I'm genuinely enjoying the game so far (as of chapter 4-1).
There's a healthy amount of platforming that, while simple, feels great and can exhibit moments of cleverness thanks to the size and geological mechanics tied to Knack's form. Chests are tucked away throughout the chapters, sometimes shrewdly, offering pieces of machinery towards new effects and abilities. Unfortunately, there's little variety in the nooks and crannies housing these rewards. In fact, even the entrances are largely similar, thus making the world seem less organic as a result.
The combat progression keeps things fresh by steadily introducing new attacks along with whatever upgrades you choose on the enhancement grid. There's a decent amount of weight and visual feedback to sell Knack's towering monstrosity and an emphasis on skill when you have to multitask between parrying projectiles and fending off a pocket of adversaries confined to the (often small) battle arenas.
You're not going to be humming any of the tracks while preparing a grilled cheese sandwich in the kitchen when you've put the game to rest, but the tunes appropriately capture the diverse locales you'll spasmodically jump between in disjointed fashion. The forest/jungle music evokes feelings of being lost in thickets of green with its use of the kalimba, and the desert region makes light use Arabic wind instruments.
So far, Knack 2 is a colorful game with moments of pleasant environmental art, but it's let down by inorganic level design that forgets it's sometimes trying to depict the natural world. Many of the structures and arenas appear to be copy/pasted or of similar geometric design; different coats of paint won't hide this fact. While a game like Ratchet and Clank manages to be both picturesque and artificial, Knack 2 manages to just be artificial without any of the charm.
Unsightly character design is a series staple now that we can miraculously even call it one. It's as if Pixar outsourced the D-tier work of hungry interns who bit off more than they could chew. The result is a direct-to-video cast with predictable quips and a bizarrely voiced main character that would have worked just as well as a mute. As a protagonist, Knack is saved by his appealing color palette, size gimmick, and the gift of being an entity ostensibly made up of LEGO pieces able to magnetize and explode back to basics.
An engaging plot is not a feature here. In fact, the game would benefit from a rudimentary setup and minimal exposition. I'm often left wanting to punch my way out of the insipid, overserious storytelling with Knack's mighty fists. I've resigned to just checking my phone with a perfunctory acknowledgment that inanities are abound. Thankfully, the cutscenes often move at a brisk pace, and you're placed back into the action.
What I'm seeing thus far is a serious step forward in the gameplay department, and a game that stubbornly refuses to allow you to love it. Reducing the plot to a bare minimum and literally going back to the drawing board would elevate the series. As things are, it's still an enjoyable game that promises to get even better as I progress.