Yooka Laylee reviews

[ratchetdude231]

Gamesradar: 3/5

 

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Unfortunately, by not so much updating 20 year-old design concepts as porting them wholesale into the present - naiveties and technical issues complete - Yooka-Laylee recreates its origins far too accurately. The best of Banjo-Kazooie is here, but so is the worst, with a few new problems to boot. And while a lot of this was much less of an issue in ’98, in 2017 it just makes Yooka-Laylee a whole lot harder to like than you’ll want to. 

Digitally downloaded

 

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Yooka-Laylee doesn’t do anything to try and modernise an old-school classic. That’s completely fine in my books, I don’t need maps, checkpoints or level markers in my 3D platformers. I loved what was on offer back on the Nintendo 64, and I'm prepared to love it all over again. It's crushing that Yooka-Laylee does not reach the heights of brilliance of the game it clearly draws its inspiration from. On its own, it is a decent game that is playable, but we were promised characters as delightful as in Banjo-Kazooie, and gameplay as slick and joyful to back those characters up. 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.

 

Pushsquare

 

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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.

 

PSU

 

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It’s unfortunate because Playtonic has done a marvelous job of creating cheery, colorful worlds, filled with cool secrets and plenty of character. There’s plenty of enjoyment on a basic level for newcomers, especially the younger among us; and for the people who backed this game, or were revelling in the return of the genre, it’s easier to pay the price of Yooka-Laylee’s foibles to experience the brightly-colored charm, detail and depth of a honest-to-goodness 3D platformer once again. I see this as a starting point for greater things for Playtonic, and others. Hopefully the next one will be in a better engine, because the negatives generally come from that, and not the small development team’s efforts.

 

Hardcore gamer

 

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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. Yet for every ingenious use of level design or brilliantly-sinister, hair-pulling puzzle along the way comes the more superficial choice of an unruly control scheme that only goes to frustrate players at the most critical of moments. Regardless, whether your expertise in this genre is that of a veteran or complete newbie, there’s plenty to admire and even chuckle at through the game’s charming, varied cast of characters and on-point writing at the best of times. While Yooka-Laylee’s less-than-clear communication gameplay-wise does toss up a baffled look on more than one instance, its efforts are still enjoyable.

 

Critical Hit

 

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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.

 

Playstation Lifestyle

 

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Yooka-Laylee is a breath of fresh air. Playtonic Games knows platforming, and knows it well. The incredibly precise reactions needed by players, coupled with the lack of some of the genre’s more modern conveniences may turn some newer/younger gamers off. But for those looking for a deceptively deep collect-a-thon that has an entertaining story and wonderfully-crafted world, look no further. With an asking price of $39.99, this is an easy recommendation for platforming fans.

 

 

Slant Magazine

 

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Only rarely does the game's homage get a bit too thick. The cast speaks in an irritatingly unskippable gibberish language, boss fights are overly long, and mandatory “Quackfire” quizzes interrupt the gameplay. But even these low points ooze creativity, as the written dialogue is filled with jokes (Cumulo Nimble introduces “Cloud-based racing, how next-gen”), the distinct bosses range from an angry, widowed moon (Planette) to a short-sighted supercomputer (I.N.E.P.T.), and the quizzes provide a well-earned opportunity to go back and reflect on all the wild creations scattered throughout each of the five massive worlds. The ability to find a use for even potentially outdated design elements is proof that Yooka-Laylee isn't interested in coasting on nostalgia, but in establishing brand-new memories for the next generation.

 

Gameinformer

 

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Though camera problems and outdated level design are present at times, the moments of exhilaration, discovery, and satisfaction far outweigh those pitfalls. It feels like ages since I've played something like Yooka-Laylee. This is a game that was built for those who look back with fondness on the classics that spawned it, and in that regard, it delivers completely. 

 

Thedigitalfix

 

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Despite its tendency to get a little dull, Yooka-Laylee is certainly a cheerful game, with lots of entertaining challenges to discover, and some dark humour simmering beneath the surface. The majority of the gameplay is a delight, and the worlds are a joy to discover and explore. However, it may lend itself to shorter bursts of gameplay rather than extended periods of play – roaming for an hour before dinner, or with the kids before they go to bed. 

 

 

PS4 Version is currently sitting at a 64 Metacritic score

 

Edited April 11, 2017 by Ratchet

[Sir_Bee]

Well that is on the disappointing side.  This was going to be high on my to play list, but now I don't know.  I will still likely play it at some point, but just not soon.

[StrickenBiged]

Well, I'm getting my code any day now as I was a backer. I understand where the reviews are coming from but they said that they'd deliver a Banjo-Kazooie game and, for better and for worse, it sounds like they've delivered. 

[Happy]

Talk about a mighty kick in the pecker. Looks like i'll buy Snake Pass instead until this one drops in price.

[PSNP is crap i left]

Well, i backed the game so i'm getting it regardless but still pretty bummed to hear about this.

[Venocide]

Jim Sterling gave it a 2/10... damn. I didn't expect it to get amazing reviews, the game is a throw back that appeals to a certain audience. It's not going to set the world on fire in 2017 and therefore will not be getting 9s and 10s.

[ArmoredSnowman]

Eh, I'll just wait till gamers actually play it, and see. Not like I'll be getting it upon release anyhow.

[crimsonidol38]

After some seesaw whether I should get the game or not I decided to preorder it last week. By my surprise I got a code for the Toybox/Playground-demo which gives a basic insight in the game and I'm not sure how many of the game's mechanics are kept in the final game but what I played felt like a 90s 3D-platformer to the core. Personally I don't mind this. And hey, it still seems like it will be better than Mighty No. 9. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[BlazingCat83]

 Sounds like they took the old school thing literally.

Edited April 4, 2017 by Torracat83

[ratchetdude231]

Just now, Torracat83 said:

I had this preordered, but think I may change it to something else.

I was going to pre-order this game, but I decided to wait on reviews simply because it's a kickstarter game. After the Mighty No.9 fiasco I learned to never buy a Kickstarter game without waiting for reviews first. I'm glad I waited on reviews on this one.

 

It's still unfortunate though as I was looking forward to a good 3D platformer. Here is hoping the Crash remaster and maybe Knack 2 scratch that platformer itch for me. 

[crimsonidol38]

11 minutes ago, Ratchet said:

I was going to pre-order this game, but I decided to wait on reviews simply because it's a kickstarter game.

 

The way a game is financed doesn't give any information about how the game turns out, though. There are Kickstarter-financed games that are just mediocre like Mighty No. 9, or Dragon Fin Soup but then there are also games like Shovel Knight, Hyper Light Drifter, or Armello which have good reviews. And then there are games which are somewhere in the middleground like Yooka-Laylee.

 

I guess the main problem with some Kickstarter-games like Mighty, Yooka or the upcoming Bloodstained is that they try to appeal too much to nostalgia with all their references to the games which we loved during our childhood/early days and sometimes forget to include things that fit the more modern attiude of gaming media which make the games easier to enjoy. E..g it's nice to have an old-school collect-a-thon once in a while, without all those markers but they can leave wonky camera controls in the past.

[ratchetdude231]

Just now, Crimson Idol said:

 

The way a game is financed doesn't give any information about how the game turns out, though. There are Kickstarter-financed games that are just mediocre like Mighty No. 9, or Dragon Fin Soup but then there are also games like Shovel Knight, Hyper Light Drifter, or Armello which have good reviews. And then there are games which are somewhere in the middleground like Yooka-Laylee.

 

I guess the main problem with some Kickstarter-games like Mighty, Yooka or the upcoming Bloodstained is that they try to appeal too much to nostalgia with all their references to the games which we loved during our childhood/early days and sometimes forget to include things that fit the more modern attiude of gaming media which make the games easier to enjoy. E..g it's nice to have an old-school collect-a-thon once in a while, without all those markers but they can leave wonky camera controls in the past.

I agree, it's just that Mighty No:9 has made me a lot more cautious of Kickstarter games I guess is what I'm trying to say. I'm probably still going to pick up the game at some point just not until the game is a bit cheaper. 

[NetEntity]

Well, then I'll just redeem my backer code as soon as it comes, and let it sit in my download history. At least it'll be there when I get myself a PS4 in a couple of years.

[The Arizona Ranger]

Well, this is somewhat disappointing to see with the low review scores coming in. I personally thought that the game (from what I have seen in trailers, gameplay videos, Toybox videos) looked like it was fun and a nostalgia trip back to the glory days of the 3D platformer games of the 1990's, when Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, and Donkey Kong 64 were in their prime. Sadly, judging by the reviews and issues that have been popping up with the game (camera issues, framerate chugging/slowdown, etc), I will be passing on this game until it comes down in price.

 

Oh well, perhaps by the time I do get it (most likely around the end of this year), it will have been patched for better in-game performance (less camera woes, framerate issues) and will be a decent, somewhat enjoyable experience. 

[jasondm300]

The reviews make me a bit sad, but I will get my code as a backer and give my own view as I play it.  I may love it, as I was a massive fan of DK64 and Banjo-Kazooie, and then the next gen, Jak and Daxter

[ThiophenSJ]

I played a first hour of the game yesterday, and I have to say I agree with those reviews, sadly. Let's be honest, the game wanted to be like Banjo & Kazooie, and it is exactly that. No one can argue they didn't deliver what they promised. The characters always making grunts when speaking with them, big and beautiful worlds with lots to collect, but no map, interesting gameplay but bad camera.

If I had played this game on my N64, I'm sure I would have loved it. But now it's just that I maybe grew out of it. Don't get me wrong, Yooka-Laylee isn't a bad game, but it's not a great game either. I will surely play more of it and maybe the nostalgia factor will kick in after some more playing.

[SkyMason]

I'm really enjoying my time with it. I haven't played Banjo Kazooie or any of Rare's old games (other than Diddy Kong racing, ha) but I'm actually enjoying the challenge and how the game more or less puts everything in the hands of the player - no map, no easy way to find collectibles, etc. There is some honestly annoying puzzles and minigames that require some trial and error, though. Some of it gets on my nerves, yeah, and the difficulty and openness will probably put a lot of people off, but I think it works really well, and I've really enjoyed a game that for once has a minimum amount of hand holding and encourages actual experimentation and exploration. For anyone wanting something different, I really recommend trying it out for yourself, just don't expect all the luxuries and handholding newer games give you.

[Oobedoob S Benubi]

It might sound like a contradiction but these reviews make me even more excited for the game.

 

I always try to read through the lines and what I hear is that it's a 3D platformer that will really only appeal to people who basically want to return to the N64 days of platforming. While I loved the way Breath Of The Wild brought Zelda into the new age and while I constantly try out platformers with a new twist (bought Life Goes On yesterday, Hue/TYPE:RIDER last month), I like me some classic gaming as well. I love that we're getting another open world Mario game later this year and I am almost certain that I will love Yooka-Laylee.

 

I remain of the opinion that it's supposed to be played on the Switch though, so I'll wait for that version unless I happen to be able to trade some of my old games for the PS4 version (in which case I'll still get the Switch version as well).

 

P.S. Looks like the OP only contains the (semi-)negative reviews and there are a lot of reviewers more positive about the game, like Game Informer, PSX-Sense or XGN.

Edited April 11, 2017 by BillyHorrible

[Bumperklever]

27 minutes ago, BillyHorrible said:

P.S. Looks like the OP only contains the (semi-)negative reviews and there are a lot of reviewers more positive about the game, like Game Informer, PSX-Sense or XGN.

 

You want to put dutch reviews here?  

 

The reviews chosen are indeed on the lower end size of the average and OP should have also added some of the high ends. However I think these are more trusty then the high end. The high ends tend to say the revive on platformers, nostalgy is back, it has some flaws that can be neglected and therefore you should play it. The lower ends tend to be more about the technical aspect and comparing it to modern day games. Then we have the bottom "jimsterling" end and nitpicking on EVERYTHING, that review is pretty shitty. stupid "racist bat".

 

While I think that the semi negative reviews are a better representation of the game (for a non nostalgic person). OP should have added some positive reviews.

 

[Oobedoob S Benubi]

Just now, Bumperklever said:

 

You want to put dutch reviews here?  

 

The reviews chosen are indeed on the lower end size of the average and OP should have also added some of the high ends. However I think these are more trusty then the high end. The high ends tend to say the revive on platformers, nostalgy is back, it has some flaws that can be neglected and therefore you should play it. The lower ends tend to be more about the technical aspect and comparing it to modern day games. Then we have the bottom "jimsterling" end and nitpicking on EVERYTHING, that review is pretty shitty. stupid "racist bat".

 

While I think that the semi negative reviews are a better representation of the game (for a non nostalgic person). OP should have added some positive reviews.

 

 

Personally I think reviews from all end of the spectrum should be included, the overly positive as well as the overly negative. Just dump as many reviews as you can find in the OP and let everyone figure stuff out on their own.

 

Personally the only review series which I constantly follow is Zero Punctuation, who always accentuates the negative but it will still show whether or not he actually enjoyed the game and more than once I bought a game after seeing a negative review of his, coming to the (correct) conclusion after it that based on those points, I should be able to enjoy it myself.

[jacks]

ACG had a pretty good time with it (the irony for me, at least, being that I despise youtube personalities but he's quickly becoming my go-to to see how games are), though listed many of the same flaws that many other outlets are downgrading the game for. He rates games on a "Buy", "Wait for a sale", "Rent/Wait for a deep, deep sale", "Never touch", and this one got a Wait for sale on his grading scale. His huge complaint was the supposed way they went about the game show trivia round, or something rather, and of course, the camera that made him actually sick which he says never happens in any game he plays.

 

I think I'm going to go ahead and make a trip down to Best Buy and buy it. 20% off my purchase anyway with GCU, and coupled with rewards certificates, I can get this at a decent price. I don't want to wait until Mario to get my 3D platformer fix, and I certainly want a game like this and Snake Pass to do well to usher in a new era of mascot platformers that have been dormant for way too long.

[ratchetdude231]

4 hours ago, BillyHorrible said:

 

Personally I think reviews from all end of the spectrum should be included, the overly positive as well as the overly negative. Just dump as many reviews as you can find in the OP and let everyone figure stuff out on their own.

 

Personally the only review series which I constantly follow is Zero Punctuation, who always accentuates the negative but it will still show whether or not he actually enjoyed the game and more than once I bought a game after seeing a negative review of his, coming to the (correct) conclusion after it that based on those points, I should be able to enjoy it myself.

Well that's what I usually do, but this thread was made several days ago, when not all of the reviews were out. I will try and update the OP within the next couple hours or so.

[Undead Wolf]

My copy arrived a few days ago, and while the reviews aren't exactly glowing praise, I'm still looking forward to playing it. This game was supposed to be a throwback to 3D platformers of old, more specifically Banjo-Kazooie, and that's exactly what it accomplished. It may not quite live up to the games it was inspired by, but so long as it scratches that same kind of itch, I'm happy.

[TVDex252]

6 minutes ago, Undead Wolf said:

My copy arrived a few days ago, and while the reviews aren't exactly glowing praise, I'm still looking forward to playing it. This game was supposed to be a throwback to 3D platformers of old, more specifically Banjo-Kazooie, and that's exactly what it accomplished. It may not quite live up to the games it was inspired by, but so long as it scratches that same kind of itch, I'm happy.

 

I have yet to play the game, waiting for it to come to the Switch before I pick it up but I gotta agree with you. The game was kickstarted by Banjo fans, why would anyone expect them to make anything other then a Banjoish game?

[jacks]

6 hours ago, TVDex252 said:

 

I have yet to play the game, waiting for it to come to the Switch before I pick it up but I gotta agree with you. The game was kickstarted by Banjo fans, why would anyone expect them to make anything other then a Banjoish game?

 

From what I've played thus far, I don't think it's too much about "not delivering on what was promised" so much as not refining what was once a very raw genre, which seems to be what it is getting criticized for. Raw it is, indeed. It's kind of hard to adjust to, after so many years of platformers that followed adding layers of mechanics to try and help reduce a lot of the problems that plagued earlier games like this that made some of the games Yooka Laylee harkens back to damn near unplayable in this day and age.

 

If you love a game that completely disregards the notion of hand holding, then you will love this game. Everything down to the way you jump around is completely devoid of all the "latter day enhancements" of platformers and everything inspired by them, where you automatically snap to a ledge, or the jump itself is predetermined before even attempting it. You just sorta jump, use Yooka's shadow to gauge where you are in the fall, and then hope you land where you want to go.

 

I think it's fair to say, especially after finally playing it, that reviews for this are kind of spot-on, not so much in the fact that they are negative, but the fact that they are all over the place. You either are going to love the throwback, or you are going to wish that a game like this stayed in the past. So far I'm enjoying it, but then again, I still pop in Banjo from time to time, so I kind of know what to expect. But I can definitely see how someone might absolutely hate this game.

Edited April 11, 2017 by iamjax