Knack is a kid-oriented action platformer available on the PS4. In this game, Player One plays as the titular automaton, who appears to exist in indentured servitude to three greedy buffoons whose primary life-goal is the acquisition of Relics. By absorbing these Relics, Knack can grow from knee-high up to three stories tall.
CO-OP PLAY
Mike (Player 1) says:
Knack’s co-op was fun and entertaining, as co-op games should be. However, if playing with an experienced platform gamer the game will be frustrating for Player 2. Knack seems similar to the dynamic of Sonic and Tails in Sonic The Hedgehog 2. In the latter, Sonic is the main adventurer while Tails is along for the ride. Knack of course is the main character while the co-op silver “mini-Knack” doesn’t even get a name. The camera always follows Knack and will continue to follow him with or without your silver companion. Mini-Knack is helpful by being able to attack and even help take down enemies. Another Tails similarity is mini-Knack can never fully die. When his health is completely gone he can just respawn near Knack after a few seconds. One different feature from the Sonic The Hedgehog co-op gameplay is when Knack’s health is low, mini-Knack can give some of his relics to keep Knack alive which comes in handy when fighting tough bosses.
The downside to the co-op gameplay is the camera. At times Player 2 is completely off-screen or even teleported back closer to Knack, even if mini-Knack is in mid-fight. This can be really troublesome when playing and it makes it seem that co-op was definitely an afterthought.
Katie (Player 2) says:
In Greek mythology, a pair of Titans–brothers, in fact–took it upon themselves to protect humankind. The first brother, Prometheus, gave humans the gift of fire and championed their causes. His dim-witted brother, Epimetheus, whose name literally means “Afterthinker”, generally screwed things up for everybody. This pretty much sums up the relationship between Knack and his sidekick, who I came to think of as “Afterthought.”
Knack is first and foremost a single player game; the co-op experience is poorly thought-out and low quality.
There are several issues that lead Player 2 to feel that the game is ignoring them. The fixed camera doesn’t take the second player into account. This causes lots of deaths as it pans to follow Knack. Player 2 has to essentially drop out of the game in platforming areas. If Player 2 gets too far ahead of Knack, they are teleported back to his location. This ruined several combat encounters and puzzles. Player 2 also can’t operate switches to solve puzzles.
Ironically, Player 2’s single ability is to sacrifice their own health to heal Knack, underscoring how ancillary the second player is to the game experience
Overall, felt like the designers wanted to claim co-op as a feature without having to do any additional work. If Mike and I hadn’t been playing together, I would have given up after a few levels out of frustration.
GAME MECHANICS
Mike (Player 1) says:
Knack is a fun platformer with varying level design types and Collectibles to keep you playing. Some checkpoints can be a little far spread causing some frustration if you keep dying on a spot only to find your check point was way back in the level. Combat is an easy button masher with the occasional jump and hit or a special move using the sun crystals. I found myself wanting more of a combo system to chain attacks.
Knack has secret Collectibles to find in the form of Crystals or Gadget parts. Collecting the Gadget parts was entertaining and kept me alert to find the next secret treasure chest hoping it was the next piece to complete a Gadget. However, the treasure chest contents are random, and it wasn’t until very late in the game that I was able to start completing the Gadget devices. Many of the chests I opened had crystal shard; I never completed one set in the first playthrough of the game, only missing only two secret chests in that first completion. To get all the Collectibles you would have to play through the game 3 to 4 times!
Katie (Player 2) says:
Knack’s combat is simple but entertaining. The level design is solid, with a good mix of combat and platforming puzzles.
There were some issues with the game mechanics that detracted from these good qualities. The leveling system seems unbalanced; Knack gets stronger as he accumulates relics, but he is still killed as easily. I sensed that the game designers were struggling to balance the game’s primary mechanic.
The Collectibles system–where Knack finds secrets throughout the levels to assemble Gadgets that boost his abilities–was frustrating. There were so many pieces and so many different Collectibles that you couldn’t assemble any Gadgets until very late in the game. You would have to replay the game multiple times to collect them all, which to me is a cheap way for the designers to claim replayability.
STORY
Mike (Player 1) says:
Knack has a linear story with predictable outcomes. Knack is definitely the hero of the group but he is treated as muscle and told to go do errands while it seems the adults belittle him and the Doctor’s apprentice. One of the villains was shown too early in the game, which I thought could have been a good twist. Instead you are fighting on two fronts, and the underdeveloped characters seem like textbook bad guys. From the overarching feel of the story, it seemed that if the character is an adult, he is a bad guy or just mean. Even the “cool uncle” is too busy going on adventures to take care of his orphan nephew and leaves him with the Doctor, who has his own interests which he puts first.
Katie (Player 2) says:
Knack’s story is simplistic and linear; that’s not really a criticism, because it’s just the type of game that Knack is. However, I thought the story was inconsistent; it was hard to identify the primary villain. The good guys and villains felt more like frenemies than rivals.
Often Knack’s goals were to prevent enemies from looting and destruction, yet during the course of the levels, Knack would cause total chaos as he grew to several stories tall, hurling cars and knocking down buildings. The good guys are self-centered assholes. They are also pretty dim, because, really, how many times can the same people be kidnapped during the course of a game?
I got the sense that the game writers were trying to be tongue-in-cheek, but their lack of skill and subtlety made any attempts at humor fall flat.
VISUALS AND SOUND
Mike (Player 1) says:
As a launch title for the PS4 it is hard to gauge how great a system’s visuals can be. We see a dramatic jump between launch titles of the PS3 and Xbox 360 to their final game launches before the current gen consoles of today. The character rendering was impressive, especially seeing the relics all move in almost a lifelike motion and break apart like blocks when Knack is struck. Background scenery is done well but nothing that stands out as next-gen. The music, voice acting and sound effects were sharp and clear but also seemed simple, as if some sounds came from stock Sony sound effects.
Katie (Player 2) says:
While it doesn’t quite live up to what I’ve come to expect from next-gen graphics, Knack’s aesthetic design is bright and fun. The environmental settings are varied, and it’s fun watching Knack change shape and size as he accumulates more relics.
REPLAYABILITY
Mike (Player 1) says:
No. I wouldn’t mind playing it through one more time to get all the Collectibles and getting Knack’s alternate forms. However, one playthrough does not get you all the Collectibles. You would have to play through the game 3 to 4 times to get 100%! The linear story and levels aren’t in-depth enough to keep me playing through this many times, even as a completionist. So a single replay of the game was not worth it to me when there are other great games that deserve playing.
Katie (Player 2) says:
The only replayable aspect of this game was to acquire all the Collectibles. That’s only going to appeal to a slim cross-section of gamers. Even if they did manage to collect everything, the combat and story aren’t strong enough to entice players to stay.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Mike (Player 1) says:
Knack is an enjoyable game. Player 1 had a fun time playing the launch title on the PS4. Even with the lackluster graphics, predictable plot and camera issues we still found ourselves coming back to the game to play the next level until the entertaining credits. If you want a fun, enjoyable platformer for your next-gen console, Knack is a good co-op game to pick up.
Katie (Player 2) says:
I really liked the core concept of this game, but even as a single-player experience marketed to children, it just doesn’t live up to its promise. While the levels and combat can be fun at times, dismal co-op and a frustratingly inconsistent storyline ruined this Player 2’s experience.
OVERALL RATING
Mike (Player 1): 7 out of 10
Katie (Player 2): 4 out of 10
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Disclaimer: We purchased Knack with our own money. All images and video clips are taken from our own gameplay. Knack is the property of Sony Computer Entertainment.
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