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In defence of KNACK, the review-proof game
- Thread starter Bundy
- Start date
My point was that the whole premise of the first half of your comment was "I can enjoy this because it has things I like, despite what others say," which is a totally dead-on and important thing to have said. The problem was the second half of the comment was your criticizing others for enjoying things you don't like.
yeah, that's the reason, not sure why it didn't happen 25 or 20 years ago or 15 years ago or 10 years ago or 5 years ago with all the other Mario spinoff rehashes on all the other Nintendo systems but that very well definitely might possibly be the reason for today's kids, maybe
In a million years a mutant combing the wasteland with his mate will find a copy of Knack and mentioned how it out sold Mario in the UK.
MisterHero
Super Member
*Mario sells 20+ million last gen*
SALES ARE NOT INDICATIVE OF QUALITY
*Knack outsells 3D World in the short term*
KNACK IS UNVINCIBLE
SALES ARE NOT INDICATIVE OF QUALITY
*Knack outsells 3D World in the short term*
KNACK IS UNVINCIBLE
Come on you know you are only as successful as your last game/project is, especially in this industry.
Zomba13
Member
I played it through last week after borrowing it off my cousin.
I kinda hated the game part of it but the rest was ok. Like, if it was a CGI movie or something it'd be an alright thing for kids to watch. Knack himself was kinda cool and interesting and the world was cool. Everything powered by these ancient relics from a long forgotten civilisation.
The game, on normal, seemed all over the place in terms of difficulty from odd placed checkpoints occasionally to the amount of damage enemies do per hit and how few gems/parts you find. I managed to finish a few devices after playing a bunch of the android app bejewelled clone and only towards the last few chapters (from 7 onwards I had something).
I kinda hated the game part of it but the rest was ok. Like, if it was a CGI movie or something it'd be an alright thing for kids to watch. Knack himself was kinda cool and interesting and the world was cool. Everything powered by these ancient relics from a long forgotten civilisation.
The game, on normal, seemed all over the place in terms of difficulty from odd placed checkpoints occasionally to the amount of damage enemies do per hit and how few gems/parts you find. I managed to finish a few devices after playing a bunch of the android app bejewelled clone and only towards the last few chapters (from 7 onwards I had something).
Kssio_Aug
Member
But thats what I said at the earlier post. Opinion and critic are 2 different things. I can regonise that certain game is good even when it doesnt appeal to me! When I criticise something I mean to point the good and the bad aspects of it, and with that I can regonize that some games for sure have quality even when I don't like them, and also the contrary. I will not be pointing more examples here (like I did with the shooters) to not change the course of the topic (but just to make it clear... I like Battlefield 4).
But what I mean is that Knack is a solid game, and solid games should not be reviewed the same as mediocre games (that are certainly broken or unbalanced in many areas). However some of those mediocre games could appeal to me, and I could certainly have fun with them, but I also could recognise that they have serious problems. Its like getting a very well done dish and review it as a mediocre dish because its made of fish, and you dont like fish!
Knack is a fun game. It's not a 10/10 or anything but it got review scores that should be reserved for broken piles of crap and it is not that.
I think the reason reviewers gave it bad reviews is a combination of
-They all hated being forced to go to Sony's review event
-They had a strict deadline and had to power through it in one sitting
-They all played it offline so didn't get to experience the social features
So it was a combination of reviewers being cranky and taking it out on the game and Sony giving it terrible review conditions.
I really enjoyed it. If you have a PS4 and like platformers you should play it.
I think the reason reviewers gave it bad reviews is a combination of
-They all hated being forced to go to Sony's review event
-They had a strict deadline and had to power through it in one sitting
-They all played it offline so didn't get to experience the social features
So it was a combination of reviewers being cranky and taking it out on the game and Sony giving it terrible review conditions.
I really enjoyed it. If you have a PS4 and like platformers you should play it.
I got mine from Amazon for $49
Other people who describe "mediocre" games as "good" games, and "good" games as "mediocre" are doing it because that's how they feel about them. You know how you disagree with them? They disagree with you. That's why your initial point that you don't need to agree with anyone to enjoy a game is great. When you go on to say how wrong they are, you just missed your own point.
Didn't it average like 5/10ish?
Sounds spot on. You can disagree, but don't make blanket statements about review conditions.
I had perfect play conditions, I'd give this game a bad score
Hellsing321
Member
So this is just another form of the "It's not for you!" argument
MrAlwaysRight
Member
I've got 2 kids, a 4 year old and a 9 year old, they both love Mario, but I think they maybe a little bit Mario'd out, they got SM3DW on release, and my son got a PS4 with Knack for Christmas, and they have already dropped a lot more time on Knack, I think it's partly because the Co-Op is less competitive on Knack, the 4 year old gets frustrated on Mario it's a race, they both want the crown, they both want the flag, Knack has none of that, but it still has charm for kids.
I think it's a job well done.
I think it's a job well done.
Pyramid head
Banned
Orrrrrr... they just hated the game maybe?
I didn't have to do any of that stuff; I just played the game and hated it because I thought it was a sterile, boring game. Perhaps the most boring game I've ever played (outside of accidently meddling with a football manager sim on the Spectrum one time).
It has nice rock textures and IQ though. I'd give it 3/10 for those alone.
I think the point was that the reviews for Knack were just about all the same type of negative points but from different review sources.
Although, even in this thread there are mixed reviews, some really like it, while others hate it. Where are the critics that liked it? Are there any?
I'm sure there are some.
Kssio_Aug
Member
They arent JUST opinions. If they are, they are not CRITCS! Those "critics" receive money not to just play a game and say "I like it! 10/10". Or "I hate it. 4/5". They have to point it and say every aspect that have to be analysed pointing to us WHAT they liked and what they didnt, and why! And they should have plausible arguments for it!
Its like a judge that is judging the merit of something. It need to have plausible arguments.
Soooo opinions?
Kssio_Aug
Member
No. Opinions also.. but with a plausible argumentation.
I think you make fair points about reviews being worthless.
No- I'm just saying that I played the game under optimal conditions- launch day, no time rush, etc- and I still disliked it.
Thats your argument?
Reviews are opinions. What you described is the spectrum of good/bad reviews, but theyre all still opinions.
Kssio_Aug
Member
Well, I dont think you want to understand it. But I edited both posts, and will say it again with another words. When you think in a judge you think that he have to judge your cause by his opinion only? Or he should judge it fundamentating every aspect of it? If you think its just about opinion, youre wrong (and thats not a opinion).
I don't equate reviewers with judges.
DC1
Member
I also played it under optimal conditions, and I really enjoyed it. You'll never be able to explain what this "opinion" thing is to people that can't imagine anything outside of their own personal mindset. Something can be both good and bad -- curry, for example. I love curry, but some people hate it ... And, I'm ok with that, just like I'm ok with people disliking games I had fun with.
Critics don't have some extra organ that allows them to review games, but what they do have (ideally) is perspective, and the expectation that their viewpoints be justified in their writing.
It sounds like you haven't even read the reviews you're reacting to, just what you imagine them to be. I really, really hope you aren't thinking of "reviewers" as some organization that deliberately and artificially choose to love or hate some games. If basically every reviewer out there has reacted to a game negatively? That's probably more a sign that they've seen that same kind of game done better, or there are specific issues with the game, or any other number of reasons for them to not recommend it. It's very unlikely it's a sign of conspiracy. And that's even allowing for some reviewers not being very good at their job. You can't in the same breath insist that someone else's opinion (or a broad range of them) doesn't matter but that your own does in some absolute terms.
Kssio_Aug
Member
Analogically you could. Both receive money to judge something, but one judge just game merits.
This. I don't begrudge anyone for liking Knack. If Knack had scored 10s across the board I'd still dislike it, and I wouldn't think that the reviewers "erred" in some way unless they failed to adequately describe their impressions and experience with the game.
Well, judges are paid to interpret the law and apply it to facts. A reviewer is paid to give his impressions and experiences with a product. Theres a huge difference to me.
What does that mean in context to my statements?
Once you devolve a discussion into semantics, it's over. They were not speaking of someone who judges, but rather someone in the judiciary. Geez.
Okay that's fine. Not everybody is going to like everything. But you can't say being forced to play it in one sitting and not being able to take what your friends found in the chests could not have impacted on their opinions of it.
Kssio_Aug
Member
Then they should not be called critics. Maybe just bloggers would fit better. What is that? Arent they PROFESSIONALS? Youre right, the judge interpret the law, as should good reviewers interpret the reason.
We just fundamentally disagree.
Kssio_Aug
Member
And why its over? Because you say so? Whats the problem with analogy? Im not saying that are both the same thing, Im just making my interpretation clearer.
If it was just about opinion, everyone could be a reviwer. So why give a certain number of them a special credibility? That would make no sense!
Reviwers have personal opinion. And there are no critic thats is not biased at all; but professionals are paid to try the most not be driven by their personal opinion only, and show to us the good and bad aspects giving the final score based on these!
Whatever... I think I could not make myself clearer now. I will not keep going with that discussion for the sake of my account (I dont want a moderator thinking I am flooding or something like that).
Sorry, it meant the post you were responding to was said in jest, but you reacted as though it were serious.
Corronchilejano
Member
PairOfFilthySocks
Member
Shit game is shit.
'But it's a kid's game' is the most ridiculous defense for shit I've seen in a while.
'But it's a kid's game' is the most ridiculous defense for shit I've seen in a while.
Fushichou187
Member
Got the game at launch and had a good time with it. Using the linked app to crank out more of those collectibles sped up my plat of the game, which was good because when I was done I was done.
Not a game I'll replay but if they can expand on some of the mechanics briefly touched upon like Stealth Knack as well as level design that does a good job of communicating knacks growth and scale such as that last level before the end boss, I'd be down for a sequel.
Not a game I'll replay but if they can expand on some of the mechanics briefly touched upon like Stealth Knack as well as level design that does a good job of communicating knacks growth and scale such as that last level before the end boss, I'd be down for a sequel.
Freezie KO
Banned
Criticism is worthless because children ignore it? The article in the OP reeks of anti-intellectualism.
Woosh.
So this is just another form of the "It's not for you!" argument
Awful strip lol
Callibretto
Member
someone need to make an experiment, find a kid who hadn't been exposed to Mario or at least, haven't play mario game, then get him to play both Knack and SM3DW, then see which game the kid like more or want to play more of.