It was just a few months ago when Playtonic Games announced that Yooka-Laylee would be returning for a brand new gaming adventure, with The Impossible Lair, at the centre of their struggles. The news came as a surprise to many, with the reveal that it would be released at the start of October shocking even more of us! We got the opportunity to put Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair to the test on the Nintendo Switch; so just how does it stack up?
Familiarity is thrown the way of the gamer immediately upon plunging into this title. Chameleon Yooka and bat Laylee team up once more in a bid to bring down the villainous Capital B from using a powerful weapon known as the Hive Mind, to control the bee population. Worried about the future of her species, Queen Phoebee calls upon the help of Yooka and Laylee to bring Capital B's reign of terror to an end.
Whilst the characters are recognisable however, the gameplay is not. A shift from 3D gaming to a 2D platformer has been made here, which may at first seem a little jarring for those who were expecting something completely different. Still, developers have done well to ensure that the experience is still a wide and enjoyable one, with changes that would at first seem huge and complicated proving to be very easy to navigate.
A total of 20 levels have been painstakingly designed to ensure a beautiful graphical offering, as Yooka and Laylee bounce their way through enemies, platforms and traps to help release bees from the grip of Capital B's hypnosis.
Controls and mechanics when taking on adversaries is easily learned: Yooka can attack whilst standing still or roll and wipe out enemies in their way, whilst Laylee can spin in the air to take out anybody who may be lurking above our heroes. There's also the typical bouncing on the head of enemies (so long as they haven't got spiked domes or anything similar!) that does just the trick.
If you mess up an attack and find yourself on the receiving end of some damage, Laylee will begin to fly away in a panic, and it's up to the player to control Yooka and make their way to the bat before they leave for good. If this does happen, there are bells scattered around each level which will call Laylee back into the fray, but if Yooka is hit once more, then it's curtains for the dynamic duo. Make sure to hit checkpoints as you progress, and this won't prove to be too much of a problem.
Each of the 20 levels available have been designed in a way that you can unlock an alternative version of the world, which features huge differences to the original. It would have been easy for developers to be lazy here and just throw in a couple of subtle changes, but that's clearly not what Playtonic Games are all about. The 20 new levels feel like a completely different game to the one you've already played, and for that, this title has to be celebrated.
Four secret exits are also hidden throughout the 20 different levels, which lead to Beettalions that are essential for most people who want to make it to the end of the titular Impossible Lair. It's important to note that players can attempt the lair at any point in their adventure, but it is incredibly difficult to make any progress at all without any of the Beettalions on your side. There are up to 48 Beettalions to find, which may be a little overkill for some, but will be a brilliant lure for completionists to keep going back to the game and pick up that 100% completion score.
Along with the Beettalions, there are T.W.I.T. Coins to find, as well as Quills to open cages and access bonus items, such as Tonics from the original game. These modify the skills which are used by Yooka and Laylee, giving you a burst of speed when rolling, for example. Having them active does however take away from your Quill total at the end of each given stage, so some players will want to avoid them altogether.
Though 2D platformers seem to be a dime a dozen nowadays, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair has managed to force itself to the front of the pack and ensure a wonderful gaming experience for all who pick it up. Big congratulations are in order for all at Playtonic Games.
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is available now on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows. A code for the Nintendo Switch version of the game was given to Female First in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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