Knack Reviews
Knack has left me a little confused. While at times the game is awkward, annoying, uninspired, and even boring, it also manages to be fun, beautiful and rewarding at others. In the end though, if the question is would I recommend this game, the answer would probably be no. The local co-op is a great addition but not enough to sell the game (let alone a new console), while the gameplay is so old-fashioned you might as well dig out the PS1 and play Crash Bandicoot instead.
Knack fails to bring anything exciting to the next-gen table. The features it advertises either do what they claim and nothing more, or they have a glaring flaw dragging down the experience. Those looking for a reason to jump onto the next-gen bandwagon will find no reassurance from Knack.
The moments of payoff come too infrequently to make plodding through another three dozen frustrating enemies any less tedious.
With the difficulty dropped down to easy, Knack might find a place among younger gamers/new PS4 owners, but it's a tough recommendation otherwise.
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 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 desperately wants to be the 3D platformers of old, but dull combat and a half-hearted story leave it difficult to recommend.
Knack is a colorful, but mediocre platformer that has issues with repetitive gameplay on top of being frustratingly difficult at times.
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.
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.
While I can appreciate the goal of the developer, I can't close my eyes to the obvious.
It's just a bit disappointing that the full package comes together in such an unremarkable way. Knack has its own little thing going here, and it's good enough for what it is, but I doubt there's much about it we'll remember in five years.
The story is simple-yet-charming and the characters are all very obvious in their roles but make them no less likeable. However, the lack of innovation in the controls department on a new console in an exclusive game, the lack of any online multiplayer longevity and noticeable frame-rate drops make this a tough one to justify buying at full price. Thankfully, now it isn't necessary to worry about that as, at time of writing, it is very easily found for a much lower price and, thus, well worth a play through.
Knack's shifting size is a great idea that never really grows into anything substantial.
Knack's enjoyable enough in its own right but it's undeniably as straight down the middle as you can get, unwavering in its commitment to the average. Not much comes across as particularly awful, but then again nothing in it's all that great. Those expecting a platforming adventure in a vein similar to Crash Bandicoot would do well to steer well clear.
Knack probably looked great on the drawing board. Had I been one of the developers in the room, I would've been excited to get started. But I wouldn't have expected that somewhere along the way, we would've stopped implementing ideas to expand upon that admittedly rock solid foundation.
Knack is easily the low point of the PS4's launch. The game squanders its potential at every opportunity. What could have been an interesting mascot character for the PlayStation is instead the very definition of mediocrity. Boring combat, unimaginative platforming, and some flawed design decisions bring down Knack. Even with the extremely limited selection of launch titles, there's no reason to choose Knack over anything else. Those looking for a kid-friendly game would be much better off shelling out the extra money for Skylanders or Lego Marvel. There's nothing to recommend Knack, and it's destined to join the ever-growing pile of low-budget launch titles that nobody remembers.
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.
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.
There's some great design here, but it's joined by some poor choices and visuals. While children may have a blast, the difficulty and controls are a bit strange, as if they weren't designed with them in mind but everything else was. It's just utterly average and repetitive, despite there being an underlying potential for something superb.