Plenty of jokes have already been made about Sony’s decision to launch Knack 2 on the same day as Destiny 2, one of the most anticipated games of the year. While Sony’s timing is open to scrutiny – few new releases are out this week, seemingly because of Destiny 2 – it’s unlikely to harm Knack 2’s sales overall.
Not only has this unexpected sequel gained some surprisingly high review scores – including an 8.5 from God is a Geek and an 8.25 from Game Informer – but it’s aimed at a different demographic to Destiny. It may even manage to break the UK top five next week – Sony is on a roll with their PS4 exclusives currently, as seen with last week’s Everybody’s Golf.
So, Destiny 2. We were expected to see a handful of reviews on launch day, but the actual number was a big fat zero – servers didn’t go live until a few hours before launch. This lack of reviews isn’t too concerning – initial impressions are mostly positive. It apparently feels much more MMO-like than its predecessor, and it’s also a contender for one of this generation’s best looking – and best sounding – games. Eurogamer has their review planned for next week, and you can expect other outlets to follow suit. Some sites may even wait until the first raid goes live.
The PS4 receives two more retail releases – Rising Star’s The Nonary Games, which bundles 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and Virtue’s Last Reward together in a slick new package, and Deep Silver’s strategic RPG/visual novel hybrid Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth. Reviews for Mask of Truth are mostly around the 6/10 mark; some critics claim that the visual novel aspect drags it down, with certain sections lasting over 2 hours, while others found the combat to be limited.
Over on Switch there’s LEGO Worlds and The Binding of Isaac Afterbirth+. We weren’t too impressed with the PS4/Xbox version of LEGO Worlds – it’s a messy Minecraft clone that lacks the personal touch. The toolset is impressive, but missions soon repeat and the game worlds aren’t much more than a bunch of junk thrown together. It’s very No Man’s Sky-esque (before updates).
Mega indie hit The Binding of Isaac Afterbirth+ is often mentioned alongside Super Meat Boy, Nuclear Throne and Spelunky. Just so you know what you’re in for. It launched in the US not long after the Switch itself, where it was met with a wave of 8/10 reviews. “[…]this game feels like a blend of old-school mechanics and new-age thinking; it’s an homage to the challenge and style of old games, while simultaneously presenting itself stylistically as being something more contemporary,†said Nintendo Life, while reflecting on game’s edgy nature.
On the download services, Wales Interactive’s movie tie-in Don’t Knock Twice may be of interest. This first-person horror adventure, which offers PSVR support, gained an 8/10 from The Xbox Hub, who wished the Xbox One had a means of playing in VR. On the flip side, PlayStation Lifestyle found that it relies on horror clichés a tad too heavily, opting for a 6/10.
8-bit platformer A Hole New World also hits PS4 this week. It mimics the style and sensibilities of a NES game so closely that it’s actually due a NES release in the future. That’s joined by Save the Ninja Clan, which looks curiously similar to No Time to Explain, and ACA NeoGeo Zed Blade.
We can also expect NBA 2K18: The Prelude before the week is over. As well as serving as a taster for the full game, this glorified demo will no doubt bestow some easy achievements and trophies. We’re game.
Next week: PES 2018 (Multi), NHL 18 (Multi), NBA 2K18 (Multi), NBA Live 18 (PS4/XO), Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS), Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (PS4/XO/PC), Baja: Edge of Control HD (PS4/XO/PC), Rayman Legends Definitive Edition (Switch), WRC 7 FIA World Rally Championship (PS4/XO), Blackguards 2 (PS4/XO), Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA (PS4), Don’t Starve Together: Console Edition (XO), Transcripted (XO), Time Recoil (PS4/XO), DreamBreak (XO), Bloody Zombies (PS4), and Jettomero: Hero of the Universe (XO).