Yooka-Laylee is a game many are already familiar with. Developed by Playtonic, the title was a spiritual successor to the Nintendo 64 classic Banjo-Kazooie. Rather than focusing on a bear and his bird sidekick, Yooka-Laylee hands things off to a chameleon named Yooka and a bat named Laylee. It was a similar dynamic to the N64 predecessor, while also being just different enough to be something all its own, and the entire game was ultimately a full-on love letter to days gone by—for better or for worse. It proved that a classic 3D platformer could still exist in today's world, and it was the start of a bright future for the newly formed Playtonic.
Seven years later, the dynamic duo is back. After proving that the classic 3D platformer still had a place, Playtonic has returned to their debut with Yooka-RePlaylee, a full-blown remake on modern hardware.
Yooka-RePlaylee is the (now) classic game fans know and love, but it has undergone some major upgrades to meet current standards and improve upon its core foundation. Some fans may be disappointed to hear that it isn't a sequel, but it is a new version that could, in fact, serve as the beginning of something new. That being said, this isn't a complete retread of old ground; rather, it feels more like a "post-game" and serves as a way for new fans to jump in. New challenges and puzzles have been added, there are hundreds of ways to now customize the game, and there are some fun cosmetics added to the mix as well. Not to mention the new arcade games to play throughout the adventure and the tight, updated controls to make it all even more enjoyable. The game also smartly allows Yooka and Laylee to use all of their moves from the get-go, so players have complete access to each stage without annoying roadblocks to slow them down. Again, it is a real treat for those who have already played through the original, but it is also perfect for newcomers who want to get right into the action. To put it simply, Yooka-RePlaylee makes the original game outdated and gives little reason to return to it, but at the same time, it might not be fully worth the, well, replay.
There is so much to this game, and honestly, fans of 3D platformers in general should at least consider picking this one up. It might not be able to compare to other heavy hitters that launched in 2025 before it, but that doesn't mean it is a lesser game. This is still the same 90s nostalgia-filled adventure it was in 2017, but now simply better than ever.
This is Yooka-RePlaylee.
The Story:
The story of Yooka-RePlaylee is actually a retelling of the original Yooka-Laylee—as in, the story itself is, in fact, our lead characters looking back on their past adventure. While this means the story itself is mostly the same, our protagonists have taken the liberty to add additional context and possibly stretch the events just a little bit. This is how they saw their adventure going, and it might not necessarily match up with the game players had previously gone through.
That being said, the core story is quite simple:
The game follows Yooka and Laylee after they crash their ship on Shipwreck Creek. The two set off to explore the surrounding area, where they then discover a magic book known as the "One Book." After setting the book free, the two return to their ship, only to discover the CEO Capital B and his assistant Dr. Quack of the Hivory Towers corporation have stolen all of the pages (known as Pagies) out of it. Unknown to them, the book has the power to rewrite the universe, and obtaining all of the pages is key to using that power. So, rather than letting Capital B get his hands on the Pagies, the two set out on an adventure to uncover them all and restore the book to its original form. Along the way, they traverse multiple landscapes and meet a wide cast of wacky characters, and eventually square off against none other than Capital B himself.
As for the presentation itself, the story is mostly told through on-screen dialogue, with mini cutscenes playing out during key moments. Characters speak with the iconic Banjo-Kazooie-styled sound effects, and each in-game map contains unique characters based upon the region. It is these characters that really help the world come to life, but they mostly only serve as a way to obtain the book's missing pages. And that is perfectly okay.
The Gameplay:
As a classic-styled 3D platformer, Yooka-RePlaylee begins with an interconnected hub world, with paths that lead to the game's main stages. Here in this hub, smaller platforming challenges and puzzles can be found, and completing them will unlock additional Pagies. These Pagies can then be used to open blocked doors to progress into one of the game's main worlds.
Once in a world, a completely open map presents itself, and players have the freedom to go and do whatever they want, in any order. Characters hidden throughout the world will provide you with goals to complete or give you hints on where to go, and there are hidden items to collect scattered throughout the entire area. Currency can be collected and traded for Tonics or clothing to wear, and feathers are used to unlock permanent upgrades to Yooka's health, energy, or even additional Tonic slots. This means every single item in the game is useful for something and shouldn't be ignored—in fact, the game challenges you to find them all so you can make the most out of each stage.
Along with standard item collectibles, Pagies, puzzle pieces, and Ghost Writers can also be found, and they are often hidden behind some sort of challenge or puzzle. Completing these puzzles requires the full use of Yooka and Laylee's skills, which includes spin attacks, ground pounds, high jumps, gliding, turning invisible to sneak past cameras or sensors, using Yooka's tongue to reach far away places, and riding on Yooka with Laylee to increase your speed and get up ramps. Laylee also has her sonar ability to uncover hidden objects and platforms, and Yooka can pick up a variety of power-ups and transformations that alter both the characters' looks and abilities.
All of this was included in the original release, but (as previously mentioned) this time around everything is unlocked from the start. This means slopes will not block your progress, and doors that slam shut when you are seen are not an issue. Long-time players will already be familiar with the game's mechanics and understand what to do, but thankfully the game also includes a detailed breakdown of each ability within the start menu for the newcomers. This means newcomers can also fully dive into each stage for the first time and not be halted by not understanding the mechanics, and long-time fans can simply go where they want without being hindered along the way.
As for the Tonics, they are equippable items that alter not only Yooka and Laylee but also the game itself. Initially, only two Tonics can be equipped at a time, but more slots can be unlocked at a shop located in each world. Some examples of Tonics include ones that increase your max health or energy, and those that also add challenges such as fall damage or make it so you only have one health in general. Besides these, however, there are also graphic-altering ones that change how both the characters and world look, allowing players to customize things exactly how they like them. This means reverting to Laylee's original fur style if one wishes to do so, or even applying a black outline to everything to cell-shade the world (my personal favorite). Although these Tonics do need to be unlocked, they effectively allow players of all skill levels and preferences to enjoy the game to its fullest, and it adds tons of replayability for those going for challenges.
In addition to the Tonics, the game also includes full arcade-style games featuring Playtonic's iconic character Rextro. These arcade machines can be found in each level and replayed by visiting his actual arcade in the game's hub world. Each machine is a retro-throwback puzzle game, with different goals and mechanics in each. While the original Yooka-Laylee also featured arcade machines to play, the ones seen in Yooka-RePlaylee have been completely rebuilt from the ground up, offering something new. The game also features other mini-games outside of Rextro's arcade as well, which includes Donkey Kong Country-styled mine cart sections and even racing.
These challenges reward you with Pagies for completing them, so they are more than just extra things to do. Even the iconic character Shovel Knight makes an appearance this time around, with some challenges of his own.
While the original Yooka-Laylee only had 145 Pagies to collect across its adventure, Yooka-RePlaylee has around 300, which more than doubles the game's content. That being said, the maps and areas you explore here are still the classic ones, so there is still quite a bit of the same going on.
To help make up for the added challenges and backtracking, Yooka-RePlaylee now features a fully detailed map and fast-travel points as well. This means players can keep track of what they have found or still need to complete, and quickly get back to previous key areas in the blink of an eye (well, loading screen). You can also pay the checkpoints themselves to mark the uncollected Pagies on the map, so players do not have to hunt for them completely blind. This makes getting 100% completion much easier, but it is still time-consuming. Either way, this is a very much welcomed addition to the game, and is a dream addition for the completionists out there.
Should you play it?
Yooka-RePlaylee is still the same love letter to Nintendo 64 classics as the original release was, but in a much more refined form. The game contains roughly double the challenges as the original, there are hundreds of ways to customize the experience in unique ways, the controls have never felt better, and the quality-of-life upgrades really go a long way in improving the experience. This is, in fact, Yooka-Laylee at its best, and it gives little reason for players to go back and play the original.
At the same time, Yooka-RePlaylee feels like the "post-game" version of the original, with all of your abilities unlocked from the get-go and hundreds of new challenges to face in an already familiar world. There is more than enough content to warrant revisiting, but this also isn't a game that will magically change someone's mind about the original. Whether to play it or not completely comes down to how much one liked the first release and if they want to experience more of the same with some fun new extras mixed in.
The Tonics really do add a lot and offer countless combinations of customization options to play with, but it doesn't change the fact that this is still Yooka-Laylee. It isn't the long-awaited sequel, but it is a game that could easily lay the groundwork for the future. It truly is a big step up in many ways—something we would typically see in a sequel instead—and it is still a fun, classic-styled 3D platformer. Although there is nothing truly mind-blowing here, it doesn't change the fact that the game is simply fun and one that can be enjoyed by players of all ages. Maybe it does play it a bit too safe still, but this type of game is still a rarity in today's world, and it is nice to see the style still holds up.
VERDICT: Recommended
Reviewed on PlayStation 5
Review Copy was Provided
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