Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair Reviews

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is ranked in the 89th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Oct 23, 2019

Even with plenty of superb 2D platformers releasing in recent years, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair easily belongs alongside the best the generation has to offer thanks to excellent level design and platforming that is evocative of past classics from the genre.

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ZTGD
Top Critic
10 / 10.0
Oct 28, 2019

While I hope they give the 3D platformer another fair shake, I will be more than happy if Playtonic does more sidescrolling platformers in the future because The Impossible Lair is impossibly good.

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91 / 100
Oct 12, 2019

With charm, wit, and brimming with positivity, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a fantastic new direction for Playtonics dynamic duo.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2019

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a very good 2.5D platform featuring a familiar experience heavily inspired by the Donkey Kong Country series and some interesting mechanics for the overworld map which deepen and expand the experience. While the game is not innovative in any way, it's an extremely enjoyable experience that no fan of platform games should pass on.

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7.4 / 10.0
Oct 3, 2019

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a work of great courage and respect for the platform genre. It is not revolutionary but manages to be a simple, but refined pastime made with all the trappings of the genre.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Oct 3, 2019

A much more inventive and thoughtful affair than the duo's previous outing, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is the closest you'll get to Donkey Kong Country on PS4 and you should embrace it with the accordant warmth.

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7 / 10
Oct 3, 2019

A clear improvement on the original, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a pleasant surprise. It struggles to balance difficulty, but the end result is a robust and compelling platformer. It feels much more cohesive than its older brother and, free from the need to play to nostalgia, gives the characters and the world a better identity. It isn't perfect, but it's certainly a step in the right direction for Playtonic Games.

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8 / 10
Oct 19, 2019

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a marvelous piece of a platform game that may not reinvent the whole genre but which has enough of the right stuff to provide an experience that's enjoyable and delightful to play. Thanks to its gaming worlds, humorous dialogues and challenge level, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair will fit well with both fans of platform games and those taking their first steps in the genre.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

87 / 100
Oct 14, 2019

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is one the best surprises of this year. An epic tribute for DKC that everyone should play.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

85 / 100
Oct 11, 2019

Excellent 2D-Jump & Run, that dares little new, but combines its individual elements into a very coherent whole.

Review in German | Read full review

8 / 10
Oct 8, 2019

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a great hommage to the Donkey Kong Country series, mixing its 2D mechanics with a 3D worl map to explore. The last level is alaways accessible to try out, but the collectibles you will find along your journey gives the game a tiny feels of an RPG. With so many secrets to fond accross both the levels and the environment, there are plenty interesting things to look out in PlayTonic's second game.

Review in French | Read full review

8.3 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2019

Two years after the birth of Yooka and Laylee, Playtonic returns to work on the exploits of the funny animal duo making Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair , a platform title "à la Rare" that , compared to its predecessor, it leaves the cards unexpectedly positive.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Generación Xbox
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Oct 3, 2019

A simple but effective aspect, a well-implemented gameplay and worked with enough depth to avoid falling into monotony and a story with good humorous moments are the perfect cocktail for a great platform title.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Oct 3, 2019

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair marries a variety of platforming mechanics in a meaty campaign with tons of challenges ahead. It’s as polished as it is focused and as true to the genre as you can get. Now, sign me up for the next one.

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4 / 5.0
Oct 3, 2019

In many ways the first Yooka-Laylee felt like the developers were trying to make up for lost time and bring audiences the Banjo Three-ie everyone wanted. With this follow-up, you get a distinct sense that the game has been allowed to breathe and find its own identity, and it’s an overwhelmingly positive thing.

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GameXplain
Top Critic
Liked-a-lot
Oct 3, 2019
Can Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair Top Tropical Freeze?! - REVIEW (Switch) video thumbnail
8 / 10
Oct 4, 2019

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a really strong platformer with good level design and excellent visuals. Certain aspects of the game don't mix well together, but it's a good time overall.

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80%
Oct 3, 2019

After the first Yooka-Laylee, you could be forgiven for not being desperate for more, but Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a more accomplished and markedly different game to its forebear. And it's all the better for it.

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9.5 / 10.0
Oct 3, 2019

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is essentially a spiritual successor to Donkey Kong Country that ends with a difficult Super Mario Maker-like dungeon. It friggin' rocks.

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 3, 2019

This time around, Playtonic has swapped out the retro 3D stylings of the original for something that plays more like a Donkey Kong Country sequel, offering a variety of levels where skill and strategy are necessary to succeed.

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