Yooka-Laylee isn't Banjo-Kazooie in name, but after all these years, Playtonic's game does justice to Rare's classic – and the legendary N64 era of 3D platforming on the whole. True, the tribute is maybe a little too exacting at times. The occasional clunky mechanics and camera issues of the past haven't been fully resolved, and the giant text and garish menus could have stayed in the '90s, thank you very much. But that all comes with the complete package here, and the overall impression is a very warm and pleasant memory of how simple, straightforward, and incredibly fun the 3D platformer can be. Yooka-Laylee isn't revolutionary or even really evolutionary in any significant way, but that's no knock against a game this charming and delightful. Plus, for Nintendo fans, it's sure to be an ideal fit for the Switch when that version debuts sometime later this year.
Pure 64-bit platforming; Loads of humour; So much to find and do;
Some mechanical annoyances; Camera issues (classic!);