Knack 2 Reviews
Knack 2 is an improvement on the original game across the board with a better balance between brawling and platforming, though it's not without its flaws.
Improvements abound, but Knack's adventures still suffer from a lack of charm.
Knack 2 is lacking in a number of areas, but its strengths outweigh its weaknesses. The pacing is spot-on, the combat satisfying and the gameplay varied. Co-op is genuinely good fun too, and most definitely the best way for younger gamers to get into the action. Knack 2 is definitely a step up from the original, then, but until the writing and characterisation improve drastically, it's not going to be a true first party titan.
An experience that feels thin and repetitive in spite of its length and new additions, Knack 2 feels like a palette cleanser rather than a main course.
Still the same Knack gameplay at its core, but now with greatly needed variety
Knack returns in a surprisingly fun sequel that makes great use of its shape-shifting hero.
Knack 2 is an entertaining platform game like those of yesteryear. It's been created with due care and attention. Sure, it's old fashioned, and its story is appalling. But it's a reminder that the character-led platform combat game is still alive and well. Despite its good looks, it's more a work of engineering than it is a work of art. But, as my kid said to me after we'd mashed our way through a co-op level, it's kinda fun.
Words I didn't expect to type in 2017: I really like the new Knack. So much for the running joke that this PlayStation 4 exclusive is a sequel that no one wanted. Good thing we got it.
There are plenty of better games to spend your time and money on right now. If you absolutely, specifically need an inoffensive couch co-op brawler right now, try it.
Unfortunately too many of the past mistakes remain, including an unapologetically bland story and presentation, to have Knack's return be justified to anyone but young players or dedicated 3D platformer fans.
In the absence of an epic tale, a torrent of doodads to collect, or some time-devouring crafting system—all the fixtures big business gaming says you need to survive today—Knack 2 just works.
If you're looking for a great platformer to play on your own or with friends, this is the one for you. It's fun and it looks gorgeous, filled with combat that provides lots of options to defeat the goblins and the robots.
Knack 2 doesn't have exactly the same problems as Knack, it's just moved things into different places and ended up mostly the same. Which is at least emblematic of Knack himself, I suppose.
For all intents and purposes, Mark Cerny's sequel is one of the most 'gamey' video games I've played in recent memory and stands as a reminder of what I still consider to be the Golden Years of this industry. You bought a disc, you popped it in, you pressed 'Power' and damn it, you had fun.
Knack 2 has surprised us and entertained us for a considerable number of hours. It is a very solid platform game, with well-designed levels and a combat system. But its history and characters are not very interesting, and its phases become somewhat repetitive.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Knack II considerably improves the formula of first Knack game including for example a fun cooperative game system and a greater number of moves to execute with Knack. Nevertheless, the story that it offers is not so original and the game it can be repetitive sometimes.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Knack II has the bones of a good platformer and a hint of charm but it just doesn't execute. I'm not sure what the Knack series attempted to accomplish, but after a sequel, it stands as one of the most missable franchises Sony has ever crafted. Maybe one day Sony can combine both of these together on the PS5 as a free PS Plus item and call it the "Knack Pack." That one's free.
Knack 2 silences naysayers with innovative puzzle-platforming, even if its combat can't keep up.
On a technical level this is clearly a better game than its infamous predecessor, but it's still nowhere near as fun as it should be thanks to its bland design and characters.