Yooka-Laylee

By turns infectious and infuriating, this is a glorious throwback for the most part, but its inconsistencies hold it back from greatness. Likeable, but flawed. [May 2017, p.77]

As a whole, Yooka-Laylee is an old-school platformer both marred and bolstered by what it introduces. Tedious distractions abound, but the addition of cute and thought-provoking abilities is impossible not to appreciate. Other tweaks lend a greater sense of adventure than the collect-a-thons of old, but again, there are new problems - like that awful camera - that constantly butt their way in. Ultimately, Yooka-Laylee isn't really a categorical improvement or downgrade from its predecessors in the genre; it's just different. If Playtonic Games can produce a sequel that eliminates the problems and expands upon the strengths, we may yet get a true masterpiece. What we have for now is, at the end of the day, a good game.

Yooka-Laylee is gorgeous. It is a delight to behold. But its design and mechanics don't always match up to its ambitions.

Yooka-Laylee is a good Banjo-Kazooie-like, packed with a colorfull world, good gameplay and a lot of humor. It doesn't reach the level of its model, but is for sure a nice modern alternative.

Yooka-Laylee is a good game, but not as good as we expected. Great ideas not so well-executed, with minor issues and big ones, including the controls and level design. Still, this type of game has been disappeared for so long that if you like the genre you will definitely enjoy it.

Yooka Laylee is a great example of what can be achieved with the 3D platform. It is let down only by its lack of motivating narrative progression, and a tendency to get a little monotonous.

Yooka-Layle offers an interesting take on the classic 3D platform formula. It's a pity that it controls and behaves not as expected from some experienced developers as the Playtonic guys are.

It perfectly fulfils its brief of being a new Banjo-Kazooie game in all but name, but Yooka-Laylee’s reliance on nostalgia may struggle to find new fans.

Yooka-Laylee is fun, but it is rarely brilliant; it's pleasant, but not always memorable; and never reaches or surpasses the glorious masterpieces that inspired the team.

Technical issues aside, there’s little to argue against Yooka-Laylee doing a fine job identifying just what makes 3D platformers such a joy to invest in aesthetically.

Of all the potential hurdles to snag on in creating a 3D platformers in the style of the late nineties classics, Playtonic deftly avoids the most egregious ones by far. At its very core, Yooka-Laylee succeeds in reviving a format long forgotten and does so with such vigor and passion. However, players shouldn’t expect it to reinvent the genre.

Half of the game is wonderful, the other half is frustrating, as Yooka-Laylee stumbles in some key aspects. The character feels floaty which makes controlling him a bit tricky. Some portions of the world seem designed for a different genre and break the flow that is absolutely crucial to platformers. And then there’s annoying camera. The first Banjo-Kazooie, which is almost 20 years old, is actually more polished than Yooka-Laylee. [06/2017, p.63]

Competent and charming, if a little disappointing. [Issue#187, p.73]

A throwback to a decade ago, this is a decent game, but needed longer in development. [May 2017, p.81]

This characterful, sprawling throwback might well have been considered a classic two decades ago. But, as its creators have patently discovered, it isn't 1997 anymore. [June 2017, p.86]

Misplaced hype? Nostalgia done poorly? A shinier clone of Banjo-Kazooie? Yooka-Laylee is a prime example of all of these things, serving up fifteen passable hours of entertainment yet not managing to surprise at any point along the way. But while those looking to revisit their youth will likely find the game enjoyable enough, Yooka-Laylee is also a testament to why the book should stay closed on the lessons gaming has already learned.

It treads in a fine line between spiritual successor and blatant rip-off of Banjo-Kazooie, featuring identical design choices with the Rare classics. Nevertheless, it contains a fulfilling amount of environmental riddles and challenging platforming that are hampered from the complete attachment to the past and a camera that quite simple could be considered as the most nefarious villain of the game.

Yooka-Laylee seems more targeted towards nostalgic adults than the next generation of young gamers. This makes sense, considering who was responsible for helping Yooka-Laylee become a reality, but it’s also a shame. The 3D platformer seems to have all-but-disappeared and I miss the playful, exploratory joy of these children’s games; I think the current generation is losing something due to their absence. Overall, I enjoyed my time with Yooka-Laylee, but I’m disappointed it chose to be a window into the past rather than a peek into the future.

Evoking the essence of late-'90s platforming without significantly modernising it, Yooka-Laylee is a game with noble aspirations, grounded by clumsily flawed execution.

The potential was there, and this game has certainly been supported well enough by both Kickstarter and Team-17 that budget shouldn't have been a concern either. The issue is, simply, that Yooka-Laylee proves that nostalgia is a difficult beast to wrestle with for game developers. All that being said, I do hope that Playtonic stick around though, as there is the clear potential and passion for the studio to grow and produce a true great in the genre.

It's colourful, there are collectibles, and it's got a rotten camera: Yooka-Laylee is a 90s platformer to a tee. Unfortunately, rather than a rose-tinted look at the titles of yore, this game falls into all of the same pitfalls as its predecessors: it's rough around the edges, often annoying, and at times even a chore. And yet for all of its flaws it's still packing the most important ingredient of all: the compulsion to collect everything is strong here – and it'll remain even when you're grinding your teeth.

Yooka-Laylee is a nostalgic trip to the past that ignores all the innovations that came after it. There's an appeal to return to a bygone era of platforming, but it's quickly washed away with long stretches of tedious, boring gameplay, and a sense of wit that thinks it's far smarter than it really is.

Yooka-Laylee feels like an old Rare platformer, including many cool challenges, funny characters and colorful audiovisual design. The design of the levels, though, is a big let down. They are so frustrating that Yooka-Laylee is best played in short sessions.

Yooka-Laylee shows there’s room for nostalgia-flavored 3D platforming in today’s market by reminding us of the joys of well-built, colorful worlds, and daft, fun characters. Unfortunately, the good work put in by Playtonic to modernise the stagnant genre is hamstrung by glaring technical issues that dull the vibrancy, and cloud over your enjoyment.

Yooka-Laylee is an attempt to revive the soul of Banjo Kazooie. However, it has a myriad of problems that prevent it from becoming the great platformer fans had hoped for.

When the original is so readily available, and still so thoroughly playable, Playtonic's recreation of the recipe can't help but fall flat.

Yooka-Laylee is a nostalgic old-school adventure, but it’s too retro for its own good. Frustrating game mechanics, annoying boss fights and the complete lack of guidance become infuriating as the game progresses...Hopefully, in Yooka-Laylee 2, Playtonic finds a balance between new and old – because it’s quite clear the magic isn't lost; it just needs a few new tricks.

Yooka-Laylee simply doesn't live up to todays standards. Especially when compared to the well designed games we've been served lately.

A heartfelt homage to Banjo-Kazooie, lacking the grace, technical mastery and playability that made the original a classic.