Yooka Laylee Info Compilation - Everything You Need to Know

The 3D platformer renaissance continues unabated with the launch of Yooka-Laylee, Playtonic’s debut title that became the Kickstarter success story of 2015.

First pitched as a spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie, the bright and breezy platformer blew past all expectations to reach $3.2 million and effectively make crowdfunding history. It’s a truly remarkable feat for a genre that many had thought to be dead and buried, and by recruiting a raft of ex-Rare employees, the creative minds at Playtonic have engineered an old-school “collectathon” 3D platformer anchored by a quirky chameleon (Yooka) and wisecracking bat (Laylee). Can that dynamic duo go on to become bona fide gaming mascots? Maybe, but either way our official review deems Yooka-Laylee to be a competent, overly enjoyable throwback to the platform games of yesteryear.

So, you’re ready to take a deep dive into Yooka-Laylee? Not so fast! In anticipation of its North American launch on March 21, we’ve scoured the four corners of the internet — and the PSLS archives — to compile all the necessary information you could ever need pertaining to Playtonic’s maiden title.

Yooka-Laylee makes a beeline for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on April 11. A Switch version is also in the pipeline for later this year but tell us, are you picking up Playtonic’s old-school throwback at launch?

Essential Reading:

Yooka-Laylee info dump

Yooka-Laylee EYNTK

April 11 is almost upon us, so let's take a deep dive into Yooka-Laylee and see what Playtonic's 3D platformer has to offer.
What is Yooka-Laylee?

It's the first title to come out of Playtonic Games (more on that later) and centers on a sensible chameleon (Yooka) and wisecracking bat (Laylee). Are we looking at the modern-day equivalent of Banjo-Kazooie?
What’s the Story?

Yooka and Laylee live in Shipwreck Creek, literally on a beached and wrecked ship. Their seemingly laid-back lives are suddenly interrupted by Capital B and Dr. Quack, as an evil corporation has moved into town and has begun to suck up all of the world’s books in an effort to put together an ancient and powerful book.
How Does it Play?

Like any 3D platformer, essentially. The world is bright and bursting with personality, and we understand Yooka-Laylee is teeming with various collectibles and mini games.

Here's the official word, courtesy of Playtonic:

"Explore huge, beautiful worlds, meet (and beat) an unforgettable cast of characters and horde a vault-load of shiny collectibles as buddy-duo Yooka (the green one) and Laylee (the bat with the big nose) embark on an epic adventure to thwart corporate creep Capital B!"
A Kickstarter Darling

Initially pitched as a spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie, Yooka-Laylee blew past all expectations in its journey to $3.2 million on Kickstarter.
A Sense of Heritage

From Character Artist Kevin Bayliss to Chris Sutherland, Project Director and Software Engineer on Yooka-Laylee, no less than 11 former Rare employees had their hand in the game, which ought to give you a sense of its heritage.
Team17 to Publish

Team17 will handle the publishing of Yooka-Laylee across consoles and PC, with the official statement reading as so:

“From the very start we said that we’d welcome only a partner that could genuinely improve the creation of our game, while respecting the independence and creative autonomy of our development team. Team17’s 25-year industry-leading expertise will significantly benefit Yooka-Laylee in a myriad of ways, not least in expanded localisation, improved QA testing, certification and access to vastly better resources for our team. Working alongside such a strong partner will allow the Playtonic team to focus 100% of our efforts on building the best possible version of Yooka-Laylee for backers and new fans alike.”
Multiplayer Mode

Touting an arcade of old-school mini games, Yooka-Laylee's multiplayer mode is chock full of nostalgia.

On the one hand, there's Kartos Karting, along with a capture the flag-type mode called Blag the Flag. There's also shoot-em-up Gun-let Run, and two smart twists on sports games called Jobstacle Course and Hurdle Hijinx.

The one mode to receive the most spotlight throughout development, though, is Glaciators:

“Compete in the Glaciators brawler arena to collect the most quills, race to the finish line in Kartos Karting, fight for the flag in Blag the Flag, blast away the enemies in shoot-em-up Gun-let Run and traverse both Jobstacle Course and Hurdle Hijinx, plus more! These are just some of the exciting games you can expect to find in Rextro’s Arcade.”
Prolonged Development

Originally pegged for launch in 2016, Yooka-Laylee was pushed back to April to carve out more development time for the folks at Playtonic.

At the time, the developer's statement read as so:

“We are really excited to release today the E3 trailer for Yooka-Laylee and confirm our presence in Los Angeles where we will showcase the game for the first time to the media and influencers.

“After a lot of soul searching and knowing through dialogue with our fans that they value quality and polish above all, we’ve made the difficult decision to lock the release of Yooka-Laylee to Q1 2017. While we felt confident we could ship the game in October as originally planned, the team has decided that it would like to add a few extra months’ polish to our schedule. Ultimately, this will allow us to release a better game to the thousands of fans who’ve supported us throughout development.

“We’re sure some will be disappointed by the prospect of a few extra months’ wait, however the Playtonic team is confident that we’ve made the right decision for the game and that you’ll be pleased with the results when the game arrives early next year.”
April Release Date Locked In

It may have been a long time coming, but Yooka-Laylee has been officially locked in for April 11. The countdown is on, folks!
But There’s No Room for JonTron

YouTuber Jon “JonTron” Jafari, who made headlines recently for his comments on immigration and other topics, found that his voice performance in Yooka-Laylee has since been pulled.

The statement from Playtonic follows:

"We recently became aware of comments made by voice artist JonTron after development on Yooka-Laylee had been completed.

"JonTron is a talented video presenter who we were initially, two years ago, happy to include as a voice contributor in our game. However, in light of his recent personal viewpoints we have made the decision to remove JonTron’s inclusion in the game via a forthcoming content update. We would like to make absolutely clear that we do not endorse or support JonTron’s personal viewpoints and that, as an external fan contributor, he does not represent Playtonic in any capacity. Playtonic is a studio that celebrates diversity in all forms and strives to make games that everyone can enjoy.

"As such, we deeply regret any implied association that could make players feel anything but 100% comfortable in our game worlds, or distract from the incredible goodwill and love shown by our fans and Kickstarter backers."

In response, JonTron wrote: “Unfortunate to see Playtonic remove me from Yooka-Laylee, but I understand their decision. I wish them the best with their launch!”
Reasonable Price Point

Much like Ratchet & Clank before it, Yooka-Laylee will be priced at $39.99 (€39.99/£34.99) at launch.

Per Playtonic:

“We want to reach as broad an audience as possible with Yooka-Laylee and hopefully help a brand new generation of gamers experience the open-world platforming genre for the first time. We’ve been able to develop our first game thanks to the amazing support of our 70,000 Kickstarter backers and although they’re getting the game for a much bigger discount, if possible we wanted to pass on a saving to those who missed the crowdfunding campaign too.”
Physical, as Well as Digital

Mid-way through development, Playtonic confirmed plans for a physical version of Yooka-Laylee, noting that:

“We’re delighted to be able to offer Yooka-Laylee in both digital and boxed flavours in time for the game’s launch in Q1 2017. As we speak, our business badgers are busily burrowing away on an initiative that will allow Kickstarter backers to upgrade their digital pledge to a physical version, if they choose to do so. We’re not ready to share the exact details just yet, but very soon you should be able to stick your head in the badger hole and look for yourself.”
Yooka-Laylee's Day One Update Targets Performance, Camera

Though future updates are set to introduce orchestral soundtrack, 64-bit shader, and dev commentary Stretch Goals, the top priority for Playtonic Games involves camera and performance issues, both of which will be targeted by the game's day-one patch.
One 3D Platformer to Watch Out For

In anticipation of Yooka-Laylee gracing consoles and PC, why not indulge in a little nostalgia and join us as we remember a handful of 3D platformers worth playing.
A Hidden Gem

Soon after Yooka-Laylee was announced, PSLS compiled a list of hidden gems to keep an eye on, one of which being Playtonic's old-school throwback.
Trophy List

Yooka-Laylee's Trophy list is comprised of 36 digital accolades in total, including that all-important Platinum.
Extended Gameplay Demo

Curious to see Yooka-Laylee in action? EGX 2016 brought an extended gameplay demo, while we also have a reel of footage courtesy of PMC's review (more on that later).
Our Final Verdict

Our own Paulmichael Contreras got to grips with Yooka-Laylee on the PS4 Pro, scoring Playtonic’s crowdfunded effort with a stellar 8/10.

"Yooka-Laylee is a breath of fresh air. Playtonic Games knows platforming, and knows it well. The incredibly precise reactions needed by players, coupled with the lack of some of the genre’s more modern conveniences may turn some newer/younger gamers off. But for those looking for a deceptively deep collect-a-thon that has an entertaining story and wonderfully-crafted world, look no further. With an asking price of $39.99, this is an easy recommendation for platforming fans."