The Ratchet and Clank series has been a part of the PlayStation family for nearly two decades, with numerous critically acclaimed installments gracing every generation of Sony's consoles since the PS2. While a popular series in its own right, Ratchet and Clank has always played second fiddle to much larger PlayStation IPs like Uncharted and God of War, never quite being positioned in the spotlight as the premier tentpole title. All of this may change with Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, the latest adventure from Insomniac being marketed as the latest must-own PS5 exclusive.
Boasting stunning graphics and fine tuning the series formula to near perfection, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart has proved to be a big success for Sony's latest console. With so many eyes on the newest game, surely an opportunity is seen to follow up with a sequel to Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart at some point in the near future. Ratchet and Clank always seem to find themselves in the middle of a new intergalactic disaster, so there is no shortage of options for where the road will take them. Additionally, with the introduction of new protagonists like Rivet and Kit, a spin-off series is also a possibility for Insomniac to pursue.
Ratchet and Clank - The Next Adventure
After a climactic showdown against the evil Emperor Nefarious and the dimensional anomalies reversed, Ratchet and Clank celebrate another mission accomplished. Of course, there will always be more baddies to blast and new planets to discover, so the sun has yet to set on PlayStation's beloved platforming duo. As for what this next journey will be, while nothing is confirmed, several hints and plot threads established in Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart heavily imply what awaits players in the next game.
The entire reason the Dimensionator exists in this game was due to Clank's efforts, as he was trying to give Ratchet a chance to meet his Lombax family. For context, Ratchet's species known as "the Lombax" are deemed extinct, with him being the last of his kind. Clank was hopeful that other dimensions would still have Lombaxes alive, giving Ratchet a chance to meet his kind. Ratchet shows some anxiety about this, but slowly opens up to the idea and by the end of the game seems fully open to the idea. Especially considering the final scene of the game, in which Ratchet hints making a "pit stop" while travelling back to Rivet's dimension, it seems a search for the Lombaxes will finally be in order.
Rivet and Kit - A New Iconic Duo
As advertised in all the trailers for Rift Apart, Ratchet and Clank aren't alone this time in the battle against evil. Joined by their counterparts in other dimensions, Rivet and Kit prove to be just as admirable a duo in their own right. Now with an entire game used to introduce the backstory, personality and skills for both of these new heroes, the door is wide open for using them again in future games. Players have now spent enough time to be attached to the characters and be interested in a future appearance, whether in another Ratchet and Clank game or their own spin-off installment.
The notion of a spin-off is nothing new to Insomniac and PlayStation in recent years, with an effort to pursue the concept becoming more clear. In 2017, no more than a year after Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Naughty Dog launched Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, a brand new adventure starring Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross. Furthermore, Marvel fans didn't have to wait long after 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man for more web swinging action. In 2020, alongside the launch of the PS5, the character Miles Morales received his own spin-off game in the appropriately titled Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
It seems like a similar pattern is being followed here, and with Rivet and Kit being given so much time in the spotlight in this latest PS5 exclusive title, their own dedicated adventure being a likely possibility at some point. As for what this spin-off game would revolve around is anyone's guess, but Rivet does state towards the end that her dimension does "need some heroes," so perhaps there are other formidable threats in her dimension, unknown to gamers at this point in time.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is available now on PS5.