The excitement was with me and since then, I have waited impatiently for the release of Yooka-Layle , the great spiritual successor of the classic Banjo & Kazooie . Has it lived up to expectations? It offers just what it promises, pure nostalgia !, which is already a lot, but in some aspects Playtonic’s workIt stays somewhat short. The design of its worlds, the challenges i
t faces, the charisma of its protagonists, the freedom of action … everything in it gives off the essence of those mythical adventures that at the end of the 90s captivated us, but there are certain challenges to the that you notice the passage of years; there are tests that, although they are fun, pale before the latest advances made in the genre.
I say this and I inevitably think of the sequences on board the trolley, that although it is true I like them, they are challenging and hav
e their charm, they stay far from the level seen in the frenetic chases on rails facing the most recent Donkey Kong Country of Retro Studios, which are usually more exciting and spectacular. I am fascinated by the ease with which this team, at a stroke, transports you to that time, takes you to relive an experience that you thought was lost in
oblivion, but it is difficult not to feel some disappointment before a video game that does not finish exploiting everything its potential Sometimes it is simple, unimaginative in some of its challenges … and sometimes it’s just great, an ode to a genre that almost seemed extinct. That’s why I like it so much.
The good old days
Even with its failures, even with that little bitter aftertaste that Yooka-Laylee leaves you with, this is one of those plataformeras adventures that you should not miss. It’s a song of love not only to Nintendo 64 and the classics that made it such a beloved console, but also to the legacy of Rare , to which this British studio pays tribute in a thousand and one differ
What will be will be? In each world Dr. Puff awaits us with fun transformations in the Mumbo Jumbo style. It’s a pity that they do not take all the game out of him.
In this sense the duet protagonist seems extraordinary. I admit that I had my doubts, that at the beginning, when the video game was presented, it was not enough to convince me this couple formed by a chameleon and its scathing companion, a re
d-nosed bat , which essentially represent the roles of Banjo and Kazooie. . However, after about 20 hours it has taken me to complete the adventure, and I still have many Pagies and objects to collect! I ‘m eager to meet them again. I want to live more and better adventures in the skin of two heroes that are capable of making you smile with the illusion of a child. It is the great virtue of Yooka-Laylee.
Yooka-Laylee is presented as a video game of many chiaroscuros
There is much humor condensed in each and every one of the lines of dialogue that the protagonists give us in their encounter with the crazy secondary characters that swarm through this colorful fantasy world, and faithful to the style of the legendary Rare, the Playtonic team plays again and again with the double meanings to create a funny story, with a lot of j
By fulfilling certain tasks we will unlock the tonics, which offer special powers such as more health, higher rate of energy regeneration, etc. We can only access one at a time.
The main problem lies in the design of scenarios , which combines areas of unequaled beauty with others, too much, austere, simple and unimaginative. The bet for huge game worlds, of colossal proportions, power in an incredible way the fe
eling of freedom, that wherever you go you will find new challenges to face, but honestly, I think that less is more, and in this case, being a small study, Playtonic should have focused on creating smaller scenarios but better outlined in general terms.
There are great tests, challenges that have fun, but also other tests that almost look like a joke; that do not pose any challenge beyond walking and finding the Pagie on duty.
The adventure is full of winks to games of the past, works by Rare herself, and even Shovel Knight has a role in the game!
The transformations of Dr. Puff , which are a hallmark of Banjo & Kazooie, are a good example of all this untapped potential. I love to see the protagonists turned into objects and creatures of the most varied but, then in practice, almost that they become tedious tests that do not offer particularly attractive challenges. The same goes for the bossbattles , equ
ally unimaginative except for the final fight, which at least is exciting and to some extent, quite challenging. That’s why Yooka-Laylee is presented as a video game of many chiaroscuros. It makes you smile as soon as it disappoints you, and even pisses you off, because of some mistakes of the past. I refer mostly to the camera, which does not always show the action from the best point of view.
