Yooka Laylee Reviews
It's difficult to recommend Yooka-Layee to adults let alone the children this game is aimed at. The unbalanced challenge it presents and the lack of in-game direction is sure to infuriate. You could argue kids of this generation could play the game alongside a YouTube video for help, but why should any game need to be played alongside a video guide? The first three-hours of Yooka-Layee are delightful, but after that the experience quickly sours. Playtonic's ode to platformers past should have been something special, but instead it's a reminder why video games have evolved, and why quality over quantity should be the first decree in every developer's rulebook.
Yooka-Laylee impressively transports the feeling of the Rare-Jump&Runs, but stumbles over its flawed controls and camera.
Review in German | Read full review
For the most part the Yooka-Laylee has succeeded in meeting expectations, though a few specters from that bygone era decided to make the journey too.
Yooka-Laylee is a fun game, but its controls, plot and somewhat plentiful bugs hamper the experience. 3D platformer veterans will find something to like here, but others might be turned off.
Yooka-Laylee is a fun platformer, despite some technical issues and outdated mechanics. If platforming wasn’t your thing in the ‘90s, there’s little here to change your mind now, but fans of the genre – and the Kickstarter backers that brought it back to life – can rest assured that they’re getting exactly what they wanted.
This time around, Kickstarter actually did come to the rescue, delivering a game that is very much worthy of being called the spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie. Yooka-Laylee is a game for fans who miss the N64 days of running around a huge, open map, collecting a bunch of stuff and having a bit of a laugh. It's cute, it's funny, and a few minor technical issues aside, it's exactly what it promised to deliver.
Yooka-Laylee is not a bad game, but by God does it have its problems. If you're hankering for a 3D platformer in the vain of Banjo-Kazooie, Spyro, Mario or Crash, I'd still say this is worth a bit of your time if you're willing to chew on the game in short sections. But if you want to marathon the game, or don't mind waiting until later in the year to have your genre itch scratched, you're probably better off passing on this.
It doesn't revitalize or even attempt to change the formula. Despite that Yooka-Laylee is colorful and musical and comforting. Yooka-Laylee may not represent a revival for the collect-a-thon genre, but it is an acceptable sequel, successor, parody and homage to a game now regarded as classic.
With bright colorful palette, cartoony soundtrack, and goofy cast of characters, Yooka-Laylee is sure to be a hit with younger players, as well as an older crowd eager to relive gaming's past glories in 3D platforming and adventuring in an open world format. It's a visually beautiful game with a brilliant soundtrack, bringing together Rare's technical and creative talents to the table for Playtonic Games' debut. It was a fully des vu experience, reliving waves of warm nostalgia as it was happening in front of me.
Yooka-Laylee is exactly the type of game that Playtonic Games set out to create when they initially launched the Kickstarter for the game. It is in every sense of the word a spiritual; successor to the Banjo-Kazooie franchise. It's a true return to the collect-a-thon games that were great back on the Nintendo 64, but many of the game's core mechanics feel archaic on today's platforms.
Bright colors, breezy enthusiasm, googly eyes and collectibles — Yooka-Laylee nails Banjo Kazooie's aesthetic and embraces every last trope from Rare's 3D platformers. It's also firmly disinterested in twenty years of forward progress, doubling as a paean to Banjo's banal challenges, mushy control, and distressing tedium. It's tough to feel bitter—Playtonic delivered what was promised—it's just awfully easy to feel chafed and bored, too.
As a well-rounded platforming experience with smart writing, fun platforming, strong production values and evocation of the good ol’ days, Yooka-Laylee is worth your time.
Playtonic's special brand of humour is weaved throughout, seemingly innocent but with a sly wink towards those old enough to appreciate subtleties.
Nostalgia will hit hard within the first few hours, but once this fades, you'll realise that Yooka-Laylee is never able to live up to the brilliance that was Banjo-Kazooie. You'll get some enjoyment from the open-world platforming aspects of the game, but the unlikable characters, coupled with a clunky camera among other redundant game mechanics will more than likely ruin the experience for you. I don't doubt that even the biggest of Banjo-Kazooie fans will be left wondering what could have been.
Yooka-Laylee is both a joyful ode to Rare’s heyday and a polished platformer that stands head and shoulders above what few contemporaries exist in the genre.
Yooka-Laylee is a real treat for fans of platformers – especially those who remember the 90s. The game has some flaws, but they all are bearable.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Competent and charming, if a little disappointing
While it doesn't quite stand as tall as the Mario Odyssey masterpiece, Yooka-Laylee is a game every Switch owner should consider. Fantastic fun for all ages, and tons of content to boot. [William Murphy separately reviewed the Switch (8.5) and PC (8) versions. Their scores have been averaged.]
Yooka-Laylee doesn’t bring much new to the table and the nostalgia factor will only keep you engaged for so long.