So I wanted to love the original Yooka-Laylee. I used to love Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong Country, so when I heard the creative folks got together to make a new game in that vein, I was beyond excited. Unfortunately, something didn't sit right with me, and I didn't ever get far into it. The controls felt wonky, the world design was frustrating, and the story was uninteresting.
And while I can't say that I am any more interested in the story for the Yooka-Replaylee remake than I was in the original, the gameplay and world design itself are head-and-shoulders above the previous entries in the franchise. In fact, Yooka-Replaylee is the best platforming experience I've had since Astrobot came out last year. It's terrific, and if you are even remotely interested in the concept, it's worth picking up.
Disclaimer: Playtonic provided Geek to Geek Media with a review key for Yooka-Replaylee on the Switch 2. That has in no way influenced the opinions voiced here.
This version of the platform adventure is more than a remaster, too. It's a full remake with a new engine and gameplay that has been redesigned with modern upgrades, tighter controls, expanded worlds, and tons of new content. It's available today digitally for $29.99 USD with a 10% discount for new players.
If you already own the original Yooka-Laylee, good news! You will receive a 30% discount when purchasing Yooka-Replaylee on that same platform (e.g., Nintendo Switch → Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation → PlayStation 5, Xbox One → Xbox Series X/S, where applicable*). Be sure to read the full details on how the discount works.
Yooka-Replaylee is 100% the game I wanted it to be when I bought the original, but I was left underwhelmed. I always saw promise in the concept, the team, everything. I totally see why the developers wanted to put together a definitive edition to show what they'd envisioned from the beginning.
Key Points:
- Revamped controls and camera: The duo now has access to their entire move set from the start of the game, and it makes a world of difference. Not having to purchase moves as you go is a game-changer. Literally. This, combined with the revamped camera controls, makes Yooka-Replaylee feel like a more modern, snappier experience. The platforming is on-point, and feels a lot less clunky than the old one.
- A Story Retold: The story is revamped in a new storybook-style presentation, with fresh sequences added throughout. These are still not the most interesting things in the world, and I have to be honest that I skipped almost all of them. I'd watch a few and then want to hop around more and collect, so I'd hold X and skip whatever was left. It's better than it was, but I still just can't make myself care about Capital B and the other baddies.
- Upgraded graphics: With an art and animations overhaul and enhanced performance and resolution, the pair has never looked or moved better. It's a striking difference when hopping between the two versions, one after the other. Loading from Switch to Switch 2 was a real eye-opener at just how much work the team did to remake everything from the ground up.
- Rextro Bytes Back: The old minigames are no more! Instead, you'll jump in as Rextro the dinosaur and undertake brand-new isometric platforming challenges for collectible rewards. These are fun af, y'all. There's a whole arcade of games to tackle, and you can find them in the worlds, too. This is one of my most favoritest parts of the whole game. These minigames are so well done.
- Navigate the world easily: Yooka-Replaylee introduces a brand-new map and collectibles tracker, making it easier for you to traverse the environments, track NPC and Pagie locations along with tracking their progress. There's also a quirkly bookmark aptly named Mark that will warp you around the maps when you've unlocked nodes. Again, this kind of modern touch makes all the difference in the game's enjoyment.
Final Thoughts
This game gives me serious Spyro Reignited vibes. Playing through the levels made me feel the same way I did when taking my little purple dragon friend out for a romp. If you ever played that set of remakes, you'll be right at home here.
In my eyes, Yooka-Replaylee might as well be considered a totally new game from scratch because I never could get through much of the original. Even The Impossible Lair was a limited-time exercise for me. But with Replaylee, I'm definitely having a good time bounding and gliding and slurping up butterflies. It's the fun I wish I'd had with the original. But at least I'm getting to have it now.
While Yooka-Replaylee is no Sackboy or Astrobot, I do find myself liking it a lot more than platformers of the past couple of years like Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Mario Wonder, and they were fantastic.
If you have the original, you should definitely redeem your discount and check out Yooka-Replaylee. And if you've been curious about it in the past, but never pulled the trigger, this is the definitive edition you've been waiting for.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Looking for more platforming goodness? Check out our review of Kao the Kangaroo for Nintendo Switch and the great-but-not-fun Lunark.