-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Knack |OT| Playin' Knack in my Tub!
- Thread starter Tsundere
- Start date
Just beat the game this evening & overall I enjoyed it. The mechanics are simple and never really evolve much but the enemy variety is decent and the combat, while simple, is fun and challenging. The game is hard but I never felt it was cheap. I could've done with being forced to restart the level when i died but it never took me more than a few minutes to get back to where I was.
The story was pretty forgettable as were all the characters except knack himself. I hope the game does well enough to warrant a sequel down the road. The game has a solid foundation to build on & knack has some mascot potential. I can understand some of the low review scores but I can't say I agree with them. I think the game is a solid 7 & I'm glad I didn't try to exchange it for something else.
The story was pretty forgettable as were all the characters except knack himself. I hope the game does well enough to warrant a sequel down the road. The game has a solid foundation to build on & knack has some mascot potential. I can understand some of the low review scores but I can't say I agree with them. I think the game is a solid 7 & I'm glad I didn't try to exchange it for something else.
I liked this little write-up on Game Informer (link). It's basically a situation where a GI writer talks about people hating on Knack, yet he enjoyed it. So, yeah, some people like it, some don't. It just seems that a lot of the people assigned to review it didn't.
purnoman3000
Member
I'm about half way through the game now, there's no way in hell there should be any 3 or 4 reviews. The game isn't broken, haven't ran into any bugs or glitches yet, looks gorgeous and smooth. Reviewers just baffle me, I can understand if the average was a 6 or 7, not GOTY but not fundamentally bad like some of these reviews are stating. It's an 8-8.5 for me.
I don't get it, If it didn't look as good as it did or had loads of bugs/glitches, would it be a 1 or 2? It's ridiculous, oh well, I'll enjoy the game and ignore the critics.
.
zeopower6
Member
Even so, the reviews may persuade people to pass on a game that they might enjoy... :/
A lot of them seem unnecessarily harsh at least, imo. Oh well. I am getting this as soon as I get my PS4~
SlasherJPC
Banned
I beat Killzone earlier tonight and can say I honestly had a better time with Knack overall and Knack kept consistent with its quality unlike Killzone which just tanks so hard near the end sadly. Hell I was thinking Id rather replay Knack again. What can I say, the little guy got to me.
Yeah, I'm split my self, I think I'm leaning towards Killzone but I agree with you on your points. Both pretty solid launch titles, though. And I, too, considered replaying it. I'd probably put it in the 7, 7.5 area.
People justifying their buyings isn't anything new, especially when it comes to launch games and exclusive games.
Interestingly Killzone OT has much more negative opinions than this thread
SlasherJPC
Banned
No need to justify anything. I just admitted I'm extremely dissapointed with Killzone. I just call it as I see it. I'll be keeping Knack in my PS4 library. Killzone... Not so much.
Maybe expectations are different?
Just finished it tonight, co-op'd with my girlfriend and we both enjoyed it. I'm personally baffled by some of the reviews. I understand that the game is not stellar, has some quirks and doesnt feature the deepest combat but imo it is far from bad or a pass. For us it was a solid 8. If the fixed some minor issues with the co-op and allowed player two to be another Knack and expanded the combat arsenal it could've been a 9. All on all, very enjoyable and we look forward to a second run to grab additional chests and trophies.
Is the story any good? Trailers give me the imprseeion that it's very bare-bones stuff, which is okay, but great story would always be a plus :>.
Might or might not get this with PS4. The reviews make me worried, but the impressions about it have been okay-ish. OR maybe I should wait for it to land on PS+, where it will inevitably land on in year or so.
Might or might not get this with PS4. The reviews make me worried, but the impressions about it have been okay-ish. OR maybe I should wait for it to land on PS+, where it will inevitably land on in year or so.
Or maybe, just maybe, folks are actually enjoying it. Shocker! Critic reviews aren't everything.
WTF is this? So the majority of the positive impressions in this thread are people lying to themselves, are fanboys, and really, the game is just shit? That is pretty much what your post is implying. I've not played this game so can't comment as to its quality. But man, your post stinks.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
I've played this more than NBA2K, NFS, Resogun, and Injustice combined. I love it. No "justification" here.
ArchedThunder
Banned
I was interested in it at first and then the reviews sorta steered me away, but now this thread makes me want to pick it up, it sounds like it feels right at home with the PS2 platforming classics like Ratchet and Clank and Jak and Daxter.
Only encountered one bug earlier on in Chapter 1-2 when a robot failed to drop from the sky and forced a reset as the next scene wouldn't trigger (we could see the shadow hovering).
Besides that, the experience is quite smooth if you don't mind copious amounts of one hit or two hit kills no matter the size of Knack that set you back a few areas. Co-op is my preferred play preference, giving you at least a character with unlimited lives for the enemies to focus on.
I am enjoying the sharing feature of the treasure chests, except I am now way ahead of everyone on my friends list in the game I no longer have options.
Besides that, the experience is quite smooth if you don't mind copious amounts of one hit or two hit kills no matter the size of Knack that set you back a few areas. Co-op is my preferred play preference, giving you at least a character with unlimited lives for the enemies to focus on.
I am enjoying the sharing feature of the treasure chests, except I am now way ahead of everyone on my friends list in the game I no longer have options.
Yeah, opinions are opinions, though I still get kind baffled at the really low ones. Eh, I guess some could've gotten pissed off THAT much with the difficulty, and honestly I can't fully blame them especially with no option to toggle mid-game.
They almost certainly are, I think most people were just hoping to have at least some decent platforming in Knack and a good challenge for the simple combat, and the former was sort of satisfied (at least I'm doing more than walking down a hallway all the time, though it does feel like Crash Easy Mode) and the latter might've gotten a LITTLE too far actually in providing a good challenge (though playing on Hard I should've expected at least a bite to it.)
Meanwhile, Killzone people were hoping for a more open campaign I think, or a decent story period, or whatever. The latter might've been a bit much, I hoped the scenario would better endear itself to a good story but I think the guys at Guerrilla may just be better at building worlds then telling stories in them, but gameplay? Well, so far it's still ahead of most shooters as of late, but not as far as I'd like. I kinda hoped it'd have built off of the first real mission, but it kinda felt like it dialed itself back after that.
fatgamecat
Member
Anyone else playing or beat Very Hard? Seems like it'd be pretty easy if you use the co-op respawning Knack.
LiquidMetal14
hide your water-based mammals
Really baffling considering all I've seen looks fine but nothing screaming 10/10 but no one is saying that.
But they're not nothing either, yet some are eager to dismiss them as "invalid" opinions.
I'll sooner believe that some are trying to justify a purchase than that there is a press-wide conspiracy against the game, or that all journalists have gone mad.
In either instance it's not all or nothing anyway.
People are focussing on the negative reviews but there were still some out there who were able to actively recommend it.
maybe reviewers don't understand that a (next-gen) game is made for children and families and not for the FPS-HardCore Gamer (intended exaggeration).
I see some of the reviews like this: "it's not a first person shooter and it looks too childfriendly -> 4/10"
cleveridea
Member
Wow, so despite being turned off from the demo at best buy I had this weird craving to play the game, so picked it up with the target B2G1 deal.
Loved it! Played it for like 8 hours straight in one sitting. Gave up at final boss though and will likely replay on easy.
I get the review scores though since they probably rushed this to make launch and the difficulty on normal varies tremendously every single encounter. Some early levels had very frustrating difficulty with some later areas being surprisingly easy eg a boss I dreaded beat in first try.
Best review was Rev3 since I think she accurately reflects the game's strengths and weaknesses and said that its a "high 3" (ie a 7/10)
Loved it! Played it for like 8 hours straight in one sitting. Gave up at final boss though and will likely replay on easy.
I get the review scores though since they probably rushed this to make launch and the difficulty on normal varies tremendously every single encounter. Some early levels had very frustrating difficulty with some later areas being surprisingly easy eg a boss I dreaded beat in first try.
Best review was Rev3 since I think she accurately reflects the game's strengths and weaknesses and said that its a "high 3" (ie a 7/10)
While I have not played Knack, nor do I have or plan on getting a PS4 any time soon, I'm so pleased to see that the actual reaction to this game is pretty heavily skewed towards enjoying it far more than the hilariously awful enthusiastic 'press' reviews would've had someone believe.
After reading a bunch of those last week, this game more than any other just reeked of idiotic preconceived intentions and a blatant target for faux criticism to appear 'objective' and legit. The content of EVERY Knack review I read was so absurd, and that's without me having even played the game.
So nice to see the experiences of the vast majority here back up what I originally thought. Knack is a perfect example, no matter WHICH company it's coming from, of EXACTLY what this industry needs right now and over the next 5 years. Desperately.
After reading a bunch of those last week, this game more than any other just reeked of idiotic preconceived intentions and a blatant target for faux criticism to appear 'objective' and legit. The content of EVERY Knack review I read was so absurd, and that's without me having even played the game.
So nice to see the experiences of the vast majority here back up what I originally thought. Knack is a perfect example, no matter WHICH company it's coming from, of EXACTLY what this industry needs right now and over the next 5 years. Desperately.
Maybe, but listening to podcasts on Knack highlights the rush many reviewers faced when reviewing this game. As a straightforward action brawler, it's fairly simple, but it's also quite challenging. When working on a review I could see how people could really start to hate the game when they struggle to progress.
ShockingAlberto
Member
OTs in general are pretty steeped in confirmation bias.
Not to say that's always the case, but not to say it isn't.
The industry needs much better than Knack.
I'm enjoying the games combat but that's pretty much it. It's limited in scope, has bad art, a bad story, and is super repetitive.
So, even though I'm into it- it's not something id hold up as anything special.
3rdamention
Member
Everyone in this thread, nearly everyone has been positive about this game. You are correct. You know why the review scores are so low? Reviewers are playing a game to find flaws, to find issues, not to find fun.
People in this thread are playing the game, to have fun. They are playing the game with their kids. They are buying the game for their kids, and watching them have fun.
Most of the reviews pick apart the story, some of the more simple gameplay mechanics, the graphics, the voice acting. However, they are not really looking at the game as "Is this fun?"
Also, the reviewers HAVE to play this game, it is their job. They may not be really interested or intrigued by it at all. Some of the users in this thread had an interest, gave it a shot, went in with little expectations based on the reviews, and found an enjoyable game.
That's how downloads work now for digital delivered games on PSN.
It grabs a small amount of files so you can load the game and usually play a bit of it while the rest downloads in the background.
I guess with Knack the initial download just lets you load the game to see how much longer it will take for the rest of the game to download... kind of defeats the purpose.
So what you're saying is that every review ever written by every game reviewer in the entire history of the medium is bullshit.
And see, this is the problem. The industry needs Knack not because Knack is simply awesome, but because it's a high profile launch title in a non-sports, non-shooter, non-Nintendo genre. And yet it falls under the weight of absurd criticism that never seems to fall on those mentioned above titles, disproportionately, and the flaws are heavily focused on which in turn discourages future development of this kind.
There is a reason the industry has slowly morphed into this narrow focused market with diminishing appeal to large demographics. The reaction to Knack is that reason.
If Spark or whatever from MS falls under the same fate, oy vey.
You haven't even played it.
It can be a non-shooter game that's actually great. The fact that we don't get a lot of these games doesn't make It good automatically.
I think you're misunderstanding where I'm coming from. I'm not debating that with you, you're right I have no idea.
My personal opinion of the game is it's great for what it is. I'm enjoying it, and I think the reviews were harsh.
However, I don't think it should have been priced at $60. A game like this should be scoped to a $20 price range. And by that I mean, make the game half as long (unless the mechanics and systems can support something fresh throughout the entire length of the game, which this game does not).
At $20, this would have been a brilliant product. At $60, it feels too expensive and too drawn out with the mechanics stretched thin at the end.
However, I don't think it should have been priced at $60. A game like this should be scoped to a $20 price range. And by that I mean, make the game half as long (unless the mechanics and systems can support something fresh throughout the entire length of the game, which this game does not).
At $20, this would have been a brilliant product. At $60, it feels too expensive and too drawn out with the mechanics stretched thin at the end.
3rdamention
Member
No, notice I said most of the reviews. I was talking specifically for Knack reviews, since this is a Knack thread. How many reviews actually said "This game will be a lot of fun for families to play together." or "Knack may have some shortcomings in the story and performance, but overall it is fun to play, and isn't that why we play games?"
My point was, the game never appeared to be reviewed as a game for adults, families and kids. I didn't really read any reviews that took that approach. (I am wanting to see if Zoo Tycoon Reviews get a similar approach). Some reviewed it the same way you would review a Hard Core FPS. Some of the complaints were simplistic gameplay, basic controls (only 3 buttons). But isn't this what you want for a game that is easy for kids to pick up and play?
Really? So the 36GB I downloaded from the store is just the main menu and the first 4 chapters? :|
Interceptor
Banned
Yep. People in here had a pretty high entry price to enjoy this game. Journos had not.
Bl4ckSunsh1n3
Member
You can throw me into the lot of: "Almost didn't buy this because of reviews but, I'm glad I did." I'm having fun playing it.
KungFucius
King Snowflake
I enjoyed the game. It was a bit frustrating at times but overall it was good enough to justify it's existence. The overall story and style were pretty good too for the cartoony G-rated thing it was going for. It's a good family friendly game and I think it deserves a shot at being a franchise, but I recommend playing it on easy if you get pissed off easily. The challenge is sometimes just cheap and I think this had the biggest impact on the scores. I wanted to smash the thing many times.
I also did not like the way they did the parts collection. I have no friends
, but that is not really the point, it demands a second playthrough to get most of the extras and it took me until the second to last level before I was lucky enough to get any power ups. I am not going to play a 10 hour game 3 times just to get all the special power-ups. I paid for the fucking thing and I want to be able to experience most of the game on a single playthrough and that includes the other modes only obtainable by collecting 10,15 or 20 fucking crystals. This is a missed opportunity as powering up throughout a game adds to immersion/engagement. I guess it all hinges on the highly scripted nature of the game so that is the thing that should be changed if they do make a sequel. I don't like seeing cut scenes every time there is a cliff to jump off. Make it part of the game FFS. The other thing I hated was how rare the stupid sun crystals are. If you use them on a boss or a difficult section and fuck up then you are either SOL or you can grab the tiny amount you can get at that scene die, and repeat the farming process. This is not fun.
If I were Cerny, I would look at what people are saying and learn from the critiques. The game certainly had the potential to be much better had the right choices been made.
I don't think it deserves the 54 on metacritic but it is nowhere near an 8. Maybe a 7. / OK . It is definately worth a playthrough when you are eager to enjoy your new PS4.
I also did not like the way they did the parts collection. I have no friends
, but that is not really the point, it demands a second playthrough to get most of the extras and it took me until the second to last level before I was lucky enough to get any power ups. I am not going to play a 10 hour game 3 times just to get all the special power-ups. I paid for the fucking thing and I want to be able to experience most of the game on a single playthrough and that includes the other modes only obtainable by collecting 10,15 or 20 fucking crystals. This is a missed opportunity as powering up throughout a game adds to immersion/engagement. I guess it all hinges on the highly scripted nature of the game so that is the thing that should be changed if they do make a sequel. I don't like seeing cut scenes every time there is a cliff to jump off. Make it part of the game FFS. The other thing I hated was how rare the stupid sun crystals are. If you use them on a boss or a difficult section and fuck up then you are either SOL or you can grab the tiny amount you can get at that scene die, and repeat the farming process. This is not fun.If I were Cerny, I would look at what people are saying and learn from the critiques. The game certainly had the potential to be much better had the right choices been made.
I don't think it deserves the 54 on metacritic but it is nowhere near an 8. Maybe a 7. / OK . It is definately worth a playthrough when you are eager to enjoy your new PS4.
I found it surprisingly engaging. There's a lot more story than your average game, far more than just the initial setup. Most of the twists so far (up to chapter 10-1) have been fairly obvious. And yet they've had decent execution with one notable exception that rang hollow for me.
Yes, it's obvious in many cases that the story serves to set up the game play, but that's always the case. It's just a little too transparent in places.
googleplex
Member
Or sometimes Review critics opinions are vastly different then the regular person the product was made for.
See: Man of Steel Rotten tomatoes review scores. CRITICS-56 User Reviews-76
Check the download list in your notification area. The download may come in multiple pieces, perhaps. You may have just the first small piece which lets you start the game, and the larger piece may be the remainder of the game.
Can you start the game yet? It may make more sense to you when you check download list.
Isn't this game the one that tells you "You can now play up to chapter x-x" or something, as your download progresses?
All four of the criticisms you list are completely subjective. There are plenty of games built specifically around repetition and/or limited scope for example. Many of which are then lauded for those characteristics.
Of what I've played so far, there's really nothing any worse about the story than for countless other games that I've played that get a complete pass on this.
I find the art aesthetic very pleasant overall. The more man-made/industrial segments are the blandest parts of the game but most of the outdoor/subterranean surroundings are really quite pleasing to my eye. Everything is clean yet harbors impressive surface detail upon closer inspection. There's a strong consistent theme in the visual design throughout: angular yet organic. Enemies are diverse with a nice array of animation flourishes to give them just enough character to be memorable. I have a hard time calling anything like this "bad art" when the care involved is so readily apparent.
But outside of the more subjective elements there are at least a few things I would think most gamers could appreciate about the game. There are almost no perceptible load times and the game keeps you moving, varying different methods of traversal with different combat scenarios. While we may disagree on the quality of the story, I think we can both at least agree that it never gets in the way of just playing the game. I think the item sharing/swapping mechanic is a great idea for this type of game (if only I had someone, ANYONE on my friends list who was playing the game as well). And of course the combat is pretty well executed, as you already acknowledged.
This isn't quite the game I was hoping for when Cerny originally introduced it and described the inspirations for it. But the game as actually designed comes across as carefully crafted regardless, is still fun to play, and lays a solid foundation for future efforts. I'm not seeing how that isn't exactly what the industry needs.
Really blowing my mind how much Sly Cooper music is in this game I wonder who the composer on Knack was or if they had to reuse music for time constraints.
Knack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2zeJLwltPM
Sly Cooper
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNgbQW1jsGA
Knack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2zeJLwltPM
Sly Cooper
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNgbQW1jsGA
xXBetter Off DadXx
Member
Glad I didn't listen to the general review consensus on this one so far. Got it in the mail today and just got done playing for about 3 hours(!) which I rarely, rarely EVER do. I actually wanted to keep going but pulled myself away to eat/be productive, haha.
Of course, this is not to say that everyone will love this game, as there are NO games that everyone will enjoy, but damn, I'm lovin' this old school beat em up/ platforming feeling this game is giving me.
Of course, this is not to say that everyone will love this game, as there are NO games that everyone will enjoy, but damn, I'm lovin' this old school beat em up/ platforming feeling this game is giving me.