Review of "yooka-laylee and the Impossible Labyrinth" sure to stick with retro game lovers! Pop and colorful 2D action on the royal road

How are you doing, Akiba Research Institute readers? This is Nero Hyakkabe, a writer who buys too many games. Do you like 2D action games? Nowadays, there are many different styles of games released, such as 3D action games, open world games, and FPS games, but I am sure I am not the only one who sometimes feels like playing a traditional 2D side-scrolling action game. For this reason, I would like to introduce "Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair," a 2D-style action game that can be enjoyed on the high road.

Yooka-Laylee, a chameleon, and Laylee, a bat, go on a great adventure to save the kingdom of bees!

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair" is a 2D style action game. This title, released in Japanese under the title "Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair," is a sequel to "Yooka-Laylee," but it can be enjoyed without problems even if you have not played the previous title. This title was created by the creators who worked on the famous classic action game "Super Donkey Kong. This information alone may make action game fans and retro game fans think, "Wow! I am sure that action game fans and retro game fans will be thinking, "Oh, wow!

Let's start with the storyline.

The main characters of this game are Yooka, a chameleon, and Laylee, a bat with a big nose. In the previous film, these two crushed the ambitions of their nemesis, Capital B, but one day, they learn that Capital B is once again plotting an evil scheme. The plan is to use a device called "Hive Mind" to brainwash bees and take control of the "Sting Kingdom," where the bees live in peace. Will Yooka and Reilly be able to stop Capital B's evil plan? ......

The storyline of this film has the feel of a foreign cartoon, and the visuals are just like a foreign cartoon. The cute, pop characters and colorful background graphics are a sight to behold. The background graphics in particular are a must-see. Although the game is basically a 2D action game style, the backgrounds are beautifully detailed with depth rather than flatness, making the game very rich.

The refreshing action with easy controls and moderate difficulty level is pleasant! However, the last stage, "Impossible Labyrinth," is extremely difficult ......!

This title consists of two action parts: a "side-scrolling type" and a "overlooking viewpoint". The basic action is the "side-scrolling type" action that takes place in the normal stages.

In the side-scrolling action part of the game, players aim to reach the goal by using jumps and attacks to defeat enemies, avoid traps, and acquire various items placed throughout the stage. There are no particularly complicated elements, and the style is very orthodox for an action game, but each stage has its own unique gimmick, so the gameplay never becomes monotonous.

Let's begin by introducing the character action controls.

The basic actions in this game are simply "move,""jump," and"attack. The simplicity of this game is exactly what you would expect from a classic 2D side-scrolling action game. Even those who do not usually play games can easily get used to the game, which is a nice feature.

In addition, the player can attack while moving to perform a "rolling" action. This is an action in which the yuka moves forward while rolling forward. It is a speedy action that combines dashing and attacking, and those who have played the aforementioned "Super Donkey Kong" series may feel a sense of nostalgia.

There is also the action of grabbing objects and enemies and throwing them. The action is not just throwing, but rather grabbing the object with the tongue extended and spitting it out. This is a fun and comical performance unique to the chameleon Yooka-Layas.

Basically, it is Yooka the chameleon who performs the actions on stage. However, the title of this work is Yooka-Laylee. Yes, Laylee, the bat, is also the main character of this work. However, Laylee is usually held by Yooka's head, and the player does not directly control Laylee. In fact, Reilly acts as a kind of lifer, and when Yooka takes damage, she is startled and flies away. If Yooka takes damage again without Reilly, it is a miss, so it is important to use the bells placed throughout the stage to bring Reilly back.

There are also actions such as the "buddy slam" and "spin jump" that can only be performed when both Yooka and Reilly are together. Reilly is indispensable to the strategy of the game, and the unique design of the game, which allows players to enjoy truly "buddy" action, is the appeal of this title.

Action games are often associated with collecting items scattered throughout the stage, and this title also offers a variety of collecting elements. One of them is the "tonic. This is a kind of helpful item that is effective throughout the stage and can be brought in up to three at a time. In addition to tonic items that help you attack, such as extending the time it takes for Reilly to fly away after taking damage, there are also unique tonics that change the appearance of Yooka and Reilly or add graphical changes to them. There are more than 60 of them, making it a challenging and rewarding experience.

Coins, five of which are placed in each stage, are also an important element to collect. However, they are often placed in hidden passages or rooms that are not obvious at a glance, so it is not always easy to collect them. Of course, it is possible to clear a stage without obtaining any coins, but it is the nature of gamers to feel frustrated if they miss even one coin. This coin collection, like the aforementioned tonic, is also a major challenge in this title.

The controls, system, and challenging elements of this action game are all classic, but the greatest feature of this game is the "Impossible Lair," as the title implies. This is the name of the last stage where the final boss awaits, and to our surprise, this title allows the player to challenge that last stage at any time. This "anytime" is really "anytime" without exaggeration, and to take an extreme example, you can challenge the last stage before clearing the very first stage 1.

However, the Impossible Labyrinth is not easy to conquer, because it is so full of enemies and traps that it is "impossible" in the sense of "Impossible" difficulty. The most important thing is a small bee called "Mamori Bee," which can be rescued by clearing the stage. In fact, the Impossible Labyrinth has a system whereby one mistake can be canceled for each Mamori Bee collected. In short, the more stages you clear, the easier it becomes to get through the Impossible Labyrinth.

Players can choose to quit the stage and try the Impossible Labyrinth, clear all the stages and collect all the Mamori bees before proceeding to the Impossible Labyrinth, or just keep trying the Impossible Labyrinth without clearing any stages. The ability for each player to choose how to play according to his or her own skill level is the greatest feature and the most appealing aspect of this title.

It is not just a field map! The "overworld," with its look-down perspective, is full of riddles to solve!

I mentioned that this title is composed of two action parts, the "side-scrolling type" and the "overlooking viewpoint," but the "overlooking viewpoint" is used in an area called the "overworld.

The overworld is an area that, to put it simply, is like a field map. The player explores the overworld, examines books placed here and there in the area, and enters the side-scrolling action stages.

However, the overworld is not just a field map. The overworld is more than just a field map, however, as there are various gimmicks and riddles to solve within the overworld. Some of them are puzzle-like, and you can advance by moving the gimmicks correctly. In addition, by solving the riddles, the aforementioned "tonic," a helpful item, can be obtained!

One of the main features of this title is that the overworld is not just a field map connecting stages, but rather a "game field from a bird's-eye viewpoint.

In addition to gimmicks, the overworld also has a variety of characters. They all have some kind of problem, and they all have various requests for Yooka and Reilly. To fulfill these requests, players must explore the overworld and solve puzzles. The characters' distinctive visuals and speech styles, coupled with the game's RPG-like gameplay, give the game a somewhat RPG-like feel.

The most notable feature of Overworld is that you can change the side-scrolling stage depending on your actions. It may be hard to understand when I say ......, so let me show you some examples.

For example, there is a stage called "Funny Fountain. If you use a certain item to freeze the "Funny Fountain" stage in the overworld, it will change to "Funny Fountain - Ice" and the water and ground will become frozen, even though the terrain is the same. You will be able to play the frozen stage. In addition, the "Sawtooth Town" stage can be changed to "Sawtooth Town - Sticky," where the ground and walls are all sticky with honey after solving a certain character's problem in the overworld.

The main feature of this title is that by taking action in the overworld, a stage can take on a completely different appearance, which could be called "front and back". This makes it possible to enjoy stages that have been cleared once with a fresh perspective. The link between the overworld and normal stages expands the game's scope, a unique system that has never been seen before in a game, and one that is definitely worth experiencing for yourself.

This is what makes it so great! My 3 points of recommendation for "Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair

From here, I would like to introduce the author's own recommendations for "Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair.

1. Exhilarating action with a sense of speed that will make you fall in love with the game once you have tasted it!

First of all, I would like to mention the exhilarating action of Yooka and Reilly. The real appeal of this title is the sense of speed with which the players can jump over traps with a light jump and run through the stage while destroying obstacles with a rolling motion and fighting off enemies one after the other. The action in this game is so fast-paced that you will feel great just by operating the game, and once you experience it, you are sure to become addicted to it.

2. An unconventional system that allows players to challenge the last stage out of the blue!

The next point that we would like to emphasize is the unconventional system that allows the player to challenge the last stage without any hesitation. As mentioned above, this title allows players to challenge the last stage, the Impossible Labyrinth, at any time. Of course, the Impossible Labyrinth is much easier to conquer if you steadily collect "Mamori Bachi" by clearing each stage, but if you are confident in your action skills, it is possible to clear the last stage without even clearing stage 1. This system makes this game widely enjoyable for both light and hardcore gamers.

High-quality background music is a must for fans of the "Super Donkey Kong" series!

There is one more thing that is indispensable when talking about this title. That is, without a doubt, the music. It is difficult to describe in words, but the unique taste of the background music that matches the unique worldview of this title, in which cute animals and insects go on a rampage, is sure to lift the spirits of players, whether they like it or not. In fact, the background music for this title was composed by David Wise, who was involved in the music for the "Super Donkey Kong" series. Just as the music in the "Super Donkey Kong" series was composed by David Wise, the background music in this game is also impressive and memorable, and is of must-hear quality, so please play and see for yourself.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair" has all the charm of an action game!

So, we have introduced "Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair".

The game is full of appealing elements: exhilarating action with easy controls, an exquisite difficulty level reminiscent of retro games, highly original systems such as "Tonic" and "Impossible Labyrinth," cute pop graphics, and catchy background music. Laylee and the Impossible Lair" is recommended for 2D action game fans, retro game lovers, and light gamers alike.

• Title Information
• Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair" (Playtonic Games Ltd.)
• Genre: Action
• Supported platforms: Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC (Steam, Epic Games)
• Release date: April 12, 2017
• Price: 3,080 yen (as of May 23, 2022)
• Copyright: (C) 2017 Playtonic Games Ltd.
• Epic Games edition : ##

Author: Nero Hyakkabe

Freelance writer who buys too many games. Currently has a stack of more than 300 games. Also a novelist. His works include "Yubisaki Kaidan: 140 Scary Stories" (PHP Kenkyujo) and "Goa-ken: Unrated Edition" (Kodansha).

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/KINGakiko

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