PS Now for something completely different
As PS5 launches and I take Astro
Bot for another spin I’m reminded of just how many fantastic mascots PlayStation has had over the years. This month my PS Now time has been spent dipping back into the lovable adventures of classic characters. And yes, that includes Knack.
As I open PlayStation’s cupboard of forgotten mascots I’m relived to discover they’ve not turned into crusty old has-beens. Part of me imagined Knack would have turned to hard booze by now as he watches Astro Bot take centre stage at PS5’s launch. Instead replaying Knack on PS Now is a treat.
The game has aged surprisingly well. Perhaps this is down to my low expectations or the simplicity of the ideas, but in 2020 it’s still impressive to watch him ‘brick-up’.
There are better mascots in PlayStation’s past, however, and my attention gets drawn to Ape Escape 2. This version is a 1080p up-rendered edition for PS4 and even supports trophies. This means it not only looks better than the PS2 original but it’s downloadable to my PS4 for frameperfect ape-catching.
The controls take some getting used to: net-swinging and gadgets are on the face buttons, jump is on u, and I place my faith in the auto-camera to always have my back. But when the action is this good – catch superpowered, superadorable apes using neat gadgets – I put up with the retro layout. Finally I test out
Puppeteer. This platformer takes the crown for being one of PS3’s most underrated games. Traversing an animated puppet world swapping heads to gain new abilities, and chopping through scenery and enemies with a massive pair of scissors, this game still plays like a dream. What better way to bring the curtain down on this month’s PS Plus?