I seriously cannot recommend this game enough. I'd like to start off by saying that I have had my control issues with the game. Jumps not registering in time, certain moves "sticking" for a bit, etc. However, the game is so fantastically good that it overshadows those issues. This is a Metroidvania game, and with that comes the exploration and backtracking you would expect. Except, the backtracking is a bit more extensive here. You're not just going through environments. The games makes it feel like you're exploring a derelict kingdom. You'll encounter cities, mines, villages, and you'll visit them all more than once. The characters also play a role in making this game a bit larger than it actually is. Each shopkeeper and other non-hostile NPC filled to the brim with personality. Not to mention the scenery. I was worried at first that things would appear too similar. That the color tones and such wouldn't change. I am happy to say that those fears were misplaced, as this game has done nothing but astound me at every turn. I love the feeling of exploration in this game. Charting out areas has been very fun for me. You see, you don't have a map of any area. You have to purchase one. But the maps you purchase are incomplete, as the mapmaker can't travel everywhere. Some places are too dangerous. So you have to buy a quill and chart out areas yourself. But adventuring keeps you too busy to simply draw a map at any time! You have to sit down at a bench, where your little bug will draw on his map and update all the places that you've been! It draws out the game a bit more, but it makes it feel like I'm really trying to chart out my paths through the labyrinth of rooms. And I love it. For $15, I really cannot recomment this game enough. Get the soundtrack if you can. It's filled with many piano pieces, something I've missed from musical scores of games. I've put in around 18 hours into the game so far and still have not finished it. Now THAT's a great game!
The overall tone and feel to it is nice, but I DO feel it needs some additional polish to it. Texturing and overall graphical fidelity could use some touch ups, but beyond that, the options should be more in-depth. This game is not very friendly to keyboard users and does require a gamepad to play. In addition to these things, I also feel that the level layout is absolutely awful. Will you learn your way around levels? Yes. You're required to spend a lot of time in them trying to find pagies and other collectibles. You will eventually learn your way around them, but there's really nothing helping you out there. There will be a few landmarks you can pick out eventually, but nothing stands out to distinguish one area from another. Everything blends together in a muddled mess as you get lost and try to find your way back to that one area you were just in. Also, some of the dialogue is given out of order or was written with a certain idea in mind but wasn't double checked. It ends up making some lines awkward and not quite making sense. Those are my complaints, so let's talk about the good stuff now! You can activate various taunts with Yooka and Laylee with the D-Pad! That was cool! I didn't expect that, and it really made me feel like they had a good connection being able to do that. It's like having the taunts of Smash Bros put into this game, and I enjoyed it! The game controls well, albeit, the characters are a bit floaty. I've found that jumping a lot helps with traction, giving you more control of the sliding. I love hearing the grunts of Yooka and Laylee as they move about, and I definitely feel the connection between both of them as you adventure with them. It's very similar to Banjo and Kazooie. The gamefeel is really nice. I enjoy the movement, the controls, the platforming, and the characters. The game feels like a mesh of Banjo-Tooie and Banjo Kazooie. It's like they took the levels from Banjo Tooie and put them into the hub world of Banjo Kazooie.
