I came quite late to the original YUKA-LEILI that by the time I was introduced to the lizard and bat protagonists, it felt like the launch's most glaring problems – like the widely criticized camera – had already been addressed. I liked it so much that I wasn't entirely sure that Yooka-Replaylee – an “updated and improved” version of Playtonic's 2017 Collector's Tournament throwback – would do enough to justify a return. But after a couple of hours wandering around its updated worlds, I'm glad to be back, even if I feel like some of its intentional old-school charm was lost along the way.
To recap, Yuka-Laylee found success on Kickstarter back in 2015, managing to raise over £2 million with the promise of a nostalgic 3D platformer largely inspired by the kings of '90s collectible competitions such as Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64. And who better to steer the ship than a team of Rare veterans, many of whom worked on those early games? Skip forward two years and the end result was an extremely distinctive love letter to the classic – all colorful worlds to explore, lots of checklists of things to collect, and merciless puns – that was enjoyable enough, if decidedly uneven. Two years later, Playtonic released a truly brilliant Yuka-Leili and the Impossible Lairapproaching Retro Studios side scrolling Donkey Kong Country rebirth. And seven years later WhatNow we have Yooka-Replaylee and we're trying to iron out some of the shortcomings of that early game.
This is good! Although, I admit, I was not immediately won over. Yooka-Replaylee's most obvious changes feel fussy, which subtly betrays the elegant economy of the '90s-era classics that the original Yooka-Laylee so successfully emulated. There is, for example, a much wordier and oddly extended script that seems determined to give everything a backstory. Before the game starts, we get a long introduction describing the unseen adventures of Yuki and Leili (we initially meet them sunbathing on a rock, but that's about it); we get some expanded information about the newly anthropomorphized Old Book, even an explanation for the existence of a gate of progress in the universe. It lacks the energetic, old-school brevity and sharp wit of the original script, and speaks of an excess reflected elsewhere; for example, in the beautiful but fussier visual design, which loses some of the charm and clarity of the original. Even the characters' distinctive profiles are now covered in mops and clumps of hair they didn't have before!
I realize we may be veering into Old Man Shouts At Cloud territory here, and the good news is that Replaylee's more fundamental changes certainly make for a more enjoyable experience as you explore the openness of each world. For example, your throw, useful for moving quickly and going up ramps, is no longer limited by your stamina limit, greatly improving the flow of movement. And everything seems clearer and more precise across the board. It's interesting that the classic double jump – unless I'm completely stupid – has been replaced by a sort of static upward jump to reach higher places, but for the most part, ability-wise it's business as usual. And while the pre-selection of moves left me a little confused as I struggle to remember anything important to achieve a goal (previously they were distributed gradually over time), it's a choice that ultimately feels more liberating.
There are other obvious improvements: an improved camera; unlockable fast travel points; Easier access to useful information, such as the location of collectibles already found; the decision to place the Trowzer and Vendi merchants at the beginning of each level rather than somewhere random that you'll probably forget about by the time you return, and probably a bunch of other things I haven't noticed yet. I think Playtonic also saved some extra work by setting each world (haunted swamp, fairytale tundra, shimmering casino, etc.) to an expanded secondary state from the start, meaning all challenges are available from the start. And by stripping away the various minutiae of the original, it was much easier to immerse yourself in Yuki-Leili's charming whimsy and appreciate the strengths of her design.
The first world in particular, a tropical sprawl of ancient ruins and towering peaks, is a riot of imagination, ranging from checkpoint racing, minecart challenges, combat encounters, timed dexterity challenges, platform puzzles and more. Some older sections have been cleverly reworked and new fun has been added, including plenty of coins to collect and spend on some very fun cosmetic wearables, meaning there's plenty to see and do on your travels, further enhancing the exploration experience. Of course, all of this ultimately serves to check yet another collectible off your list, but there are enough inventions that, at least early on, they don't feel boring. And yes, the goofy charm and energetic silliness, the mildly crude humor – despite the fluffier, less focused script – has undergone a major overhaul.
Granted, I'm only a few worlds in and I'm probably still in the honeymoon phase – especially since I seem to remember that the original game fell apart a bit as it went on, and later levels didn't quite manage to capture the same intense creativity and quality as earlier ones. In fact, that's what I'm most interested in, to see if Playtonic's changes extend that far. But for now, I'm thoroughly enjoying my time with Yooka-Replaylee, even if I can't shake the irony that all this modernization has led to a throwback to a throwback that doesn't feel like a throwback anymore.
