The multiverse is all the rage nowadays, with almost every large-scale franchise getting into dimension-hopping fun. Marvel and DC have entered an era devoted to exploring these expansive multiverses, meanwhile games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and MultiVersus are all about bringing characters from across video games and beyond into one title. LEGO also tackled the multiverse with the toys-to-life game LEGO Dimensions alongside titles like Disney Infinity. More recently, Ratchet and Clank tackled the multiverse concept with Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart was the first original title in the franchise since 2013, bringing the titular characters on an adventure across dimensions as they tried to stop Dr. Nefarious from disrupting the multiverse. Ratchet and Clank meet alternate versions of themselves called Rivet and Kit. While these two characters are very similar to Ratchet and Clank, they are both different enough that they deserve their own game. Two new characters in an entirely different dimension could lead to many new stories in this iconic PlayStation franchise.
The Story of Rivet and Kit
Ratchet and Clank meet Rivet and Kit soon after entering a brand-new dimension at the start of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. Unlike the iconic duo, Rivet and Kit have no connection to each other. Instead, throughout the story of Rift Apart, Rivet and Kit meet and form a duo of their own. Both have a similar tale to their counterparts, but there are also some differences that make them unique.
Rivet is a female Lombax with purplish skin that Ratchet meets soon after he gets pulled into the multiverse. The two get separated, and she ends up escaping Dr. Nefarious' goons with the help of Clank. Ratchet is left alone, but he soon meets Kit, a female version of Clank with a very different aesthetic. These newly formed duos must work together to stop Dr. Nefarious and Emperor Nefarious from disrupting the multiverse. Throughout the adventure, players learn that Rivet and Kit have a shared dark backstory that they must come to terms with as they build an unlikely friendship.
Rivet and Kit's Spin-Off Potential is Immense
Rivet and Kit are an alternate dimension version of Ratchet and Clank, and as such there are many stories that could be told. There have been 17 different Ratchet and Clank games in the same dimension. While the next Ratchet and Clank game will most likely see them enter the Lombax dimension, a spin-off following Rivet and Kit's adventures could be fun too.
Crafting an adventure around Rivet and Kit would allow Insomniac Games to tell a new story with the same Ratchet and Clank gameplay. The story would not have to be bogged down by the events of previous Ratchet and Clank games except for Rift Apart. It would give Insomniac an entirely new playground to mess around in, and give fans an opportunity to explore different characters in this universe. It could also help set up the next Ratchet and Clank title, bridging the gap between entries.
Insomniac is no stranger to making spin-off games. Recently, it released Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which served as a spin-off from Marvel's Spider-Man. Instead of controlling Peter Parker, players got to control Miles Morales as he became his own version of Spider-Man. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will see Miles and Peter fight side-by-side, so not only did the spin-off help bridge the gap between titles, it helped set up a future storyline. Insomniac should do the same thing with Rivet and Kit.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart introduced players to an alternate version of its titular characters, and while Insomniac has its hands full with Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Marvel's Wolverine, a Rivet and Kit game could be in the cards. Not only would it allow for brand-new stories in the Ratchet and Clank franchise, but it could also help set up the next title in the series, which will surely be climatic.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is available now on PS5.