Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart Top 10 Best Weapons

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart could be argued as one of the best entries in the series for its weapons alone, with each tool of destruction either being the return of a classic staple or the introduction of a new favorite (in most cases). 

There are a total of 20 weapons to collect in the game, but only those available on a first playthrough will be considered for this list.

Even though I would have liked to include the Pixelizer — it is one of the best weapons available — you don't unlock it until you've started challenge mode, Rift Apart's version of new game plus.

If you've purchased the deluxe edition of the game or pre-ordered Rift Apart, you were given access to the Pixelizer from the start. So consider this honorable mention a PSA if that's you. 

A good Ratchet and Clank weapon is more than just an effective tool in combat. It also has to have personality and comedic factor. The best weapons are those that have all these elements, and all 10 of the weapons listed here have those elements as well. 

10. Headhunter/Migrane

The Headhunter or as it's later called the Migrane is one of the more powerful weapons in the game, which is honestly the main reason it's cracked the top 10 best weapons. It is your classic sniper, though it also comes with the added ability to slow down time when pressing down fully on L2. 

Slowing down time mixed with the fun animations you'll see enemies perform as you blast them straight on their forehead with this weapon definitely makes it a solid entry into the series and in Rift Apart, though it is not a very useful weapon for most scenarios due to its short range.

9. Burst Pistol/Blast Pistol

The Burst Pistol, or Blast Pistol as it is later known, is actually the first weapon you'll acquire in the game. It is also one of the weapons we recommend you upgrade first. So why then has it seemingly barely made the list?

The answer is really in its simplicity. It is a straightforward weapon that yes is very effective, especially after unlocking the three shot spread and upgrading its rate of fire. It is quite lacking in a sense of personality or comedic output though, which is why it falls to the back of the list. 

8. The Enforcer/Executor

The Enforcer, or the Executor, is again one of the most powerful weapons in the game. What gives it a step over the Headhunter and Burst Pistol is it's usefulness, since it is an extremely powerful shotgun that can help get you out of many a sticky situation. 

Its personality comes from the amount of destruction it lays down, eventually making your enemies catch fire after you have upgraded it enough. The flash of lights you see emanate from this quadruple barrel is always entertaining, though it does little much to distinguish itself otherwise.

With all the other bright lights and spectacles to be seen from weapons we'll see shortly, the Executor ends up falling towards the back of the pack. Though it is still a very effective weapon you should probably make regular use of. 

7. Blackhole Storm/Blackhole Vortex

The Blackhole Storm is a rapid fire machine gun that is a brand new weapon for the Ratchet and Clank series. It is highly effective when taking on large crowds of enemies at once because you can keep an almost constant barrage of bullets flying their way while avoiding oncoming attacks. 

Though it doesn't suck enemies into a blackhole the way its name might suggest. What it does do after you've reached level five is cause enemies defeated by the Blackhole Vortex to implode in a bright purple spectacle, hitting everything unfortunate enough to be close by and putting on a heck of a light show.

6. Lightning Rod/Lightning Strike

The Lightning Rod is where in this list we start to see weapons that bring plenty of personality and hilarity to combat while also being highly effective. It fires tiny bolts of electricity, which will cause your enemies to be stunned as they twitch and shake in a very funny cartoonish matter. 

What also puts the Lightning Rod at number six is that when you kill an enemy while they're being electrocuted, enemies nearby them will immediately be electrocuted as well. It is very effective, and it's pretty funny to watch the different electrocution animations for each enemy. They're all worth it. 

5. Mr. Fungi/Ms. Fungal

Mr. Fungi, or Ms. Fungal as it eventually levels up into, is the first passive weapon on the list and it is both the return of an old classic from the series while being its own unique weapon.

Now, the Zurkon family all play different key NPC roles within Ratchet and Clank, so Insomniac created the Fungal's to replace them.  Mr. Fungi is the Rift Apart take on Mr. Zurkon, a classic weapon from Ratchet and Clank which spawned a tiny robot with one goal: destroy your enemies. 

The mushroom version of Mr. Zurkon is a very worthy successor, with it being just as effective as Mr. Zurkon was in previous entries thanks to it helping you take out multiple enemies without spending a bullet.

It's also hilarious listening to the little lines between Ms. Fungal and Mr. Fungi take out your enemies as a family. It's both funny and heartwarming.

4. Ricochet/Wreckochet

The Ricochet is another new weapon to the Ratchet and Clank series, and I'm already getting the feeling we'll be seeing it again in future entries.

It fires what is essentially a pinball, and after you hit your enemy for the first time, you can keep pressing R2 to hit them again and again. It makes for a very effective weapon and for some really funny animations. 

It also singlehandedly re-creates the feeling of a pinball machine, at least in aesthetic, with an incredible barrage of lights and sounds with each bullet. It's the kind of intuitively Ratchet and Clank weapon that makes old fans like myself more than aware Insomniac has not lost their touch, but rather sharpened it. 

3. Topiary Sprinkler/Toxiary Sprinkler

The Topiary Sprinkler is a new weapon introduced in Rift Apart and as far as the new additions go, it is currently tied with one other new weapon for my favorite new addition. It deploys a turret which showers your enemies in a special water which makes them into.. topiaries?!

Not only does it have an impressive and funny effect on your enemies, but it stuns them for a significant amount of time to allow you to pile on damage. It'll also shower your enemies in acid after leveling it up, which makes it even more effective than it already was. 

The Topiary Sprinkler is potentially the best passive weapon ever to be introduced in Ratchet and Clank, and I sincerely hope Insomniac brings it back for future titles. 

2. Drillhound/Drillpack

The Drillhound is the weapon tied with the Topiary Sprinkler for my own personal favorite new weapons. It locks on to your enemies and, rather than just firing a heavy drill, fires a tiny drill robot who wants nothing more than to burrow into the ground only to launch into the sky and explode on your enemies' faces. 

Hearing and watching the robots dive at your enemies is probably one of the funniest animations in Rift Apart, I'm pretty much always laughing when I use this gun. It also packs a considerable punch, and after unlocking the ability to lock on to multiple enemies at once, it becomes an even better mix of everything that makes a good Ratchet and Clank weapon. It has more personality than any other weapon and is only just a little less fun to fire than our top spot. 

1. Ryno 8

This should be no surprise for long time Ratchet and Clank fans. The Ryno is almost always the best weapon in whatever Ratchet and Clank game it appears in, and Rift Apart is no different in that regard. It is of course, extremely powerful and deals heavy damage to your enemies but what makes this version of the Ryno better than the rest and better than all the other weapons in the game is not how effective it is, but rather what it fires. 

The Ryno 8 can open portals to other dimensions, and as such Insomniac decided this was the place to put all the Easter eggs they could. You'll open dimensions to Horizon Zero Dawn and drop a Sawtooth on top of an enemy. Or watch Jak and Daxter pop out of a portal. Or the Cooper gang's van. It is an endless cycle of fun Easter eggs from PlayStation's past while being the most effective tool of destruction in your arsenal. 

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That is the definitive top 10 best weapons list for Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. Which weapons would you have put on this list? Would you have changed the order? Let us know in the comments below! And check out our other Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart guides here on GameSkinny.