Yooka-Laylee is made by Platonic Games, which consists of a number of ex-Rare employees. It is the spiritual successor to Rare's popular Nintendo 64 platformers, specifically Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, Donkey Kong 64, and Conker's Bad Fur Day. Coming from the perspective of someone who grew up playing and loving all of the foregoing games on the Nintendo 64, Yooka-Laylee is a blast to play. It has its share of issues, but from the outset, I'll note that if you like the games I mentioned or other 3D platformers like Rocket Robot on Wheels, Jak and Daxter, Spyro the Dragon, etc., you will likely be very happy with Yooka-Laylee.
GAMEPLAY
Yooka-Laylee takes a lot of inspiration from Banjo-Kazooie. You collect two primary collectible items: quills (the equivalent of Banjo's musical notes) and "Pagies" (the equivalent of Banjo's puzzle pieces). There are other items in each world to collect as well, such as a Jinjo equivalent. It's collect-a-thon platforming, which is exactly what it was advertised to be.
You control Yooka with some help from Laylee, the bat companion, to navigate the worlds. They can obtain new moves which aid in exploration and puzzle solving. The controls are pretty good, but feel at times a little looser than they should be. For instance, there is a move where the characters can move more quickly by turning into a ball and rolling on it. While it moves faster than walking, it isn't as precise as its spiritual predecessor, Banjo-Kazooie's "Talon Trot." This lack of precision can lead to some frustrating sections of the game where otherwise easily obtainable collectibles are missed.
The other issue with the game is the camera. Most of the time it works without issue, but sometimes, it moves at just the wrong moment resulting in you falling off a platform. An example of this is in the very first area of the game. There are some small platforms leading up to a ship. As you approach the ship, the camera shifts its position which can cause you to miss the jump and land on the ground. Periodically while exploring the game's worlds, the same thing will happen, leading to unnecessary deaths. Platforming games, whether they are 2D or 3D, require a higher-than-average degree of precision, so the camera cannot be an obstacle unto itself. However, the situations in which the camera gets in the way are not excessive or so bad as to render the game unplayable.
The game consists of a hub world and five fairly large sub-worlds to explore. These sub-worlds are all pretty good (though the second world is only so-so), consisting of plenty of collectibles, platforming challenges, and rewards for exploration. There are mine cart sections, boss battles, races, and puzzles spread across the five worlds. While the total number of worlds to explore is a little light, each of them is densely packed so as to feel fulfilling.
There is a quiz show game at the end of the game challenging your knowledge of some very specific facts from the game. This is a direct throwback to an identical mechanic in the end of Banjo-Kazooie, and in fact was a Kickstarter goal if funding hit a certain level. Some people might be turned off by it as it can tend to break up the action, but it is intended to be a throwback and is (ostensibly) a reflection of what backers wanted.
Overall, Yooka-Laylee is a fun game to play and explore. It encourages exploration at every turn, and feels similar to the heyday of the 3D platformer genre on the Nintendo 64.
GRAPHICS
Yooka-Laylee is bright and colorful, just like its predecessors were. Environments are clearly defined and look quite good. Everything has a great sense of artistic style and consistency. While it does not push the hardware on the PS4 to any meaningful degree, Yooka-Laylee accomplishes exactly what it sets out to accomplish in the visuals department.
SOUNDS
The game does not feature any voices, at least not in the traditional sense. Like the Banjo games, the characters "speak" using garbles and voice samples that mix together. While I was a fan of this style on the Nintendo 64, something about the voices in this particular game just is not quite right. The only way I can describe it is that in Banjo-Kazooie, the voices had an almost musical quality to them, whereas here, many of them just sort of sound like a bunch of garbles and never surpass that baseline starting point. I understand and appreciate the choice in using these types of voices, and it does not bother me, but the reality is I've heard the exact same style done better before.
By contrast, the music in the game is phenomenal. Grant Kirkhope, David Wise, and Steve Burke nailed the score. It sounds like it could come right out of the Nintendo 64 era in terms of composition, but it is mostly live recordings, so the sound quality is much improved. The songs fit the worlds very well, and there are variations depending on whether you are swimming, near certain locations in the world, or just in the general areas of the worlds.
SUMMARY
I've compared Yooka-Laylee to Banjo-Kazooie a number of times in this review, but Yooka-Laylee practically begs for the comparison because it is, in a very real and unapologetic way, the sequel that Banjo-Tooie never received. As an indie-developed, Kickstarter-backed project, Yooka-Laylee is a resounding success. It could have used a little more QA testing to resolve the camera issues, and the voices will not be to everyone's satisfaction. That having been said, Yooka-Laylee wears its identity proudly. If you grew up in the era of Nintendo 64 3D platformers, this game has been tailor-made for you. It will also likely appeal to younger kids and families due to its colorful characters and largely inoffensive aesthetic (there are some very dry, British-humor jokes that push right up to, but never cross, the line, such as naming the snake character Trouser so as to create a literal "Trouser Snake"). If you do not have an appreciation for 3D exploration collect-a-thon platformers, this game will not likely change your mind. For those who do, I would urge you to pick this game up. It's not perfect, but it is an excellent and enjoyable 3D platformer with some modern sensibilities.
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From the manufacturer
Yooka-Laylee - PlayStation 4
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Explore huge beautiful worlds and playgrounds. |
Buddy-duo Yooka (the green one) and Laylee (the bat with the big nose). |
Yooka-Laylee can transform into a variety of different things, including a snowplow and a helicopter. |
Customer Questions & Answers
Customer reviews
This game is a lot of fun. If you are a Banjo fan this is the game to get. The gameplay is fun and challenging enough not to get frustrated. I highly recommend buying this game. I only wish it had the option for two people to play together at the same time.
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2017
Style: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2017
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Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2019
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Top reviews from other countries
.::Tevex::.
Bueno a secas
Reviewed in Mexico on June 26, 2017Style: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
.::Tevex::.
Reviewed in Mexico on June 26, 2017
Sin dudas es un banjo-kazooie en toda la extensión de la palabra desde la música hasta las mecánicas son las mismas para quien ya somos veteranos y jugamos aquellos títulos rápidamente estaremos brincando y corriendo por todos lados buscando “pagies” lo que en banjo eran las piezas del rompecabezas.
El titulo visualmente esta increíble corre a 1080p los colores se ven fabulosos vera sido todavía mejor que tuviera HDR o tal vez corriera a 4K en el PS4 Pro pero la verdad de ese lado yo quede satisfecho.
Lo único que no me gusto y es el problema de todos aquellos juegos de la época es la cámara que da dolores de cabezas en ciertos lados y te hace fallar muchos saltos igual el movimiento del personaje a veces puede ser un poco brusco no es tan exacto como quisiera yo por lo cual a veces me llega a frustrar un poco.
Otro detalle que no me gusto es que el juego es excesivamente largo y pesado en banjo cada mundo tenia 10 piezas de rompecabezas aquí son 25 por mundo los mundos son tan pero tan grandes que a veces te pierdes y no sabes para donde jalar, se que hace años no había mapas pero aquí al ser mundos enormes creo que haría falta algo ya que a veces no se ni por donde estoy.
Igual los tiempos de carga son demasiado altos te corta demasiado el ritmo cuando quieras entrar a un mundo.
Algo que me agrado mucho del titulo es su gran sentido del humor que tiene que en todo momento se burla de que es un videojuego por lo cual las escenas de diálogos son mi parte favoritas del juego.
En conclusión si les gusto banjo-kazooie éntrenle a este titulo de lo contrario no lo recomiendo sencillamente no les gustara y de hecho el mismo juego te lo advierte.
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Jesús
Un gran juego
Reviewed in Mexico on July 27, 2017Style: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
Rafa Quiroz
Muy buen juego
Reviewed in Mexico on April 15, 2019Style: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
Ezequiel García
Como en los viejos tiempos
Reviewed in Mexico on September 5, 2019Style: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Excelente compra
Reviewed in Mexico on September 25, 2017Style: Xbox OneVerified Purchase
