after Quarks betrayal only in her story the two never got back together. You could have seen a more jaded and cynical lombax that never got passed that point in the first game, (but still has a good heart deep down), and see how it contrasts with the Ratchet we all know and love. This would also make the tension with Kit much more interesting as Rivet would already know her and still have issues never fully resolved after so many years. This would have been a drastic rewrite and many other characters would need one to go along with it but the concept it golden.
Your idea of Rivet being a lot more jaded and cynical in stark contrast to the hero Ratchet have become kinda reminds me of the cancelled MediEvil 3: Fate's Arrow
Youd' probably have to restructure the plot to make that work, is the thing, as part of it was to do with 'hey, here's a universe that's basically what would have happened if Ratchet and Clank never came together and became heroes in the first place' and the dimension Rivet called home is influenced by that. So you'd probably have to change that foundation too.
I think in this one kit was not discarded as a faulty bot in the begining, like clank was. Remember the was a guy that "fixed" Clank, so he could go into giant batle mode, since he could not do that, he was discarded before he could be finished with programming, so he kind of had free will, stumble upon the evil plotline and crash into ratchet
It’s great to finally see a dedicated Ratchet RUclipsr cover this game with as much detail as it deserves! I especially enjoyed your insight about the four split demographics. I can vouch for three of them, and it was one of the first games I had the pleasure of introducing to my nephew who loved the Ratchet and Clank reboot!
Just wanna say thank you for making these retrospective videos. Your enthusiasm for the series has encouraged me to play the games I never got around to playing. Starting with Tools of destruction and continuing from there. Can't wait to play Rift Apart. It looks like an amazing game.
This was the first game I got for the PS5, and the first game I platinumed for the system. This is my favorite Ratchet title so far, and it’s gonna stay in my top 3, no matter what.
Amazing video, just simply amazing. Ratchet and Clank on the PS2 was the first game I ever played and I've played every one since so this series meant a lot to me. Thank you for making it and I can't wait to see what you make in the future.
My favorite moment in the final fight is during the section where you blast the heart with Ratchet and Clank and you get to hear the back and forth between the two Nefariouses with the Emperor slowly starting to freak out because his big super powerful robot is failing, while on the other hand, Dr. Nefarious feels accepting of the situation that he knows the Emperor will lose with the great line, "See? This is why my dimension is so hard to take over. It's not because of ME."
As I watched these retrospectives over this month, I played each and every game with the exception of the spin-offs and Size Matters. For me, it was a journey of revisiting and learning, especially about the production behind the games I played as a kid and the insane crunch for them. Even with all the weaknesses in each game, I found myself engulfed in the redundant combat flow and the switch ups along the way. This is part of my childhood, I'm happy that I went along and revisited it from beginning to what we have now. These retrospectives were the icing on top, and whatever the future holds for this series, I'm looking forward to it big time!
The final conclusion is really the icing on the cake of this retrospective! Great points that I haven’t thought of! I think the Jak and Daxter series retrospective is much needed after this,with the thoughts of future saga/reimagining the current one. Love your content dude💪🏼
Fun fact Rift Apart was the very first game I played when I got my PS5. I loved the story and how they handled the dimensional gameplay, another thing I did appreciate was the ability to alter button mapping so that a person like myself who can only use 1 hand and make it feel smooth to handle. PS: Hearing u say "Icecubinator" in a doofenshmirtz like voice caught me off guard so much that I laughed so hard 🤣
I can finally watch both of your videos after finally getting a PS5, and I have been wanting to watch them for a while, but after getting to enjoy the games. It has been a long ride watching this saga, learning new things, knowing the "behind the scenes" (and wondering how you learnt them) and hearing someone else's opinion and watching a critique from a different point of view from mine. Seeing that different people enjoy the same thing but see it in a different way than me was actually really enjoyable. (Also club nefarious in this games was such a small detail but it always surprises me.) Who knew my childhood games would have such high quality reviews.
Speaking as one of those guys who prefers the old edgier crude and satirical Ratchet humor that last section totally hits. I might not think the modern games are that funny but I completely understand and even respect why the franchise is written the way it is now, at least. ...you got me wanting to try Sunset Overdrive though
I grew up with R&C and some of my happiest childhood memories were playing the PS2 trilogy with my grandma after school. So watching your retrospective has been a treat thanks for all the hard work.
Really good video. A crack in Time was the most wholesome step in the entire series. Universe in sectors, explorable planets and moons, free roaming space ship and especially, space radio station. With current hardware power and possibilities, they could go into that direction i guess. Every time it’s about timing for Insomniac for this series only. It’s just sad. Playing entire series, I really hope for space ship battles but never happened in this game.
It's funny how you talked about how this game is like the new era of gaming/Ratchet and Clank magic for kids today, where we had ours and they now have theirs. It was something I thought about a lot while I was playing, just the way life and the world changes with time. I feel like we way too often let ourselves believe that new things are worse than the old things, because we can't find the appeal of the new because we're too stuck in the old. And that's not to say everything needs to march onward, into perpetual "newness," but it's to say that maybe the old heads need to chill out and realize not everything is going to stay the same. I'm hoping that one day I can become a game developer and tell excellent stories as well. Ratchet and Clank has been a huge inspiration to me for a few years now, I've played pretty much every game, and witnessing the series evolve alongside myself, and alongside the world, it has helped me to understand the nature of our ever changing world in a way I don't think most people would consider possible to gain from just playing games. Sometimes I look at the way the world changes, and it's unsettling. But most of the time, the things I'm afraid of end up working out and clearing up, and most of the rest of the time I just realize whatever I was afraid of wasn't worth fearing to begin with. Life is crazy. Games are fun. And if we keep our eyes open, we can find ourselves surprised by the wisdom buried even in something as goofy on the surface as Ratchet and Clank.
I was super excited when I saw this video and it didn't disappoint. I really agree with your take that EVERYTHING has gotten more cynical and the genuine family friendly tone of the newer games has actually become the exception rather than the rule. This series has always given me something that other games haven't and I'll always appreciate that about it.
I know this video is a year old now. But I've been slowly watching these retrospectives alongside playing a marathon from the first game. I had the first three and was one of those kids that dropped off saddened by the drastic changes in Deadlock. I genuinly didn't plan to play it on my journey to rift apart but your retrospective and love for it convinced me to give it a shot and I am so glad I did. It's been such an unexpectedly emotional journey to go back and play the triology that underscored my childhood, playing the Ratchet game I wrote off and made me drop the series, then coming to the future trilogy I ignored until now. All culminating in a game that genuinly brought me back to those warm spring breeze days playing Going Commando trying so hard to beat the space station mission before walking to the corner shop. I found myself actually getting excited to watch the retrospective as I felt each game draw to its end. Playing them all start to back within 3 weeks I can't help but laugh at the nostalgia goggles so many of the total cynics are holding onto. Each generation felt uniquely targeted in audience, some did better than others. But much like Deadlock it's adapt or die. I for one am really greatful that it didn't become the same game title after title. I think like many of us we'd drag and drop elements from across the series to make our perfect game but that would be so different for every player. TL;DR Genuinly thank you for such well rounded and thouroughly researched videos. It's been a blast to watch each of these after playing each game! You've definitely enthralled this new subscriber.
Rift Apart was an amazing albeit bumpy ride, with a touching message. The forced whimsical tone, pulling some story punches, the low variety of enemies and gadgets, balancing issues and the simplification of exploration, etc., did hurt the game a fair bit. Despite that, it's such a solid experience that I've put in 200+ hours even though it's a 15 hour game at best. What makes me hopeful for the future of the series is that now that this PS5 groundwork has been laid and with managerial lessons learned, Insomniac have more time they can spend on fleshing things out and surpassing Rift Apart. Sorry I typed so much, I could talk about R&C forever. Great video as always, looking forward to the next one!
I think the short length is an issue for me. Ratchet 1 and Tools of Destruction felt right. 2&3 felt too long. A Crack in Time and Rift Apart despite having great additions to the series felt too short. Though what I can say is the biggest positive is that Rift Apart plays so smooth and controls beautifully. It gave me the same feeling as Metroid Dread, an already great control scheme tuned to perfection and smooth as glass.
You're right about the fact that Insomniac has it all figured out with the PS5 and have now more time to focus on the story, I think that the next Ratchet and Clank game will come out by 2024 or 2025
It's been such a wild and crazy ride watching you pour so much love and time into this series and it has helped me absolutely appreciate and love R&C even more! Rift Apart is the crowning jewel of all of these games, and I cannot wait to play it when I get a chance to sit down in my busy schedule. You really sold me on how much more this story is in every sense of the word, let alone the gameplay and other tidbits. Cheers, man, and cannot wait for what all you have in store next! Stay golden yourself 💙
1:22:47 I never really thought about this matter from this perspective. This is one of the best lines from a Ratchet and Clank essay video because it's true. Nowadays there's plenty of games that talk about corporativism and consumerism like Horizon, Cyberpunk 2077, Fallout. I've put something close to 700 hours combined by playing the Borderlands series, a franchise that places a lot of story focus in the weapons manufacturers. I wouldn't mind if Ratchet tackled those issues again but it probably wouldn't feel as special as what he have now with Rift Apart, especially to children.
i won't lie this is like the third time i cameback to watch this retrospective, it's so well done and you can see how much effort you have put into making this video, it's so enjoyable as well, you're doing a great job goldenbolt! Keep it up 💯
From what I remember reading somewhere it’s heavily suggested that all the lombaxes of parallel universes fled to another universe. I think it even says in game that lombaxes we’re unique in that originally they all came from one universe and then spread out to multiple universes that diverged into parallels of one another. Then when things got serious they all ran back to live together in the same universe again. I think ratchet and river are just special amongst their species in the sense that they are both parallel universes of the lombaxes that gif left behind. I don’t remember it implying there were a lot of lombaxes scattered around. It sounded like the plan was successful but there is no way to get 100% of a population. If anything there is probably just a very small amount of lombaxes left. One thing to point out is that Angela cross is one of the only other characters we know of who had flying and hover boots, she was also stupid smart. It’s my personal theory that Rivet is related to azimuth. If that is true then that could be a major issue in the future if she finds out what Ratchet did without context.
Thank you for this retrospective and I *truly* mean that. These videos made a huge impression on me, as well as bringing my spirits up during times where I was feeling low. As someone who's never played a RaC game, I for sure will now whenever I'm able to. That's all I really can put into words. Thank you for putting this whole thing together and I'm ready to see whatever comes next!
As someone who has played the Series since Ratchet 1 on PS2, R&C Rift Apart was everything and MORE than I wanted it to be... Sure it was a little short, but it didn't outstay it's welcome and was basically perfect from start to finish. Rivet and Kit where AWESOME additions to the Franchise and I really hope we get a "Rivet & Kit" in the future, maybe the next R&C can, as you said, wrap up the Lombax storyline and maybe end with Ratchet wanting to stay with the Lombax's (assuming he finds them, and they're alive 🤷♂️) and Clank by proxy would stick with him, leading Rivet & Kit to go out on universe saving adventures on their own (I'm betting the follow up will have all 4 of them again obviously) and that could essentially create a new Franchise/Refresh for Insomniac and Sony (and of course they could always come back to Ratchet and Clank themselves, they'd also be able to have them as "Rivet & Kit" regulars if they wanted... I'd actually really enjoy having a fresh "Rivet & Kit" Series with Ratchet and/or Clank Cameos from time to time, kinda like The Plumber, in the future 🤔)
6:36 this was me, I haven’t played a Ratchet game since Gladiator/Deadlocked. Picked up Rift Apart, love it. I think you’re right about the issues with the splintered fanbase. 24:16 the use of the triggers is a great simple gameplay innovation - gives more options and functionality to weapons than before. 30:58 eh, I didn’t mind the system. I guess making raritanium so important is to encourage exploration of the levels - which it does successfully in my view, and it’s good because exploring is good fun and steers you to pocket dimensions
I'd like to add as well for raritanium: Farm the Sue Grunthor challenge at Zurkies and you won't have to search up and down every map to make sure you're getting enough crystals. Defeat Pierre's Crew also is a good way to get to 1Mil bolts in a pretty decent time
I have tried to comment on all of the R+C videos not simply because of the almighty algorithm, but mainly because of my love of the series, this series of retrospectives and the quality of your channel and the content it provides. Each video has given me laughs, insight, and a greater appreciation not only for Insomniac but for you and your channel as well. Amazing work overall and I am sincerely glad that I found your videos over a year ago with the first R+C retrospective. I look forward for what will come in the future for the channel as what non R+C content I have seen as also impressed me so wait I shall. I hope the future for you goes smoothly as it seems to be for Insomniac. Great video as always!
Insomniac is definitely on fire with all of their recent games in such a short amount of time (4 years), I hope they can keep up with it because we know that there is going to be Spiderman 2 and Wolverine next and probably will have the next Ratchet and Clank game in development by then
Just wanted to say thank you. You did an amazing job illustrating this title. I'm one of the PS2 only fans of Ratchet & Clank. I can't name just how many things you hit the nail on the head in this video. As someone who has only played all 4 of the PS2 games and has played the newest installment Rift Apart (3 times, 100%ing, normal & hardest difficulties). . . You did a beautiful job. *standing ovation*
This series is everything to me. I was a sheltered kid. Mom was busy with work and dad when home cared more about watching tv than watching me. Making me sit in my room saying no messes. Meaning can’t be a kid and play with toys. My best friend was my ps2. We got it when I was 5 and going commando came with it. It was the first game I ever played. And I remember through the years collecting the games slowly. For the most part I never got them till they’ve been out a while. Especially the future trilogy as I got the ps3 a bit into its life. I now own every game (minus the phone games) and I just. Love the series. I get every criticism and have made some of them my own but these games grew up with me. And I have loved them every step of the way. And cherish each new entry. Going commando is my favorite game of all time now tied with rift apart. I love the reboot regardless as it brings me back to that Christmas Day I got the first game finding out I played the series out of order and that the game series was well. A series. The games introduced me to the fact that games can have a series. I’ve spent so much time with these games by myself living in these worlds and escaping to them. I love the franchise. With all my heart and I can’t wait to see what’s next. Your retrospective has been so amazing. It’s wonderful seeing someone with a simile passion to this franchise and I always love seeing different views. Keep up the great work man
Finally finished this on the PC version so I had to come back here as well. As a long time fan who's been there since the beginning, this is almost everything I wanted from the new game. It's a relatively safe story that does cater to most if not all the sub-audiences of the franchise and gather them together to continue onward. I just hope that this won't hinder any possible sequel and the devs do try to be a little more experimental in the future. After all, that's what got them so far in the first place. Visually the game is gorgeous, sound design felt really good and I thought the music was what it should have been since the Future series. The gameplay and combat on the hardest difficulty was challenging but very fair, almost as if I was playing something like Doom Eternal. Liked both the old and the new weapons and their interactions with each other. Loved the hoverboots in ACiT and loved it even more in this game. What sorta missed the mark for me was how little there was to collect/do besides the main story mission on most planets and I do missed some kind of backtracking that previous games had. Also, no skill points? Come on, that's been a series staple since the first game. I know it has achievements but those just aren't the same. All in all it was a good journey. It felt new, but familiar at the same time and can't wait to see where they go from here.
Your timing is absolutely impeccable... I've just watched through all of your series retrospectives and then finally bought Rift Apart after your review video, and I just finished it. Is this video just for me personally? If so thanks!
Dude. During the finale of this game, I could see all the hours of my teenage years I spent playing the ps2 games, next to how much both the series and myself have grown reflected in Rivet and Kit (genius renaming btw. Honestly if that were the name of the 2003 game initially it would have hit just as hard) and audibly cheered as I chewed through ammo taking down Emp Nefarious and the robots. Even got a few hits in with the hammer just to add to the feeling. These games will always be era defining for me.
Im really bad with words so bare with me, but I wanna thank you Bolt for these retrospectives. They have given me insight on the devolopment process of these games, wich have made me appreciate them even more than I already did. R&C is my favorite thing ever so learning more about it was a delight. These past few years have been rough but your videos have really helped. I appreciate all the work you have put into your projects. And I cant wait for whats to come!
Came here right after finishing the game and I gotta say - what an amazing essay/review you've made, just incredible! Thank you for the effort you've put into this retrospective as well as all the other R&C retrospectives that you've made. Truly one of the best long format RUclips content out there.
This franchise is something I’ve stuck by and will always stick by as my favourite games franchise of all time (I always buy them day one) and Insomniac is the best studio to be because of it. Thank you for this wonderful retrospective the work you put in and what it means to me can not be summed up in words, so glad I subscribed. Also it’s some weird timing that you mention joe parea a day before it gets cancelled🤣
The series have been evolving , I have played them since the ps2 era, it was literally my first game for my first console, I loved the PS3 specially a crack in time but I know they could have been so much more and I loved the gameplay of the PS4 one , I saw all of your R&C videos and I mostly agree with what you said, I just can’t wait for the next game and I’ll be there
As a 30 something adult that only got into this franchise because of the PS4 remake, I find the upbeat and positive tone to be very refreshing. In the current environment where it seems like every show and game needs to be cynical, we need more media like recent R&C to even it out. It's probably a factor why the adult swim show Smiling Friends is doing well.
@@Badmunky64 funny enough I feel the opposite on the humor aging. The PS2 games aged incredibly well, seeing how greedy people in the modern era are, as well as the PS2 games representing how powerful and dangerous celebrities can be. Meanwhile the PS3 games are sort of their own contained story that don't really "age." You either like the PS3 story, or you don't (I lean towards the second one). And then the PS4 game has the #gadgetron which is just atrocious.
You can be sincere without being painfully generic and bland. Rift Apart doesn’t fall into the latter as badly as the reboot did…but not by a whole lot.
I've been wanting to watch this video for so long but had to play the game for myself first. Finally beat it yesterday on PC and it's a masterpiece in the Ratchet games. Your videos on the series are fantastic and I thank you for all the hardwork you put into them!
amazing review and retrospective TGB!, i disagreed with some reviews but always could see the care put into them and thoroughly enjoyed watching them all, cant wait to see whats next!
Thanks again for joining me on this journey - it's easily been the most fulfilling project I've worked on yet, and I can't wait to follow up with both projects of this vein (and some complete wildcards!) in the coming months. Don't ask me for more R&C for at least a year, I'll get the stragglers eventually but they involve trying to pry into completely different companies, and that's work I'd rather save for another time!
*Original comment below:*
Quick note for early viewers: The 4K resolution option for this video may not appear for you - I had to re-render and reupload this morning to fix a small mistake, and even though RUclips says on my end that the 4K version is complete, it sometimes takes another 12 hours or so to show up so all I've got is 1080p for now. But you've been waiting long enough, so screw it!
Thank you for the heads up and by the way me and my brother love the stuff you do how in-depth and how you see from the so many perspectives and being able to do all of the work you do and all that goes into it is qwarktastic
Thanks for letting us know it was forcing me at 480p for some reason
I am going to come back tomorrow and watch it in 4k
I'm so excited to watch this when I got off work tomorrow. Thanks for all the content you've made.
I'm watching this in 240p by choice
Saaay, are you ever going to do Insomniac's Not Ratchet stuff?
The Spider-Man games are the obvious ones, but how about Sunset Overdrive? Now that's a fantastic game barely anyone remembers, and built on the good old Insomniac design ethos of "Hey, what's the most awesome way you can blow stuff up?"
Ironically Clank being like "I'm sick of you leaving your junk around your apartment, go find your family" reminds me of a plotline the original Ratchet games would do.
Yeah now it's all "Ratchet, you are my best friend and I'm so nice I did this amazing thing for you. I love you, my dear, sweet friend."
@@mattjindrak Yeah like, the Futures Saga is pretty good, but nothing beats their interactions from the original games
Dude this game rules but the dialogue like during cutscenes feel so fake and forced sometimes lmao I'm like why are they talking like this lmao
I'm a big fan of the series btw like i kinda see the ps2 and ps3 games as thier own thing and story wise i feel like crack in time was one of the best in the future saga cus i remember being so invested in the game as a kid i was like whoa I'm actually interested and when there was plot twist I was like oh shi no way that's crazy
They are lesbians, ratchet.
My dad and I have played these games over & over since the first one came out.
He fell quite ill in 2020 and January 2022 decided he wanted to play through them all.
He sadly passed away last month, but I'm so glad he managed to get to this game, it absolutely blew his mind!
Thanks for the brilliant vids, I literally drop everything to watch these!
I'm so sorry to hear about your dad, but that's a really sweet story, and a memory that you'll be holding close for years and years to come. Much love, friend!
That’s really cool he got to play this one at least before he passed. I never played any of the previous games before Rift Apart and my mind is still blown every time I see it on my TV. I have a feeling this game is ten years ahead of its time.
Wow.... I'm happy your Dad had a great time with this series with you.
Blessings to you 🙏
This really sad and also very beautiful. Thank you for sharing your story.
Blessings to you
Sorry for your loss.
Honestly, the other “I’m a little teapot” jokes never really landed for me, but the French one really got me. Hardest laugh I’ve had in a while.
Angela Cross..
Forever gone, but never forgotten
Who?
Not quite. Rivet mentioned she escaped prison with Angela in the... well, the prison level.
Most likely this'll be alternate reality Angela, but it seems like the franchise is keeping Angela being a Lombax or not vague and up in the air.
Personally I'd say she's not.
All we have to go on her being a Lombax is her appearance and what some very unreliable news anchors said.
Theres also always the possibility that she could show up if finding all the scattered Lombax is the next game's plot line (if there's a next game)
1:13:35 i feel like they did this so that they can finally re-introduce Angela as someone who both Ratchet and Rivet already met, not to mention the fact that Rivet(just like Ratchet) didnt know that Angela was a Lombax at that time because she doesn't looks exactly like her.
I hope they basically say that they didn't know Angela was a Lombax because of the lack of a tail and Angela just lost her tail before she met them.
@@staticshock4239 there is an angela easter egg in the game proving they still acknowledge her in someway
Doctor Nefarious: "You've beaten me at my own game."
Emperor Nefarious: "You were never even a player."
When it comes to the Lombax race, I like to imagine that every universe has lombaxes, and every lombax race eventually learns to traverse dimensions. So eventually, every universes version of the lombaxes interbred and became one species spanning multiple universes.
I'd assume that the Lombax race are one dimensional and since they invented the dimensionator they were able to migrate to different galaxies that way and start colonies until Tachyon destroys the original dimension resulting in them fleeing as far away as possible
That would be a cool clever concept.
Yeah you would see lots of interesting variations of Lombaxes who have changed, either with tech, organic, or other abilities from their respective universes. Like from hive minds to godly powers, to full mech suits. A lot of possabilites and LOTS of weapons.
Shame I haven't found any on Earth.
"Interbred" sounds so weird XD I like to think that each alternative to a character is a different person entirely, just two sides of the same paper, and that each "species" is interchangeable with "race" or "culture"
Rift Apart is one of the highlights of recent releases to me. It juggled the best elements of a nostalgic throwback to stuff I loved when I was younger while also brining in stuff I haven't seen before and offering me something new. It's something I reccomend to customers all the time when trying to start their PS5 collection cause I think it's a breath of life in the new platform.
It felt like a game that just came in, knew what it wanted to be, came in with a plan and just executed it. It didn't overpromise and underachieve, but it also didn't settle for less. It's just a good ass game and I love it for that.
I agree and disagree a bit, I feel like this game had a lot of missteps. The story and enemy variety really bogged me down but I still loved it! Such a weird feeling for me
@@StripedJacket luffy
Holy crap it's Sunset City's 3rd key member.
Even in the advertising this was the game that made me start saving for a PS5. I avoided every video on it for months and finally found stock of the console and I agree with you entirely; I was rewarded with a tight feedback loop of awesomeness that didn't worry about the messiness of other narratives and delivered on the gameplay front. As soon as that first playthrough ended, it was an easy decision to platinum the game because like you pointed out, it utilized the PS5 so wonderfully to keep the flow of the game going and executed that flow to near perfection. It isn't the type of game that is world shatteringly viral but it is a damn good time for anybody with a brain and a controller in their hands.
@@STRING3R unpopular opinion
@@StripedJacket the game is still a masterpiece
Dads are honestly the heart of the series ive found? Im one of the younger fans, and my father was the one who introduced me to the future saga, and specifically ACiT, and I suspect if we hadn’t been robbed when I was younger, I wouldve got my hands on the OG trilogy games as well. A lot of my friends as well were shown the games through their dads, and I think thats so nice with RA came out. My dad picked me up and skipped work on June 11 so we could play together. I loved it so much!!
I spent 17 hours straight playing this game, the only break being my dad forcing a 40 minute nap on me. I loved it so much
Aww, that's great. Always nice to be able to share great games with your family!
@@CantusTropus my dad means everything to me, im so happy i can say something i love dearly has a clear origin to him. Its always fun to scream and KILL ENEMIES with him!!!
The craziest part of Rift Apart is that it looks so friggen good the ENTIRE time. And it’s NEAR Flawless in its graphical presentation. Like I’m jealous of kids today getting to experience ratchet like this. I know when we were all 10 we imagined that RA is what we thought ratchet looked like. But now the game looks as good as an animated movie.
It looks better than the actual R&C movie
@@charKT-7461 It really does feel that way, the first time I saw the reveal trailer I instantly thought "this is definitely better than the movie"
Cannot agree more! I don't feel jealous for the kids, I feel lucky to still be here to experience it as an adult. What a fantastic experience it was. And as an animator, I was creaming my pants constantly at the near impeccable animation work.
Ratchet and Clank 1 looked amazing to me as a kid and it still looks great today
The Golden Bolt, I just want to thank you. I remember when I accidentally stumbled upon the RaC retrospective for the first game. I remember when UYA's retrospective dropped and I watched it all in one setting. I remember being so excited when you covered the PS3 and PS4 parts. This video? It made my day. I have had a long grueling week at work and seeing this vid pop up got me so excited. It's been an absolute joy watching these amazing videos of yours. I won't lie, I started to tear up at your conclusion. I truly did. I've been a RaC fan since the very first game came out and here I am in 2022 excited to see where the series goes. The magic may be different now but it's still magic. I hope you have a good day, Golden Bolt. Because you certainly made mine good.
Hearing that I made your day a little better actually makes mine even better, I'm so glad I could help even a little bit. Much love, friend 💙
I'm so glad I'm not the only R&C fan tearing up at this video conclusion ;)
This has easily been the best retrospective series I've had the pleasure of watching. And yes, R&C nostalgia plays a part in that, but the effort you've put into each of these instalments is clear in the quality of each instalment, and that's the big thing that kept me coming back. I especially loved all the behind-the-scenes insights you shared that really shifted my perspective in the series. I've actually replayed the series almost all the way through with these videos in mind just to see how much they've affected my understanding of the series as a wholes, and I'm very happy with the new view I've had on each of these games!
Thank you for putting this together, I'm very excited to see whatever's next from you. Stay golden!
I have to say, TGB earns that from quality alone. Even factoring out being a fan of the games, TGB puts out consistently well-edited and narrated documentary-level productions, as thoroughly well-researched as People Make Games' documentaries, but from a much tinier channel.
Guy's missing another million subs or two. I mean, come on.
I feel like Rift Apart was the best of both worlds, the 2015 Reboot and the OG fans
@@GiordanDiodato Best of thirds; the people who have never played a R&C game before. Also the reboot is from 2016, just wanted to point that out
I'm 38 and I still play through the entire Ratchet and Clank series every now and then. Rift Apart is so special to me because it truly makes me feel that nostalgia, but in a modern way. Can't really explain it better than that. As always, great video.
If I could ask for anything more from this game, it's literally just arena filler.
I always loved the arenas in 2, 3 & Deadlocked. An area with tons of missions to mess around in, even if it wasn't important to the story.
The least I wanted were more hard arena challenges. The Enforcer challenge, Boomstick Blast, is incredibly unbalanced and should be changed; it's nearly impossible to beat without a maxed Enforcer because you run out of ammo all the time. The Warmonger challenge, Ka-boomstick Blast, is mildly challenging because you, once again, keep running out of ammo, but the Warmonger is OP as is, so it's not that hard. Everything else is pretty much free
I always loved the 100 round quarktastik challenge
@@jaynator495 impossible challenge, poser
@@williamkelly5689 it was most definitely possible, it was certainly hard though. Every challenge mode I would do it again to see how I've improved
@@jaynator495 I believe they're referring to the arena challenge in the second game that's literally called "Impossible Challenge" not that the challenge you're referring to is impossible.
This was a damn good retrospective, Kev. I have nothing but respect (and a little bit of pity, because holy shit, those dev cycles for over a decade sound horrific) for the devs of this series because of the stuff I've gotten out of this. How appropriate that it basically ends (for now) on a game that basically breaks from that cycle and learned from it. It's like a documentary with a massive rough patch and a happy ending, at least a little bit.
That was pretty much the secondary MO of this video series once I really started understanding how vicious the cycle was - those stories deserved to be told, and if Insomniac had those struggles despite being seen within the industry as one of the few that's "figured it out?" And they were able to address those issues, albeit more slowly than they'd have liked it seems? That's worth sharing!
Yes the devs really weren't treated the best in the early days. I spoke with an ex dev and he said he wished things ended better with him and the company.
The no crunch thing also explains why the game feels massively unfinished and reuses a TON of assets every level.
@@thechugg4372 The way they re-used assets is incredibly genius, though. The Dimensionator and having multiple universes allows the devs to be smart about re-using assets without it feeling incredibly out of place or cheap. The way they introduced and used Bone/Skeleton skinned enemies despite still being the same Goons & Grunthors was smart as hell.
My whole family played the og trilogy. I had surgery last week and my parents came to my house after to help with my recovery. Instead of sleeping I spent all day watching my parents (in their 50s) taking turns playing rift apart and having the time of their lives. I truly loved this game and all the family memories it has given me over the years
This video was incredible and so was the whole series. Love your stuff, dude!
wow what a cool family!
I absolutely adore the mission on Torren IV with the Fixer. Clanks realisation that he isn't broken really spoke to me as an amputee, Rift Apart doesn't get the credit it deserves for its incredible writing.
Thank you for your informative and necessary comment Michael
@@eoghaner2k10Michael said something a little un-nice, didn't he?
I just wanted to say this series has been so valuable to me. When you aired the first episode my life was completely in a rut and I used to come home from my horrible job and sit in silence watching the same retrospective over and over.
Seeing the R&C gameplay on the screen became my favourite background noise as it reminded me of my childhood, simpler times. That, coupled your with extensive research meant I’d learn something new every time I watched.
Now the series has ended, I’m at a different stage in my life. Healthier, moved to a famous company with better prospects and I bought a car. All the while I had your retrospectives.
It’s been a pleasure to watch Golden Bolt
I'm super glad I could help distract you a little bit, friend - and more importantly, I'm glad your situation is better now! Much love 💙
This was an amazing video and an amazing retrospective in general. I really loved it. The conclusion about the game’s humor made me realize how much the world changed in the last 20 years.
In 2002, to a kid, the world felt genuine.
So R&C felt was cynical.
In 2021, to a kid, the world felt cynical.
So R&C needed to be genuine.
Wow...no truer words have ever been said, dude. Nice insight!😀
You are so right it hurts!
The hard cut to Angela and the abrupt "Shut Up" was perfect🤣🤣
I just spent this weekend watching your entire retrospective series and loved every second of it. And this is coming from someone who has never actually played the games but has always been interested in them. Thank you for all of the behind the scenes development stories, the personal anecdotes, the context of community reactions, and most importantly showing just how fun and inspiring these games can be. I was engrossed through every video, especially loving the running gags throughout. The French little teapot had me DYING of laughter after all of those references before, felt like 9 hours of set up for this one joke, absolutely perfect. I'll be picking up a PS5 for this and Astrobot soon, so thank you for getting me so excited to jump into these world and experience them myself.
You are one of the most underrated RUclipsrs out there. Your content is always top-notch in every sense of the word. 👍
That's super kind of you to say, my friend, thank you so much!
15 hours of retrospective later. And it really is one of the greatest stories of a game developer ever. Between ratchet, Spyro, and now Spider-Man. Insomniac is responsible for some truly great gems. And I haven’t ever even touched some of their other work.
Rift Apart was definitely worth the wait the half a decade long wait (also I love how this vid is just as long as the actual R&C film).
Finally! I have been waiting for the rift apart retrospective since I finished watching the PS4 retrospective. Since then, I have watched every other video at least 7 times and binged the entire series at least 4 times. Thanks for making excellent content. Stay golden!
I consider this the best retrospective on this series. Seriously how you understand both the themes of the PS2 games, as well as how those same corporate pressures affected both the production and the legacy of RC gives a feeling of completeness of analysis unique to this channel. Bravo and good work my guy.
Something I think I love the most about this game is how well Insomniac endears the player to not only the classic characters we already know and love but also the new characters we're introduced to in this game. I have no attachment to the Tresspasser puzzles from the old games, but you bet your ass I want to help Glitch through not only her mini levels but also with her personal issues because I care about her. Kit is also such a lovable little robot, and seeing her so excited to meet Rivet was so sweet it gave me diabetes. Even Trudy was a lovable side character, and I wish all the best for her and her little ones.
42:50 not gonna lie, i was kinda expecting the 'shut up' cutaway joke to make a comeback when you mentioned Angela Cross. When it didn't happen, I was kinda disappointed into thinking said joke was retired.......
only for you sneak it back in later on, you sly Lombrax.
"Sly lombrax" lol
Gotta compliment you on your choice of background scene during the close of this video. The Ratchet/Rivet giving each other crap over "maybe you're me" while Kit and Clank share a laugh brought a smile to my face just like it did when I played the game. Which perfectly goes with what you are saying with how much these games stick in your mind.
Have really enjoyed this retrospective series. I played the PS2 games I don't even know how many times when I was a kid, but since I was one of those PS2 to Xbox 360 people, I never played any of the PS3/PS4/PS5 games. Stumbled on your original Ratchet and Clank retrospective about 6 months ago and they reminded me just how much I loved these games, so I ended up getting Ratchet and Clank PS4 and Rift Apart. And ended up liking PS4 and absolutely adoring Rift Apart. And now I've installed an emulator to replay the PS2 games and will probably end up playing the PS3 games for the first time ever. All of that to say: thank you for doing this retrospective and helping me rediscover a game series I didn't realize had the effect on my childhood that it did.
After binge watching the series through the past couple weeks - thank you! You've pointed out many good and bad points of the series I never payed attention to or didn't know about - and now I think I need to start replaying them.... Keep up the great work!
This video made me realize that Tall and Strong vs Short and Utility duo for Ratchet and Clank isn't just reflected in Rivet and Kit. It's also reflected in Nefarious and Nefarious.
The Nefarii
@@charKT-7461 Lmaooo
Some people have noted that there's some developer notes from back in the day that mention Croc actually analysing and researching mascot platformers while being a mascot platformer as a sort of meta take. So I think we all should give a thanks to Croc for inspiring this amazing retrospective series you've made here!
Dang it I have to go to bed, thanks a lot Golden lol.
I still can't believe it's been a year since this game came out, a year since this retrospective started and 20 years since the R&C series has been thriving.
I thought about holding off until tomorrow (had to edit a quick fix, but 4K renders take forever to process), but then I said screw your sleep I uploaded R&C PS4 at 10:30pm too
@@TheGoldenBolt I love you man
One thing i learned from this series is that insomniac really needs some kind of achievement. How they made all these games so great under such tight deadlines is amazing. We can talk about the quality of each of the games, but I think we can all agree that all of them are at the very least good
Amazing video about an amazing game.
However just wanted to bring one thing up. You say that Emperor Nefarious's psychic telepathy powers seen in the cutscene are never brought up again but it's actually a part of the boss fight. He picks up boxes with that same purple glow and hurls them at you.
Our Doctor Nefarious can do it too surprisingly. I only found that out cause I spent a whole hour on his great fight to get as many shots of his beautiful new model as I could in Photo Mode.
I do think it's a bit weird to give him a new power for a pretty insignificant attack that rarely occurs. And I do agree it should happen in more cutscenes.
“Did you play 2? Or Deadlocked?” Also the comics, wasn’t he also stuck in a prison in Vartax?
I’m glad I’m not the only one who wished Rivet had just a bit more of that R&C 1 edge to her. I felt like at times she’s a bit too much like our current Ratchet xD
Yeah, I'll third that.
I can’t believe it’s been a year…. Love this game a lot, Definitely in my top 3 ratchet games. These retrospectives have been amazing and thank you so much for making them. I love this game series so much and I can’t wait to see what the next game has in store.
What I find fun about the two Nefarii, is that while the Emperor seems to be everything the Doctor isn't at first, by the end it becomes clear that Dr. Nefarious constant failures have made him more resiliant and mature than his counterpart. While the Dr. takes his defeats on the chin and just resolves to come back swinging next time, while actually enjoying any victory he does get, Emperor Nefarious lives in a shallow way, equating Success with Happiness, which leaves his life empty after he just keeps winning and keeps him unable to handle loosing, to the point where he's willing to destroy all of reality after being properly beaten a single time.
What I thought was interesting was that the game not only highlighted how both ratchet and rivet need their clank and kit to be practically unbeatable, but that when both Nefarious's worked together they both were practically unbeatable until one started trying to overlap the other
10:12 funny enough In Into the Nexus, Clank did give a hint about him cleaning after Ratchet when shedding(when he turn into a robot in the Biobliterator section).
I'd buy the Lombax civilizations from various universes creating their own Dimensionators, encountering each other as consequence, and forming a singular unified Lombax civilization in a chosen universe, which would likely be what the Lombax cityscape Ratchet saw in Tools of Destruction was.
So Rivet could still be her world's Ratchet counterpart.
Such an amazing video and a beautiful wrap up to the whole retrospective. The magic this franchise carries is what keeps me a fan of all sagas (Original, Future, Current) even after such a long time.
Also, since he was barely mentioned in the video I wanna take a moment to give his moment of appreciation to Gary:
Yes, he was a very small and somewhat unremarkable character; But there's something involving him that I feel NOONE brings up and I feel it should be appreciated more cause it shows the strength of the game's writing despite the script hiccups it faced:
Throughout the Clank and Kit sections, Gary is constantly chatting with the bots and trying to help them face their current issues, but besides a couple of repetitive hints when a player takes too long, nothing he says ever feels condescending or comes off as he knows better. Rather, he casually asks them how are they doing. Questions them about their relationships with Ratchet and Rivet and how that makes them feel and suggests ways to take things one step at a time while admitting that he doesn't have a cure-all for their problems but rather leads them into figuring themselves out through their conversations.
It's almost like during these sections Clank and Kit are basically having a psychiatrist session with Gary. I have had my fair share fair of psychiatrists and therapists throughout my life due to mental issues and depression, and the way Gary lends an ear to the bots' insecurities feels like genuine methods of how a good psychiatrist speaks to you!
It really fits nicely in this story about characters facing and overcoming their doubts and it's amazing how well it comes off DESPITE the massive rewrite that caused the game delay.
I don't know WHO in the writing department I must give a handshake to but I'd do it in a heartbeat for showing one of the most genuine and, for lack of a better word, realistic takes into a therapeutic conversation I have ever seen...and in a flipping Ratchet game, no less!!
I actually really did love Gary, as well! I didn't feel there was a great place to work in his character without pulling away from the focus on this one, though earlier script drafts did have a bit more about him, before I reworked everything around the midway spoiler warning. So, I ended up deciding to leave him for folks to discover for themselves when they play, since so many viewers are watching only the first half or the whole thing without having had the chance to play.
Wow! Dude, that is SO TRUE! How tf did I never realize this until now? Lol 😂😂! Honestly, Gary is such an amazing character in Rift Apart, and it REALLY shows through his interactions with Ratchet, Clank, etc.
Also, after rewatching this game for the second time just a couple of weeks ago, since I don't have a PS5 to play it yet (and because I watched the first 12 R&C games here on RUclips before rewatching Rift Apart), I was genuinely surprised when Gary himself reveals that he's the son of the PLUMBER, like, wtf!?!? I did not expect that at all! Like I was shocked and happy at the same time, because the plumber guy is actually one of my favorite characters from the R&C games, lmao!🤣🤣
Also, personally speaking, its funny how just 1 year ago, when I watched Rift Apart for the first time, I knew little to NOTHING about any of the characters, or the story, and nothing really made any sense to me, so I thought the game was JUST good and nothing else, and that was because I've never played NOR watched any of the R&C games at the time, and to this day, I STILL haven't played any R&C games (well, besides the 2016 remake, of course, but we all know that game isn't canon, lol).
So, after at least watching ALL of the first 12 games, and actually getting to know the characters and the story, I began to understand things alot more, and eventually fell in love with the series as a whole.
After all that, I then went ahead and rewatched Rift Apart, and OH BOY, did I FELL in love with the game!😍😍 Honestly, It's SOOO MUCH better than I remember it being! The characters are awesome, the story is amazing, the graphics and animation look so BEAUTIFUL and real, like your watching an animated Disney or Pixar movie, and the gameplay looks so COOL and extremely FUN! The game as a whole is truly a MASTERPIECE and a beautiful work of art! 🥰🥰 And now suddenly, everything made a lot more sense to me story-wise, and I'm simply grateful that Ratchet and Clank exists as a franchise! 😃😃
As for now, I really, REALLY want to get my hands on all the R&C games asap, and if I ever have the time, I simply hope I'll get to play them all soon! Also, I cannot wait to FINALLY have the PS5 in the future, and when I do, this game will be the first one on my Playlist!😆😆
PD: Also, I'm so, so sorry if I went TOO overboard with my response, or if it was SUPER unnecessarily long!😥😥 I honestly don't know how I went from talking about one topic to a completely different one...my bad lol!😅😣 Other than that, I REALLY liked your analysis on Gary from Rift Apart, and how you think he contributes to the story and relates to the rest of the characters from the game! You sure gave us a lot to think about!🤔🤔 Awesome job, dude!😎👍
It is so nice that so many comments compliment your series, it is evident that you did a good job.
As a fan since the first game I really appreciated it!
1:08:38 100% agreed, I was SOOOOOO CONFUSED when I was trying finish this particular side quest all because the game doesn’t tell you how to breathe fire 🙄 I hope insomniac doesn’t make a mistake like this ever again
1:21:50
I’ve actually never really been “on” this series in the first place, I’m just watching to keep up with Croc’s lasting legacy.
Jokes aside, I just love hearing people talk about things they love, even as they acknowledge they aren’t perfect. The kind of passion that makes someone say “Yes it has flaws, but I don’t care, I still love it” just makes me happy to see. Couple that with your engaging writing style and humor, and I really enjoyed this video, even as an outsider to the series.
All that to say, thanks for such a great video!
I haven't played it yet, but I have seen the game in action and heard a lot about it. Rift Apart really just seems to have tried, and succeeded, at being a culmination of everything the series did well in its entire run since the very first game on PS2. There are so many little details in the game that really showcase that running Insomniac trait of never forgetting a good idea and finding a great place for it later.
I mean, the armor piece system is an improvement off friggin' Size Matters. They remembered that and decided to do it better. That's incredible. Fitting too, for a game that's about looking back at your beginnings.
One of these days I'll get a PS5 and experience it myself. Eventually. But for now, I'm glad it exists, as a triumph of overcoming toxic work culture and learning from past mistakes. Here's to another generation of Ratchet and Clank - and Rivet and Kit, because I don't see those two going away anytime soon.
Once again, watching something about Rift Apart makes me want to replay it. Your writing and points were delivered fantastically - I’m the same way, while there were some issues and quibbles I’d had with the game, it never outweighed the sheer goodness on display. I’m so excited for what’s next. Thank you for all you do, can’t wait to rewatch earlier parts after I’ve finished those titles.
I don't think anyone goes more in-depth into this game series then you do, so I just wanted to say I appreciate the work and time you put into these videos:)
Ratchet and Clank and Jak and Daxter were my games I constantly played during my childhood. I played the future games in high school and beyond. Earlier this year I played Rift apart and fell back in love with the series. My first child is about to born in a few days. I look forward to playing through these games again with her and her siblings when are born. These games always sparked my imagination. When you mentioned driving down the street and picturing Ratchet grinding on the power lines, that was something I did. I would pretend to be fighting in a blarg invasion with Ratchet and Clank. I just look forward to being able to share those memories and make new ones with my kids. Thanks for doing the retrospective. I’ve really enjoyed reliving the games through this series.
Here we are the last game in this retrospective (until we gonna get a video on the psp spin-offs). It’s was fun and I’m glad you make this videos on my favorite video games franchise.
Thank you golden bolt.
Edit (this gonna be long but if you managed to read it all then thanks)
So my history with rift apart is maybe shorter (as writing and editing on this comment because it’s been a year and a month since the game release) but it’s feel much longer. I remember back in 2019 that’s we heard rumors about a new ratchet game being developed, i was scared because I really wanted it to be a nexus sequel and not a sequel for the ps4 movie tie-in game but i had hopes because sony needed the mario of Playstation back especially after a console generation that’s had too much cinematic games that feel the same.
Back in june 2020 i just completed persona 5 royal during the 1st lockdown and sony announced a stream that’s showing the ps5, I remember i saw miles morales and i was angry because I wanted a ratchet game from insomniac not another marvel game but after the gran turismo 7 reveal… rift apart was announced and i was happy.
When rift apart was announced i had 3 missions until the release of the game i need to get every physical copy of the ratchet & clank franchise and finish all the main games. I managed to get all the games physically and finished all the main games (even completed up your arsenal, tools of destruction, quest for booty, nexus and the movie tie-in). The third mission was difficult and that was getting a ps5 until the game release, i have rules when a console announced and is not buying it until at least after 2 years passed (did it with every console I’ve ever own) but because i just wanted to play a new ratchet & clank game and the adrenaline to find a ps5 i broke my own rule and it’s getting a brand new console on the first year. I remember trying to find online and retail during the pandemic and it’s was difficult as hell but april 2021 i was busy finding a new car to get and I finished an Inspect for the car I’ve got i saw on a Playstation fan group on Facebook that’s a store open a limit stock of ps5 for sale and shocking I managed to buy it! I remember the day i got rift apart i have a good friend who’s have a retro video games store and he’s managed to get me a copy of the game 2 days before release day! And i never been exited for a video game since i think the ps3 generation.
So now after the story i told what’s i think about rift apart? It’s not only the most important game in the franchise is in my opinion the most important Playstation game ever released, it’s not celebrated the ratchet & clank franchise it’s just celebrated Playstation and insomniac games overall with easter eggs with the lorbs or the many cameos from the ryno 8 it’s feel good and really show how much important ratchet & clank is as Playstation mascots. The story is amazing i don’t feel it’s rushed like going commando or just lazy and childish like the movie tie-in I actually think a lot of moments in this game make me feel emotional like the dialogue of ratchet with captain quantum (the captain qwark from rivet dimension) is maybe my favorite moment in the franchise especially when ratchet talk about qwark because rift apart was the first game in the franchise that’s jim ward didn’t voice him because of his retirement.
I liked rivet i never expecting to enjoy a female ratchet that’s voiced by naomi hunter from metal gear solid, kit was a huge surprise didn’t expect to see a female clank and emperor nefarious was a great villain. The only character i hate and honestly the biggest negative i have about this game is zurkon jr, I already dislike richard horvitz voice other characters in the franchise other than the zoni but zurkon jr is just invader zim but just annoying more than ever! I hate the arena stages in rift apart because of zurkon jr!
About the ratchet fandom it’s similar to both sonic and mario, sonic fans always crying about 2d better than 3d and mario fans are just don’t know what but that’s because Nintendo don’t care about legacy content (im looking at you 3d all stars) the ratchet fandom is divided but not at the same level.
Other than that’s it’s in my top 4 favorite ratchet & clank games (still loved 3, TOD and nexus much more) and I’m glad i got my ps5 early because I needed this game and that’s pretty cool. 😉
Cool story bro, as a new comer it's nice to see the perspective of long time fans and how you guys feel about the direction the franchise has gone
@@elharvey5032 yeah as a long time fan I’m just glad about the direction of rift apart. We got a sequel that’s feel brand new without playing previous games and not a nostalgia trip remake, reboot like every platformer in this generation.
It’s not easy to be a ratchet & clank fan especially during the ps4 days when sony only published 1st party cinematic games like the last of us, god of war 2018 and horizion and only marketing 3rd party ps1 remakes like crash & spyro because of stupid nostalgia ps1 kids.
@@BensyBens I personally don't mind that but the problem for me is that Sony doesn't want to reboot all PS1 or PS2 mascots such as Jak & Daxter and Sly Cooper (My childhood game) they pretty much left those for dead, but at least Ratchet and Clank is still going and because of Rift Apart I got interested in the series and learned about the games lore and behind the scenes of what happened
@@elharvey5032 there are a lot of classic Playstation ips I really want to see back, not only sly and jak but franchises like twisted metal, ape escape, gravity rush, tomba, resistance and many more
I’m glad you enjoyed rift apart and interest checking the rest of the franchise.
@@BensyBens Yeah I can't wait to see the next Ratchet and Clank game, and I have respect for Insomniac for not giving up on their mascots while also doing other video game ideas
57:50 i mean he does use them in his boss fight.
He flings rocks and explosive crates at you
I'm so glad Rift Apart exists. The instant it was first shown off, I wanted to play it so it got me playing all of the older games to prep and it was such a fun time. By far my favorite game of last year. Great retrospective!
This game got me into the series, and for that I'm ever grateful
Same thing here, it's nice to one of PlayStation's mascots is still going by it's original developers who still care
I think they missed a big opportunity with Rivet. If they really wanted a "what if" situation with Ratchet, have Rivets backstory play out where she had a falling out with Kit at the same point where Ratchet had his falling out point with Clank after Quarks betrayal only in her story the two never got back together. You could have seen a more jaded and cynical lombax that never got passed that point in the first game, (but still has a good heart deep down), and see how it contrasts with the Ratchet we all know and love. This would also make the tension with Kit much more interesting as Rivet would already know her and still have issues never fully resolved after so many years.
This would have been a drastic rewrite and many other characters would need one to go along with it but the concept it golden.
Your idea of Rivet being a lot more jaded and cynical in stark contrast to the hero Ratchet have become kinda reminds me of the cancelled MediEvil 3: Fate's Arrow
Youd' probably have to restructure the plot to make that work, is the thing, as part of it was to do with 'hey, here's a universe that's basically what would have happened if Ratchet and Clank never came together and became heroes in the first place' and the dimension Rivet called home is influenced by that. So you'd probably have to change that foundation too.
I think in this one kit was not discarded as a faulty bot in the begining, like clank was. Remember the was a guy that "fixed" Clank, so he could go into giant batle mode, since he could not do that, he was discarded before he could be finished with programming, so he kind of had free will, stumble upon the evil plotline and crash into ratchet
Rift apart isn’t the most perfect game but it truly is a work of art
Recaptured the R&C experience I haven't felt since Up Your Arsenal.
All video games are works of art. Its an art form.
@@user-gu5dv7vj8r No need to be pedantic, you know what he meant. In common parlance "it's a work of art" means "it's beautiful, a GOOD work of art".
Nope.
@@Mastercheeks17 bait.
It’s great to finally see a dedicated Ratchet RUclipsr cover this game with as much detail as it deserves! I especially enjoyed your insight about the four split demographics. I can vouch for three of them, and it was one of the first games I had the pleasure of introducing to my nephew who loved the Ratchet and Clank reboot!
Just wanna say thank you for making these retrospective videos. Your enthusiasm for the series has encouraged me to play the games I never got around to playing. Starting with Tools of destruction and continuing from there. Can't wait to play Rift Apart. It looks like an amazing game.
This was the first game I got for the PS5, and the first game I platinumed for the system. This is my favorite Ratchet title so far, and it’s gonna stay in my top 3, no matter what.
I need to go back and platinum this game its so good!
A really fun game, wish it had more replay value though
@@Jidom_101 I don't. I've 100% the game 7 times already
Amazing video, just simply amazing. Ratchet and Clank on the PS2 was the first game I ever played and I've played every one since so this series meant a lot to me. Thank you for making it and I can't wait to see what you make in the future.
My favorite moment in the final fight is during the section where you blast the heart with Ratchet and Clank and you get to hear the back and forth between the two Nefariouses with the Emperor slowly starting to freak out because his big super powerful robot is failing, while on the other hand, Dr. Nefarious feels accepting of the situation that he knows the Emperor will lose with the great line, "See? This is why my dimension is so hard to take over. It's not because of ME."
As I watched these retrospectives over this month, I played each and every game with the exception of the spin-offs and Size Matters.
For me, it was a journey of revisiting and learning, especially about the production behind the games I played as a kid and the insane crunch for them. Even with all the weaknesses in each game, I found myself engulfed in the redundant combat flow and the switch ups along the way.
This is part of my childhood, I'm happy that I went along and revisited it from beginning to what we have now. These retrospectives were the icing on top, and whatever the future holds for this series, I'm looking forward to it big time!
Thank you for your work on all the R&C retrospectives. A tear fell with final “stay golden” of this series. Until next time…
The final conclusion is really the icing on the cake of this retrospective! Great points that I haven’t thought of! I think the Jak and Daxter series retrospective is much needed after this,with the thoughts of future saga/reimagining the current one. Love your content dude💪🏼
Fun fact Rift Apart was the very first game I played when I got my PS5. I loved the story and how they handled the dimensional gameplay, another thing I did appreciate was the ability to alter button mapping so that a person like myself who can only use 1 hand and make it feel smooth to handle.
PS: Hearing u say "Icecubinator" in a doofenshmirtz like voice caught me off guard so much that I laughed so hard 🤣
That’s not a fun fact lbs
I can finally watch both of your videos after finally getting a PS5, and I have been wanting to watch them for a while, but after getting to enjoy the games.
It has been a long ride watching this saga, learning new things, knowing the "behind the scenes" (and wondering how you learnt them) and hearing someone else's opinion and watching a critique from a different point of view from mine. Seeing that different people enjoy the same thing but see it in a different way than me was actually really enjoyable.
(Also club nefarious in this games was such a small detail but it always surprises me.)
Who knew my childhood games would have such high quality reviews.
Speaking as one of those guys who prefers the old edgier crude and satirical Ratchet humor that last section totally hits. I might not think the modern games are that funny but I completely understand and even respect why the franchise is written the way it is now, at least.
...you got me wanting to try Sunset Overdrive though
I grew up with R&C and some of my happiest childhood memories were playing the PS2 trilogy with my grandma after school.
So watching your retrospective has been a treat thanks for all the hard work.
🎵 *Golden Bolt Evil Incorporated* 🎵 28:54
Really good video. A crack in Time was the most wholesome step in the entire series. Universe in sectors, explorable planets and moons, free roaming space ship and especially, space radio station. With current hardware power and possibilities, they could go into that direction i guess. Every time it’s about timing for Insomniac for this series only. It’s just sad. Playing entire series, I really hope for space ship battles but never happened in this game.
It's funny how you talked about how this game is like the new era of gaming/Ratchet and Clank magic for kids today, where we had ours and they now have theirs. It was something I thought about a lot while I was playing, just the way life and the world changes with time. I feel like we way too often let ourselves believe that new things are worse than the old things, because we can't find the appeal of the new because we're too stuck in the old. And that's not to say everything needs to march onward, into perpetual "newness," but it's to say that maybe the old heads need to chill out and realize not everything is going to stay the same.
I'm hoping that one day I can become a game developer and tell excellent stories as well. Ratchet and Clank has been a huge inspiration to me for a few years now, I've played pretty much every game, and witnessing the series evolve alongside myself, and alongside the world, it has helped me to understand the nature of our ever changing world in a way I don't think most people would consider possible to gain from just playing games. Sometimes I look at the way the world changes, and it's unsettling. But most of the time, the things I'm afraid of end up working out and clearing up, and most of the rest of the time I just realize whatever I was afraid of wasn't worth fearing to begin with. Life is crazy. Games are fun. And if we keep our eyes open, we can find ourselves surprised by the wisdom buried even in something as goofy on the surface as Ratchet and Clank.
These games are always an absolute pleasure to play.
I was super excited when I saw this video and it didn't disappoint. I really agree with your take that EVERYTHING has gotten more cynical and the genuine family friendly tone of the newer games has actually become the exception rather than the rule. This series has always given me something that other games haven't and I'll always appreciate that about it.
I know this video is a year old now. But I've been slowly watching these retrospectives alongside playing a marathon from the first game. I had the first three and was one of those kids that dropped off saddened by the drastic changes in Deadlock. I genuinly didn't plan to play it on my journey to rift apart but your retrospective and love for it convinced me to give it a shot and I am so glad I did. It's been such an unexpectedly emotional journey to go back and play the triology that underscored my childhood, playing the Ratchet game I wrote off and made me drop the series, then coming to the future trilogy I ignored until now. All culminating in a game that genuinly brought me back to those warm spring breeze days playing Going Commando trying so hard to beat the space station mission before walking to the corner shop. I found myself actually getting excited to watch the retrospective as I felt each game draw to its end. Playing them all start to back within 3 weeks I can't help but laugh at the nostalgia goggles so many of the total cynics are holding onto. Each generation felt uniquely targeted in audience, some did better than others. But much like Deadlock it's adapt or die. I for one am really greatful that it didn't become the same game title after title. I think like many of us we'd drag and drop elements from across the series to make our perfect game but that would be so different for every player.
TL;DR Genuinly thank you for such well rounded and thouroughly researched videos. It's been a blast to watch each of these after playing each game! You've definitely enthralled this new subscriber.
Rift Apart was an amazing albeit bumpy ride, with a touching message.
The forced whimsical tone, pulling some story punches, the low variety of enemies and gadgets, balancing issues and the simplification of exploration, etc., did hurt the game a fair bit.
Despite that, it's such a solid experience that I've put in 200+ hours even though it's a 15 hour game at best.
What makes me hopeful for the future of the series is that now that this PS5 groundwork has been laid and with managerial lessons learned, Insomniac have more time they can spend on fleshing things out and surpassing Rift Apart.
Sorry I typed so much, I could talk about R&C forever.
Great video as always, looking forward to the next one!
I think the short length is an issue for me. Ratchet 1 and Tools of Destruction felt right. 2&3 felt too long. A Crack in Time and Rift Apart despite having great additions to the series felt too short.
Though what I can say is the biggest positive is that Rift Apart plays so smooth and controls beautifully. It gave me the same feeling as Metroid Dread, an already great control scheme tuned to perfection and smooth as glass.
You're right about the fact that Insomniac has it all figured out with the PS5 and have now more time to focus on the story, I think that the next Ratchet and Clank game will come out by 2024 or 2025
It's been such a wild and crazy ride watching you pour so much love and time into this series and it has helped me absolutely appreciate and love R&C even more!
Rift Apart is the crowning jewel of all of these games, and I cannot wait to play it when I get a chance to sit down in my busy schedule. You really sold me on how much more this story is in every sense of the word, let alone the gameplay and other tidbits.
Cheers, man, and cannot wait for what all you have in store next! Stay golden yourself 💙
1:22:47 I never really thought about this matter from this perspective. This is one of the best lines from a Ratchet and Clank essay video because it's true. Nowadays there's plenty of games that talk about corporativism and consumerism like Horizon, Cyberpunk 2077, Fallout. I've put something close to 700 hours combined by playing the Borderlands series, a franchise that places a lot of story focus in the weapons manufacturers. I wouldn't mind if Ratchet tackled those issues again but it probably wouldn't feel as special as what he have now with Rift Apart, especially to children.
i won't lie this is like the third time i cameback to watch this retrospective, it's so well done and you can see how much effort you have put into making this video, it's so enjoyable as well, you're doing a great job goldenbolt! Keep it up 💯
From what I remember reading somewhere it’s heavily suggested that all the lombaxes of parallel universes fled to another universe. I think it even says in game that lombaxes we’re unique in that originally they all came from one universe and then spread out to multiple universes that diverged into parallels of one another. Then when things got serious they all ran back to live together in the same universe again. I think ratchet and river are just special amongst their species in the sense that they are both parallel universes of the lombaxes that gif left behind. I don’t remember it implying there were a lot of lombaxes scattered around. It sounded like the plan was successful but there is no way to get 100% of a population. If anything there is probably just a very small amount of lombaxes left.
One thing to point out is that Angela cross is one of the only other characters we know of who had flying and hover boots, she was also stupid smart.
It’s my personal theory that Rivet is related to azimuth. If that is true then that could be a major issue in the future if she finds out what Ratchet did without context.
Thank you for this retrospective and I *truly* mean that. These videos made a huge impression on me, as well as bringing my spirits up during times where I was feeling low. As someone who's never played a RaC game, I for sure will now whenever I'm able to. That's all I really can put into words. Thank you for putting this whole thing together and I'm ready to see whatever comes next!
The questions insomniac left for fans....
Future Fans: Where's the Lombaxes?
New Fans: Oh where's this going ?
OG Fans: Where's Angela??
As someone who has played the Series since Ratchet 1 on PS2, R&C Rift Apart was everything and MORE than I wanted it to be... Sure it was a little short, but it didn't outstay it's welcome and was basically perfect from start to finish. Rivet and Kit where AWESOME additions to the Franchise and I really hope we get a "Rivet & Kit" in the future, maybe the next R&C can, as you said, wrap up the Lombax storyline and maybe end with Ratchet wanting to stay with the Lombax's (assuming he finds them, and they're alive 🤷♂️) and Clank by proxy would stick with him, leading Rivet & Kit to go out on universe saving adventures on their own (I'm betting the follow up will have all 4 of them again obviously) and that could essentially create a new Franchise/Refresh for Insomniac and Sony (and of course they could always come back to Ratchet and Clank themselves, they'd also be able to have them as "Rivet & Kit" regulars if they wanted... I'd actually really enjoy having a fresh "Rivet & Kit" Series with Ratchet and/or Clank Cameos from time to time, kinda like The Plumber, in the future 🤔)
6:36 this was me, I haven’t played a Ratchet game since Gladiator/Deadlocked. Picked up Rift Apart, love it. I think you’re right about the issues with the splintered fanbase.
24:16 the use of the triggers is a great simple gameplay innovation - gives more options and functionality to weapons than before.
30:58 eh, I didn’t mind the system. I guess making raritanium so important is to encourage exploration of the levels - which it does successfully in my view, and it’s good because exploring is good fun and steers you to pocket dimensions
I'd like to add as well for raritanium:
Farm the Sue Grunthor challenge at Zurkies and you won't have to search up and down every map to make sure you're getting enough crystals.
Defeat Pierre's Crew also is a good way to get to 1Mil bolts in a pretty decent time
I have tried to comment on all of the R+C videos not simply because of the almighty algorithm, but mainly because of my love of the series, this series of retrospectives and the quality of your channel and the content it provides. Each video has given me laughs, insight, and a greater appreciation not only for Insomniac but for you and your channel as well. Amazing work overall and I am sincerely glad that I found your videos over a year ago with the first R+C retrospective. I look forward for what will come in the future for the channel as what non R+C content I have seen as also impressed me so wait I shall. I hope the future for you goes smoothly as it seems to be for Insomniac. Great video as always!
Insomniac is definitely on fire with all of their recent games in such a short amount of time (4 years), I hope they can keep up with it because we know that there is going to be Spiderman 2 and Wolverine next and probably will have the next Ratchet and Clank game in development by then
when everyone is cynical and jaded being geniune and polite IS being diferent, i for once want more diferent games and stories like this one
26:39 This a cute little Peanuts homage. Also, Snoopy's grand adventure is my favorite game of all time. Rift Apart is a 10/10.
Thank you so much for this great series. I am so happy i found your channel and can not wait what you make next.
Just wanted to say thank you. You did an amazing job illustrating this title. I'm one of the PS2 only fans of Ratchet & Clank. I can't name just how many things you hit the nail on the head in this video. As someone who has only played all 4 of the PS2 games and has played the newest installment Rift Apart (3 times, 100%ing, normal & hardest difficulties). . . You did a beautiful job. *standing ovation*
This series is everything to me. I was a sheltered kid. Mom was busy with work and dad when home cared more about watching tv than watching me. Making me sit in my room saying no messes. Meaning can’t be a kid and play with toys. My best friend was my ps2. We got it when I was 5 and going commando came with it. It was the first game I ever played. And I remember through the years collecting the games slowly. For the most part I never got them till they’ve been out a while. Especially the future trilogy as I got the ps3 a bit into its life. I now own every game (minus the phone games) and I just. Love the series. I get every criticism and have made some of them my own but these games grew up with me. And I have loved them every step of the way. And cherish each new entry. Going commando is my favorite game of all time now tied with rift apart. I love the reboot regardless as it brings me back to that Christmas Day I got the first game finding out I played the series out of order and that the game series was well. A series. The games introduced me to the fact that games can have a series. I’ve spent so much time with these games by myself living in these worlds and escaping to them. I love the franchise. With all my heart and I can’t wait to see what’s next. Your retrospective has been so amazing. It’s wonderful seeing someone with a simile passion to this franchise and I always love seeing different views. Keep up the great work man
Finally finished this on the PC version so I had to come back here as well. As a long time fan who's been there since the beginning, this is almost everything I wanted from the new game. It's a relatively safe story that does cater to most if not all the sub-audiences of the franchise and gather them together to continue onward. I just hope that this won't hinder any possible sequel and the devs do try to be a little more experimental in the future. After all, that's what got them so far in the first place.
Visually the game is gorgeous, sound design felt really good and I thought the music was what it should have been since the Future series.
The gameplay and combat on the hardest difficulty was challenging but very fair, almost as if I was playing something like Doom Eternal. Liked both the old and the new weapons and their interactions with each other. Loved the hoverboots in ACiT and loved it even more in this game.
What sorta missed the mark for me was how little there was to collect/do besides the main story mission on most planets and I do missed some kind of backtracking that previous games had. Also, no skill points? Come on, that's been a series staple since the first game. I know it has achievements but those just aren't the same.
All in all it was a good journey. It felt new, but familiar at the same time and can't wait to see where they go from here.
Your timing is absolutely impeccable... I've just watched through all of your series retrospectives and then finally bought Rift Apart after your review video, and I just finished it. Is this video just for me personally? If so thanks!
Dude. During the finale of this game, I could see all the hours of my teenage years I spent playing the ps2 games, next to how much both the series and myself have grown reflected in Rivet and Kit (genius renaming btw. Honestly if that were the name of the 2003 game initially it would have hit just as hard) and audibly cheered as I chewed through ammo taking down Emp Nefarious and the robots. Even got a few hits in with the hammer just to add to the feeling. These games will always be era defining for me.
Im really bad with words so bare with me, but I wanna thank you Bolt for these retrospectives. They have given me insight on the devolopment process of these games, wich have made me appreciate them even more than I already did.
R&C is my favorite thing ever so learning more about it was a delight. These past few years have been rough but your videos have really helped. I appreciate all the work you have put into your projects. And I cant wait for whats to come!
Came here right after finishing the game and I gotta say - what an amazing essay/review you've made, just incredible! Thank you for the effort you've put into this retrospective as well as all the other R&C retrospectives that you've made. Truly one of the best long format RUclips content out there.
This franchise is something I’ve stuck by and will always stick by as my favourite games franchise of all time (I always buy them day one) and Insomniac is the best studio to be because of it.
Thank you for this wonderful retrospective the work you put in and what it means to me can not be summed up in words, so glad I subscribed.
Also it’s some weird timing that you mention joe parea a day before it gets cancelled🤣
The series have been evolving , I have played them since the ps2 era, it was literally my first game for my first console, I loved the PS3 specially a crack in time but I know they could have been so much more and I loved the gameplay of the PS4 one , I saw all of your R&C videos and I mostly agree with what you said, I just can’t wait for the next game and I’ll be there
Rift apart gave me the one thing I needed as an OG RaC player. Hope for the future.
As a 30 something adult that only got into this franchise because of the PS4 remake, I find the upbeat and positive tone to be very refreshing. In the current environment where it seems like every show and game needs to be cynical, we need more media like recent R&C to even it out. It's probably a factor why the adult swim show Smiling Friends is doing well.
I also messed around with some of the PS2 games and I don't think the humor/writing aged that well.
@@Badmunky64 funny enough I feel the opposite on the humor aging. The PS2 games aged incredibly well, seeing how greedy people in the modern era are, as well as the PS2 games representing how powerful and dangerous celebrities can be. Meanwhile the PS3 games are sort of their own contained story that don't really "age." You either like the PS3 story, or you don't (I lean towards the second one).
And then the PS4 game has the #gadgetron which is just atrocious.
You can be sincere without being painfully generic and bland.
Rift Apart doesn’t fall into the latter as badly as the reboot did…but not by a whole lot.
I've been wanting to watch this video for so long but had to play the game for myself first. Finally beat it yesterday on PC and it's a masterpiece in the Ratchet games. Your videos on the series are fantastic and I thank you for all the hardwork you put into them!
Same! Was about to leave this exact comment xD
@@theonewhonoxus The game is soo good!
amazing review and retrospective TGB!, i disagreed with some reviews but always could see the care put into them and thoroughly enjoyed watching them all, cant wait to see whats next!
Same