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Knack (video game)

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Knack
European cover art
Developer(s)SCE Japan Studio
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment Japan
Director(s)Mark Cerny
Producer(s)Yusuke Watanabe
Artist(s)Yoshiaki Yamaguchi
Writer(s)Mark Cerny
Composer(s)Wataru Hokoyama
Platform(s)PlayStation 4
Genre(s)Platform, beat 'em up
Mode(s)Single-player, co-op

Knack is a platform beat 'em up video game published by Sony Computer Entertainment and developed by Japan Studio in cooperation with game director Mark Cerny for the PlayStation 4 video game console, for which it is a launch title. It was officially announced by Cerny on February 20, 2013 during PlayStation Meeting 2013 in New York City. The game was released on November 15, 2013 in North America and November 29, 2013 in Europe, and it will be released in Japan on February 22, 2014.

Gameplay

During the game, Knack discovers that he has a skill (hence, knack) that allows him to incorporate ice, metal and other substances into his body, giving him new abilities from level to level. Game director Mark Cerny describes the gameplay as "a little bit like Crash Bandicoot and Katamari Damacy, with a touch of God of War".

Plot

War has been brought against mankind by a resurgent species known as Goblins, led by Gundahar. A human doctor, who studied ancient relics from a long lost civilization for many years, finally found a way to bind them together and give them consciousness. The result was Knack, a creature with mysterious powers. For example, he can incorporate more relics into his body as he finds them, which allows him to transform from a three-foot tall creature into a gigantic wrecking machine. The doctor believes that Knack will be an invaluable asset in the war against the Goblins, until it becomes clear that an even greater danger is posed by elements of the human community.[1]

Development

Knack's Quest

To promote the launch of the game, Sony Computer Entertainment and Japan Studio released a free mobile game called Knack's Quest on November 6, 2013. The game is a tile-matching puzzle video game for iOS and Android devices. The game allows connectivity with players' PlayStation Network accounts to unlock special relics within the main game.

Reception

Knack has received mixed critical reception, with aggregate review websites GameRankings and Metacritic assigning scores of 58.21% and 56/100, respectively.[2][3]

Steve Butts of IGN gave the game a 5.9 praising the concept and the hero but criticizing the gameplay and the story by saying "Knack's shifting size is a great idea that never really grows into anything substantial".[10] Tom McShea of GameSpot gave the game a poor rating of 4.0 praising some elements of the game, but criticizing again the story and the gameplay.[8] Eurogamer gave Knack 4/10, criticising the lack of depth in gameplay and the checkpoint balancing.[5]

On the other hand, Game Informer's Matt Helgeson gave the game an 8.25/10, stating that it's "not the most innovative or the most visually dazzling game. This won't be the one you put in to show off your new console to your friends. However, when you're done with the prettied-up versions of the big franchises, you'll find yourself wanting to return to Knack. It's got charm and heart, and offers a whole lot of good gameplay. Ultimately, that's still what's important - no matter which generation we're in."[6] The Financial Post's Chad Sapieha tells that "even with its not-quite-fully-delivered-upon promise – [Knack] may still be worth picking up." and gave it a 7.5/10.[11]

Destructoid's Dale North gave it a 7/10 and calls it "A fun romp, and definitely worth a play. It's easy to pick up, a joy to look at, and and some of the boss battles are pretty great. My recommendation is that you take it in smaller doses, or try out the drop-in/drop-out cooperative play, which will definitely help when the going gets tough."[4] VentureBeat's McKinley Noble also gave Knack a 70 out of 100, calling it "a solid adventure with some surprising care put into a lot of elements that most games take for granted," but lamenting the game's limited combat, linear gameplay, and shallow technical polish.[12]

Sony Computer Entertainment of America responded to the mixed reviews by stating that it was intentionally designed to be simple and accessible, and to show that the PlayStation 4 isn't all about shooters.[13]

References

  1. ^ http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2013/02/21/knack-a-brand-new-platformer-for-playstation-4/
  2. ^ a b "Knack for PlayStation 4". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Knack for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  4. ^ a b North, Dale (November 13, 2013). "Review: Knack". Destructoid. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  5. ^ a b Bramwell, Tom (November 13, 2013). "Knack review". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  6. ^ a b Helgeson, Matt (November 13, 2013). "Bringing Old-School Platforming To Next-Gen". Game Informer. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  7. ^ Cooper, Hollander (November 13, 2013). "Knack review". GamesRadar. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  8. ^ a b McShea, Tom (November 13, 2013). "Knack Review". GameSpot. CBC Interactive. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  9. ^ "Knack Review". GameTrailers. November 13, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  10. ^ a b Butts, Steve (November 13, 2013). "Knack Review". IGN. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  11. ^ Sapieha, Chad (November 13, 2013). "PS4's Family-friendly Knack is a good start with room to grow". Financial Post. Postmedia Network. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  12. ^ Noble, McKinley (November 13, 2013). "PS4 platformer Knack is a fun adventure that fails to think big (review)". VentureBeat. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  13. ^ "Sony On Knack's Mixed Reviews". IGN. IGN Entertainment. November 14, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
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