Vid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdqhei0yXwY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdqhei0yXwY
By default, Knack 2 on PlayStation 4 Pro sticks opts for the high resolution mode, which sees the game running at 3200x1800 using checkerboard rendering. Seeing as checkerboarding is a crucial feature of the PS4 Pro - and a focus for Cerny's efforts in developing the console - it comes as no surprise to see Knack 2 tapping into this feature. While not native 4K, the resulting image quality is sharp and clean, working well with the title's distinctive art style.
Pro users also benefit from a high frame-rate mode, which pares down resolution to 1080p in order to maximise performance. On paper, an 1800p to 1080p resolution downgrade doesn't sound too appealing, but image quality is still highly accomplished thanks to a superb temporal anti-aliasing solution. Knack's performance profile varies according to mode, but suffice to say that this option takes you almost to a locked 60 frames per second - a huge improvement over the first game's Pro patch.
There's more good news for Pro owners too: both modes are available regardless of the display attached - the way it should be. Players still gaming on 1080p screens get the benefit of super-sampling or improved performance: a win-win scenario. For owners of the base unit - PS4 Amateur, if you like - the rendering set-up locks to 1080p as you may expect, but that doesn't mean that we're looking at parity with the Pro's high performance mode. Higher resolution shadow maps are implemented for the top-tier PS4, along with changes to ambient occlusion.
Overall though, the visuals on display are generally equal and the result is a great-looking release that represents a huge leap over the original game. There's a larger degree of variety in the gameplay to the point where the first three levels all look and feel entirely unique, while evolving from checkpoint to checkpoint. Compared to the repetitive designs of the original, something likely necessitated by the need to launch alongside the PS4, Knack 2 feels like a breath of fresh air.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2017-knack-2-and-how-it-exploits-ps4-pro-featuresHowever, if you're playing on PS4 Pro, you may not even need it. The sequel's high frame-rate mode delivers a near-locked 60fps experience and it does wonders for the game. The game is faster and more responsive in this mode and looks great during gameplay. Knack 2 includes a lot of extra platforming gameplay compared to the original game and the additional precision granted by the improved performance level is welcome. Unlike the Pro's near-locked 60fps, the base system spends most of its time in the mid-40s. This is still a mild improvement over the original game as that could drop below 30fps relatively frequently but here, the frame-rate remains in the 40s most of the time.
It's interesting that Knack 2 manages to deliver on the promise of the PS4 Pro by offering players the option to hit that desired 60fps frame-rate. Few other games have managed to pull this off - Deck 13's The Surge being one of the very few, but it's great to see it here. Of course, it does highlight one performance-saving technique on display here - half-rate physics. When large physics interactions occur, the objects tend to update at half the frame-rate resulting in less fluid motion. It's not a big deal, but it is an interesting way to conserve resources.