Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair

The problem I had with Yooka Laylee was that it just felt too much like an unlicensed Banjo game. Whilst playing it, I was just too aware that it was basically copying everything from Banjo, but seemingly devoid of the charm. Functionally and technically it was all very good, but it was just missing something.

Doubt I'll get this, too many other games to sink my teeth into which use classic formulas but feel more innovative.

Ugh

Having recently tried the original Yooka-Laylee this looks as bland and uninspired attempt at a 2D platformer as that was for the 3D variety. It sounds strawberry floating terrible as well, what the hell is that music in the latest trailer - like a child randomly hitting a glockenspiel!

loving what I see from the new trailer, looking forward to picking this up.

I'm glad Yooka Layee is getting a second chance as the first game wasn't greatly received. I wasn't a huge fan of the first one myself but there was lots of potential and I kind of wanted the sequel to be a better 3d collectathon platformer. I love me a 2D plaformer and Impossible Lair does look really good and I will be buying it, but there are lots of snes style 2d platformers on all the main consoles but not that many new banjo kazooie style 3d platformers.

I'd prefer an unlicensed Banjo knock off to an unlicensed DK Country knock off but it's nice to hear Impossible Lair is looking good from all the gameplay previews.

Barnsy wrote:I'm glad Yooka Layee is getting a second chance as the first game wasn't greatly received. I wasn't a huge fan of the first one myself but there was lots of potential and I kind of wanted the sequel to be a better 3d collectathon platformer. I love me a 2D plaformer and Impossible Lair does look really good and I will be buying it, but there are lots of snes style 2d platformers on all the main consoles but not that many new banjo kazooie style 3d platformers.

I'd prefer an unlicensed Banjo knock off to an unlicensed DK Country knock off but it's nice to hear Impossible Lair is looking good from all the gameplay previews.

While I agree with the general sentiment, I think a good unlicensed DK Country is more achievable with their resources than a good unlicensed Banjo. And it does look lovely.

And DKC >>> Banjo

This is looking very spiffy now. Massive Donkey Kong Country vibes from it, particularly the barrel launcher mini game in the preview above. Out in a week and a bit now.

Dead cheap to preorder too. It's under £25 here: https://www.thegamecollection.net/yooka ... sqr=yooka&

Whereas conversely, I don't think this is going to be much cop. It looks so middle of the road and, while that may be the entire point of the game, there's nothing in it that separates it from Donkey Kong Country. There's no real imagination or flair and it seems to exist just to reuse the assets they made for the original game.

There was a sort of retro clamour for a 3D collectathon platformer from Rare staff, but I don't think there's been the same urge to revist their 2D output. If I was being controversial I'd even argue that DKC wasn't that good to begin with and has aged even worse.

Nothing about the game screams excitement to be. It's a by-the-numbers platformer with some jumping and generic enemies.

What's more, I have a feeling it might not control all that well either. There's a weird heaviness to Yooka-Laylee in that video and I have a feeling they have taken the physics from the 3D game and shoved them on a 2D plane. Having played the original, I don't think that the physics will be particularly great for making it a 2D platformer.

I'm with Parksey on this one, Yooka-Laylee was a damp squib and this has all the signs of being equally mediocre. Also I agree that I can't imagine the same level of excitement to see a "Rare" 2D platformer as there was for the supposed Banjo-style revival that was YL1, DKC was always a bit shite if I'm being honest.

Miyamoto himself said it best (probably, this could be made up I found it on Wikipedia :shifty:

)when he uttered the words: "Donkey Kong Country proves that players will put up with mediocre gameplay as long as the art is good."

YouTube

DKC is great, but Banjo-Kazooie is strawberry floating sick don't hate.

It’s getting a lot of great reviews today!

Jenuall wrote:Miyamoto himself said it best (probably, this could be made up I found it on Wikipedia )when he uttered the words: "Donkey Kong Country proves that players will put up with mediocre gameplay as long as the art is good."

Even though this often does the rounds, no one has ever provided a source for this as far as I'm aware and add in the fact if it was real, it could easily have been lost in translation it's likely bullshit.

Here's a real quote from him in 2010, from an interview with IGN:

The first point that I want to make is that I actually worked very closely with Rare on the original Donkey Kong Country. And apparently recently some rumor got out that I didn't really like that game? I just want to clarify that that's not the case, because I was very involved in that. And even emailing almost daily with Tim Stamper right up until the end.

And let's not forget it was Miyamoto's idea to bring the series back at Retro.

Tomous wrote:
Jenuall wrote:Miyamoto himself said it best (probably, this could be made up I found it on Wikipedia )when he uttered the words: "Donkey Kong Country proves that players will put up with mediocre gameplay as long as the art is good."

Even though this often does the rounds, no one has ever provided a source for this as far as I'm aware and add in the fact if it was real, it could easily have been lost in translation it's likely bullshit.

Here's a real quote from him in 2010, from an interview with IGN:

The first point that I want to make is that I actually worked very closely with Rare on the original Donkey Kong Country. And apparently recently some rumor got out that I didn't really like that game? I just want to clarify that that's not the case, because I was very involved in that. And even emailing almost daily with Tim Stamper right up until the end.

And let's not forget it was Miyamoto's idea to bring the series back at Retro.

I know, hence the qualification in my original post, but it's a nice one to rile up the DKC fans

This is reviewing better than I expected, sounds like a better game than the first in general

I'm glad this is reviewing well - I personally would have preferred a 3D platformer but with a few lessons learnt from the first one, but I guess a 2D platformer is easier to nail. But its nice that Yooka Laylee has a future as I did like the first game.

Its on the list, but not for a while as Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze exists.

If you have PS Plus or Switch Online, this is £22.49. I'm assuming it's also the same on Xbox if you have Live Gold membership.

Barnsy wrote:Its on the list, but not for a while as Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze exists.

It really does seem to be hitting those Tropical Freeze points-it's been a year since I completed TF so I'm looking forward to this :wub:

OrangeRKN wrote:This is reviewing better than I expected, sounds like a better game than the first in general

I think creating an excellent 2D platformer is easier to pull off than a 3D collectathon to be honest.

So interested in this now. I'm gonna wait and see how the Xbox One and Switch versions compare.

Tempted, but it seems like an obvious candidate for Game Pass at some point, with the original already being added.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair

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