From a guy who hasn’t touched Knack, I find the sequel appealing and quite fun. I did my research, and I found out that the first Knack wasn’t well-received by the top critics over at GameSpot and Eurogamer. They criticized Knack’s lack of depth in its gameplay department and how uninteresting the story was. Given that I’ve never played the first game, I might not have the complete idea of what the game was all about; but here’s the thing, I’m a sucker for platformers. So I know what makes a great platformer title.
Now, I am here to talk about my experience with Knack II. I got my hands on the demo at PlayStation Experience 2017 South East Asia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It might not have the same platformer wow-factor that Ratchet & Clank (2016) has; Knack II is unique in its own way. The game has this effect that makes me want to get the game when it’s out. Maybe it’s the game’s visual presentation? Probably how interesting the mechanics are? Or I think it’s both.
Even if my experience was short due to the booth’s set duration for those who tested out the game, Knack II’s puzzles and platforming mechanics were solid. The demo only gave specific gameplay aspects like its combat system, the ability to transform your character’s size, and the intense power you get after filling the meter by gathering crystals.
There are certain situations where you have to make use of the transforming abilities to avoid spiked-spinning rods and to walk on narrow edges. The combat was a little bit repetitive; but I think there are lots of abilities to unlock when you progress deeper into the game.
You also get to destroy crates to pickup gold crystals for your ultra ability. A huge crystal appears at certain areas in the game where it can give you a huge gauge boost that instantly makes Knack a killing machine. It’s kinda overpowered in a way, but that’s the point of enjoying the game. However, the small crystals you get don’t give that much boost in your meter – which balances the usage of Knack’s ultimate power.
Given that Knack II will launch next month, I have this gut feeling that it will do well. Knack II impressed me with its demo (than Far Cry 5), so I think it’s worth giving the Knack franchise a second chance.
