PlayStation 4 Critic Reviews

Yooka-Laylee is the triumphant return of the true platform games. Playtonic has managed to mix everything good of this genre and turn it into something fresh and wonderful.

Yooka-Laylee is a 3D platformer like those we had in the past and a great successor to Banjo-Kazooie. The gameplay is almost the same, just putting a chameleon and a bat in the place of the bear and the bird. The true Rare is now called Playtonic Games.

Yooka-Laylee at times feels more like a remake of Banjo-Kazooie than a completely new game, that's how much they are alike. But in this case it is only meant in a positive way. The world needs more games likes this, you know.

Like turning on your Nintendo 64 or your first PlayStation, time freezes and you're stuck in front of your screen for several hours of gameplay mechanics and charisma that are pure joy and in color. Yooka-Laylee is great in almost every respect, in a trip of typical worlds, backtracking with lots of jumps, trials and minigames. It's lengthy, and takes good advantage of Unity engine. Playtonic has been successful: this game evokes the best of Rare.

It might not be as good as your vague memories of the hallowed games of Rare, but Yooka-Laylee has a little bit of that old lovable magic in it. It may be made for children, but there is a little something that can make the old and miserable smile again. That alone is worth it.

Minor annoyances aside, Yooka-Laylee is a solid 3D buddy platformer that's full of variety, humour, and a fantastic cast of characters all wrapped in a laid back adventure. Who knew a chameleon and a bat could have so much fun together?

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.

Yooka-Laylee is a celebration of classic games like Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong. If you have ever played those games you will be the happiest person in the world playing Yooka-Laylee. If not, you might be bothered too much by its flaws.

Yooka-Laylee liberally shatters the fourth wall by acknowledging its own existence as a game. Each time dialogue happened between characters, I eagerly awaited jokes about other games. You even get herded through quiz-style sequences; thankfully, these don't serve as roadblocks as much as they do fun allusions to games like Banjo-Kazooie. I laughed out loud at these silly references on multiple occasions, and some of the fun story moments are just as amusing as the gameplay.

Colourful characters, and enough adult humour to keep you wondering how this is a G rated game.