Knack

[opd897]

Re: Knack

Believe I will transfer my 2nd controller pre order over to Knack since Amazon has assured me, on two different live chat sessions, that I will receive a 2nd controller with my launch edition PS4. Not sure why but I will take their word for it.

Plus I have some FPS pre ordered and will probable need a game to wind down from them.

[Flawless]

Re: Knack

More Ways to Play Knack: Co-op Mode, Mobile App Detailed

Knack’s co-op is a little different from some cooperative games you may have played. From the very beginning, Knack was meant to be both a challenging and rewarding old-school style character action game, as well an accessible “gateway” title for gamers to initiate their friends and family members into the joys of true console gaming. On Normal or Hard, the game can be brutally challenging and very rewarding. But with simple controls and Easy mode, even new players can experience the world of Knack.

In Knack, our two-player cooperative mode was designed in a way that accentuates the vision for the game. A second player can drop in or out at any time, and control Knack’s shiny metallic helper, Robo Knack. Robo Knack has a move set somewhat similar to Knack’s, but can donate parts to Knack and heal him with a touch of the Triangle button. If there’s a non-gamer or light gamer in the house, this is a great way to introduce them to the world of Knack – just start the game on Easy and drop in from time to time to help them through the game.

As you play through Knack’s story mode, you’ll no doubt find walls and doors that are begging to be smashed, burnt down or otherwise destroyed. There are over 60 of these rooms — some are out in the open, but some are a little trickier to find. Inside these rooms, you’ll find a chest that holds a collectible item: either a gadget part, or a rare Crystal Relic.

There are eight gadgets in all, and each requires anywhere from 3 to 7 parts to complete. Once you complete a gadget, Knack can equip it to enhance his abilities or add new ones. A few of my favorite gadgets are the Combo Meter, which allows Knack to boost his attack strength by hitting enemies 8 times in a row without taking damage himself, and the Harvester, which lets Knack collect sunstones from defeated enemies. In these chests you may also find Crystal Relics, like diamonds or rubies. If you find enough of any single kind of rare Relic, you’ll unlock a new form of Knack to use in a second play-through of the game. Each Knack variation has different characteristics such as super strength, super fragility, etc.

Finding these secret rooms and collecting gadget parts and Relics is fun, but it’s even more fun when you have friends playing the game as well. Whenever you find a secret chest, you’ll be able to either take the item you found in the chest, or choose any item a friend found in that same room the last time they played. This can really come in handy when you’re trying to complete those gadgets or unlock that last Knack variant. Your gadget collection even carries over to new playthroughs, so you can work on getting all eight handy gadgets.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HMH9arqT35s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[LowerWolf]

Re: Knack

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Knack is local co-op only, right? No online co-op?

[Flawless]

Re: Knack

Some reviews:


Eurogamer - 4

Perhaps time was a factor, or perhaps Mark Cerny - the PlayStation 4 visionary who also led development of this game - is a better programmer and system architect than he is a writer and creative director. Whatever the answer, Knack isn't the kind of game you'll want to take home with your PlayStation 4. I'm all in favour of games that transport us back to the good old days of vibrant originality, but Knack simply doesn't.

IGN - 5.9

Playing Knack is like watching a dull movie on a plane – it's tolerable if all you want is a way to pass the time, but it's not something you'd seek out for its own sake. I finished in about 11 hours and, challenges, co-op, and secrets aside, there's just not much here worth recommending. Sure, some individual elements show potential, particularly when the scale of the encounters changes as Knack grows, but it never moves beyond playing it safe with the concepts or the characters.

Polygon - 6

Knack has too little going on over its 12 hour length. The core concepts are strong - it's fun to watch Knack grow bigger and smash things. The incredible imagination promised by the dawn of new hardware is on display in Knack. But the moments of payoff come too infrequently to make plodding through another three dozen frustrating enemies any less tedious.

Joystiq - 1.5/5

There's a danger of these complaints being interpreted as an adverse reaction to Knack's simplicity, style of graphics or wildly oscillating challenge – as a case of "it's just not for you." That, however, would mean that some people are content with slogging through a monotonous, charmless game just because it's pitched at their level. Knack fails to capitalize on its own ideas and structure, and is successful only in acting as a reminder of the shallow, punishing platformers of a time when we really cared about how many bits there were on your console.

Gamespot - 4

Knack's downfall is that it focuses entirely on combat, but doesn't offer enough variety or depth within its system to compel you onward. Any early thoughts you may have that there must be more to the punch-punch-repeat action than meets the eye are banished once you plow through hours of the same basic sequences. And even Knack's few attempts at diversity are merely competent. The occasional platforming scenario lacks the joy of movement so necessary for jumping to be engaging, and the platform placement doesn't require any cleverness to surpass. There's not one element of Knack to rally around, to excite you. And without that special something, Knack crumbles just like its piecemeal protagonist.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Knack

I still want to play, but I can definitely wait until it drops to ~20 or hits PS+ for free.

[Holic]

Re: Knack

Really glad I chose AC4 over Knack as my "free" game at Target this morning after seeing those review scores.

[LingeringRegime]

Re: Knack

Okay, I am going to take this back. Those reviews were pretty damning.

EDIT: Thanks for posting the reviews Flawless. I was able to exchange this for NFS: Rivals.

[greenegt]

Re: Knack

Sounds like it'll make the perfect PS+ game down the road.

[SoMiss2000]

Re: Knack

I was going to get this Friday. Will go for NFS instead.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4

[HustlinOwl]

Re: Knack

Damn was looking forward to this, but will return ASAP

[23]

Re: Knack

Honestly sounds like a game made for a kid to play or to play with a kid..something of that effect.

[HustlinOwl]

Re: Knack

Honestly sounds like a game made for a kid to play or to play with a kid..something of that effect.

I have kids, but can always pick up later at a much cheaper rate

[23]

Re: Knack

No doubt about it.. I got it from Amazon (only because they screwed us with NBA 2k)so no returning for me.

I still want Lego Marvel Superhero's and reluctantly BF4, but im going to get all of that. I count this as a free game shoot I paid less than the price of 2 games for 3.

[ChubbyBanana]

Re: Knack

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Knack is local co-op only, right? No online co-op?

If this wasn't answered yet you are correct. There's no online coop. Shame really. If games like this and Lego Marvel had online coop they'd be higher up on my Day 1 Games to play list.

[mestevo]

Re: Knack

Helps justify my decision to pass thinking it'd be a PS+ game in fairly short order, but didn't think the reviews would be this bad. Figured if I wanted this type of game we'd just get Skylanders, which we're planning to do.