Playtonic Games has announced it's bringing back the original Yooka-Laylee game for a current-gen remaster, with the first footage revealed in the trailer above. Along with the usual graphics enhancements, there's also going to be a "new camera, improved controls, ability tweaks, [and] remixed and new challenges". A release date wasn't shared, and while a PS5 version isn't explicitly mentioned, it seems a certainty.
The visuals have been treated to an "overhaul" and there'll be "enhanced" performance options and resolutions, a press release reveals. There'll be a new collectible in the form of currency dropped by enemies that can be spent on a vending machine, a new world map makes exploration easier, and there'll be new tonics along with the ability to equip a few at once. Then, a new move set "allows you to combine moves more fluidly while the new camera controls makes framing the action a breeze". Finally, the original score has been rearranged by an orchestra.
More information will be shared in an online Q&A on 11th June 2024 with community manager Steve James and some founding members of Playtonic Games. "Marking the culmination of almost 10 years of Playtonic Experience along with an exciting new beginning for our favourite buddy-duo, Yooka-Replaylee is the result of the growth of the company, the things we have learned while working on other projects as well as the feedback we have taken on board since the original release."
Are you interested in returning to Yooka-Laylee? Let us know in the comments below.
Comments 32
One of the first games I got on the PS4, so I can't wait to jump back into it! I know it wasn't perfect, but MAN it was still a good time regardless. With the right bit of polish (which this remaster looks like it's bringing), I think it'll really shine
Really? Why? The game was perfectly good on PS4/Xbox One.
@__jamiie I imagine it's to help fund their next project.
This generation really confuses me. We have backwards compatibility yet there’s been a million remasters of PS4 games. Honestly more than we had PS3 remasters.
@nessisonett it’s almost like they’re running out of ideas so they’re milking their used up ideas for profit
@Ludacritz Apparently this release is meant to lay the groundwork for a sequel. And the original version had some flaws so I guess they want to fix those up too.
The 2D platformer was honestly really good, hopefully they apply some of those principles to the remaster
@Orpheus79V another sequel?
Big fan of this ever since trying it at EGX 2016, and the soundtrack is chefs kiss. I’ll def check this out.
I remember falling down towers and having to work all the way back up again and being extremely frustrated with the original, so if they haven't added checkpoints, at least the better controls and camera might reduce my chances of falling off. The impossible lair was a much stronger game, and I say that as someone who loves Lucky Tales and the Spyro trilogy more than side on platform games.
Well the PS4 version looks like it runs at about 20 fps and with the poor cameras, it felt practically unplayable the last time I tried a year or so ago
Seems a bit of an odd one, but there's a decent game in there and maybe this can unleash it
I dont bloody believe this. Never thought this would get a remake. I am currently doing this as part of my backlog, its a great game but it is tough in areas, especially with the poor camera and fps making simple things hard. I am just currently finding the last of the leafs and those bloody carts before I finish the last boss so.i can get the platinum. I.am not starting this over agian
I bought this on ps4 and never got round to playing it. Would love an “upgrade” price…
One thing I would hope they do, is actually have voice work. I mean they could use AI to do that. The talking and reading got on my nerves.
@nessisonett it seems to be what many are doing due to it being years between their next actual new releases. I agree with you that their are also more games from the PS360 era that could probably benefit from a remaster over games that are natively backwards compatible on current hardware.
While I do buy many remakes, this one is a no no.
I found the levels too big and barren in the original. Can't see this being fixed for it so may have to pass
I will only get this if it’s a free upgrade. If it’s not, that’s absolutely unacceptable and frustrating. Honestly enjoyed Yooka Laylee a lot, but this game absolutely does not need a “next generation update.” The industry is turning into a joke with all these remasters and remakes.
I bought it day one on switch and ps4 and im gonna buy it again. I love the style rare/playtonic games have. And i want to see them continue this series so im in
Dam i got excited, for some reason i was thinking Banjo Kazooie. Though Microsoft was brining another one over. Oh well lol
I played the original on PS4 back when it released, but I may get this on Steam for a replay.
Just hope Playtonic fixes a lot of the issues the game had. Graphics weren't one of them.
that's a terrible name for a game that doesn't need to be remastered.
I just bought both games are you joking me? 😂
@MegaManX-7 If this comparison between the old and remake are real. The game need more than just 60FPS... The visual jump looks like jump from a Switch to PC, and that probably was the PS4 version. I can't imagine playing that on PS5 even with 60FPS.
Looks like their idea of a visual update is to just add light shafts everywhere!
It's still on my backlog so there's no hype. In any case, seing remakes like Crash, Spyro, now Yooka-Laylee and still no Banjo, is sad.
@nessisonett They see the dollar signs.
@__jamiie
But I don’t want to play 1080/30 when I can play 4k/60.
Granted they could have gone with dynamic resolution scaling and 60fps patch. But I think this is also them preparing their engine for current gen/next gen games, so they need to put that kind of work in anyway for their next project.
So why not then use the enhancements also on a previous game and monetize it to fund the next game?
@MegaManX-7 The Sequel don't look bad... But out curiosity i booted up my PC copy, and yeah... It looks bad.
Remaster? Why? PS4/Xbox One looks good already. Backwards compatibility is for gamers in the know. Remasters are for idiots that don't understand anything but buy the game, no matter how cheap.
There are enough Banjo/Mario 64 clones at this point I'm sick to death of seeing. Play those instead.
Edit having read the Nintendo Life one as well: Camera/controls refined sure but I mean is that saying much just for the Switch version or all versions I mean modern videos games I find character weight sucks yet they will never change it so like I have much care there.
Edit 2: More tonics and other nonsense. They were cool but 'necessary' no. This is just 'DLC' to force people to upgrade or buy the game again. They will be minor and worthless. JUST OFFER DLC AND BE DONE WITH IT. I don't care for DLC and just get the definitive edition IF I care enough but I don't usually buy them. I did Gear Club Unlimited 2 because it was on the cart and it was cheap but otherwise I'd buy the definitive if it's the only edition I see. Otherwise standard edition as the content doesn't matter to me most times anyways.
Or they could just add them via an update but NO WE HAVE TO MAKE MORE MONEY WHEN OFFERING THIS UNLIKE THE PAST UPDATES. Seriously developers, balance your money wanting to content offering/fixes ratio it's getting ridiculous.
Edit 3: Soundtrack. Lol. Sigh. I hate orchestral soundtracks. I'd take a more electronic soundtracks over orchestral. The original was fair. I don't hate instruments of the regular sort then electronic sampling it's just orchestras don't get me inter4ested. SOME if done well sure but most are forgettable to me I can't appreciate them beacuse they conversion or the straight soundtrack to me blurs together or the notes and instruments just don't mix well for what they are going for, sound like some other movie score and I think of that instead of it's own OST or mix well with what the original intended.
Yes yes it's the 'best' version and all that but it's obviously done for money reasons, not because they actually care to give us the definitive version. They will remaster it years later again not just go look look FPS increase, resolution for later TVs/Monitors, ray tracing test bed for us and so on.
The Last of Us Part 1 I get the improvements between Remastered and it even if year gap, cheaper and still functional enough but here there is no excuse it adds NOTHING new. XD Sure benefits but 'necessary' it depends for each person.
It is purely money for them, it gets them in the news, nothing more.
Did I enjoy the Yooka games of course I did it's not like i don't respect Playtonic. I bought them both. But it doesn't mean I don't think the business practice is dodgey. I get they need the money but seriously. Not something smaller even in the mean time.
Like sure a resolution/frame rate change, but other benefits eh.
I mean as screens change sure they may look 'worse' but on a smaller screen they don't at all so technically they aren't outdated it's just as people upgrade to larger TV/Monitors. So is it 'bad' not even close. XD It's perception rather than on some levels just different of detail the screen will present it as. But then again I've run it on 1080p TVs. In 1400/4K sure it will look better but otherwise the cartoony artstyle still hides a fair amount. Probably not in others but I mean that's the case with many games no matter what generation no matter AV or HDMi cables, no matter the 480p to 4K setting people set their console to in the settings and what textures are there, lighting, shadows and other details.
I don't expect they will refine animations or pacing or other details. Most if not any do that in remasters they just push visuals, audio, engine tweaks and other stuff. Not the core game design.
I get they need MONEY but I mean that's what they get for releasing 2 games, helping other Indies and establishing other things. But a remaster. I'm sorry but other than 'messaging' and another release for a wider audience that didn't come across it years ago as many new releases do is end up in the news or on the shelf then copies moved to other places unsold this remaster is a total waste of time.
I'm not buying this. I'm happy with my copies. For a new audience that hasn't experienced it, it is a good time I won't deny that.
I wasn't going oh it's expanding levels and eh not as good as Banjo or is a Banjo clone. Yeah and people were happy with the DK clone sequel so get over yourselves. I was fine with both games and what they offered for the time. I haven't finished either because the 3D one I got stuck less so then Banjo itself I might add. The sequel I just have to get around many of the collectibles and difficulty for later levels/taking my time with it.
But they are totally fine games. I just suck at games made by any Rare staff (Yooka or otherwise) the design just has me not finish them and get stuck at times but still have good ideas and appeal in them.
If people buy it for 'nostalgia' of a barely old game then lol this is why customers are dumb, this is why nostalgia Indies suck in my opinion. Eh ideas of racing or platformers with barely exciting ideas, too safe, yet others in 5th or 6th gen competed way better of varied ideas not popular surface level and in term boring games so many years in.
@TheFakulty It could help but budget to pay voice actors, the charm and goal they intended like Banjo this was intended like or other Indies with no voice acting and just animal/other noises.
I mean there is a reason not just for nostalgia but why people loved the Lego games with visual animation communicated jokes then voice acting.
They could have a narrator (at least 1 voice) like Biomutant did but I guess it just didn't suit the game.
@nessisonett I agree. To me it seems like backwards compatibility is for us gamers in some ways to shut us up, but companies still want money so go eh a new audience/mainstream will hear about it/see it and buy it right if we post news/upgrade it.
Or those nostalgic for a barely old game because of course they will double dip right? Sigh. People are simple sometimes.
I get having money but they made 2 games, assisted with other Indies and want money for their first game again?
Unless they refine other things a visual upgrade. Pass. No matter what TVs/Monitors people have upgraded to or FPS increase or 'ray tracing' it's a nice bonus but necessary to buy the game again for then just an update no pass.
Like for them to mess around with the technologies but it could be worse implementation and by that possibility is it worth it for bad ray tracing and resolution/FPS increase? Of course ray tracing and other aspects being optional if they implement it as such. IF. Most if not all do offer the turning off of ray tracing but you never know it is a dev decision and I don't know how many of the remasters are anyway so I can't really make an assumption on if it's forced or not.
@tatsumi Why stop there? Let's remake every single game ever made that isn't 4K/60?
Clearly any game that doesn't hit this target is crap.
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