New Yooka-Laylee Footage Shows Off Unseen World
By AJ Caulfield 07 February 2017
The upcoming Playtonic Games-developed title Yooka-Laylee shows off footage from a never-before-seen world called Capital Cashino, and it looks like a ton of fun.
On the surface, Yooka-Laylee may seem like just another cutesy video game, albeit one that gets its name from a clever play on words and that has shown off some pretty impressive graphics in past sneak peeks. Anyone who sinks their hands in a little deeper, however, will see that the forthcoming title from Playtonic Games and Team17 appears to promise an incredibly immersive and entertaining gameplay experience. Yooka-Laylee doubled down on that notion this week, as an extended look at the Capital Cashino level was revealed.
This exciting sneak peek follows shortly after the announcement that Yooka-Laylee has gone gold, and comes off the heels of yet another trailer, one that showed of the game’s multiplayer mode. Posted in a video by IGN, Yooka-Laylee hopefuls can watch 13 minutes of footage that explores the never-before-seen world.
The Capital Cashino world is a uniquely-designed level that is modeled after a Las Vegas-type casino, and one that sticks to the overall “punny” nature of the game, as there is yet another play on words in the level’s name. As evidenced by the footage shown, Capital Cashino is a mostly open level, but it does include smaller missions players can complete in order to gather up collectibles. A handful of these side activities continue to offer players the casino-themed experience, such as tasking them with collecting playing cards or requiring they take their chances at a slot machine game. These side quest-like activities can be taken on and finished in the order of the player’s choosing, a nice addition that will likely be well-appreciated by many.
Additionally, the new world allows players to initiate a helicopter transformation in the game’s titular characters, Yooka and Laylee. This option is reminiscent of one seen in another platformer title, Banjo-Kazooie, in which its main characters are able to metamorphose into other animals and objects.
In months past, many had already compared Yooka-Laylee to the aforementioned action-adventure platformer title with a similarly smart name, Banjo-Kazooie. Fans have flocked to the latter game, which was originally released for the Nintendo 64 in the summer of 1998, and have formed a solid and dedicated following. Upon hearing details on Yooka-Laylee and seeing first-look teaser trailers and gameplay footage, these players made the connection to the N64 classic (beyond the game’s character Retro Sixtyforus) and speculated that the game will include challenges to complete, obstacles to overcome, epic battles to win — and, most importantly of course, multiple fun levels to do it all in.
Others have even gone so far as to say that Yooka-Laylee very well may be the third installment of the Banjo-Kazooie series that the gaming world never got. However, while the similarities between the two titles are undeniable, Yooka-Laylee has shown time and again to stand its own ground and find success independent of its so-called spiritual successor. The title reached its Kickstarter goal in under an hour, surpassing $2.4 million in funding in 2015, and has been touted as one of the best indie games shown at E3 2016.
With a cheeky title, the inclusion of a character whose name is a literal homage to the well-loved Nintendo 64 console, and the new Capital Cashino world that promises tons of interactivity and bright visuals, it looks like Yooka-Laylee is set to deliver an adorable, quirky punch upon its official release.
Yooka-Laylee will release on April 11, 2017 for PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.
