Juliet's 8½ Spirits
Banned
Fuck! That was the most brutal review I've ever seen from Mark. For him not to like a game means that, that game must be uber shit.
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Knack confirmed Suckage. No redemption. Lord Karnage does not approve
- Thread starter Endo Punk
- Start date
purnoman3000
Member
Knack is hella fun and surprisingly challenging, looks great, plays smooth and controls well. If that makes a bad game then so be it. Didn't buy it for story, who the hell buys a Mario game for story. The levels are a little sparse but they're all unique settings.
Can't believe games like this get shit on while games that are outright broken get 8's or higher.
.
Can't believe games like this get shit on while games that are outright broken get 8's or higher.
.
It was $40 in Canada!
Knack's metcritic score means it can't even be given away for free on PS Plus.
I've been enjoying it thoughThere's not enough platformers these days. And well, it's better than killzone
Contrast already broke that rule.
famousmortimer
Banned
AbortedWalrusFetus
Member
I am convinced people who don't enjoy the gameplay of knack may not have played more than a few levels. The game controls really well and combat takes skill and is fun when you learn it. It has a lot of flaws but its overall a good game.
PeakPointMatrix
Member
"Why is his name Knack? It rhymes with crack."
"Why isn't this a Ratchet and Clank game?"
"It crashed and I had to unplug my PS4"
Um, are we really putting importance on what this guy is saying with these kinds of "negatives" he lists?
And he did list positives, by the way. The game is tricky, you can't win by mashing buttons, combat is more involved. And I've combed through most impressions on GAF, no one is complaining about rampant crashing. From my own play through so far, there hasn't been a single lockup.
I personally am loving it to death so far. And I was extremely skeptical/hating on this game before launch, check my post history if you want. I was not hyped for this game at all. I bought it to give it the benefit of the doubt, and was pleasantly surprised by solid little lighthearted game.
So finally, have you actually played it yourself to be able to make such bold claims?
tfur
Member
Bingo.
It's a really good game when playing co-op... and the way they designed the 2nd player to have a bit of resilience works especially well in that context.
I also don't get the drama about people not liking the story. It's just a pretty simple and basic story.
Knack is guaranteed to be a PS+ title eventually. Especially for a game that performed so poorly on a system that doesn't have a lot of options for games to offer PS+ subscribers. It's a no brainer. They even said they didn't expect it to be someone's primary purchase for a game so they already see it as second-tier.
So I'm definitely holding off a purchase as it seems to have problems anyway.
So I'm definitely holding off a purchase as it seems to have problems anyway.
fallingdove
Member
So long as I am doing local coop, I really like Knack. I wouldn't play it by myself though.
zeopower6
Member
With Nintendo, it probably helps that they usually also focus on those titles completely, while Knack was a bit of a side project for Cerny. I don't think he ever planned on making a game until one of the higher ups convinced him to try making a game for the system he was helping to create.
Because of the really low professional review scores, it will likely not hit PS+... :/
I don't think Knack is getting praise as much as it getting a resounding "Heh, it's not bad."
DidntKnowJack
Member
According to this thread, you and I are wrong. Knack is garbage.
I didn't watch the vid, but I 100 percent agree with bringing back Ape Escape. They wasted time on Knack when there's already a proven IP waiting to be revived.
Chinpoko_Master
Member
All of the mixed reviews of the game make me want to play it. Especially when Derrick01 likes it.
zeopower6
Member
Aren't they having someone revive Ape Escape?
While nobody bought either Knack or Mario for the story, the problem is how invasive and lengthy the cut scenes are for Knack whereas Mario games give you a tiny snippet at the beginning at most and then it's pure gameplay bliss from thereon.
Wow. Who do you like listening to?
I probably liked it more than most people because it brought back a style of gameplay that I haven't seen in ages, where you have to survive a gauntlet of enemies and obstacles that can kill you in one or two hits in order to progress.
I see it as a twitchier but more simplistic God of War, with a more pleasant and family-friendly art style. Maybe it wouldn't have been better received it the battle arenas were separated by more variety of gameplay.
I see it as a twitchier but more simplistic God of War, with a more pleasant and family-friendly art style. Maybe it wouldn't have been better received it the battle arenas were separated by more variety of gameplay.
Being completely honest with myself, I'd give it a 6 or 7, but the irritation sets in when compared to objectively shitty games that get much better scores, and that anything that does get a score like Knack's is treated like a pariah and dismissed before ever being played.
MeBecomingI
Member
Yeah, I don't think it is anywhere near as bad as people love to say it is. I'd like to see Sony take a shot and let the franchise grow. I think it has a lot of potential. I find Knack to a game that was built in a way to get a younger audience that is nowhere near hardcore (more casual or just not into gaming all that much) into something a little more difficult and mature without being overbearing in the story or hammering you down with a bunch of crazy gameplay mechanics and features. A nice entry point. A new game in the series could introduce more mechanics and let the gameplay grow as the target audience does too. That is something I think the game manages well.
It isn't a fantastic game by any stretch, but it is good.
It isn't a fantastic game by any stretch, but it is good.
TheRealTalker
Banned
Once I saw Lord Katnage on the thread title I knew who it was.... Lol love this guy
Sony should bring back a full-fledged not on rails Ape Escape regardless....
Knack wasn't the problem, I actually liked him. Its the characters that surrounded him that were beyond bland and awful.
jackissocool
Member
I liked Knack a lot. A lot of fun, especially in co-op.
Slamtastic
Member
nycgamer4ever
Member
I am on chapter 8 of the game and I've had a ton of fun with it. Sure it's nothing ground breaking but it's a fun game that looks good, runs good, and it designed for young and old alike. The combat could get a little repetitive but the story is good enough to keep you playing. If you enjoyed games like the old school platformers, or GOW games, you will enjoy this game. I really think the reason it is divisive is because there are too many young games or gamers who are easily frustrated with difficulty as the game can get difficult if you just try to rush into the combat, you will get owned on normal and up difficulty.
The game also takes some time to get going. The second half gets much more interesting as well as good looking also. Anyone who thinks this game look like crap graphics wise hasn't played the game through or has a crap setup. Its looks great on my TV.
For those on the fence who likes old school platformers or GOW try it out. It's fun.
In a sea of shooters last and this upcoming generation, these games bring back some of the old school gaming we USED to love so much.
If I had to give it a score it would be anywhere between 7-8.
The game also takes some time to get going. The second half gets much more interesting as well as good looking also. Anyone who thinks this game look like crap graphics wise hasn't played the game through or has a crap setup. Its looks great on my TV.
For those on the fence who likes old school platformers or GOW try it out. It's fun.
In a sea of shooters last and this upcoming generation, these games bring back some of the old school gaming we USED to love so much.
If I had to give it a score it would be anywhere between 7-8.
shadowfall
Member
I loved Knack. It is my first PS4 game that I finished. I think the game is polarized. People either love it or hate it.
I know someone who only has BF4 on his PS4.
This is the one that hurts me the most. I was really hoping for a solid platformer not a stupid GOW type brawler. Every review Ive says platforming is very light if at all which broke my heart more than anything. Sony really dropped the ball with Knack.
flyinpiranha
Member
Didn't love or hate it. Only played the demo and it was enough to tell me it wasn't a game for me. Will play it when it's a PS+ game in a couple months.
Admittedly it seems more like people either like it or hate it, with a few actually loving it. Though it's probably more it goes the whole spectrum: some seem to really love it, seem liked it enough but don't consider it all that great, just unfairly eviscerated, and I imagine many are kind of the opposite of that, find it bland but not terrible. Which would actually explain why it ended up averaging high 50s.
I enjoyed it, but readily traded it in for Mario.
It really is.
Personally I like Knack, but it's undeniable that it was a horrible game to launch the PS4 with. Aside from the graphics there's literally nothing done with the game that couldn't have been achieved on PS1, and the game's repetitive nature makes it most suited for short sessions at a time when most people just want to play the hell out of their brand new launch game. Not to mention the price - it sort of reminds me of Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, where they had a $20 game idea and padded it out to justify the $60 retail cost.
That said, I think there's a fantastic foundation for a sequel. Mark Cerny himself said the game is "a mix of Crash, Katamari, and God of War", so why not accentuate those elements further? Have some real platforming rather than linear corridors with the occasional pit, let players get big through playing well and finding secrets rather than in scripted sequences, and flesh out the combat a lot more, and you've got the potential for a great game.
That said, I think there's a fantastic foundation for a sequel. Mark Cerny himself said the game is "a mix of Crash, Katamari, and God of War", so why not accentuate those elements further? Have some real platforming rather than linear corridors with the occasional pit, let players get big through playing well and finding secrets rather than in scripted sequences, and flesh out the combat a lot more, and you've got the potential for a great game.
his voice is amazing
Slamtastic
Member
That seems like an exaggeration. I haven't played Knack, but come one, Kratos, Donte, Cole McGrath, and some robot thing form a kids game is the least likeable? Does he constantly spout racist jokes while setting fire to nursing homes or something?
Its so true though. Has no personality. One of the worst indeed.
zeopower6
Member
I think that was just due to one of their goals in making it seem like a Pixar-ish film.
Yeah, I'm upset Resistance wasn't a platformer, too. And damn, if only God of War wasn't a point-and-click adventure game.
Being upset that a game falls into the genre it falls into doesn't make much sense.
It also shouldn't have been a technical mess given that the lead designer of the hardware was part of the team making the game. The framerate was just awful at times.
RealityPales
Member
Honestly, Knack and Super Motherload were the highlights of PS4's launch for me.
