Knack (PS4): A review, of sorts
Don’t play Knack.
If you’re uncomfortable imagining Gizmo the Mogwai being voiced by Sylvester Stallone, even after he’s donned the bandana and hand-crafted an impossible-to-duplicate bow and arrow out of paperclips and rubber bands, don’t play Knack.
If you believe enemy AI should fundamentally be as dense as a doorknob and have no chance to telegraph your options or be capable of exacting the necessary teamwork to simultaneously attack both where you’ve been and where you’re going, don’t play Knack.
If you prefer collectibles to carry-over into new play-throughs on harder difficulty settings, or for an internal checklist capable of keeping track of said collectables without actually affecting your gamestate, rather than slogging for hours on end and more than two—or more—plays on a single difficulty, don’t play Knack.
If you believe a true platformer doesn’t simply imply hopping between walls or running across platforms that may retract, push you off, or simply kill you if you linger for more than a moment, don’t play Knack.
If an endless trove of crystals useless after the first ten to fifteen yet which proves somehow incapable of amassing to less than three or four dozen you must accept or reset to avoid doesn’t entice you, don’t play Knack.
If, more than anything, you desire a game with a thought-provoking, emotionally charged narrative that avoids repetitive excuses to unceremoniously depower your character after several chapters of building his strength, don’t play Knack.
If, however, you have a toddler fascinated with building blocks and arranging them in various shapes and sizes who also may find the prospect of such aforementioned blocks coming together to rampage across a landscape filled with a variety of creatures that can decimate you in one or two hits, often sending you back through three or four minutes of progress until you find the right combination of tactic and button mashing to overcome them, and you have a sick inclination to conquer a series of frustratingly hidden and obscure collectables across multiple plays peppered with the occasional hilarity of what appears to be a Ron Perlman voiced LEGO Muppet, you should play Knack.
I did, and despite its many flaws, I rather enjoyed it.
Knack is available now on Amazon. Or, you can do what I did and wait for a PSN Flash Sale and pick it up for $5 or less. I'd recommend doing that.
If you’re uncomfortable imagining Gizmo the Mogwai being voiced by Sylvester Stallone, even after he’s donned the bandana and hand-crafted an impossible-to-duplicate bow and arrow out of paperclips and rubber bands, don’t play Knack.
If you believe enemy AI should fundamentally be as dense as a doorknob and have no chance to telegraph your options or be capable of exacting the necessary teamwork to simultaneously attack both where you’ve been and where you’re going, don’t play Knack.
If you prefer collectibles to carry-over into new play-throughs on harder difficulty settings, or for an internal checklist capable of keeping track of said collectables without actually affecting your gamestate, rather than slogging for hours on end and more than two—or more—plays on a single difficulty, don’t play Knack.
If you believe a true platformer doesn’t simply imply hopping between walls or running across platforms that may retract, push you off, or simply kill you if you linger for more than a moment, don’t play Knack.
If an endless trove of crystals useless after the first ten to fifteen yet which proves somehow incapable of amassing to less than three or four dozen you must accept or reset to avoid doesn’t entice you, don’t play Knack.
If, more than anything, you desire a game with a thought-provoking, emotionally charged narrative that avoids repetitive excuses to unceremoniously depower your character after several chapters of building his strength, don’t play Knack.
If, however, you have a toddler fascinated with building blocks and arranging them in various shapes and sizes who also may find the prospect of such aforementioned blocks coming together to rampage across a landscape filled with a variety of creatures that can decimate you in one or two hits, often sending you back through three or four minutes of progress until you find the right combination of tactic and button mashing to overcome them, and you have a sick inclination to conquer a series of frustratingly hidden and obscure collectables across multiple plays peppered with the occasional hilarity of what appears to be a Ron Perlman voiced LEGO Muppet, you should play Knack.
I did, and despite its many flaws, I rather enjoyed it.
Knack is available now on Amazon. Or, you can do what I did and wait for a PSN Flash Sale and pick it up for $5 or less. I'd recommend doing that.
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