Knack Review

Knack was always going to be the odd man out in the PlayStation 4's launch lineup. Between the mega-budget action games on disc and the charming, challenging indies on the PlayStation Network, Mark Cerny and Sony's character platformer never found purchase with a massive audience - and it wasn't exactly hard to see why. The character design and artwork were downright unappealing, down to the hilariously deep voice that projected from the cartoonish protagonist, and the gameplay never looked particuarly deep or engaging. By the time the PS4 launched last night, I was practically predisposed to dislike it.

Absorbing elements into Knack doesn't add much depth to gameplay

But then something weird happened. In exploring the PS4's launch lineup a little deeper, one of the only games I geniunely wanted to revisit was - you guessed it - Knack. That's not to say that the game's great, because it's really not. But it does have a certain simplistic charm to its gameplay that balances nicely against the surprisingly stiff difficulty, and lends itself well to a lazy weekend of gaming. 

Knack kicks off with the creation of its titular character, a sentient mass of energy-providing runes, in a scientist's laboratory. During a lab demonstration, the game's three-button mechanics are introduced. What makes Knack special is his ability to shrink and grow by expelling or absorbing relics into his body. The bigger Knack gets, the stronger he becomes and the more easily he can dispatch his foes. Keeping Knack tiny has its benefits too, though, as he can shed relics to sneak past laser grids and power electronics using his shed body parts. It's a clever mechanic that, unlike Knack himself, never grows into anything truly substantial. It does lead to a few satisfying moments when you grow huge and stomp your way through enemies that once proved a challenge, though.

As I mentioned earlier, the challenge of Knack is surprisingly stiff. The game is just rife with one-hit deaths, especially when you're tiny, and ranged enemies absolutely litter the game - especially annoying given that Knack himself has no way of attacking at range without draining his scarce supply of Sunstone. It can definitely get frustrating. Other times, when the odds are a little more fairly stacked, it can be satisfying to overcome the challenge. 

Fighting tanks as big Knack is fun but basic

Sadly, Knack's gameplay never evolves beyond a simple three-button jump/hit/special formula, and its story isn't enough to flesh out the experience. The twists are telegraphed from a mile away, and there's something weirdly sterile about the way the characters speak and move. The worst of all is Knack himself, whose baritone voice is hilariously out of place coming from his cartoony mouth. 

Knack is a pleasant surprise for those who expected the worst, and an ultimately amusing enough weekend of gaming. But its story is paper thin, and the game is surprisingly long, stretching the simple gameplay too close to its breaking point. The mechanics alone aren't quite enough to carry it, but Knack's challenge and simplicity holds its own sort of charm. 

Score: 6/10


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