10 minute read
Games
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PS5 / playstation.com/za
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
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Going strong since the PS2 era, the Ratchet & Clank series is as synonymous with Sony as the Mario franchise is with Nintendo – and its PS5 debut is exclusive to the new console
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is, like its predecessors, an exceptionally polished kid-friendly adventure in which our titular intergalactic heroes dart between hostile planets armed with an ever-swelling arsenal of bonkers weaponry.
What sets Rift Apart, well, apart, is the PS5. The series has always been a technical showcase for the PlayStation of the moment, and by taking advantage of that vastly powerful hardware (see panel), this latest romp might just be the most impressive next-gen game to date – even if in many ways it’s as old-school as they come.
Ratchet is a cat-like ‘lombax’ who, together with his robot pal Clank, travels through the galaxy thwarting the evil Dr Nefarious. But the not-so-good doctor steals the Dimensionator, atool that opens other dimensions…
After tumbling through a few dimensional rifts, Ratchet and Clank become separated. You’ll spend much of your time playing as new character Rivet, a female lombax from another dimension committed to taking down her own reality’s Nefarious. The trio soon find themselves working together to fixthe universe.
This breezy story has the energy of an old DreamWorks flick, with heart and humour in spades. Some voices are exaggerated, but you’re only ever a robot-wisecrack away from being wonover again.
And there are OTT weapons, of course. The best are the Large Negatron Collider, a giant laser beam for wiping out swathes of baddies; Mr Funghi, a deployable army of talking mushrooms; and the new Topiary Sprinkler, which fires miniature water-cannons that turn lumbering mechs into bushes. You won’t be shooting all the time, though, and there’s plenty of platforming action.
This is the kind of game PS5 owners crave: an old-fashioned single-player adventure but technically a marvel, with a host of wonderfully daft weapons to wreak havoc with. There’s a reason this series has stuck around.
Rivet is a lombax from a dimension where quiffs are acceptable. This is a lot like Pro Skater, only with a space-cat on a rollercoaster.
I got PS5 on it
Rift Apart was built from the ground up for Sony’s next-gen beast… and from the moment you enter Nefarious City, with spaceships filling the sky while neon cityscapes shimmer in ray-traced puddles, it’s clear this game wouldn’t have been possible on the PS4.
Things get even more impressive when you hop between dimensions. Purple portals are all that separate entirely different gameworlds, which require no visible load-in thanks to the console’s SSD. On a half-decent 4K TV it looks quite beautiful, with each planetgetting its own distinctive palette.
This is also the latest PS5 title to include Sony’s 3D spatial audio capabilities. We played a good chunk with headphones on, and while it isn’t as transformative as Returnal, it clearly adds something to gunfights.
Most weapons make use of the DualSense’s adaptive triggers, which could have felt gimmicky but actually makes total sense. If you’re using a throwable weapon, pulling the trigger halfway will display an aiming sight, while squeezing it the whole way releases the ammunition. The pad’s inbuilt speaker can often be heard chirping away too, which just adds an extra layer of charm. Oh, and don’t forget the haptics.
all platforms / residentevil.com
Resident Evil Village
The great horror series celebrates its 25th anniversary with a typically haunting tale that spends most of its time looking back rather than pushing things forward
After a few awkward years, the Resident Evil series’ seventh main instalment modernised things with a new first-person perspectivewhile returning it to its horror roots.
RE Village retains that same style and feel, putting you back in the shoes of RE7 protagonist Ethan Winters… but as the first RE game of the next-gen console era, could this also be a chance to take a bolder step into the future?
Well, not really. In recent years, Capcom has tended to stay close to its past glories – and that’s also the case with this game, which doesn’t quite represent a great leap forward but prefers to pillage from what’s gone before.
Village takes place three years after RE7, as Ethan and his wife Mia have relocated to Eastern Europe to start a new life with their baby Rose. But that familial bliss doesn’t last, as their home is suddenly attacked by a military team led by… series hero Chris Redfield?! Before you figure out what the hell’s going on, you wind up in an eerie village where Ethan spends the entirety of the game in search of his daughter.
Village tries hard to make you identify with Ethan, who really gets put through the wringer in some gruesome ways. He’s undergone military trainingso is more capable with guns now, although combat is still clunkier than your typical first-person shooter.
You won’t get attached to any of the village’s survivors, who all meet their demise pretty quickly; as one character remarks, there is “nothing but blood and death” here. Making more of a lasting impression are the grotesquely exaggeratedvillains – and the village itself, which is one of the largest environments seen in an RE game and wildly diverse.
There’s a terrific time to be had overcoming its monstrosities… but while Village does its best to combine RE7’s first-person frights with RE4’s delights, it’s mostly a pastiche rather than a truly new gaming experience, but don’t let that put you off.
We don’t think this is the real Voortrekker monument – did we take a wrong turn?
Thor really let himself go after Disney wrecked the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Village of the crammed
Although it’s a larger game world, Village’s length matches previous instalments – so expect to wrap things up in about 10 hours. That includes exploring to find all the optional treasures and upgrades.
But as with the recent series remakes, there are plenty of incentives to replay, where completing challenges nets you points to unlock new stuff like weapons, figures and loads of concept art. In one especially ludicrous touch, you can hunt animals and give their meat to the Duke to cook up meals that boost Ethan’s stats.
The real highlight, however, is Mercenaries – first seen in RE4 – which is unlockable after beating the main game. This arcade-type mode takes you on a silly but entertaining shooting gallery across the game’s different locations under a time limit.It’s a fun diversion, and the challenge is trying to get a decent score based on enemies killed and a kill-combo bonus, as well as taking into account your leftover resources.
Of course, there was also meant to be a PvP mash-up Resident Evil Re:Verse, where players pick characters from across the franchise history to fight against each other, but that’s been delayed until some time in 2022.
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Q A PROFESSIONAL DJ, I I’ve been reading Stuff for years and I’ve always loved your content. I wouldn’t have known about DJI at all if it wasn’t for the magazine. I recently bought a DJI Mini 2 and I noticed in the JuneJuly 2021 issue that there is a mistake on page 98. On top it says DJI Mavic Air 2 and its actually the Mini 2 pictured and then directly underneath it reads DJI Mini 2 and it is the Mavic Air 2 in the picture. I just thought this was funny. Hope I’m not just going mad. Daniel A You’re not going mad Daniel, but apparently we are. Well spotted. It’s since been corrected (right, Brandon?) so everything is where is should be.
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I noticed that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 was listed as number 3 on your Budget Phones Top Ten list in the June/July issue. I feel that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G, which I am currently using, is more deserving of that spot. It is a far more superior phone than the Note 9 and packs many more features and better specs (and bloatware, of course). It is at a slightly higher price of ±R4800 but is constantly on sale and currently sits at ±R4200. I recently purchased the Note 9T 5G. I considered the Note 9 but ultimately decided against it because of its inferior specs compared to its 5G cousin. On a side note: I really admire Xiaomi's initiative with their smartphones and how dominant they are with price-to-spec ratios. Shortcut613 A You’ve got us there. The Note 9T is the better phone, we just haven’t encountered it (in the office) yet. As it happens, we’ve just had a chat with Xiaomi and you can expect to see a little more from them in the near future – so expect that budget smartphones list (and a few others) to shuffle in short order.
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Gambling online is one of the fastest ways to become rich. You can play slots, card games, roulettes and many other types of games online. Don't forget to check the rules before wagering as it might save you a lot of money. Jesus A Stuff gets a lot of gambling-related online comment spam but we’re so effective at
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If you didn't make such interesting content, I would have unsubscribed a while ago. But please guys, you can make your podcast a million times better if you just normalize the audio. Please see this video I made especially for you on how to normalize audio in Audacity: https://youtu.be/JegsD7b8DIc Alexander
AYeah, this time we’re going to blame things on the new guy. Duncan, the newest member of Stuff, has taken over podcast editing duties and he may have been forgetful a time or two. We’ve shown him the video, though, and we’re pretty sure he’s got it now.
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I have a large, signed May 2002 Sofia Vergara cover ... someone at Stuff is thanking Sofia for posing. I do not know the signature. Can you help? I can upload a photo of the signature. Drew
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I have an Energizer Power Max P600S that needs a new screen. Can you assist please? Kobus
AUnfortunately, we’ve got some bad news for you. A replacement screen isn’t something you’re find in SA. Your best bet is to return it to the retailer you bought it from and hope the distributor is feeling generous. You can also contact puredistribution.co.za, who brought in the last batch of new handsets from Energizer.
Next month’s mail of the month wins a hamper of Xiaomi products* worth R2 000!
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