When I was younger, video games were simpler. They were meant as a reprieve to a deeply complicated life that I quite frankly didn’t and still don’t understand. From Mario Kart on the Wii to Halo, video games were an escape. However, that’s not always the case anymore. Games have become a serious profession, and that has led to the slow weeding out of those game that just sweep you off into a foreign land where the rules are very different, and fun is absolutely required. Fortunately, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, by developer Playtonic Games, happens to be one of those. From the time I picked up the controller and started the first level, I was immediately drawn into a fun-loving world of adventure and animated lizards that gather bees to save their home.
Everything about this game points to a singular goal, going on a good old-fashioned adventure and having a great time doing it. The animation feels playful and absolutely complements the game itself. Every inch is packed with bright colors that just feel good to see and really bring in a sense of wonderment that a game like this absolutely has to have. The stakes of the story itself are surprisingly high for a game that feels so whimsical. You’re tasked with saving your little world from a tyrant who has come in and taken over this innocent kingdom tucked into magical woods that come complete with talking bugs and little monsters that spill out of portals in the sky.
The main story is progressed by searching for open books spread throughout a maze-like map. At this point, there becomes levels to the game. When you’re in the maze section looking for the chapters, there’s tasks on the surface such as figuring out how to climb ledges to reach objects and characters that alter the map and the story. Most notably, there is a point in the game where you help a scientist with her machine that increases the difficulty on each of the chapter levels. In addition to side tasks, you can also purchase (through coins found in the chapters) and find tonics spread throughout the map. These enhance your characters’ abilities and also offer multipliers for the in-game currency spread through the map.
Despite all the amazing environments and characters in the story, my favorite part of this game was the minigames. This is where Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair injected a bit of an arcade feeling into the overall story. Each of the mini games uses the same controls from the main story, but the objectives and gameplay feel like a classic arcade game. Through winning these challenges, you are able to gain in game currency and alter the layout of the map to make it more traversable.
This is where I would normally reserve a little space here for my complaints about the game, but this happens to be a rare occurrence where I really don’t have any. I had an absolute blast playing this game. It was so easy to just plop down in my gaming chair and just play for hours. I was so wrapped up in the story, animation, and intricacies of beating each level that time flew by when I played. Do yourself a favor and add this game to your collection for an adventure that’s hard to put down.
9.7/10
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair will be available digitally on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC for $29.99 / £24.99 / €29.99. Physical editions will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch at selected retailers globally.
To keep up to date with all the information on Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, please like the game on Facebook, follow on Twitter, and join on Discord.
Xbox One Review
My first console was the original Playstation and I would play Twisted Metal every now and then but games didn't hook me until I played the original Halo at my friend's house. As soon as I picked up that controller, I knew I needed an Xbox and I had to have that game. Since those early Halo days, I've branched out and played any game I could find with a great story and memorable characters but Master Chief is still my favorite. @thenotoriousTGT on Twitter
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