Yooka-Laylee

 Xbox One
User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 129 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 129
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 129
  3. Negative: 50 out of 129
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  1. Bure1088
    Oct 27, 2019
    10
    Shame on all of you for rating this game so low. This game is great. Funny characters at times. Big interesting worlds. Puzzles are interesting and smartly made. Really enjoyed this game and highly recommend it especially if you’ve played Banjo Kazooie before.
  2. bubblegumfuji
    Apr 12, 2017
    10
    Absolutely unique, beautiful, and a blast to play. Yooka Laylee's gameplay is centered around one simple concept: fun. You'll spend the roughly 30-40 hour quest playfully exploring giant colorful dreamscapes filled with a surprising amount of challenges and a plethora of quirky (and quite needy) characters.

    Yooka-Laylee doesn't hold your hand while forcing you along a linear    Absolutely unique, beautiful, and a blast to play. Yooka Laylee's gameplay is centered around one simple concept: fun. You'll spend the roughly 30-40 hour quest playfully exploring giant colorful dreamscapes filled with a surprising amount of challenges and a plethora of quirky (and quite needy) characters.

    Yooka-Laylee doesn't hold your hand while forcing you along a linear path--instead, it trusts you to play the game at your own pace. This freedom not only provides a fantastic and epic adventure but also a great sense of accomplishment as you see your collectable list fill up with tokens marking your achievements.

    This game is a stunning creation by a very passionate team of developers and deserves a place in gamer's hearts. An instant classic!    … Expand
  3. rubencube
    Apr 14, 2017
    10
    Undoubtedly the best platform game since n64, the music is great, it gives off pure magic and beautiful gameplay, the dialogues are very well done and they have that spicy Banjo Kazooie spice, awesome game !!!
  4. Mathew714
    Apr 12, 2017
    8
    I found this game to be quite enjoyable. The characters and abilities are interesting. The only world I've really had a problem with is the second one. It's a mess with all the caves and tunnels that connect different locations. Other than that the game is good. I rarely had problems with the camera. If you want a nice 8-12 hour platformer that will be a fun time then I recommend you try this out.
  5. Daniel17
    Apr 18, 2017
    9
    I don't care what the critics have got to say, I love this game. Yooka-Laylee is one of the most underrated games of 2017. It perfectly captures to revive the 3D collectathon platforming genre from the late 90s to the early 2000s. Despite the camera issues, it had a solid story, loveable characters, incredibly fun and enjoyable gameplay, smooth and responsive controls, beautiful graphics,I don't care what the critics have got to say, I love this game. Yooka-Laylee is one of the most underrated games of 2017. It perfectly captures to revive the 3D collectathon platforming genre from the late 90s to the early 2000s. Despite the camera issues, it had a solid story, loveable characters, incredibly fun and enjoyable gameplay, smooth and responsive controls, beautiful graphics, cleverly imaginative designs, great music, great humour, lots of collecting and challenges to do, creative and innovative moves, and engagingly challenging boss battles. I highly recommend it to Banjo-Kazooie fans who grow up with this game with the feeling of nostalgia. I gave it a 9 out of 10.… Expand
  6. seynie
    Apr 18, 2017
    9
    Great game!
    I've finished Banjo Kazooie again in the rare replay,
    and this is what it said it would be a new Banjo game without the licence of Banjo!
    i love it and def deserves a bigger score on here.
    but next time no unity! there are some performance issues that shouldn't be there.
  7. shouldbeatwork
    Apr 15, 2017
    9
    For a long time fan of 3d platformers like Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie, this game really hit the spot! It's gorgeous, fun, and I think successfully expands on what was great about Banjo games of the past while striking a nice balance between previous design decisions (e.g. levels start out large but not too large (like in Banjo Kazooie), and then can be expanded to really open things up andFor a long time fan of 3d platformers like Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie, this game really hit the spot! It's gorgeous, fun, and I think successfully expands on what was great about Banjo games of the past while striking a nice balance between previous design decisions (e.g. levels start out large but not too large (like in Banjo Kazooie), and then can be expanded to really open things up and be huge (more like Tooie)). If you're looking for more of the kind of fun you had playing Banjo Kazooie and the like, look no further. If you didn't really enjoy Banjo Kazooie and are hoping this iteration is largely different, you might want to check out something else. I think Playtonic succeeded magnificently in making a spiritual successor to their previous work.

    Other notes: I play this game on an Xbox One S. I was concerned with early reports of frequent frame drops and a bad camera (pre the release-day patch). I haven't had any performance issues while playing -- it runs great and the few times I've notice the frame rate drop after playing for 10+ hours were brief and didn't effect gameplay. The camera took a little getting used to (I came straight from playing Banjo on the 360) but after a short while I didn't have any issues (not sure if I got used to it, or if it just was annoying in a few places that I haven't come back to regularly).    … Expand
  8. TheVirtualDude
    Feb 24, 2020
    10
    Any kid that grew up with an n64 will love this game. This game helped me get back into adventure games and platformers instead of just playing sports games. I completed it 100% on switch and Xbox one. This is a game that I was thankful to play because it reminded me so much of growing up with banjo kazoo I’ve and Mario 64. The camera is amazing compared to the older style games on 64
  9. BKComerford
    Apr 12, 2017
    10
    Liked the game despite the fact that fat nerd was kicked off production. The less fat nerds working on games the better. They should all play Dungeons and Dragons instead, like Dan Harmon or his fatter, nerdier counterpart, Ron Weasley
  10. Kmonahan45
    Apr 16, 2017
    10
    This game is absolutely great. If you are hating on this game it's unwarranted. I couldn't be more excited to play this game everyday. Can't wait for Twoka - Layleee to be released
  11. TheQuietGamer
    Jun 25, 2017
    8
    Yooka-Laylee is one of those rare games that actually delivers on what it promised. It brings back a style of gameplay that we just don't see anymore. Whether or not it will live up in your mind to Banjo-Kazooie and the other 3rd person platforming games we all so lovingly remember from the past console generations I cannot say for sure. What I can tell you is that it's a well-madeYooka-Laylee is one of those rare games that actually delivers on what it promised. It brings back a style of gameplay that we just don't see anymore. Whether or not it will live up in your mind to Banjo-Kazooie and the other 3rd person platforming games we all so lovingly remember from the past console generations I cannot say for sure. What I can tell you is that it's a well-made reminder of what makes this genre so great and sorely missed. It's also got enough satisfying challenges of it's own to ensure that it's more than just nostalgia making things interesting.

    Collection and exploration are the main focuses of the game. You'll explore several worlds along with the main hub connecting them all. Your job is to collect everything you can get your hands on. Each kind of collectible serves a purpose towards your progression outside of just a 100% completion ratio. The more you collect, the more worlds you'll be able to unlock and expand. You also purchase new moves with your collectibles that allow you to access new areas and challenges.

    In each world you'll interact with various characters who will give you tasks you must complete in order to get the more important "Pagie" collectibles, which are necessary to beat the game. There are also platforming challenges built into the world's themselves which will also give you a Pagie and usually require a specific move in order to be completed. Going back to previously visited worlds with a new ability and being able to collect more items, which in turn allows you to gain access to further areas of the game makes for an addicting and satisfying loop. Especially since the vast majority of the challenges are incredibly well-made. The "Capital Cashino" world does take a slight dip in quality compared to the rest, but for the most part they are all a blast to explore. The exciting boss battles are also a particular treat.

    Yooka-Laylee isn't without some flaws though. For example the lack of any sort of map system makes finding new areas kind of a pain, especially when returning to an area you haven't been in a while. Tracking down those last few, elusive collectibles can be a bit of a pain as a result. The lack of any sort of fast-travel system means that you have to recover stretches on the large hub-world in order to revisit a previous world. The backtracking gets a little tedious after a while, even with a few shortcuts being hidden around here and there. Multi-stage boss battles can also have some frustrating moments due to the fact that a death means you have to start back from the beginning of the fight. That one isn't too bad though as, with the exception of the Cashino and final boss, they aren't too challenging. The mumbling dialog that accompanies the story gets dull fast. I get that it's meant to harken back to older platformers, but I still would have rather had voice acting rather than all that reading and annoying grunting from the characters. The biggest flaw is the camera though. It's usually fine, but every now and then will just freak out and it has the tendency to hung up on the geometry of the world(s). There are few things more frustrating in these kinds of games than having your view obscured and dying as a result.

    Before concluding the review, I'd like to talk a little more about the positive aspects of Yooka-Laylee. With the gameplay having already been discussed that leaves the presentation and writing. The bright, colorful, and cartoonish graphics are wonderful in a time where gaming is still covered in the grays and browns of war. The soundtrack is excellent and it's a very funny game. Dialog is filled with clever jokes and it's self-referential nature is a blast. There are quite a few laughs to be had here.

    It's a title that's perfect for all ages and serves as a very enjoyable throwback to a genre that was unfortunately largely left in the past. Even if you find it doesn't live up to your favorites from back in the day, such as the Banjo-Kazooie to which this serves as a spiritual successor to, you should still find that it makes a strong case for this style of gameplay should make a comeback. There are some flaws from the past that have stuck around, but Yooka-Laylee is a heck of a lot of fun. If you've ever thought to yourself, "dang I wish they made some games like the ones from back on the N64," this is very likely going to make your day. Or rather your week. There's a lot of content here. It took me about 21 hours to make it to and beat the final boss. So on top of all the well-made gameplay and old-school appeal, there's plenty of bang for your buck as well.    … Expand
  12. SadPugFace12
    Nov 23, 2017
    9
    Yooka Laylee may not be 'Banjo-Threeie' As most fans may have hoped, however, what we got in return was a truly fun, wonderful, and expansive successor to a beloved franchise. And as for new content, you now have the ability to well... unlock different abilities with a collectible called quills (found commonly) And the writing is simply superb, its self aware, funny, smart, and overallYooka Laylee may not be 'Banjo-Threeie' As most fans may have hoped, however, what we got in return was a truly fun, wonderful, and expansive successor to a beloved franchise. And as for new content, you now have the ability to well... unlock different abilities with a collectible called quills (found commonly) And the writing is simply superb, its self aware, funny, smart, and overall just a joy to read. The only major flaw with the game is the camera. it often times will go beneath Yooka when you are pressing 'A' to jump, leading to unfair death. And the overall controls could be better, in particular moving around with the camera is wonky. In conclusion, Yooka-Laylee judged as a successor, or on its own merits is an endlessly fun experience that shouldn't be missed, Confirm Twoka-Laylee!… Expand
  13. Ilovetechnology
    Feb 12, 2018
    10
    I have been waiting for this game to come out ever since I first heard about it, and have not been disappointed! It is the banjo Threeie that I have waited for ever since I was little! Yes, the plot is relatively simple, and I wish the DNray transformations could be used in a bigger variety of ways, but those things don’t annoy me enough to lower the score even a little. This has been aI have been waiting for this game to come out ever since I first heard about it, and have not been disappointed! It is the banjo Threeie that I have waited for ever since I was little! Yes, the plot is relatively simple, and I wish the DNray transformations could be used in a bigger variety of ways, but those things don’t annoy me enough to lower the score even a little. This has been a wonderful blast of nastolgia from my n64 Banjo kazooie days from the graffics to the music and voices, and I have loved every minute of it.… Expand
  14. MOLEX3000
    Jun 23, 2020
    10
    Great game, great gameplay, great experience ! The Return of platformers from N64! Love it!
  15. neomoonsevin
    Apr 10, 2023
    10
    Very good game definitely has banjo vibes and has some unique powers you wouldn't otherwise think about on that order but it's unique enough to stand alone by itself bring on the sequel to yooka

Awards & Rankings

30
#30 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2017
24
#24 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 39
  3. Negative: 1 out of 39
  1. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    May 29, 2017
    70
    Wickedly funny and not afraid to make you work, Yooka-Laylee is diabolically fun. [June 2017, p.69]
  2. Worth Playing
    May 12, 2017
    80
    Yooka-Laylee is classic 3D-era platformer. It brings an updated presentation to the genre, and it provides some solid and familiar platforming mechanics. The large levels provide a nice playground for those abilities, and while the combat isn't anything special, it's a lot of fun to complete the various tasks to collect pagies. If you can deal with the problematic camera, Yooka-Laylee is worth checking out.
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  3. Windows Central
    Apr 14, 2017
    80
    Hopefully Playtonic continues to support Yooka-Laylee with updates and refinements. But even with a few rough edges here and there, this is still a huge game that platforming fans must not miss.
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