Yooka-Laylee

 Switch
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 167 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 103 out of 167
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 167
  3. Negative: 31 out of 167

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  1. B-Bog
    Jun 22, 2021
    4
    It's...not very good. The only way that I can see that you could possibly give this game a 8 or higher (10?? for this?? are you insane??) is if maybe you were a giant fan of Banjo-Kazooie/Tooie back in the day and have not played a single 3D platformer since then.

    First off, the game looks terrible. Seriously, Super Mario Galaxy looks better than this most of the time and that came out    It's...not very good. The only way that I can see that you could possibly give this game a 8 or higher (10?? for this?? are you insane??) is if maybe you were a giant fan of Banjo-Kazooie/Tooie back in the day and have not played a single 3D platformer since then.

    First off, the game looks terrible. Seriously, Super Mario Galaxy looks better than this most of the time and that came out 10 years before Yooka on the Wii for crying out loud.

    The music is incredibly bland and boring, absolutely no comparison to the iconic tracks Grant Kirkhope composed for BK.

    The platforming feels stiff and awkward. The levels are way too big for no good reason,so they end up feeling lifeless and empty. The challenges the game throws at you are uninspired to the point of seeming random. Quills are also just sort of strewn through the level, with no real rhyme or reason to it.

    Checkpointing is not a thing, you just start at the last doorway you exited. That might've been acceptable in 1998, it is not today.

    Combat is as unsatisfying as it possibly could be. There's no weight behind any of your moves and you don't get proper feedback through sound or vibration, so it feels like you're just sort of floating through your enemies.

    Yooka and Laylee as characters are pretty bland in comparison to the way Banjo and Kazooie played off of each other. In fact, the whole game could be described as that: A worse version of Banjo-Kazooie.

    In conclusion, this game lacks charm, is uninspired, and looks and plays more like a Unity engine demo than a finished video game made by former Rare employees. And, maybe worst of all, it's just plain BORING.

    If, like many others here in this review section, you're willing to forgive giant flaws in game design just because the game vaguely reminds you of Banjo and thus your youth, then sure, give Y-L a go (although you could also just go play Banjo-Kazooie, which is way better). If this description doesn't fit you and you're looking for a well-made 3D platformer on the Switch, stay as far away from this as you possibly can and go play Mario Odyssey or maybe New Super Lucky's Tale.    … Expand
  2. Fluffito
    Feb 28, 2021
    0
    Regarding the Switch version - the controls are insufferable. < 2 hours on record, and I had to call it quits. Huge regret-purchase.
  3. Brotchen
    Dec 15, 2019
    3
    War ein absoluter Fehlkauf. Liegt vielleicht daran, dass ich mit Mario Odyssey verwöhnt bin, aber das Gameplay ist vor allem wegen der Kameraführung absolut ungenießbar. Habe nach dem ersten Lvl keine Lust mehr gehabt zu spielen, weil man ständig deswegen stirbt oder noch mal von vorne anfangen kann.
    Für Kinder unter 12 ist das Spiel zwar in Ordnung aber jeder der älter ist, sollte sein    War ein absoluter Fehlkauf. Liegt vielleicht daran, dass ich mit Mario Odyssey verwöhnt bin, aber das Gameplay ist vor allem wegen der Kameraführung absolut ungenießbar. Habe nach dem ersten Lvl keine Lust mehr gehabt zu spielen, weil man ständig deswegen stirbt oder noch mal von vorne anfangen kann.
    Für Kinder unter 12 ist das Spiel zwar in Ordnung aber jeder der älter ist, sollte sein Geld hier sparen    … Expand
  4. Phuz
    Apr 3, 2021
    0
    Played the demo. The whole play on words got on my **** from the get go. It lacked character and charisma and I just thought I would rather be playing anything else right now.

    Is it bad, no but it is also not remotely good in a world with 10's of 1000's of video games to choose from. Honestly, a game of Solitaire would have been more fun.
  5. Saselpipero333
    Oct 8, 2019
    2
    Yes. It´s another generic Nintendon´t game. The switch version is capped. Already the other versions stinks like a ******* ****. Sega is much better man. Play with Sonic or Mari instead.
  6. sinetic
    Feb 14, 2022
    4
    Horrible game design. Tha game just feels wrong and rushed. The sequel is way better with a 2D approach
  7. JAG7
    Sep 22, 2022
    0
    Terrible game! It’s on my top 5 worst games that I’ve ever played!! Can’t figure out the people who gave 7’s much less the ones that give 10’s!!
    Where to start:
    1. Has serious frame rate issues. Terrible! 2.Boring, frustrating, irritating and tedious gameplay Becomes a chore to play. I got totally fed up , angry and frustrated. 3.Don’t be fool by the cute visuals, that’s all that this game    Terrible game! It’s on my top 5 worst games that I’ve ever played!! Can’t figure out the people who gave 7’s much less the ones that give 10’s!!
    Where to start:
    1. Has serious frame rate issues. Terrible!
    2.Boring, frustrating, irritating and tedious gameplay Becomes a chore to play. I got totally fed up , angry and frustrated.
    3.Don’t be fool by the cute visuals, that’s all that this game has . The rest is bad design and bad plataforming. Horrible execution of the ideas.
    3.No direction at all. You don’t know if you can do or not a quest on a certain time.
    4. Extremely vague puzzles, no clues or hints.
    Had to play with a guide and even doing that ,I ended up quiting the game.
    5. Very annoying and irritating wakka-wakka voices ( had to turn down the voice volume or went nuts) even the music score becomes annoying and repetitive after a while.
    6. Confusing level design. Horrible design , you need to backtrack a lot. It gives you a lot of moves but doesn’t tell you where to use them. Terrible guidance!!
    7. Every task becomes and endless trial and error because of the horrible designs and lazy controls.You spend too much time trying to do one task or quest because of the controls and the unfair mechanics.
    7. There’s no map system. Oh my God!! For a crap of a confusing game like this ,this would have been necessary. 8. Platforming is not good. It has a floaty jump mechanism and lazy controls.
    The devs made lazy, bad design choices and terrible and clumsy control mechanics .
    9. Target system is wrong
    10. Devs tried to be funny and they’re not ! Stupid and silly jokes!
    11. Irritating and unnecessary segments like the quizz test. I hate so much that part!
    12. The cutscenes of the boss fights can’t be skip.
    It infuriates me how cheap and unfair some task are in this game. This is not a game made for people to enjoy.
    I HATE THIS GAME!!! I regret buying it and playing it! I wish for a refund!
    I quit !! I’m never coming back! Don’t buy this crap please!    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

81
#81 Best Switch Game of 2017
39
#39 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2017
66
#66 Most Shared Switch Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. FNintendo
    Feb 26, 2018
    70
    Yooka-Laylee brings back some of the action platforming magic that was so successful in the late 90s in an effort that is full of nostalgic bliss. Being more of a retro-looking work than a trailblazing new platformer, it could use some improvements regarding certain sections that turn out to be too frustrating for its own good, as well as its combat mechanics and the way the camera moves but none of this prevents Yooka-Laylee from striking a chord with the fans of classic 3D platformers.
    Read full review
  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Feb 26, 2018
    75
    Playtonic's decision to hew so closely to '90s platformer conventions works both in Yooka-Laylee's favor and to its detriment. [Issue #32 – March/April 2018, p. 17]
  3. DarkStation
    Jan 16, 2018
    80
    Yooka-Laylee doesn’t branch too far from its obvious Banjo-Kazooie roots. It simply takes a bigger is better approach that doesn’t always work in its favor. Despite the flaws, it's a joy to explore the worlds and collect every goody. Yooka-Laylee may not be the most polished platformer around, but Playtonic Games has created an enjoyable love letter to 90's collectathon platforming. Hardcore fans of the genre will want to set their googly eyes on this one.
    Read full review
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