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GAME: Knack




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ChibiGoku



Joined: 29 May 2004
Posts: 675
PostPosted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 11:39 am Reply with quote
Yet, another review that seems to dislike Knack.

Is it wrong that I think the simplistic nature and hard difficulty for me was fine? The game did exactly what it was meant to be, be a simplistic brawler and platformer, with a difficulty that doesn't hold the players hand.

I've played a good chunk of the game to get an honest opinion and I just don't understand the hate, even after reading the reviews. It almost seems as if a game being simplistic in nature is a bad thing. It seems this review (and amongst others) criticize this game when it would have been acceptable, say 10 years ago. Why the change now?

Sorry, just it frustrates me when I see reviews generally hating on this game and even after reading them, I can't understand how some of these things are a negative. Everyone but the reviewers seem to generally like this game, and apparently ANN is no exception here.

One note of criticism I will give this game is I do wish there was a little bit more variety in music. I felt the music in the game was good (the music, composed by Wataru Hokoyama), just felt there could've been more variety amongst the stages.
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zeopower6



Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 191
PostPosted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 2:33 pm Reply with quote
Disappointed in the review. The background of the game is pretty important considering that the game was born because some higher ups at Sony wanted Cerny to start on a game project on the side even though he was reluctant to from the start. People who actually play the game and get what it's about seem to like it though. :3

For what it is, it seems like a great game and the only one I really want to play in the PS4 lineup.

I don't know if it's just me but the ANN game reviews are pretty much all negative in some way except for one or two. :/
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GhostOfSide3



Joined: 14 Jan 2013
Posts: 75
Location: Memphis, TN
PostPosted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 3:20 pm Reply with quote
Game looks rent-worthy. That is, if we lived in an age where people still rented games.
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daveriley



Joined: 12 Aug 2003
Posts: 117
Location: Philadelphia
PostPosted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:15 pm Reply with quote
zeopower6 wrote:
Disappointed in the review. The background of the game is pretty important considering that the game was born because some higher ups at Sony wanted Cerny to start on a game project on the side even though he was reluctant to from the start. People who actually play the game and get what it's about seem to like it though. :3

For what it is, it seems like a great game and the only one I really want to play in the PS4 lineup.

I don't know if it's just me but the ANN game reviews are pretty much all negative in some way except for one or two. :/
That a mediocre game had a troubled background doesn't make it any less mediocre. It seems like a strange complaint, to say "people who actually play the game seem to like it" and then, immediately after, admit you haven't actually played it. I'd also point out the other two reviews I've written for ANN this month -- Resogun and Zelda -- were overwhelmingly positive, to say nothing of the very positive Phoenix Wright and Mario reviews by Todd and Heidi.
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Xristophoros



Joined: 01 Sep 2013
Posts: 149
PostPosted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 6:28 pm Reply with quote
It's unfortunate Knack turned out the way it did. It looked bland and uninspired from the moment I saw it at the E3 reveal. However, considering Studio Japan was involved, I gave it the benefit of the doubt. They have a pretty damn good track record (LocoRoco, Patapon, Echochrome, Gravity Rush and the recent Puppeteer among others). But it looks like Knack completely missed the mark. I'm not even sure who its target demographic is. It looks too difficult for children, yet most adults would find it too simplistic and pedestrian to even give it a look. If anything, Knack will make for a good "free" PS+ title one day. Great review, Dave.
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brucepuppy





PostPosted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 9:05 pm Reply with quote
ChibiGoku wrote:


Sorry, just it frustrates me when I see reviews generally hating on this game and even after reading them, I can't understand how some of these things are a negative. Everyone but the reviewers seem to generally like this game, and apparently ANN is no exception here.



Almost all games I love were hated by reviewers Wink and in fact, I've only played (and like) a very small number of AAA title, yet I'm still standing and playing proudly till today.

So, nothing to be frustrated 'kay
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ikillchicken



Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Posts: 7272
Location: Vancouver
PostPosted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 11:42 pm Reply with quote
I'm a little unclear. What didn't you like about the art style and/or what dragged the graphics score down to a B-? I haven't played Knack yet so maybe I'll feel differently when I do but from all the trailers and videos I've seen this looks magnificent visually.

daveriley wrote:
I'd also point out the other two reviews I've written for ANN this month -- Resogun and Zelda -- were overwhelmingly positive, to say nothing of the very positive Phoenix Wright and Mario reviews by Todd and Heidi.


Also, I for one like that ANN's critics are actually willing to be critical when necessary.
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zeopower6



Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 191
PostPosted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 2:59 am Reply with quote
Most of the reviews I saw that were not Nintendo-properties basically said.... "this game is -insert somewhat positive critique- BUT -insert very negative critique-", essentially. :/
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ikillchicken



Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Posts: 7272
Location: Vancouver
PostPosted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 3:20 am Reply with quote
zeopower6 wrote:
Most of the reviews I saw that were not Nintendo-properties basically said.... "this game is -insert somewhat positive critique- BUT -insert very negative critique-", essentially. :/


Resogun which Todd just mentioned isn't a Nintendo product. It's a PS4 game just like Knack. Happy now? Or will you continue to refine your position to suit your conclusion?

Why don't you just cut the act and be honest with yourself. You were looking forward to this game a lot. You're disappointed that its getting frequently panned. And that's fine. I'm in the exact same boat. I thought this looked great. I was hoping it would be something really worth playing. And hell, maybe you or I will find it still is. But let's stop with these desperate attempts to undermine the reviewers who say otherwise. That's just silly.
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Echo_City



Joined: 03 Apr 2011
Posts: 1236
PostPosted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 4:25 am Reply with quote
Could we get some high-res screenshots? These thumbnails aren't showcasing what the console-now supposedly able to finally break the 1920*1080 barrier-can do. Though I wonder if this even hits true 1080, since we now know that Battlefield 4 does not (though DICE claims there is untapped potential in the PS4).
Johan Andersson-DICE Engine Architect wrote:
We're not running at the full native 1080p; we’re running a little bit lower resolution than that.


...that said, these screenshots showcase console graphics that fail to impress. If this is showcasing what the console can do then it can safely be said that stressing even my dated PC hardware is something that it can't do. They also don't assure me that the PS4 will not be "the weakest link" in this gaming generation, as DICE claims that the PS3 was.
Johan Andersson-DICE Engine Architect wrote:
...the PS3 was the bottleneck back in the day.

(Source).
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Charred Knight



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 3085
PostPosted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 4:56 am Reply with quote
I dont think I have ever played a game and said "This game has bland gameplay and terrible writing but it would be so much better with true 1080p"

The problem with gaming right now is that people pay more importance to graphics so you end up with games that cost 100 million dollars for the game alone and then another 100 million dollars to promote it and have average gameplay thats been tried and tested in 50 games before it and insane plots that make no sense. See the recent Call of Duty games that have been absolutely nonsensical since Modern Warfare 2.

The result is that 4 guys with a budget of 500,000 dollars can make a game that blows Triple A games out of the water since they dont have to worry about stressing some guys rig that has a 500 dollar graphic card.
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daveriley



Joined: 12 Aug 2003
Posts: 117
Location: Philadelphia
PostPosted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 8:15 am Reply with quote
ikillchicken wrote:
I'm a little unclear. What didn't you like about the art style and/or what dragged the graphics score down to a B-? I haven't played Knack yet so maybe I'll feel differently when I do but from all the trailers and videos I've seen this looks magnificent visually.
I felt like B- was a good middle ground between "technologically fantastic" and "completely devoid of style." Truthfully, my initial instinct was to go even lower. It's definitely really pretty and proficient, but I nigh-on hated every character design in the game. The only character I had any affinity for was small Knack, and big Knack quickly obliterated that minor goodwill.

Echo_City wrote:
Could we get some high-res screenshots? These thumbnails aren't showcasing what the console-now supposedly able to finally break the 1920*1080 barrier-can do.
The old ANN design would break with large screenshots on small screens (like phones), so I try to err on the side of caution. There's a whole wealth of screenshots out there on google, though!

I'm pretty sure this game runs at 1080p, but I also do not care enough to apply that granular an inspection to a game's graphics.
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belvadeer





PostPosted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 4:06 pm Reply with quote
I think the potential for a sequel to improve things is there, given what happened in the story. And I'm surprised reviewers seem to always label it a "children's story" when there is clearly more detail to this whole human/goblin conflict and Knack's origin than what was presented; I don't think children would think about that sort of thing or try to look past the surface information, unless they happen to be one of those genius kids who actually analyzes everything they observe and read. I think the story would be more interesting to adults who grew up with similar stories as kids and later in life think back on them with, "Was there something more to the story than what they told me in the book?"

Personally, it's nice to see a launch title that isn't some generic M-rated trash.
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seiichi-san



Joined: 20 Apr 2011
Posts: 7
PostPosted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 12:46 pm Reply with quote
I actually have to disagree with this review. Out of all the games that came out with the release. This is the game I personally had the most fun with. I loved the game play. I loved the graphics. I even thought it was a great story. It was nice to have a game that wasn't mature in rating and it was easy to figure out to play. I will be buying Knack 2 when comes out because I would love to see how the story continues.
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