Yooka-Laylee

 PC
User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 339 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 196 out of 339
  2. Mixed: 43 out of 339
  3. Negative: 100 out of 339

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  1. BrutalPlayer
    May 12, 2022
    8
    Sorry I must cut points for bugs and glitches. If you do not look at it, it is great game. Challenging puzzle platformer with tough bossfights. Recommend.
  2. slime_matt
    Mar 30, 2021
    9
    The only reason I can't give this a 10 is because of a few minor gripes I had when playing through with certain areas and objects like the Fire breath ability being slightly obtuse, and also the obvious fact that it did not do "enough" to "innovate" which is a very minor point IMHO as an enthusiast of the N64.

    However, that said, I seriously consider this on the same level as Super    The only reason I can't give this a 10 is because of a few minor gripes I had when playing through with certain areas and objects like the Fire breath ability being slightly obtuse, and also the obvious fact that it did not do "enough" to "innovate" which is a very minor point IMHO as an enthusiast of the N64.

    However, that said, I seriously consider this on the same level as Super Mario 64 and the original Banjo games. It definitely recaptures what made those games great down to the exacting physics and whimsical world design.

    Everything has been kept just as it should be and not updated beyond recognition. An almost perfect example of what modern retro platformers should aspire to be.    … Expand
  3. vipek
    Nov 12, 2018
    8
    A really great 3D platformer game!

    If you liked Mario 64, Croc, Spyro etc. - you'll love this one too!
    But if you didn't - you won't like this one too!

    + Graphics, Music, SFX (64-bit style), level design, huge open levels, character skillset grows over time, enjoyable open-world exploration, lots of collectibles etc.
    - Annoying camera
  4. Shakethejake
    Oct 18, 2018
    8
    I respect a revival of 3D platformers yooka laylee I feel like it has some amazing potential. It's fun to go back and play an old style game like banjo, and with yooka laylee did a good job. The graphics are nice the business jokes where funny and entertaining. The camera was bad, even though it is manageable. I don't understand why everyone hates this game because Jontron is in it. II respect a revival of 3D platformers yooka laylee I feel like it has some amazing potential. It's fun to go back and play an old style game like banjo, and with yooka laylee did a good job. The graphics are nice the business jokes where funny and entertaining. The camera was bad, even though it is manageable. I don't understand why everyone hates this game because Jontron is in it. I don't agree with what he said. However that's his opinion so I'm not going to hate on this game just because a guy that thinks differently than me is in it. Anyway if you like Banjo you would like yooka laylee.… Expand
  5. mikwee
    Jul 8, 2018
    9
    I can’t understand why everybody hates this title. A throwback to the N64 era with gorgeous graphics? I’m in! And I wasn’t disappointed.
  6. OzBountyHunter
    Oct 13, 2017
    9
    Una joya de la vieja escuela para los que vivieron la epoca de Rare y N64, jugabilidad y dificultad de la epoca y una banda sonora que nos transporta a los años 90.
  7. ShadowKnight
    Sep 9, 2017
    9
    I liked the game bar a few weird level and character design choices... but it definitely is a great game which definitely reeks of n64 nostalgia pandering.
  8. KingHeavy
    Aug 12, 2017
    8
    I might be nostalgia blind, but I thought Yooka-Laylee was a great game! Even though I can defiantly see some of the problems that people have with the game, such as the mini games and a few camera problems. But overall, it's a very good successor to Banjo-Kazooie.
  9. pikby
    Jun 5, 2017
    8
    Yooka laylee is a fun, enjoyable platformer with quirky characters and fun design,only hampered by the uncoopertive camera and annoying mini games
    85%
  10. Auddy07
    May 23, 2017
    9
    Don't let the negative reviews sway you from playing this game! If you loved Banjo-Kazooie back in the day then you WILL like this game. I am a die hard Banjo fan, and while this game is not quite as good as Banjo-Kazooie or Tooie, I can without a doubt say that I think this game is awesome! The guys at Playtonic did a great job with this game and they will only get better if weDon't let the negative reviews sway you from playing this game! If you loved Banjo-Kazooie back in the day then you WILL like this game. I am a die hard Banjo fan, and while this game is not quite as good as Banjo-Kazooie or Tooie, I can without a doubt say that I think this game is awesome! The guys at Playtonic did a great job with this game and they will only get better if we continue to back their efforts. I gave this game a 9/10 (really a 8.5/10) as there are a couple of things I feel they could have done better (such as some camera flaws here and there (which they are fixing)), but overall it's a solid performance, especially from a company that just started up from the ashes of what was Rare.

    I hope they make a sequel (Twoka-Laylee or Tooka-Laylee) and I hope that one day they will either get the rights from Microsoft to continue making Banjo-Kazooie games, or Nintendo will give them rights to say, idk, make another Diddy Kong Racing or something they used to work on as Rare. I am a proud baker and can't wait to see what they do next! :)    … Expand
  11. darthsitthiande
    May 19, 2017
    8
    It's a nice throwback to the old Banjo Kazooie games but so far there have been two things I'd consider being negative:

    - The water sometimes looks awful
    - The controls are not responsive enough
    - The camera has it's own stupid free will, making boss fights especially difficult
    - during cutscenes the game doesn't stop which sometimes results in you being thrown off a cliff during it
  12. dr9188
    May 16, 2017
    10
    Apparently this game brewed a **** and I really fail to see why. The game is instantly accessible, responsive and most of all fun. It's also incredibly beautiful and stylised... As well as being the rarity of a console-quality platformer on the PC.

    I say this and I never even played Banjo-Kazooie (I was more of a PSX child). I have no idea what has happened to the gaming community as    Apparently this game brewed a **** and I really fail to see why. The game is instantly accessible, responsive and most of all fun. It's also incredibly beautiful and stylised... As well as being the rarity of a console-quality platformer on the PC.

    I say this and I never even played Banjo-Kazooie (I was more of a PSX child).

    I have no idea what has happened to the gaming community as of late, it feels like people like to complain for the sake of it. I have seen games get away with worse than this game's sins, and even at its very worst the game only reaches about the same frustration level as N64-era games. It is no wonder mainstream developers are falling onto making their games a generic "Everygame", as they have more than likely realised that you cannot please everyone even when you give people what they ask for. We are the only ones to blame for the dumbing down of gaming today.    … Expand
  13. WalterDisney
    May 6, 2017
    10
    Exactly what I hoped this game would turn out to be! Being a backer of the Kickstarter project when it was originally announced years ago, I had been waiting in anticipation for this game for a long time. I finally got around to playing it and have to say, it's a blast of nostalgia! It really brought me back to my childhood and felt so similar to the Banjo and Kazooie series that I justExactly what I hoped this game would turn out to be! Being a backer of the Kickstarter project when it was originally announced years ago, I had been waiting in anticipation for this game for a long time. I finally got around to playing it and have to say, it's a blast of nostalgia! It really brought me back to my childhood and felt so similar to the Banjo and Kazooie series that I just picked up the controller and knew what to do. The control scheme is perfect, and it performs well (played on PC).… Expand
  14. DingoCrash
    Apr 28, 2017
    10
    This game has brought so much memories and fun times I've had back in the 90's, there's a few flaws with the game but very minor, I backed the project when they launched the kickstarter and I regret nothing and expected what I wanted in a game.
  15. playken
    Apr 26, 2017
    10
    Finally, a game that goes back to the roots of the 3D platforming that you were begging your parents to buy or rent for you on those weekends off from school with your Nintendo 64. Consisting of the original dev team from banjo kazooie and banjo tooie, greatness was expected, and greatness came after all.

    You get what you expected, great graphics, funny voices and a quirky atmosphere,    Finally, a game that goes back to the roots of the 3D platforming that you were begging your parents to buy or rent for you on those weekends off from school with your Nintendo 64. Consisting of the original dev team from banjo kazooie and banjo tooie, greatness was expected, and greatness came after all.

    You get what you expected, great graphics, funny voices and a quirky atmosphere, topped off with the amazing music stylings of Mr. Grant Kirkhope.    … Expand
  16. KingJotun
    Apr 24, 2017
    8
    Yooka-Laylee is a modern-day Banjo-Kazooie, warts and all. Whether or not you will enjoy this game depends largely on your ability to play Banjo-Kazooie (Or more Banjo-Tooie) and still have fun.

    I still can and found Yooka-Laylee to be largely enjoyable. Some issues here and there, but nothing that ruined the experience for me.
  17. asanava18
    Apr 23, 2017
    10
    If you loved Banjo (Specially tooie) you will probably enjoy this game as much as I did. The Game is everything you would expect from a sequel to Banjo, however It has a lot of the same flaws that those games had by the time, wich is not a big problem for me. I loved the music, gameplay and world design of this game and I would really recommend it to every fan of 3D platformers. The onlyIf you loved Banjo (Specially tooie) you will probably enjoy this game as much as I did. The Game is everything you would expect from a sequel to Banjo, however It has a lot of the same flaws that those games had by the time, wich is not a big problem for me. I loved the music, gameplay and world design of this game and I would really recommend it to every fan of 3D platformers. The only problems I have with the game are the story, wich was pretty bland and uninteresting in my opinion, and most of the boss battles (3 of them were great, the others felt pretty rushed and simple). I would personaly give this game a 8.5/10 but im giving it a 10 because there are a lot of 0's of people Who are trying to lower the user score unfairly.… Expand
  18. Kamitue
    Apr 19, 2017
    9
    This game is wonderfully charming.

    I have never played Banjo Kazooie, even though I grew up in the N64 era, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect upon purchasing this game. However, I absolutely fell in love with the style, music, gameplay, and characters of Yooka Laylee. The game is an exploration/collection game. The worlds are vast and an absolute joy to wander around and solve    This game is wonderfully charming.

    I have never played Banjo Kazooie, even though I grew up in the N64 era, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect upon purchasing this game. However, I absolutely fell in love with the style, music, gameplay, and characters of Yooka Laylee. The game is an exploration/collection game. The worlds are vast and an absolute joy to wander around and solve puzzles in. The collectibles "pagies" are the right mix of difficulty to be rewarding to collect, but without being too terribly frustrating either.

    The only thing stopping this game from receiving a 10 is that the boss battles are lack luster and the arcade minigames are disappointing.

    This game makes me want to go back and find an old copy of Banjo Kazooie to see if it lives up to the legend and offers the same great experience i found in Yooka Laylee.    … Expand
  19. wellytop
    Apr 18, 2017
    10
    Get this: Yooka-Laylee has lower scores on Metacritic than Banjo: Nuts & Bolts, including the user score. But if you loved the old Banjo-Kazooie games on N64, and were disappointed by the vehicle mechanics of N&B, then you WILL love Yooka-Laylee, I 100% guarantee it.
  20. YoloSwag4Doge
    Apr 17, 2017
    8
    Yooka Laylee is exactly what I expected it to be. I didn't expect the game to give me the same magical feeling of awe I got as a child playing BK. Nor did I expect it to scare the living sh1t out of me like BK did. I anticipated a spiritual successor to the BK and BT games that would effectively play off my nostalgia and Yooka Laylee has done that in spades. The music, the graphics, theYooka Laylee is exactly what I expected it to be. I didn't expect the game to give me the same magical feeling of awe I got as a child playing BK. Nor did I expect it to scare the living sh1t out of me like BK did. I anticipated a spiritual successor to the BK and BT games that would effectively play off my nostalgia and Yooka Laylee has done that in spades. The music, the graphics, the characters, the worlds and the puzzles are all very much, to my mind, similar to what I played with in BK & BT. And it feels really good to, in effective, relive those old memories.

    Could the game have raised the bar and been so much more? Perhaps with the right time and money it could have. I sincerely don't think it's really better than BK and BT as far as content goes, but it is definitely an improvement over the graphics, controls and camera. (Though the camera can still be rather derpy at times, I don't find it nearly as bad as it was in the originals). Honestly, it feels like a modernized emulation of the originals and I'm okay with that. I enjoy it for what it is. I certainly would've preferred more maps and I feel that the maps that are there could've been more interesting.

    Now, that being said, I don't find it to be super exciting. There's some challenging mini games throughout. Some I've found frustrating, others enjoyable. Which is the same experience I had in the originals. But overall, I just find it relaxing. There's a simple satisfaction to learning new moves, collecting various items and completing puzzles. I can't say that the puzzles are super hard. Some certainly make me think, but I haven't found myself getting crazy stuck on anything so far. And I'm glad. Because I do not miss the days of being an 8 year old kid, burning my tiny insufficient brain to a crisp trying to figure out simple puzzles that to me seemed like trying to figure out rocket science.

    For me it's an awesome, satisfying game that's delivered on my expectations. But if you're looking for something innovative or particularly ground breaking in comparison to BK or BT I doubt you'll be very impressed with Yooka Laylee.    … Expand
  21. Leonardolopez
    Apr 17, 2017
    10
    A game that gives us the old adventure already forgotten as well as entertaining, of an adventure already forgotten and famous this helps us to remember with much affection
  22. MorphVGX
    Apr 17, 2017
    9
    This games looks beautiful. Great presentation, music, sounds. Characters are charming. On the downside, some frame rate drops and camera issues now and then. Controls are challenging but possible.
  23. jimstallone
    Apr 17, 2017
    10
    Playtonic basically promised a new Banjo Kazooie game and that is exactly what they delivered. From the first moment it looks and feels perfect and is a true love letter to the glory days on 64 bit gaming. If you expect anything more than what they promised that is on you. They have delivered 100% what they promised. You can't help buy play and smile as hours go by exploring and meetingPlaytonic basically promised a new Banjo Kazooie game and that is exactly what they delivered. From the first moment it looks and feels perfect and is a true love letter to the glory days on 64 bit gaming. If you expect anything more than what they promised that is on you. They have delivered 100% what they promised. You can't help buy play and smile as hours go by exploring and meeting weird characters, expanding worlds, learning new moves and most importantly collecting loads of stuff! I adore this game, it made a 32 year old feel 15 again!… Expand
  24. BannedConsole
    Apr 17, 2017
    10
    Best Game Since Banjo-Kazooie was nicked by Microsoft
    Hopefully this team will create many experiences like these over the coming years.

    Rare is Back in the form of Playtonic and with it all its humor and fun gameplay
  25. Kmonahan45
    Apr 16, 2017
    10
    This game is fantastic and is the first adventure game I have logged more than 10 hours on since Super Mario Sunshine. Couldn't be more excited for the Twoka laylee
  26. Alphadreamer
    Apr 16, 2017
    10
    Excelente plataformero al tamaño de Banjo-Kazooie, al jugarlo me sentí de vuelta en los 90s trayéndome esos gratos recuerdos de lo que fue RARE en sus tiempos de gloria (Gracias Microsoft .l.)
    Sin duda un juego que merece la pena :v
  27. Grimlock047
    Apr 15, 2017
    9
    From all the Kickstarter games I've backed this one is probably the one that not only delivered what was promised but was better in general than what I expected.

    I've been playing it since it came out and I rarely keep playing a single game for more than 1 day, let alone finish them. It's very reminicent of the N64 Rare games including the dificulty, the music the beautifully crafted    From all the Kickstarter games I've backed this one is probably the one that not only delivered what was promised but was better in general than what I expected.

    I've been playing it since it came out and I rarely keep playing a single game for more than 1 day, let alone finish them. It's very reminicent of the N64 Rare games including the dificulty, the music the beautifully crafted worlds and the humor. It's easy to ignore the dialog because the story is simple and the VO is just grunts and noises but the text has that classic Rare clever humor that puts a smile in my face. The graphics while cartoonish look beutiful in my opinion.

    The game currently has several glitches and some design issues which hopefully would be fix over time, however this doesn't prevent the game from being played or finished, there are only a few collectibles for obtaining the 100% that could be troublesome for some players until the game gets patched.

    A lot of people criticise it because it comes too close to the old games such as Banjo Kazooie which is a pretty silly complain because 1) people that backed the KS campaign got exactly what they wanted and 2) people who didn't back the KS campaign have trailers, videos and reviews to make a decision if they want to buy the game or not. My guess is that most of the people who are digging anything negative about this game do it more because they are upset that the developers removed the grunts of one of those youtube darlings, not because of the quality of the game itself.

    One more thing to consider is that while there are around 10 Call of Duty clones and probably more than 1000 retro 2D platformers for PC every year, since Psychonauts released more than 10 years ago I haven't seen a single classic 3D platformer for PC in this style that can be considered a decent game.    … Expand
  28. dmccarty
    Apr 15, 2017
    9
    Is this game perfect? no. Does it deserve the awful reviews that people are giving? Not at all. This game is a really fun call back to Banjo Kazooie. It's got the same style of grunting voices, very similar game play, and fun environments and puzzles to explore. Also the great king Kirkhope managed to make another bouncy and energetic score that I could listen to for hours. The controlsIs this game perfect? no. Does it deserve the awful reviews that people are giving? Not at all. This game is a really fun call back to Banjo Kazooie. It's got the same style of grunting voices, very similar game play, and fun environments and puzzles to explore. Also the great king Kirkhope managed to make another bouncy and energetic score that I could listen to for hours. The controls are tight, the platforming is solid and creative. Finally the jokes are great. They have some amazing hidden/not so hidden adult jokes in the game so its fun for parents and kids to play. Buy this game people. Try it out. There hasn't been a 3d platforming game this solid in literal years. It scratches that itch.

    As for the negative I don't have much to say. This game isn't a ten because it isn't an original concept, and it is not much of an improvement on the collectathon genera. There isn't any true innovation going on here, but we knew that's what this game was going to be from the start. Maybe the innovation will come with a possible sequel. Also the worlds are large and fun. The issue is that in each world after you unlock more of that said world it's not much of a new experience. All of the things you experienced in the first half of that world are going to be there in the second half without many surprises. That's not to say the individual worlds are not vastly different, its just that the worlds could have had some more things in them to keep any repetition down. Also you cannot skip a lot of dialogue and cut scenes which is a minor annoyance. Overall I see a future for this polished gem of a call back, and it is a bright one.    … Expand
  29. Pyro88
    Apr 15, 2017
    10
    This game is basically Banjo Kazooie 3, with a fresh coat of unity paint. If you want to know if you'll like it I suggest you go back and play Banzo. If you don't think that game has aged well, or your not having fun with it than this game isn't for you. This game has 4 large worlds, 25 pagies in each(puzzle piece equivalents). Some of them are very easy, while others are very difficult.This game is basically Banjo Kazooie 3, with a fresh coat of unity paint. If you want to know if you'll like it I suggest you go back and play Banzo. If you don't think that game has aged well, or your not having fun with it than this game isn't for you. This game has 4 large worlds, 25 pagies in each(puzzle piece equivalents). Some of them are very easy, while others are very difficult. Each world has much more collectives such as quills to unlock new abilities in each world. At the end of the day this game is best described as a collectable platformer. Bosses are actually challenging. Combat isn't the focus of this game at all. nearly every enemy dies in 1/2 hits, so don't expect an upgrade from Banzo.… Expand
  30. triffy
    Apr 15, 2017
    10
    After the first hour this game grew on me and it brought back so many of the old feelings that i got when playing platformers. The graphics look really nice, it is fun to explore the worlds and discover all the pagies. the controls are fine, the camera is a bit weird, but nothing that can stop me from enjoying this game. I don't know why so many try to hate it. I love it.
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Awards & Rankings

38
#38 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017
51
#51 Most Shared PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 32
  3. Negative: 1 out of 32
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    May 15, 2017
    60
    Likeable and (sometimes) funny 3D platformer in an open world does not even try to keep up with time. The acknowledged spiritual successor of the first Banjo-Kazooie is precised up to the last detail to give the same gameplay as its 1998 ”original”. [Issue#274]
  2. GameCritics
    May 9, 2017
    55
    I recently revisited the original Banjo-Kazooie as part of the Rare Replay compilation and still found it to be the best of its genre, and I’m not one of those people who believes that a mascot platformer has no place in the modern gaming scene. I was ready to celebrate the return of this genre, but Yooka-Laylee is simply a chore to play. The folks at Playtonic have demonstrated that they can recreate the spirit of old-school 3D platformers. Now, critically, they need to recreate the quality.
    Read full review
  3. Merlin'in Kazanı (Turkey)
    May 7, 2017
    73
    Quotation forthcoming.
    Read full review
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