Zero Punctuation: Knack

[Quiotu]

Thank you for giving me more justification for not bothering to buy a PS4.

Now, just verbally ruin some Xbox One titles and I'll be satisfied with not getting that system either.

You need justification from semi-famous internet celebrities to not buy consoles you don't like? Sounds kinda sad.

This game just let me know that while Mark Cerny is a lovely indivdual and has a lot of good ideas, he shouldn't be in charge of making an entire game. Apparently he just doesn't have ENOUGH good ideas to make it work. The other issue is he was trying to make old school platforming work with absolutely no innovation other than pretty pretty particles. Size changing would've worked if the gameplay changed at least a little, but it doesn't.

And it's not like tech demos can't be really fun. Hell, ResoGun is just a giant tech demo, but it's done by the Super Stardust HD folks, and is apparently addictive and fucking awesome. It's also basically FREE... which doesn't hurt.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

What is it with critics and the word "ludonarrative dissonance" lately? I don't think it means what they think it means.

 

[Auron225]

Nutella is pronounced with a long u, like NEW-tella.

To-may-to, tom-mah-to

Also I'd think Nuh-tella would make more sense. As in Nut-ella. Cause y'know... there are nuts in it.

OT: When I saw this thing being advertised at the PS4 info thingy a while back, I ahd to laugh at that guy speaking who seemed so damn excited about it (likely only cause he helped make it). I knew this wasn't going to be big. Nothing about it looks jaw-dropping or even mildly impressive in the least. Stupid-fun gameplay wsa the only aspect it could possibly have succeeded in but it even failed at that it seems.

 

[VikingKing]

Thank you for giving me more justification for not bothering to buy a PS4.

Now, just verbally ruin some Xbox One titles and I'll be satisfied with not getting that system either.

You need justification from semi-famous internet celebrities to not buy consoles you don't like? Sounds kinda sad.

This game just let me know that while Mark Cerny is a lovely indivdual and has a lot of good ideas, he shouldn't be in charge of making an entire game. Apparently he just doesn't have ENOUGH good ideas to make it work. The other issue is he was trying to make old school platforming work with absolutely no innovation other than pretty pretty particles. Size changing would've worked if the gameplay changed at least a little, but it doesn't.

And it's not like tech demos can't be really fun. Hell, ResoGun is just a giant tech demo, but it's done by the Super Stardust HD folks, and is apparently addictive and fucking awesome. It's also basically FREE... which doesn't hurt.

You took that more seriously then I'd intended. >.<

 

[Antsh]

I miss Crash Bandicoot :-(

 

[Flatfrog]

Nutella is pronounced with a long u, like NEW-tella.

No. No it's not. It's got nuts in it. It's pronounced like nut.

Maybe in some *other* language it might be pronounced differently.

 

[Flatfrog]

I miss Crash Bandicoot :-(

You can still play it, you know. I spent a very happy day playing Crash Bandicoot 2 on a PS1 emulator the other day and was pleased to discover I could still remember every level in detail. Truly one of the great games *sniff*

 

[MiskWisk]

Glad Yahtzee went on about Crash Bandicoot being a good game. Might have gone fanboy rage.

Still, that leaves me with less to comment on so... Nice ending rhymes?

 

[Darth_Payn]

I miss Crash Bandicoot :-(

You're not alone man. You're not alone.
But it's not gritty and realistic enough for todays market.

Join the club. I still don't understand the mess about who OWNS Crash Bandicoot now. Does Naughty Dog think they're too "mature" for it now?

Anyway, hilarious video, Yahtzee! I loved the "Dance of the 7 Smallpox Blankets", the Barry White voice bit, and the "ack" sound rhymes at the end there. I'd like to see you something like that in your next Rhymedown video.

 

[Vie]

Yahtzee was exceedingly negative about Knack in this video.

First review of the new year and already we may have a contender for the Bottom 5 list

From the descriptions I've heard of it, I don't think it has enough personality to qualify.

 

[Harmor]

Well first of all, the revie... burial was quite good, one of my fave ZP's of the past few months. And then I fully agree that these new consoles are out too early as development teams can't seem to make good games in time for the console's releases. Then again, as a member of the PC gaming master race it's not like I care a whole lot, but I'm pretty sure at least some ppl who own a Ps4 or XBone are less than thrilled about the current games for their console.

 

[lacktheknack]

I've never been more ashamed of my forum nickname. D:

Oh well... at long last, my forum username is justified.

 

[BX3]

*Additional comment expressing joy over Yahtzee validating a purchasing choice (or lack thereof) I honestly would've made regardless.*
---------------------------------------

Ah, I remember really loving Crash Bandicoot as a kid. Unfortunately, it's one of those games that I lost interest in due to inevitable the passage of time.

 

[Trippeh]

Nutella is pronounced with a long u, like NEW-tella.

No. No it's not. It's got nuts in it. It's pronounced like nut.

Maybe in some *other* language it might be pronounced differently.

for the record, nutella is ITALIAN, and the "nu" sound comes from NOUGAT, not from "nut". olas is correct.

 

[Flatfrog]

Nutella is pronounced with a long u, like NEW-tella.

No. No it's not. It's got nuts in it. It's pronounced like nut.

Maybe in some *other* language it might be pronounced differently.

for the record, nutella is ITALIAN, and the "nu" sound comes from NOUGAT, not from "nut".

I know that. But the makers are presumably not unaware of the happy coincidence in English. If they really want us to pronounce it a different way, they must know they're on to a lost cause.

 

[Dominic Crossman]

Knack (like Killzone: Shadowfall) feels like a rushed tech demo that wants to look nice and show off its tech, but it falls short of being a good game.

Hopefully Infamous Second Son isn't like this and its actually a fun game.

this gens killzone is the first one ive not hated, but I agree that infamous second son looks good and I want it to be fun.
I was going to complain he chose the obviously shit exclusive but then I reliased that he didnt have much choice barring a couple of indie titles.

 

[Aardvaarkman]

First review of the new year and already we may have a contender for the Bottom 5 list

Seeing as it was a 2013 release, I don't think so.

Anyway, Knack is terrible, but it's terrible is an exceedingly bland way. It's not terrible in a Ride to Hell: Retribution or Aliens: Colonial Marines way. It's just one big swing and a miss - kind of like Knack's combat system... (zing).

 

[Crimsonmonkeywar]

Man, Christmas break did his righting good, I haven't enjoyed a ZP this much in awhile. Writing, images, rhythm all nice and polished.

 

[Evonisia]

Yahtzee was exceedingly negative about Knack in this video.

First review of the new year and already we may have a contender for the Bottom 5 list

It's a 2013 release so it's not a contender for 2014's Top 5 list.

 

[Roxas1359]

Join the club. I still don't understand the mess about who OWNS Crash Bandicoot now. Does Naughty Dog think they're too "mature" for it now?

Um...why are you blaming Naughty Dog? While they created Crash, they've never owned the rights to it. It's always been owned by Universal Interactive Studios, which later turned into Vivendi and then merged with Activision. Just because a developer makes a game, it doesn't mean they own the rights to it unless they themselves publish the game. Otherwise all the rights to the IP (characters, music, etc) belong to the company that published the game. That's why Microsoft still has Halo and Bungie didn't take it with them, Bungie didn't own the rights to the game. Naughty Dog had no choice but to leave Crash because they never owned the rights and went with Sony to make Jak and Daxter. Plus, after Crash Team Racing, the Naughty Dog team that all worked on the Crash games said they had no more ideas and didn't want to milk the franchise to death, they basically wanted to work on something else and then they made a gem with Jak and Daxter.

Hopefully Infamous Second Son isn't like this and its actually a fun game.

Sucker Punch are pretty good at making games I say, so I say there is hope for it. Infamous 1 and 2 were great, and they already aren't making a mistake of bringing back the main character from 1 and 2 since he's officially dead according and isn't coming back, which is something Yahtzee said he'd be pissed if they did given how the good ending of Infamous 2 was.

OT: Sadly I was intrigued by Knack, but oh well not all are the shining gems I guess. Maybe we'll see more platformers from first party Sony Devs soon. *cough*Ape Escape 4*cough*