3D platformers are one of my favorite genres. From the collectathons that await each time to the charming worlds, I really can never get enough. One of the most iconic 3D platformers is, of course, Banjo-Kazooie, developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64. While a sequel, Banjo-Tooie, was released, Rare gradually moved away from the 3D platforming genre over time, especially after being bought by Microsoft. Many of these developers who worked on Banjo-Kazooie yearned to work on another game like it, which gradually led to the creation of Playtonic Games and its star 3D platformer, Yooka-Laylee.
I had a good time with Yooka-Laylee on Nintendo Switch back in 2017, although I did have some issues with the game. These ranged from a limited camera to some design decisions. Last year, Playtonic announced Yooka-Replayee, a remaster/remake of the game for modern consoles. I certainly was surprised, but my reservations mostly vanished once I got my hands on the game at Summer Game Fest: Play Days this year.
By far, the most notable improvement you will see immediately is the visuals. Sure, the original game looked good, but Yooka-Replayee looks great. The wide use of colors really pops here, with vibrant environments and enemies. I found the models of not only Yooka and Laylee but also all NPCs and enemies to be extremely crisp, with that charm that was in the original only more present.
Beyond the visuals, though, is where things really start to build off of the original game. For starters, Playtonic has addressed almost every fan critique of the game surrounding quality-of-life features. First, the camera is largely improved. I felt it was much more precise and natural than the original game, though I would like it to be a bit faster. This also goes for the controls, which have been tweaked in Replayee for the better. Additionally, a map has finally been added, allowing you to visually keep track of both collectibles and objectives. A plethora of new content is also here, from new perks of collectibles to new minigames. Playtonic has also tweaked bits of the story, and I think many fans of the original will appreciate this.
While I was impressed by the content and visuals of the demo, there were some serious performance issues. The frame rate was very inconsistent and never felt stable, which detracted from what was otherwise a fun experience. There were also quite a few stutters that occurred in certain sections. I hope that the team is able to fix the performance issues ahead of launch, as everything else was very fun.
For 3D platforming fans who never got a chance to check out Yooka-Laylee, I think you will be in for a major treat with Yooka-Replayee. As for fans of the original, in many ways, this feels like a brand-new game in many instances. The gameplay has been vastly overhauled, and the visuals look quite stunning.
It’s hard to judge the complete game just based on the demo I played, but I’m looking forward to the full release of Yooka-Replayee. It’s clear that Playtonic has poured everything into making this a revamped and complete experience.
Yooka-Replayee is set to launch in 2025 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. The game is also coming to “Nintendo” platforms, but it has not been confirmed at this time if this is just Nintendo Switch 2 or Nintendo Switch as well.
