Knack Reviews
While I wish the player had more of a decision on when to grow and shrink in size or when to absorb other types of items, there's a simplicity to Knack that just works.
"Wow that little guy sounds like Barry White!"
Knack seems to have no ambition beyond wowing you with rendering lots of objects, making it feel like an overlong tech demo. If parents are looking for some cartoon fun to keep the children occupied... well... the PlayStation 4 has a knack for playing blurays, too.
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.
While not the best in the platformer genre, and it can be very frustrating at times, Knack offers a family-friendly game that is fun, unique and lasts just long enough to keep the kids entertained until PSN offers up something better. It's certainly no Crash Bandicoot or Spyro, but it is a game you should pick up in the PS4 launch window.
A charming adventure, Knack will also push your frustrations to the limit with the occasional cheap death and discouraging checkpoints that will force you to replay sections of each chapter. Combat can be broken down into punching everything in sight, but the challenge is welcomed for those looking for a throwback to classic games that weren't afraid about being labeled as hard.
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 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.
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 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.
Knack, while conceptually interesting, never rises above being an OK platformer without any real positive memorable aspects, but plenty of frustrating ones. If you've ever wondered what a tech demo turned into a full-fledged game would be like, Knack is—or very much feels—like that.
Take away the expectations and graphical power, and you're left with a simple, but often charming button masher.
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.
Knack is not at all indicative of the PlayStation 4's potential. The gameplay and the storytelling are banal even by last-gen standards.
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.
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 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.
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.
"I couldn't get through it. I wound up frustrated, bored and tired far too quickly for my own liking."
Knack desperately wants to be the 3D platformers of old, but dull combat and a half-hearted story leave it difficult to recommend.