Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is only a few weeks away now, with developer Insomniac Games showing off roughly 16 minutes of fresh gameplay during today's State of Play. While the demo didn't have any earth-shattering announcements to hype players up, it did reveal that a classic enemy faction will be making a return to try and take out protagonists Ratchet and Rivet.

First appearing in Going Commando, and again in Into the Nexus, Insomniac today confirmed that Thugs-4-Less will be returning in Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. However, the faction is now called Goons-4-Less, as the gameplay video points out. The Goons-4-Less are hired by Dr. Nefarious to hunt down Ratchet and Clank, apparently becoming trapped in Rivet's dimension along the way.

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As the last Ratchet and Clank game were a bit of a soft reboot for the franchise, it's interesting to see an enemy faction return to face off against Ratchet and Rivet. The combat in Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is a heavy focus for Insomniac Games, with the studio seemingly spending a lot of time and effort to ensure that Rift Apart uses the PS5's DualSense features. Enemy variety is a key part of ensuring that effort is worthwhile, and adding a new faction contributes to that variety.

Insomniac didn't elaborate on the exact reason for changing Thugs-4-Less to Goons-4-Less, though it may be due to the shifting connotation of the word "Thug." That's speculation, but it wouldn't be the first time a video game has changed a faction's name or imagery to fit in more easily with the current zeitgeist.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart has made a point of showcasing its underlying tech with each new demo, and the most recent showcase is no exception. While it did show off a variety of enemies that will be featured in the game, highlighted by both the Goons-4-Less and wildlife enemies, the emphasis throughout the demo was certainly on Rift Apart's graphics and loading times.

Those lucky enough to obtain a PS5 have had few games built for the hardware specifically since it released, so a recognizable IP like Ratchet and Clank seems like a nice bone to throw fans. Rift Apart releases right around the time E3 2021 takes place, which will likely see another PlayStation State of Play alongside it. That's a good time for Sony to show the next wave of its games after Ratchet and Clank, Horizon: Forbidden West, and God of War 2.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart releases June 11, 2021, for PS5.

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