Summary
Developer Insomniac Games has unveiled an Easter egg long concealed withinRatchet and Clank: Rift Apart. Despite more than four years passing sinceRatchet and Clank: Rift Apartlaunched on the PlayStation 5, seemingly few, if any, players have found it in the game.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apartwas one of the PlayStation 5’s early major showpieces. Though it launched some time after the PS5 itself,Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apartstood above the crowdby virtue of being a classic “next-gen exclusive” that delivered an experience worthy of Ratchet’s and Clank’s status as longtime mascots for the PlayStation brand itself. The dimension-hopping antics of the duo inRift Apartalso introduced new characters like Ratchet’s cross-dimensional counterpart Rivet, as well as a number of new foes and entertaining, gimmicky weapons.
Though some time has passed since the last majorRatchet and Clankannouncement, the studio hasn’t forgotten the franchise. In fact, during a Twitch stream, Senior Designer Grant Parker celebratedRift Apart’s fourth anniversary by revealing a hidden prototype minigame that has seemingly remained undiscovered by players. In Parker’s demonstration, he revealed that theRift Apartminigame is located in Zurkie’s, a bar that is part of theScarstu Debris Field.By shooting the “No Weapons” signs at the entrance a specific number of times, players can unlock an interaction that allows them to ride the mechanical bull in the center of the bar. Normally, the bull is occupied by an alien and can’t be interacted with.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart - How to Unlock the Hidden Minigame Easter Egg in Zurkie’s
Players need to perform the trick before entering Zurkie’s, as their weapons will be locked once they pass the threshold. After shooting the signs the requisite number of times, a button prompt to ride the mechanical bull will appear when Rivet approaches it. When riding, players will need to use their analog stick to keep a moving cursor in the safe zone on a gauge to avoid falling off.
The bull-riding minigame doesn’t have completed assets compared with otherRift ApartEaster eggs. The “balance” gauge is roughly rendered using simple graphics, Rivet doesn’t have any bespoke poses or movements for riding and simply holds a standard T-pose, and the bull isn’t even fully animated. It may be that the minigame was an activity cut by Insomniac during development with interaction disabled except for the highly specific actions needed to unlock it.
It’s fun to learn about a secret hidden inRift Aparteven years after its release. Given that the series appears to be somewhat dormant at the moment, the fact that Insomniac continues to cater to its fans gives hope that it andSony will opt to produce moreRatchet and Clankgamesrather than let what used to be a major PlayStation icon decline into obscurity.
