After the absolute ball I had with Knack a few weeks ago I decided that it was time to check out Knack II. With Knack being one of the first exclusives for the PlayStation 4 as well as a whole new IP it was a gamble for Sony. It paid off ultimately as Knack is enjoyed in certain circles. Receiving generally favourable reviews from critics and being a callback to old-school platforming I was interested in playing it when it became free on the PS Plus. We here at GamEir also received a review code for Knack II so I knew I had to begin the journey at the very beginning.

Once that was done I started up Knack II and loved that SIE Japan Studio had seemingly listened to issues players had from the first game and had implemented (to varying degrees of success) measures to fix these chinks in Knack’s armour. At first glance, there is a clear improvement with the graphics of the world Knack inhabits.  Unfortunately, this is a double-edged sword the reason being that the graphical improvement did not mesh with the artistic designs of the human characters. There was an uncanny valley scenario that carried through the entire game and though I got used to it every time I came back to Knack II I was reminded of this horrifying world filled with Chucky styled humans.

The gameplay has also received a nice, neat overhaul with Knack gaining several abilities that up the variety of actions he can perform. The simplest (yet oddly satisfying) change is that Knack can now switch between his miniature size and bigger sizes at any time. It makes the player feel in much more control of Knack and his actions. Another strange inclusion is Knack can kick so there are a few combos that be mixed up to devastating effect. With the punching and the kicking Knack II has also now including a skill tree allowing players to gain energy to power up moves as well as introduce further combos to his arsenal. It makes every battle in Knack II a real treat to engage in. Knack can now perform flips, elongated punches, and grabs to create a multitude of attacks. The newest inclusion to Knack II though that further enhances the experience is the local co-op. The two players split Knack into two Knack’s one composed of red relics and the other of blue. The two can team up and unleash devastating combos on the enemy utilising variants of the combos you learn throughout the game. It adds a great team dynamic and the game keeps this going with changing the gameplay mechanics ever so slightly to accommodate the new player.

This also carries over with the various forms that Knack can still transform into. This time however the new forms come with new abilities instead of just one mode. A fun quirk is when you transform out of your transformed state, whether it be one of the many metallic forms or the ice form a statue is created that shows off Knack striking quite the pose. It is adorable and adds an impressive charm to the game. It even serves a purpose for puzzles so adding the charming statue aspect is unnecessary but appreciated. The world of Knack is still lush and brimming with character, the enemies are varied and imaginative and the world now seems to be inhabited by people meaning the world feels properly lived in. It’s little touches like this that add to the overall enjoyment of the game.

The treasure-seeking element from the previous game is still there but it has been improved on meaning you’ll get equipable items far faster but it still feels unnecessary. Getting items after building the parts over the course of the game feels satisfying but only two of them are useful and it felt like resources could have been put into some other part of the game.

The story is still somewhat simplistic, it won’t win any awards for storytelling, Knack and Lucas have to face off against a new enemy that has ties to the history of their world. It’s a more a reactionary tale and Knack and Lucas dealing with yet another world-changing event with them once again on the defensive. It’s a shame because Knack II had the opportunity to further explore the world they touched on in the first game. The story of the game even uses the history of the Crystal Wars as the backbone of this game but unfortunately it’s not utilised to its fullest potential instead it hits on very familiar story beats that players will have seen in Knack.

Knack II also doesn’t overstay it’s welcome as the game is of a similar length to its predecessor meaning a weekends worth of gaming with your best bud will be had. The pricing as well adds to that meaning it is a must have especially for any fans of old-school platformers.

In the end Knack II is a lot of the same that allowed me to fall in love with Knack. To save the game from being stale though there are enough changes to make this a solid addition to the Knack series and I look forward to the adventure continuing in a possible Knack III.

The post A Review in Progress: Knack II appeared first on GamEir.

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is out in only a few short days and we here at GamEir will be reviewing it. So I’ve tasked myself with finishing every game I have in my library because I apparently need to. One of the games I have in my library is Knack which is a platformer/beat ’em up starring a hero made up of LEGO pieces. The story follows the titular character Knack, a creature “born” from relics, ancient pieces from a long-forgotten civilisation. He lives in a world where humans and goblins are at constant war. There is a stalemate in place due to the fact that goblins are scavengers while humans live in lush cities with high tech weaponry. This changes in the opening shot of Knack when a group of goblins all of a sudden seem to have amassed technology that rivals humanity. With this revelation, a group of adventurers is assembled (including Knack) to find out how this happened and to stop the cause. From there players navigate this little ball of bricks across islands, mountains, ancient ruins and so much more to discover the truth behind the goblins and possibly the truth behind his origin.

When first diving into the world of Knack I was instantly taken in by its thematic and visual charm. It has similarities to Mega Man, Astro Boy and Ratchet and Clank. The world is lush with colour and the characters are the kind of individuals you’d find on an old Saturday morning cartoon. It doesn’t allow for great character depth though when there are several logic jumps throughout the course of the game which will make you scratch your head in disbelief because they’re quite infantile. The story of the game is saved by an intriguing protagonist in the many shapes of Knack who is fun simply because of his design and cool charm.

The success of Knack as a game though falls on the gameplay and there is where the game drew me in. Gameplay has you utilise the left stick to move (duh) while the right stick allows Knack to dodge. It allows for a fast-paced fighting system as Knack can be surrounded by eight individuals with varying degrees of weaponry and abilities. On the point of enemies, there are many different variations for Knack to tackle. From bugs to ancient guardians to humans with guns, swords, and grenades you’ll never get bored with them design wise. The most fascinating aspect of Knack which affects every other element of the game is the fact that the titular hero can change size depending on how many relics he has stored on his body. He can range from no bigger than a small toddler to a behemoth that would tower over the tallest skyscrapers of the world. It changes not only how Knack is as a character, his voice changes as do his mannerisms, but his gameplay mechanics change as well. The character becomes more aggressive when battling enemies and not only that there are moments in the game where players can attach different types of materials to Knack that allow him access to different abilities.

He can absorb materials like ice, metal, and wood, but the most interesting material is a clear crystal which allows Knack to become invisible to sensors so there is a strategy involved when you gain this ability because when he is in this stealth form he’s weak and can be killed in one hit. So players have to be careful to shift between the two forms so that they aren’t overwhelmed while playing this section of the game.

It is elements like this that endeared this game to me and kept me coming back to finish it. Lengthwise Knack took me a weekend to finish so about 16+ hours and that was on Hard mode. The game itself isn’t particularly challenging for any seasoned gamers but to keep bringing you back for more there are further difficulty levels once you finish the game. As well as that there is an interesting online element where you can team up with other players of Knack to help you unlock various upgraded versions of Knack as well as gear for him that give him new abilities. It’s a clever idea except for the fact that you need a lot of friends playing this game to actually utilise this to its fullest extent. And because the game is five years old and I’ve two friends on my friend’s list who have played this game it was difficult to unlock even one item because the items you find are randomised. This means if you’re a completionist you may never finish this game 100%

When I came to the final battle of Knack and my journey came to its end I found myself content. This was a weekend well spent. I enjoyed the world, the characters though flawed were fun, and the gameplay reminded me of games like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon platformers that shaped my childhood.

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Let me set the scene it’s February 17th, 2006 and a young (16-year-old) Graham Day is at HMV and has picked up a copy of Shadow of the Colossus. Not much was known about the game at the time it just looked cool and it was the spiritual successor to the much-beloved Ico. After playing it I was deeply moved by the gameplay, the subversion of the hero saves princess story and the innovative content when dealing with each colossus. This game was so well received by gamers across the globe that a high definition version was released on the PlayStation 3 with trophies and 3D support in 2011, but I’m not here to discuss that version nope I was lucky enough to receive a review code for Shadow of the Colossus from Sony Computer Entertainment and I can’t wait to let you know whether it’s worth your time.

The last couple of years remastering videogames has become the new trend and I was interested to see what Bluepoint Games brought to this latest rendition of Shadow of the Colossus. What the team have brought is a clear love of the original title as this latest version is an almost exact replication of the original game down to how you command your horse Agro to how you increase your stamina and health with the fruit of the land and the lizard tails. Not only that the score of Shadow of the Colossus is heart-poundingly effective when you’re battling each of the 16 colossi, a particular favourite of mine was the Colossus which was flying around the desert as the player and Agro have to perfectly align their partnership to battle this flying beast and bring it crashing to the ground.

On the topic of the colossi they all look stunning and as you can see in the images I took from the game through the use of its new photo mode the level of detail given to them is exceptional. Each colossi’s design is unique and none of their respective battles felt like a retread when I took them all on but that does bring me to the one, fatal, flaw of Shadow of the Colossus.

If you have played either of the previous versions of Shadow of the Colossus then this will be a somewhat boring experience for you. It’s a real shame that innovation couldn’t have been brought into the battles themselves because once you figure out how to defeat any of the colossi the fights become jokes even on the harder difficulties. Add to this that I personally still remembered how to conquer the majority of these beasts and the length of the game is quite short being easily finished in a day, I clocked in 8 hours of gameplay on my first run-through. There are a lot of extra features such as a Game+ mode which adds further playthroughs with increased difficulties and a bevy of bonus content to unlock as you delve further into this adventure.

Shadow of the Colossus is a strange beast, gamers of this current generation are in for an absolute treat because this is a one of a kind game which was so ahead of its time when it was first released 13 years ago. On the other hand, many veteran gamers like myself might feel like the €40.00 price might be a bit too much to walk down nostalgia lane unless of course you are an avid fan of this game and what it did to the gaming landscape when it showed up and you want to see how pretty the colossi look as they spew black stuff from their heads.

The post A Review In Progress: Shadow of the Colossus (2018) appeared first on GamEir.

I spent this past weekend out there on the greens, teeing off with a worldwide audience and this is thanks to Everybody’s Golf from SIE Japan Studios. Everybody’s Golf is a golfing videogame with a dollop of whimsy and that’s just what the doctor ordered for a fun weekend.

What first struck me about the videogame are the stylistic graphics, they are simple enough nothing that will push the limitations of the PlayStation 4 but they are charming and the vibrant colours and varied landscapes are engaging. You don’t come to Everybody’s Golf for the photorealism though, you come for golf and stay for the fun gameplay but I’ll discuss the gameplay later in the review.

When you first start up the game you customise your golfer and at first, there is nothing especially groundbreaking about the selection but wait that will explode as you progress in your journey to become the champion golfer. Once you finish with character customisation you arrive on golf island where you must battle your way through golfing tournament after golfing tournament until there is no one standing in your way.

Unfortunately, there are obstacles as you try to rise through the ranks are the “bosses” of Everybody’s Golf, these are in the shape of elite golfers who guard the way as you progress through the game. They range in difficulty and as the game goes on their competence as golfers will spike. I found my first issue was with the third boss who was leagues above her predecessors and this is where the RPG elements come into Everybody’s Golf because you have to grind to become a better golfer. This is a tricky situation because you have to switch between each club to ensure that they all level up and to get every aspect of the club is a difficult scenario because there are several elements to a club that affects its quality. Some of the factors that affect the quality of your clubs include Power – which is the factor that dictates the distance of your swings, Control – this deals with the preciseness of where your ball will land and Backdoor – which deals with how you deal with the green and all the factors when you are putting.

As you level up your golfer and conquer the tournaments and bosses more of Everybody’s Golf will open up to you.

• New customisable items
• New clubs to utilise
• Coins to buy whatever tickles your fancy

Now we come to easily the most enjoyable part of Everybody’s Golf, the gameplay. The gameplay is quite fast paced and addictive and this is due to the simple to learn but difficult to master button system. Players will utilise the x button within a gauge that designates 1 – the distance of your swing and 2 – the accuracy of it. It’s a simple but effective system with a strategic element due to the upgrading of the various clubs you earn.

To flesh out the world of Everybody’s Golf so that it’s not another golf game is an eccentric bunch of characters and mini-games, the first character I met on my journey was Professor Koenji, he’s a diminutive quizmaster that deals out rewards for answering his questions (all golf themed of course). Some of them are questions for golfing fans, others you will learn in-game. If there was an issue with this mini-game is when you get a question wrong he still tells you the answer which means when the quiz begins anew you know all the answers. It’s a shame a little more thought couldn’t have been put into this particular mini-game especially since it’s the first.

The score of Everybody’s Golf is energetic and is constantly trying to keep you engaged with the game, unfortunately, it lost me and I turned it down and I just listened to my favourite podcasts while I played the game. In regards to the length attempting to beat the game as it gets progressively more difficult will decide how long you play Everybody’s Golf. Will you rise to the challenge by level grinding your gear (which could take hours to do) or will you wilt and turn off your PlayStation 4 in frustration? The multiplayer experience is fun with family and friends but is oddly limited when it comes to the number of players available. You can only have four golfers in a match and it’s a letdown when you can’t have a full blown tournament with your family.

Everybody’s Golf is appropriately titled because it is for everybody, it brings in newcomers and veterans alike and welcomes them with open arms. You’ll sit down and while away the hours as you try to beat that particular boss or become number one against your brother or sister and that’s a great weekend for any gamer. Check out Everybody’s Golf if you get the chance, it’s well worth it.

The post A Review In Progress: Everybody’s Golf appeared first on GamEir.

Wondrous new worlds, flights of gravity defying fancy and the continuing adventures of the Gravity Queen herself Kat and her feline sidekick Dusty. Gravity Rush 2 hopes to continue the thrill and joy from the first game as it makes the transition from PS Vita to the PlayStation 4.

I never played the first Gravity Rush, so I went into Gravity Rush 2 with no expectations. My first impression of Gravity Rush 2 was the attractive graphics. Technically the graphics don’t push the PlayStation 4 to its limits but it’s visually sumptuous, the vibrant colours and lush backgrounds paint a beauty world for the player to fall into. I spent hours watching the lavish world go by, and the world of Gravity Rush 2 is teeming with life. People are going about their lives, airboats flying overhead and large islands held aloft by gems that power everything.

The story of Gravity Rush 2 follows on after the conclusion of Gravity Rush so be warned there are spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn’t played the first Gravity Rush. After being deposited into a new world via the gravity storm at the end of Gravity Rush Kat and Syd have been slaving away on a mining craft with an assortment of oddball characters. A long way from home and with Kat missing her trusty sidekick Dusty (meaning she has lost her powerful gravity shifting abilities) Kat and Syd trudge along day in day out mining ore and pining after their lost lives and friends. Eventually, Kat is reunited with Dusty and regains her powers, and from there the adventure begins anew.

Gravity Rush 2 is a fantastic game, from the story to the gameplay and everything in between there is little to complain about with Gravity Rush 2. The gameplay is where the game shines; it’s manic and energetic. Playing as Kat is a wonderful feeling akin to that of being a kite caught in an updraft with thankfully a lot more control in the player’s hands. The ability to gravity shift is something easily learned but challenging to master. The use of the motion sensor of the PlayStation 4 controller is brilliant. You can decide how intrusive it is when it comes to your gravity shifting movement, and so I endeavoured to find a happy balance and after a few minutes of tweaking the settings I reached a balance that allowed the gravity defying to feel genuinely surreal but still keeping that control I wanted.

The meat of the gameplay is all based on Kat’s gravity shifting and how she throws herself at the sky, this is how she describes it. It’s a lot of fun traversing the various islands throwing yourself at one island to the next. Utilising this ability in combat is so much fun especially when you lift up three or four enemies like they were nothing and fling them at other enemies. You can then upgrade Kat’s shifting abilities via gem collecting. You get gems to buy upgrades by completing the various side quests and challenge missions in the game; the story missions only offer experience to level Kat’s health, and gravity gauges up. The decision to not earn gems in the story missions is smart as it forces the player to try out everything at least once and there’s a high chance once you try one of the many side quests or challenges you will get hooked. I’m currently trying to finish the last of the side quests, but it’s not easy, especially with the number of side quests clocking in at over 40. One of the reasons the side quests work so well is that they further flesh out the world that Kat lives in adding more characters to interact with and the game returns to these colourful characters often.

One aspect I wasn’t sure about but ended up being one of the most well thought out was online. Gravity Rush 2 lets you know that if you play online, share your excellent photo’s with its online community you get rewarded and with genuinely useful and fun rewards. You can also join in treasure hunts where other players will take a photo where they found a treasure and then they will send you on a photo hinting at where it is and from there the hunt begins. After finding the treasure both you and the person who gave you the hunt get rewarded meaning everyone wins. It’s a system that utilises the online aspect excellently.

There are problems however with Gravity Rush 2. The camera can be an issue when you’re in combat with enemies and can cause issues when you’re dodging attacks or throwing projectiles. The maps don’t always render properly, and now and then I found myself in poorly texturised streets, and it pulled me out of the otherwise immersive experience. On top of that, there were times when I would fling Kat at a surface and she would go into the wall instead of sticking to it. These are minor issues I had, but overall I couldn’t stop myself playing Gravity Rush 2 for hours on end.

Game director Keiichiro Toyama-San was quoted as saying, ” There’s a whole world here, and I want you to discover every last corner!”

I can say without a shadow of a doubt I will discover every corner of this beautiful world that I’ve been introduced to. Gravity Rush 2 is out on the 20th of January so be sure and pick it up if you are a fan of old school JRPG’s with a modern twist.

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