Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart PC Port Review - A Visual Feast with Some Technical Hiccups
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, one of Sony's flagship titles, has finally made its way to PC, two years after its initial release as a PS5 exclusive. As a cutting-edge effort, the PC port supports DirectStorage GPU decompression, promising reduced load times and improved performance. However, this analysis delves into the quality of the PC port at launch, along with some commentary on the new patch, addressing the graphical bugs and issues that mar the otherwise praiseworthy release by Insomniac Games.
Familiar Options and Minor Performance Issues
The PC version of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart offers familiar options to those who have played Nixxes' Spider-Man PC ports. The settings menu provides real-time tweaking and a range of options, including upscaling choices from various GPU vendors. While the menu is generally user-friendly, some changes are obscured by a distracting flash effect. Surprisingly, the main menu struggles to maintain a frame rate of 60fps on mid-range hardware despite no obvious CPU or GPU utilization issues.
Technical Shortcomings and Crashes
Unfortunately, Rift Apart appears to have launched without the polish expected from a Nixxes release. Players encountered several game crashes on different hardware configurations within the first few hours of play. These issues occurred on both high-end systems, such as the Core i9 12900K and RTX 4090 setup, and minimum-spec builds with the Ryzen 3 3100 and RX 570.
Graphical Regressions and Performance Woes
On top of the crashing problems, there were inexplicable graphical regressions in the PC version, although some have been addressed in a post-launch patch. The issues included missing transparency effects, opacity and 'flaring' problems on certain transparencies, texture filtering inconsistencies, and textures not loading to PS5 quality. Combined with gameplay bugs, RT setting inconsistencies, and a lack of RT support on AMD hardware, these problems paint a less than ideal picture for the PC port.
Pushing Graphical Boundaries on PC
Despite its flaws, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart does impress with its graphical fidelity on PC. The PC release introduces higher resolutions and superior upscaling/anti-aliasing techniques, including DLSS, which outperforms the PS5's 'Insomniac Games Temporal Injection' (IGTI). Other viable options include XeSS, FSR2, and IGTI, with DLSS generally offering the best results.
Advantages of the PC Release
The PC version also boasts advantages, such as the use of full-resolution RT reflections, delivering cleaner and more stable reflections compared to the PS5. Additionally, the game offers RT shadows, which enhance shadow quality and distance, albeit with some alignment issues. The inclusion of ray-traced ambient occlusion (RTAO) adds more realism by grounding objects in the game world, even though some minor bugs persist regardless of settings.
Optimized Settings and PS5 Comparisons
In terms of settings, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart on PC shares many similarities with its predecessor, Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Most settings have clear PS5 equivalents, but a few fall between medium and high on PC. The optimized settings for Rift Apart are similar to Miles Morales, with adjustments to accommodate the game's higher GPU demands.
Performance Recommendations
Players with RT hardware are advised to use RT reflections alone, while those with ultra-high-end GPUs can consider enabling RTAO as well. Beyond RT features, the PC release sees fewer upgrades, with the most notable one being the impressive ultra level of detail distance option, which significantly extends object draw distance.
Performance Tips for Smooth Gameplay
For optimal performance, users playing on an RTX 2070 Super should take note of the game's dynamic resolution scaling, which might not keep a stable 60fps at 1440p. In such cases, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) can help smooth out minor frame-rate fluctuations. Additionally, closing background programs can free up VRAM and boost frame-rates by a significant margin.
Conclusion
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart's PC release brings both visual splendor and technical challenges. While the game pushes graphical boundaries and offers some advantages over the PS5 version, it suffers from graphical regressions, performance issues, and crashes. Nevertheless, with some tweaking and optimization, players can enjoy an enhanced experience on powerful gaming setups.
FAQs
Q: Are the PC and PS5 versions of Rift Apart identical?
A: While most settings have clear PS5 equivalents, the PC version has some graphical upgrades and performance adjustments.
Q: Can I use ray tracing and DLSS together on a mid-range PC?
A: Yes, ray tracing with DLSS generally offers excellent results on mid-range hardware.
Q: Will there be more post-launch patches to address issues?
A: Insomniac Games is likely to release additional patches to fix remaining bugs and improve performance.
Q: What are the advantages of RTAO in Rift Apart?
A: RTAO enhances the game's realism by grounding objects and improving the appearance of dark cavities. Review - A Visual Feast with Some Technical Hiccups
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, one of Sony's flagship titles, has finally made its way to PC, two years after its initial release as a PS5 exclusive. As a cutting-edge effort, the PC port supports DirectStorage GPU decompression, promising reduced load times and improved performance. However, this analysis delves into the quality of the PC port at launch, along with some commentary on the new patch, addressing the graphical bugs and issues that mar the otherwise praiseworthy release by Insomniac Games.
Familiar Options and Minor Performance Issues
The PC version of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart offers familiar options to those who have played Nixxes' Spider-Man PC ports. The settings menu provides real-time tweaking and a range of options, including upscaling choices from various GPU vendors. While the menu is generally user-friendly, some changes are obscured by a distracting flash effect. Surprisingly, the main menu struggles to maintain a frame rate of 60fps on mid-range hardware despite no obvious CPU or GPU utilization issues.
Technical Shortcomings and Crashes
Unfortunately, Rift Apart appears to have launched without the polish expected from a Nixxes release. Players encountered several game crashes on different hardware configurations within the first few hours of play. These issues occurred on both high-end systems, such as the Core i9 12900K and RTX 4090 setup, and minimum-spec builds with the Ryzen 3 3100 and RX 570.
Graphical Regressions and Performance Woes
On top of the crashing problems, there were inexplicable graphical regressions in the PC version, although some have been addressed in a post-launch patch. The issues included missing transparency effects, opacity and 'flaring' problems on certain transparencies, texture filtering inconsistencies, and textures not loading to PS5 quality. Combined with gameplay bugs, RT setting inconsistencies, and a lack of RT support on AMD hardware, these problems paint a less than ideal picture for the PC port.
Pushing Graphical Boundaries on PC
Despite its flaws, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart does impress with its graphical fidelity on PC. The PC release introduces higher resolutions and superior upscaling/anti-aliasing techniques, including DLSS, which outperforms the PS5's 'Insomniac Games Temporal Injection' (IGTI). Other viable options include XeSS, FSR2, and IGTI, with DLSS generally offering the best results.
Advantages of the PC Release
The PC version also boasts advantages, such as the use of full-resolution RT reflections, delivering cleaner and more stable reflections compared to the PS5. Additionally, the game offers RT shadows, which enhance shadow quality and distance, albeit with some alignment issues. The inclusion of ray-traced ambient occlusion (RTAO) adds more realism by grounding objects in the game world, even though some minor bugs persist regardless of settings.
Optimized Settings and PS5 Comparisons
In terms of settings, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart on PC shares many similarities with its predecessor, Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Most settings have clear PS5 equivalents, but a few fall between medium and high on PC. The optimized settings for Rift Apart are similar to Miles Morales, with adjustments to accommodate the game's higher GPU demands.
Performance Recommendations
Players with RT hardware are advised to use RT reflections alone, while those with ultra-high-end GPUs can consider enabling RTAO as well. Beyond RT features, the PC release sees fewer upgrades, with the most notable one being the impressive ultra level of detail distance option, which significantly extends object draw distance.
Performance Tips for Smooth Gameplay
For optimal performance, users playing on an RTX 2070 Super should take note of the game's dynamic resolution scaling, which might not keep a stable 60fps at 1440p. In such cases, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) can help smooth out minor frame-rate fluctuations. Additionally, closing background programs can free up VRAM and boost frame-rates by a significant margin.
Conclusion
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart's PC release brings both visual splendor and technical challenges. While the game pushes graphical boundaries and offers some advantages over the PS5 version, it suffers from graphical regressions, performance issues, and crashes. Nevertheless, with some tweaking and optimization, players can enjoy an enhanced experience on powerful gaming setups.
FAQs
Q: Are the PC and PS5 versions of Rift Apart identical?
A: While most settings have clear PS5 equivalents, the PC version has some graphical upgrades and performance adjustments.
Q: Can I use ray tracing and DLSS together on a mid-range PC?
A: Yes, ray tracing with DLSS generally offers excellent results on mid-range hardware.
Q: Will there be more post-launch patches to address issues?
A: Insomniac Games is likely to release additional patches to fix remaining bugs and improve performance.
Q: What are the advantages of RTAO in Rift Apart?
A: RTAO enhances the game's realism by grounding objects and improving the appearance of dark cavities.
0 Comments