Knack Reviews
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.
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 is a pretty good game for those looking for a platformer with melee combat.
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.
Knack is a great game that is full of nostalgia and old school gameplay. However its mediocre story telling and main character's voice acting stop it from achieving perfection.
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.
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.
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.
Take away the expectations and graphical power, and you're left with a simple, but often charming button masher.
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 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 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.
The biggest issue with Knack is that it delivers on a completely different experience than you would expect: a tricky yet rewarding old-school game brought kicking and screaming into a brand new generation was always going to confuse people. But it's a lot of fun, and despite frustration through poor checkpointing, Knack is far from a bad game. In fact, there's potential for this to become a cult favourite among gamers. It looks like a family-friendly game, but this one is aimed at the hardcore players, and when you consider it's a new IP for a new console, that's kind of brave.
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.
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 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.
SCE Japan Studio's pretty-looking, all-ages action game isn't essential, but it's fun for both adults and their tween kids.
Knack is definitely a walk down memory lane and ironically the old school gaming mechanics used by Japan Studio work quite well on the PS4. However for a next-gen title, there is something lacking in the game and although the graphics do look nice, I was expecting a little more "wow" when it comes to the graphical abilities of this next-gen console, including some whacky new gameplay modes. However even though Knack didn't deliver on these two categories, there is something uniquely refreshing about this game that is quite addictive and very enjoyable, provided you don't get caught in a bout of controller rage.
"Wow that little guy sounds like Barry White!"
Knack is an inoffensive, if overly challenging, platformer that falls just short in Sony's move to next-gen.