PS5 exclusive Rachet and Clank: Rift Apart is on the horizon, and Mainframe Studios is treating the fans with a surprise animated short on the duo. Made by the same studio that produced the movie, the 23-minute original story is available on the streaming service Crave.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart left quite an impression when PlayStation revealed its first trailer and gameplay. The gorgeous cartoon-style graphics certainly impressed, but what left everyone talking was the instant transportation between worlds. This was the showcase for the solid state drive the industry was waiting for and a true next-gen feature the PS4 could not handle.
Since that reveal, details have been relatively scarce for a high-profile triple-A Sony exclusive, though developer Insomniac did recently reveal the release date for the game. Fans of the series now have access to more Ratchet and Clank content with the surprise release of an animated short, Ratchet and Clank: Life of Pie. This out-of-the-blue episode not only features the return of many characters from the 2016 movie, but all the film’s voice actors reprise their roles as well.
The short was made by Mainframe Studios, the team that produced the 2016 animated movie, Ratchet and Clank. Users on Reddit discovered the short and instantly started theorizing on this story’s connection to both the movie and the upcoming Rift Apart game. A PlayStation spokesperson clarified that the short was a “standalone, licensed animated special” that is not canon to the official franchise narrative. This means fans hoping for a teaser to the new game’s story will be unfortunately disappointed.
Despite the reference right in the name, the short has little to do with Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, a best-selling novel that came out in 2001. The “pie” in the Ratchet and Clank title is all about pizza, which serves as a plot device in the story. Curiously, Ratchet and Clank: Life of Pie is only available in Canada, which is the country where Life of Pi – the novel – was originally published.
It remains unclear exactly why Rachet and Clank: Life of Pie was produced. Many users on Reddit hoped it was a prequel to the upcoming PS5 game, but Sony itself was quick to dismiss that idea. The 23-minute length suggests this is a pilot episode to a series, though other episodes have yet to appear or be announced. It is possible that this story will develop more over time but for now, fans of the dynamic duo have a new title to wet their whistles before Summer.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart releases on June 11 for PS5.