10 Awful Video Games With AWESOME Mechanics

Serving as one of the PS4's launch titles, the beat 'em up platformer centres around an automaton called Knack who must collect relics to grow bigger and stronger. Knack may not look intimidating initially but will be able to dominate the most daunting foes after bulking up.

Not only that, Knack needs to be a certain size to complete specific puzzles, so players need to be aware of his capabilities and limitations depending on his mass.

Although a creative mechanic is a step in the right direction, it's not as important as the core gameplay. Sadly, this is where Knack drops the ball. Due to the titular hero's bare-bones move-set, enemy encounters quickly grow tiresome. The platforming elements are too straightforward, feeling more like filler between battles than meaningful challenges.

The checkpoint system can be frustrating, as a couple of sections force players to replay entire sequences if you make one mistake. This is all the more infuriating thanks to the sudden difficulty spikes. 

Though Knack II had better level design and more diverse combat, it wasn't up to standard. As a result, it feels like this franchise never took advantage of its genuinely innovative mechanic.