The PS5-exclusive Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was announced during Sony’s official console reveal on June 11, and the game is taking advantage of the console’s new hardware features in order to push the series even further. In a developer diary video, creative director Marcus Smith explained just what that will mean for gameplay, including jumping between completely different worlds on the fly.
In the video below, you can see Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart gameplay as Marcus Smith explains why it is only possible on PS5. After a mysterious enemy arrives and accidentally damages the fabric of space-time itself, portals to alternate dimensions begin to appear. Because of the PS5’s ultra-fast solid-state drive, or SSD, our heroes can jump between these worlds almost instantly. You can see them marked in the world with a wavy, cracked portal, and there is no loading screen before you arrive in the new world.
“Long gone are loading screens,” Smith added. “Now, it’s all about bringing exciting new adventures.”
The new DualSense controller has also opened up new gameplay possibilities, specifically with the tension on the triggers. When firing the shotgun-like Enforcer weapon, for instance, a light pull on R2 will fire one round while a harder pull will fire two. This is possible on other systems, but you’ll actually feel the tension on the trigger of the weapon as you pull it down, making it feel like you’re actually holding the Enforcer rather than just ordering Ratchet to use it. With 3D spatial audio, Insomniac Games aims to make everything feel more immersive, too.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart doesn’t have a release date yet, but it isn’t the only game Insomniac has in development. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a standalone game launching this holiday season, and it should be the highlight of the PS5’s launch lineup.
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