Knack Reviews

Knack is ranked in the 12th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
7.5 / 10.0
Nov 12, 2013

SCE Japan Studio's pretty-looking, all-ages action game isn't essential, but it's fun for both adults and their tween kids.

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7 / 10.0
Nov 12, 2013

It's not the next blockbuster platformer you'd want out of a launch title, but you need a break from shooters or want something with some personality, Knack is worth a look. 

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70 / 100
Nov 12, 2013

Knack isn't going into the PlayStation 4 launch with a ridiculous amount of hype, but the end product seems like it'll be one of the better original titles to come out of the system's early exclusives. It hits enough checkboxes to warrant a look, but that $60 price should call for some thought before you buy in.

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6 / 10.0
Nov 12, 2013

The moments of payoff come too infrequently to make plodding through another three dozen frustrating enemies any less tedious.

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5 / 10.0
Nov 12, 2013

With the way it looks and how simple it is, it's easy to think Knack is a game for kids. And while that may be the intent, it doesn't make Knack any less dull. Whether you're five or 25, Knack is boring throughout its 10-hour duration. If you're looking for something to introduce you to the PlayStation 4, there are far better options than Knack.

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GameSpot
Top Critic
4 / 10
Nov 12, 2013

Dull combat with little diversity banishes Knack to a dark realm normally reserved for the likes of foul goblins.

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IGN
Top Critic
5.9 / 10.0
Nov 12, 2013

Knack's shifting size is a great idea that never really grows into anything substantial.

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Yes
Nov 12, 2013

Play it to enjoy the next-gen graphics moreso than for the throwback PS2-style gameplay.

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Nov 12, 2013

Knack doesn't really do anything exceptionally well, and squanders your willingness to like it by constantly working against you. Yeah, I'm talking about both the game and the character again.

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Nov 13, 2013

Knack is a colorful, but mediocre platformer that has issues with repetitive gameplay on top of being frustratingly difficult at times.

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8.3 / 10.0
Nov 13, 2013

Knack offers up a fine adventure, with gameplay that slowly reveals its strength

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5 / 10
Nov 13, 2013

Console launches typically feature two types of games. There's innovative genre-defining icons... and then there are the games that will be forgotten in a few months time. While Cerny may have defined a generation of platformers with Crash Bandicoot, Knack will be as fondly remembered as Genji: Days of the Blade is today.

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4.2 / 5.0
Nov 15, 2013

With all this said though, Knack is a game you need to have. I say "have" because you will want to keep playing Knack. Much like Jak & Daxter, which I have gone back and played numerous times since originally completing, Knack has that same allure. It is an accomplishment not many games can tout. If you picked up the PlayStation 4, you owe it to yourself to pick this game up: You owe it to the kid inside you and the friends you know who don't know how to have fun anymore. Knack may not be the most revolutionary game, but it is yet another promise from team Sony for what the company plans to achieve with the PS4. A promise I am glad I experienced. You will be too.

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EGM
Top Critic
4.5 / 10.0
Nov 17, 2013

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.

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Unscored
Nov 17, 2013

About all Knack is good for is inspiring new and creative curses. I certainly spent more time improvising strings of epithets at its substandard gameplay than I did improvising strings of combo attacks. The only thing I actually enjoyed about Knack were the cutscenes. It's the best cartoon that's ever been presented with real-time graphics... broken up by some of the worst action gaming I've seen in years. Let me know when someone's uploaded an edit of Knack's cutscenes to YouTube, because I'd love to revisit the story without all the swearing in between.

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Nov 17, 2013

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.

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Nov 17, 2013

Knack is little more than a tedious slog.

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3 / 10
Nov 17, 2013

A poor quality video game by any measure, but what this joyless throwback is doing being a key launch title for the PlayStation 4 Sony only knows.

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72 / 100
Nov 18, 2013

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.

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3.5 / 5.0
Nov 18, 2013

Knack is a new-age throwback to a time when you could get away with telling stupid, fun stories about mascots beating up goblins in a simple, three-button brawler. It's also a fine showcase for the PS4's horsepower that doesn't paint its world primarily in grey and brown.

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