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Since its inception, Yooka-Laylee has been openly touted as a spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie, the genre-defining 3D platformer title developed by Rare. In fact, it began with a successful Kickstarter campaign led by six former Rare employees. The money raised helped the group form Playtonic Games, going on to release Yooka-Laylee in 2017 for PS4, Xbox One, and various computer platforms.
In the endearing single-player campaign, the player controls an an agile duo named Yooka (an affable lizard) and Laylee (a feisty bat) that move together as one unit. After their book is sucked up and scattered by a giant machine, the pair must collect its “Pagies” to put it back together. They quickly find themselves at odds with the evil Hivory Towers Corporation and its CEO, Capital B, who want Pagies for their own gain.
The game features five sprawling worlds to explore as well as the Hivory Towers headquarters, which serves as a hub between worlds. Levels are filled with items to collect, engaging objectives, and non-playable characters to interact with. Each world can be expanded once enough Pagies are collected, offering more to do and see. Additional moves are unlocked as the game progresses, allowing the player to access new areas. Graphics are crisp and detailed while still managing to capture the team’s signature look, complete with cute and cartoony characters. Controls are mostly fluid and easy to grasp with some notable and unfortunate exceptions. Also offered is a simple multiplayer mode, which allows up to four players to compete in arcade-style games.
Though reviews were a bit lackluster, there’s honestly lots of fun to be had here, especially if you’re a fan of Rare’s previous work. It was followed up in 2019 with a side scrolling spin-off called Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair, which fans of the Donkey Kong Country series must check out!
