E3 2013: Hands-On ‘Knack’
Sony did everything they could to wow the crowd at E3 this year, and it was largely successful. With that said, aside from the games we already knew about during the PS4 reveal, there were few exclusives shown for the new console. Amongst these titles was a creative looking action/platformer in the form of Knack, a collaboration between Sony Japan and game designer Mark Cerny. Why should you care? Because when the guys behind Shadow of the Colossus and Ratchet and Clank team up, only good things can happen.
Knack stars a mysterious creature who is composed of numerous relics. Tasked with helping the humans fight off the threat of an invading goblin army, Knack will be able to manipulate numerous objects and elements to help him fight off his enemies. The demo I played featured a large, colorful city that was being pillaged by the goblins. Destroying buildings, armor and any part of the environment would automatically absorb the pieces into Knack’s body, making him larger as the stage went on. At one point, the rep who was demoing the game pointed out that my character’s body was made up of thousands of individual pieces, all rendered individually. Even more impressive was that the game never slowed down or moved without a hitch. It just goes to show that while the game looks gorgeous, there’s more to graphical power than just looking pretty. It’s safe to say that something like this wouldn’t be possible on current gen hardware.
As Knack became bigger, his reach and power increased, but that didn’t mean the game got easier. Enemies were surprisingly punishing, assuring that this launch title is looking to give gamers a pretty decent challenge. Other demos next to me showed off interior environments, including manipulating wind to defeat crowds of enemies. The two types of elements I saw in action looked significantly distinct from each other, and I’d only imagine it can only get better with the final total being more than double this amount. Combined with the platforming focus that my demo lacked, it looks like Knack will offer tons of variety for early PS4 adopters.
By the time I walked away from my short time with Knack, I felt myself wanting more. The amount of charm and creativity with the graphics engine helped leave a lasting impression on me, and I can’t wait to see how far the final game takes these ideas. Look out for Knack when it launches with the PS4 in November of this year.
