Day 323, Game 323 - Knack

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Once again, leave it to me to go against the overall consensus and do things my way, the way I want to, for myself and no one else. You've read about it a lot over the course of this year, without question, so it should come to no surprise that I am at it again. 

Before the launch of the PS4, reviewers rolled out their reviews of all the launch games before hand, in different intervals, according to the review embargoes they were held to. All the reviews did in fact come out before the launch of the system, which was reassuring to consumers who were chomping at the bit to get their hands on some next-gen games. Sure, everyone probably had some sort of idea of what games they wanted Day 1, or at least were interested in, but with a lot of uncertainty of launch titles, many gamers that I know personally were waiting to see reviews for the titles they had their eyes on in hopes of making firm decisions on what games to buy. 

Trust me, I understand the logic. I read every review I can get my hands on for games I want, am interested in or even remotely curious about. I'm just a sponge and want all the information possible. Rarely does a review sway me from a decision I've already made, but I'm always curious to see what other people thing of games.

Largely reviews are filled with nitpicking and overly critical opinions, and usually have less about all the good things the game does and more about the negatives. They usually bum me out, which is why I always try to find the best in games when I am playing them, which I have tried to convey on this blog. Like I said, I reviews for the thoughts and discussions they evoke, I just rarely let them guide my purchasing decisions. 

I knew I wanted Knack from the first time I saw it. An action-platformer that revolved around combat, unique animation style and an overall whimsical charm to the whole package. Sony also decided from the get-go that they were going to lean on Knack as not only a launch game, but as a mascot for the brand to carry the Sony flag into the next console generation. The notion of of this game being a flagship for the PS4 right off the bat fell flat for the most part, but that didn't keep Sony from pushing the character into the forefront of it's marketing campaign. 

For me, however, they didn't need to do a thing. Like I said, I knew this was a game I wanted from the start. The more I saw from it, and even when I got to demo it, there was no question in my mind I wanted the game. It was actually at the top of my must-buy list for the launch. But then, the reviews came out, a couple of days before launch. One after another, reviewers kept labeling Knack as okay, decent and not bad. No one really seemed to like it a lot, however, which disheartened me. But did it change my mind from buying it on day one? 

What do you think.

I've heard everyone share their opinions on why they wouldn't be buying this game. Some say it looked like a kids game. Others said it just looked boring or uninteresting. A few people said it didn't look like it belonged on the PS4 at all, noting the graphics being sub-par for what they expected. And a select few even questioned why they should buy the game now when they could just get it for free from PS Plus in a couple of months (hypothetically, of course). 

Well, for all those gamers out there who decided to pass on Knack, let me just say this: You are all missing out, greatly. 

This game is ridiculously fun. I have spent far more with Knack then I have any other title on the PS4 this far. I just can't stop playing. There isn't any puzzle solving, but the game is still a lot harder than you could even imagine. It looks like a cute little kids game, but the difficulty is crazy at points, even on a medium-difficulty setting. Playing through, I can't help but think that this game is deserving of at least a second play through, for sure. 

And remember that iOS game I played a little while ago, the companion app for Knack called Knack's Quest? It works flawlessly, and it is such a pleasure to instantly import all the unlocked treasures from the iOS game directly in Knack. It's a great addition to my experience with Knack, and I couldn't be happier with both. 

Overall, this game is shaping up to be my favorite PS4 game of the launch line-up for sure. Granted, I haven't wrote about a few other notably impressive games yet, but as it stands now, Knack has stolen my heart. Just like I knew it would from the beginning. 

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