djskribbles
Legend
I just looked at the neogaf thread:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=714849
Scores range from 3/10 to 8.25/10
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=714849
Scores range from 3/10 to 8.25/10
RenegadeRocks
Legend
Thats a huge variationSo, we just can't say what it is
I get a feeling that some reviewers are a little jaded, judging by the polarised views that are being written.
crazygambit
Regular
Kotaku Review:
http://kotaku.com/knack-the-kotaku-review-1463519699?utm_campaign=Socialflow_Kotaku_Twitter&utm_source=Kotaku_Twitter&utm_medium=Socialflow
Gameinformer review:
http://www.gameinformer.com/games/knack/b/playstation4/archive/2013/11/13/bringing-old-school-platforming-to-next-gen.aspx?utm_content=bufferb8993&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer
Kotaku says "YES" to Knack and "NO" to Killzone? What are they smoking over there?
Actually, I like the Knack demo more than what I saw in the KZ gameplay footage. ^_^
I haven't played a lot of the old school platformers though.
Bagel seed
Veteran
Middling reviews :| Guess I'll wait for the PS+ version.
Is the co-op online?
Really if they ever do another version, they should support like 4 players with huge maps and bosses to fight.
Maybe like a giant co-op of Ratchet and Clank, though they'd have to create other characters to support more than 2-player.
In essence, make a 3D, modernized Gauntlet game that you play over online.
Or something like the old Sega game Gain Ground.
Really if they ever do another version, they should support like 4 players with huge maps and bosses to fight.
Maybe like a giant co-op of Ratchet and Clank, though they'd have to create other characters to support more than 2-player.
In essence, make a 3D, modernized Gauntlet game that you play over online.
Or something like the old Sega game Gain Ground.
crazygambit
Regular
Knack is not really a platformer though. It's a brawler, much closer to God of War than to Crash IMO.
RenegadeRocks
Legend
The Verge's review of the PS4 console says that Knack is the best game of all. Though simlpe in visuals, this is the game you will be playing for hours.
The little one does have some charm.
The little one does have some charm.
Bagel seed
Veteran
Yeah I think I'm going to pick this up. Between user impressions and streams I saw it doesn't seem as horrible as reviewers said it was.
Disclaimer: This is my favorite genre, and I'm nostalgic about old platformers. Bias is to be assumed.
10/10
I started Knack on Hard mode and I just finished it. I couldn't put it down. Took about 12 hours. Surprisingly it unlocks the Very Hard mode which I didn't know about. I'd say Hard mode would be considered a typical game from the 90's. Remember the last time you yelled "f*** yeah!" when finishing a game? That's hard mode, it's just perfect. I struggled but never got completely stuck.
The first 2 chapters are too slow paced and just set up the story and characters, but it ramps up nicely and becomes epic towards the end. The game gets more fun when you make an honest attempt to advance quickly. There's more platforming later on, timed switches, simple puzzles, avoiding lazer beams, slippery surfaces, but the core of the difficulty in the game remains the encounters. Or more precisely, it would be easy platforming if it wasn't for the mobs shooting at you... and you can't kill them until you're close enough to punch or pounce. No weapons, no projectiles (except some pickup items). You punch people in the face, that's Knack.
It has simple controls like PS1 platformers, four buttons and a few combos. The second stick to dash is key to most fights in the second half of the game, you HAVE to dash timely to avoid some mobs, jumping isn't enough. Only 2 hits and you're dead, some things like lasers kill you instantly, so there's no place for mistake. Save points are extremely frequent, and it separates the levels in groups on average of 5 encounters. It's cool because it doesn't have the usual frustration when dying a lot and having to go though a long but easy segment.
The animation is beautiful, the music is great, and the voice work is top notch AAA. The texturing and shading feels a little too simple for a next gen game, but it gets better in the later levels. There's a nice little touch of having a hundred of short animations in-game of about 5 seconds that serve as camera transitions, or scripted movements that aren't part of the control scheme. It really adds to the character's personality because it keeps Knack's attitude shown continuously without really being a cut-scene.
After reading reviews I thought I'd hate the fixed camera, but it's great. Reviewers had a problem with the 90 degrees camera change, there are very few of them and they are planned to keep an interesting cinematic framing. The thing to get used to is that when the camera changes, the character will continue in the direction it was running until you move the stick in another direction. It's hard to describe but it works very well when you know that. The camera changes gives you a second or two to react without making a mistake. Also if the camera is placed flat on an area with a mob far back, if you try to dash past the mob you'll end up having to back track and attack from behind the mob. Just don't do that, it's stupid, you're not supposed to backtrack, there's plenty of opportunity to place yourself on the sides or front, or kite the mob. It's not the camera being wrong, it's the player being wrong.
The replay value of the game starts when you want to unlock relics and gadgets. I'll probably boost myself up with gadgets before attempting the very hard mode.
10/10
I started Knack on Hard mode and I just finished it. I couldn't put it down. Took about 12 hours. Surprisingly it unlocks the Very Hard mode which I didn't know about. I'd say Hard mode would be considered a typical game from the 90's. Remember the last time you yelled "f*** yeah!" when finishing a game? That's hard mode, it's just perfect. I struggled but never got completely stuck.
The first 2 chapters are too slow paced and just set up the story and characters, but it ramps up nicely and becomes epic towards the end. The game gets more fun when you make an honest attempt to advance quickly. There's more platforming later on, timed switches, simple puzzles, avoiding lazer beams, slippery surfaces, but the core of the difficulty in the game remains the encounters. Or more precisely, it would be easy platforming if it wasn't for the mobs shooting at you... and you can't kill them until you're close enough to punch or pounce. No weapons, no projectiles (except some pickup items). You punch people in the face, that's Knack.
It has simple controls like PS1 platformers, four buttons and a few combos. The second stick to dash is key to most fights in the second half of the game, you HAVE to dash timely to avoid some mobs, jumping isn't enough. Only 2 hits and you're dead, some things like lasers kill you instantly, so there's no place for mistake. Save points are extremely frequent, and it separates the levels in groups on average of 5 encounters. It's cool because it doesn't have the usual frustration when dying a lot and having to go though a long but easy segment.
The animation is beautiful, the music is great, and the voice work is top notch AAA. The texturing and shading feels a little too simple for a next gen game, but it gets better in the later levels. There's a nice little touch of having a hundred of short animations in-game of about 5 seconds that serve as camera transitions, or scripted movements that aren't part of the control scheme. It really adds to the character's personality because it keeps Knack's attitude shown continuously without really being a cut-scene.
After reading reviews I thought I'd hate the fixed camera, but it's great. Reviewers had a problem with the 90 degrees camera change, there are very few of them and they are planned to keep an interesting cinematic framing. The thing to get used to is that when the camera changes, the character will continue in the direction it was running until you move the stick in another direction. It's hard to describe but it works very well when you know that. The camera changes gives you a second or two to react without making a mistake. Also if the camera is placed flat on an area with a mob far back, if you try to dash past the mob you'll end up having to back track and attack from behind the mob. Just don't do that, it's stupid, you're not supposed to backtrack, there's plenty of opportunity to place yourself on the sides or front, or kite the mob. It's not the camera being wrong, it's the player being wrong.
The replay value of the game starts when you want to unlock relics and gadgets. I'll probably boost myself up with gadgets before attempting the very hard mode.
Last edited by a moderator:
RenegadeRocks
Legend
Good to hear that
>_<" I'll take it easy. Starting on normal. If it's the same difficulty as the early demo, I think it's challenging enough without getting frustrating.
Billy Idol
Legend
Thanks MrFox for the impressions.
RenegadeRocks
Legend
An opinion piece:
