Knack Reviews
Knack is technically impressive with its utilization of extreme particle physics and bringing to life what could have easily been a Dreamworks animated film, but the gameplay does little to really satisfy. Players who seek a challenge may find enjoyment in tackling the tougher difficulties, but most won't find enough satisfying game or story behind the technical demonstration to warrant classifying this as a great PS4 experience. If you simply can't wait for more PS4 releases, Knack isn't a terrible game, but it will be forgotten very quickly as more titles beyond the launch period are released.
SCE Japan Studio's pretty-looking, all-ages action game isn't essential, but it's fun for both adults and their tween kids.
This cute action-adventure effort adds a non-hardcore dimension to the PS4's launch line-up, but its graphics and gameplay fail to convince
Knack is a charming romp, but not one I could recommend shelling out full price for.
Knack desperately wants to be the 3D platformers of old, but dull combat and a half-hearted story leave it difficult to recommend.
Knack has its moments, and PlayStation 4 owners starved for something to play on their shiny new console will appreciate that the game actually becomes more fun to play the second time around, allowing it to keep players busy during the several month drought that seems to follow every system launch. But had Knack released as it plays now at any time other than a new system's launch, it would have been overlooked and overshadowed without a second glance.
Knack offers a refreshing return to the PSone platformers of old. The title may not be particularly ambitious, but it has a nostalgic quality that can make it difficult to put down. Checkpoint hiccups, framerate issues, and difficulty spikes prevent it from reaching its maximum potential – but much like the titular hero himself, the title will definitely grow on you.
No matter how linear or repetitive the levels are you'll still enjoy taking everything in. Knack manages to be magical regardless of its weaknesses and personally I hope the little relic monster gets another chance to shine in a future title.
Knack is not only a miserably boring action game, but it features one of the worst heroes ever made. Knack is easy to kill, stupid looking and part of an adventure that will never end. This PlayStation 4 game is too difficult for kids and too generic for adults. It's a disappointing failure on just about every level.
"I couldn't get through it. I wound up frustrated, bored and tired far too quickly for my own liking."
Knack's basic gameplay foundation is a solid one, but with extremely poor, numbingly repetitive level design and an absolutely absurd difficulty level, it is mostly an exercise in frustration, and one of the unfortunate low points of the PS4 launch lineup.
Knack is not at all indicative of the PlayStation 4's potential. The gameplay and the storytelling are banal even by last-gen standards.
It's an extremely entertaining time knocking around some goblins, and this game will even serve as a nice alternative to the typical shooters we saw at launch.
That's "Knack's" bottom line. It's a solid concept with horrible execution. I can't recommend paying $60 for this bare-boned experience, when it feels more like a $20 digital download title. If "Knack" does well enough to warrant a sequel, lets hope they rebuild him.
Knack is one of the launch titles for the long-awaited PlayStation 4. Being a launch title, there's some pressure for it to perform well and become a sort of benchmark for future console-exclusive games. With Mark Cerny and SCE Japan Studios at the hem, Knack's got the kind of backing and developer pedigree that should make it a hit. But, as with Knack's size, our enjoyment proved to grow and diminish with each minute spent in the game.
Though it fails to live up to the promise of its biggest ideas, Knack is a good game, a solid a challenging old-school adventure for gamers young and old.
Knack would have been a passable game twenty years ago, but now it just feels tired and uninspired. It's a bland, boring adventure, made only more frustrating by its sheer difficulty curve and questionable design choices. There's a soul somewhere in this golem, but it's buried under a pile of ancient video game dreck.
Knack may well get a lot of flak for not seeming to be a "true" next gen game, but what it is is a lot of fun, and those who are nostalgic for the likes of Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter should at least try it out as Knack follows along their path faithfully.
Knack is a colorful, but mediocre platformer that has issues with repetitive gameplay on top of being frustratingly difficult at times.
Knack is certainly not a game you'd want to introduce your brand new console purchase with, and though it's playable enough, it's not exactly something you'll want to.