We’re coming up on the fifth anniversary of Knack II, and fans of the platformer are thirsty for a new installment. Each time a PlayStation State of Play rolls around, social media fires up the Knack III memes, each of them filled with disappointment and eye-rolling. The jokes may not be jokes for much longer, as Gematsu has spotted a new trademark filing for Knack entered earlier this month in Japan.
The filing was made public today, March 28, and covers numerous terms of use including “downloadable or installable home video game machine program and additional data.”
It’s possible that the filing is simply a routine update or a periodic renewal rather than the promise of something new, but it could also come with the implication that Sony wants to do more with the franchise going forward. Given the updated hardware available in the PlayStation 5, a third installment in the series could improve on earlier shortcomings and become a go-to platformer for the current-gen generation.
Both Knack titles were directed by Mark Cerny, who served as the system architect of the PlayStation 5. They were developed by Japan Studio, which has since been disbanded. It’s unclear who would be in charge of developing a future title.
Reviews for Knack were never shining, but over the years, it has amassed a massive cult following. The original game was praised for its concept, but the gameplay and difficulty saw some deductions to its overall score.
Despite any shortcomings, Matt Helgeson from Game Informer summed it up best in his review: “Knack isn’t the most innovative or the most visually dazzling game. This won’t be the one you put in to show off your new console to your friends. However, when you’re done with the prettied-up versions of the big franchises, you’ll find yourself wanting to return to Knack. It’s got charm and heart, and offers a whole lot of good gameplay. Ultimately, that’s still what’s important – no matter which generation we’re in.”
Maybe news will come sooner rather than later. This week will see plenty of new announcements from PlayStation.
Knack was released in November 2013 for PlayStation 4. The sequel, Knack II, was announced at the 2016 PlayStation Experience, and was released in September 2017.
