My favourite video game genre is undeniably the role-playing genre, but I’ve been trying to branch out in recent years. I’ve found a lot of cool titles that I wouldn’t have appreciated when I was younger. I used to spend a lot of time playing Mario with Earlier this week, I decided to indulge my inner youth and play a cute platformer developed by Playtonic Games.
Yooka-Laylee is colourful and overall very charming. The story presented is basic but gives context for the gameplay, which is the best part of this experience. It’s a very fun game to play, and that’s backed up by the endearing graphics and music.
It’s a 3D Platformer
The gameplay is quite simple; you run, jump, attack and roll your way through levels. However, some areas require specific moves to navigate. This is demonstrated quite early on in the tutorial. New moves and techniques can be acquired as the game progresses by collecting quills. I found that this encouraged me to run around and explore the fun and whimsical world in search of quills.
Fun Things to Find and People to Meet
Exploration isn’t just rewarded in the form of new moves, however. There are some interesting characters to meet, and the dialogue I’ve found has been filled with good puns and a humorous demeanor. In the thirty minutes I’ve played so far, I acquainted myself with Trowzer the snake and rescued a skeleton from being boiled in a pot. Both the skeleton and the pot proved to be funny enough to hold my attention.
None of the characters are voiced. Dialogue is delivered through scrolling text, much like in Pokémon or Legend of Zelda games. This really brought back some nostalgia for those older games that I played when I was younger. Having to read the dialogue does give it a pseudo-retro feel, but Yooka-Laylee still plays like a modern three-dimensional platformer.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’d recommend this game. It’s definitely marketed to a younger audience, but that isn’t a bad thing. It’s good, wholesome fun. If you’re looking for a joyously whimsical game to relax while playing, Yooka-Laylee is a solid choice.
Silver Soul Gaming 