Dark Light

Yooka-Laylee is finally making the Switch.

I may not have been entirely sold on Yooka-Laylee, when I reviewed the PS4 version earlier in the year.

In fact, I believe I spent the first segment of the review talking mostly about Die Hard, then used the word “fine” at least ten times, and did a bit of a ghost of video games past “be careful what you wish for” screed about retro revivals and spiritual successors.

I stand by all of that. I do think that if you throw millions of pounds at a developer to produce a game from 1998 with today’s technology, and they do precisely that, then you got what you paid for. If the rose-tinted spectacles are wedged firmly on your eyeballs, and you literally wanted a Banjo-Kazooie game with a higher resolution, then that’s fantastic for you.

For the rest of us, it felt like both a wasted opportunity and a reminder that the soft-focus with which we view gaming history is best not peered into too closely. That’s why I gave it a solid three stars – it’s a fine example of what it is, but what it is? That’s probably not what we need any more, in my eyes at least.

But for all my disappointment with the game, you won’t find me arguing that the Nintendo Switch is the perfect platform on which to play Yooka-Laylee. Just like Super Mario Odyssey, with it’s large sandbox hub-worlds and plenty of opportunity for replaying segments with new skills and unlocks, Yooka-Laylee is the sort of game that’s well-suited to dipping in and out.

And the Nintendo Switch, with its go anywhere versatility, is the perfect way to dip in and out of games like Yooka-Laylee. On the train. While you’re grabbing lunch. On the sofa (without antisocially monopolising the telly). In bed. [But if you do play it in bed, please, use headphones – the music is great but those dialogue sounds are obnoxious! – Marital Harmony Ed.]

I might tend to argue that you’re far better doing that with Breath of the Wild, the aforementioned Super Mario Odyssey, and the recently-released Skyrim port, but if you’re done with all of those? Then the Yooka-Laylee Switch version might just be your best new travelling companion, while you hunt for all those korok seeds moons dragon souls pagies.

The Yooka-Laylee Switch version is launching on December 14th, 2017. Just in time for Christmas.

Related Posts