Yooka-Laylee started out life on Kickstarter and went on to become the fastest video game project to hit $1 million on the crowd-funding platform. Following their first outing on the Switch and multiple other systems, the bat and chameleon are now ready for their next adventure. The only catch is it'll take on the form of a crowd-funded graphic novel.
Playtonic has given its "full blessing" to Dreamprism Press to write and illustrate a 120-page graphic novel about the wacky and wonderful adventures of the unlikely duo. Yooka-Laylee and the Kracklestone will take place after the original game. Here's the full description:
The story sees Yooka and Laylee plunged into a brand new secret tome world in a race against the evil Capital B to reach the Kracklestone, an ancient artifact fabled to grant its holder invincibility. To reach the treasure, they’ll run, swim, trip, tumble, and fly as they delve deep into the strange uncharted world. They will encounter friends, foes, and some in-between... including plenty of fan favorites from the game!
This new tome world, however, will see the duo facing their greatest challenges yet. Normally an asset, Yooka’s kind, heroic nature proves hazardous when his decision-making takes a few wrong turns. Will he learn to swallow his pride and call upon the help of others to reach the Kracklestone? Or, will his pride get the better of him? Only once Yooka learns to work together with his strange friends... and most of all with Laylee, will the duo stand a chance at saving the day.
For this graphic novel to go ahead, the Kickstarter needs to reach a target of $40,000 USD. The campaign will go live later today and will run until 16th November. A digital version of the graphic novel will set you back $15, a hand-sewn hardcover is $30, a Kickstarter exclusive edition is $50 and the limited Grand Tome Collector’s Edition is $75.
Dreamprism’s D.M. Cumbo is handling the entire project and was previously an artist for Insomniac games - known for working on the PlayStation release Ratchet & Clank and the Xbox One title Sunset Overdrive. The graphic novel adaptation has reportedly been in the making for two years and will be the first in the Game Legends line of adaptations for Dreamprism. Below are some images of the Yooka-Laylee graphic novel:
Will you be backing the Yooka-Laylee graphic novel on Kickstarter? Have you played the video game? Tell us in the comments.
[source au.ign.com, via dreamprismpress.com]
Comments 46
Never doing crowd funding but I hope this goes through.
If the game itself wasn't profitable by now (on at least four platforms!), then projects like this shouldn't even be made.
Why give to those in need when you can fund some frivolous idiot's unprofitable business venture?
I... uh... no. No thank you. I was more than happy to back Yooka-Laylee itself, but being a love letter/spiritual successor to a beloved classic game and/or gaming genre kind of loses the plot when it ceases to be, y'know, a game anymore.
Nope nope nope nope nope.
.... And nope.
Why does the bat look hot ;p
I wish we got another game instead; oh well, looks lovely though.
@NintyNate because you’re a furry.
Seek psychiatric assistance immediately.
Why does Laylee have waifu eyes?
I backed this and got it for Switch ... and then didn’t really play it. I feel like the guys from Rare must have really benefitted from Nintendo’s rigorous quality control.
I'm sorry, but is there really much of an audience for this? I know that there's a few dedicated fans of this game, but I remember it having a very lukewarm reception back at its initial release. Does it really make sense to make a graphic novel for a game without that large of a fanbase?
I don't like the look of the characters at all. Yikes.
I'm the author/artist of this book - I really want to that you for the coverage. It's extremely important to me that I can make something for fans of the game to enjoy and I want to thank people offering their thoughts on it--it all helps the book grow to be better in time.
Did E621 redesign Laylee? Cause there's something different about her, can't put my finger on it.
Dang, I was hoping they’d have been working Twoka Laylee by now. Like the original and want to see it improved upon. Ah well, best of luck to them. Wouldn’t mind this becoming a franchise.
Ummmm..... no thank you. This is the kind of thing you do for an established and well-received franchise. They developed one game and it was only decent. I'm interested how well this will do.
EDIT: Didn't mean to talk down on this so much. It's just surprising to see this kind of thing for such a new and mixed-received franchise. I enjoyed Yooka-Laylee but thought it left a lot to be desired. Hope the developers and writers the best.
I'm good, I had my fun with Yooka-Laylee but I don't need this.
i like it, even though i never played the game.
But.........why?
@DavidMac I think for many there was excitement when the project was first announced back in May 2015 (3.5 years ago) and then when the final project launched it did have some issues with controls and cameras. I backed and bought it for Wii U and then like you received it on Switch. But in the meantime I also picked it up on a sale for PS4 last summer while I was waiting for the Switch release last Fall. Ultimately the Switch release though late, was very good and fixed nearly every single issue I saw in the original game at it's release. Some had issue with the lack of voiced narration in a modern game and a few other peeves with the game, but they had said from the beginning that it would be a classic style game with more modern visuals. Sure Yooka-Laylee took a while to develop and even longer to work out the bugs, but personally I would rather just see them move on to another project. It can be risky especially for a small developer to take on a project that may not be received well by the community, but I think now is the time and the community is ready for them to move on to the next project.
I would like to see Playtonic form a partnership with Roosterteeth and make a RWBY game.
Hahah awesome!
be nice to know what Playtonic are doing, been a while since release now and they need to show they can do better if they want to be taken seriously
...why is Laylee drawn that sassy?
Having played both Banjo-Kazooies I was looking forward to Yooka Layee, but the somewhat negative reviews and long delays made me think again. Then when it finally got released at full price on the Switch with no physical copies, while the PlayStation version was selling for £14.99 it did look as though Switch owners were paying for patching up a less than perfect game.
I don't know if it did sell well on the Switch despite the flaws, I don't know how many copies a game has to sell to make a profit, but I thi k it would have sold more copies if the price was lower, but now its gone of the boil and the moment is lost.
As for a comic, no I don't do comics.
@zool it's currently on sale for £26, but I've seen copies of the game in store preowned for £10. I'm not touching it until it comes closer to £15.
They look like they went through puberty.
Use the money to start a proper physical release process on Switch. I mean like Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap, which could be acquired in any store, not just Limited Run Games.
@DavidMac give it a go. The game is good
Great. I love the game takes me right back to the good old days. Always preferred banjo to Mario 64 And Dare I say it I’m having more fun with yooka than odyssey just wish it had been polished more then in my eyes it would have been perfect.
Not sure about the proportions of the characters in the comic. Why so much more humanoid?
"I can literally feel the air getting stupider." - I wonder if Kickstarter will fund this tripe also.
@Scottwood101 it’s £10 on steam right now that’s where I got mine wasn’t prepared to pay £26 when reviews weren’t great
Well... the comic art looks pretty.
Unfortunately I'm not bothered about funding this. I held out forever for the Switch version of Yooka-Laylee, only to find out it was disappointing despite the post-lauch fixes (like most people). Huge barren (but pretty) levels with collectibles littered everywhere with no sense of direction or game progress.
Yhea, let's await the sequel first
I backed the game and was disappointed with it. Out of the games and books I have backed so far it was the only one that has disappointed me so far.
I don't entirely understand why books need to be crowdfunded? Small print runs if indie graphic novels happen all the time, and we aren't expected to pay for them upfront. Plus didn't Yooka-Lele exceed it's goal by some distance before they made the money on the retail/online versions.
All kickstarter is now is a way to take all of the risk from the company and pass it to the consumer.
Whoa, I feel like I’ve eaten too much candy just looking at the colors. Positively saccharine. Not sure if that’s what the kids like these days...
New game would be nice
As a comic-lover and someone who greatly enjoyed Yooka-Laylee (the game), I hope this Kickstarter project meets its goal.
When did Laylee become pink and girly
@DavidMac Not really, Rare worked on their own. It's just that not all Rare members joined Playtonic and Banjo-Kazooie designer still works at Rare.
I would buy a book only if the script was written by Leigh Loveday and it was based on Banjo-Kazooie.
Back to Yooka-Laylee, it's a good-looking game and controls are decent but the level design, script and gameplay are poor. I still recommend it and it has some nice challenges but it can't hold a candle to the games it is inspired by. However, I believe that Playtonic will make a better game next time.
These aren't loveable characters at all. Banjo Kazooie have charisma and charm!
When will playtonic learn that their game flopped hard.....the art style is SOOOOOO jarring and makes me feel weird.
@I_Am_A_Geek
comic art style not game
game flopped hard not this
Can I pay to make sure this goes away?
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