A lot has happened since we last had the good fortune to visit Playtonic Games. The previous time we popped by the studio's offices outside the rural English town of Burton-on-Trent (acclaimed actor Paddy Considine was born and still lives there, fact fans), the team was still in single-digits and occupied a tiny, room. Now, a few years (and one game release) later, and Playtonic has moved to much larger premises on the same industrial park; a sign that the company has grown dramatically since the early days of the Yooka-Laylee Kickstarter.
"We've taken another step away from being this really small, niche studio to being a studio which can have grander ambitions and take its time a bit more," says Gavin Price, Playtonic's Managing Director and studio Creative Lead. It's a statement of pride – Playtonic has certainly grown in size and stature, and its team is packed to bursting point with a combination of ex-Rare staffers and talented people from other companies.
However, it could also be seen as an admission that Yooka-Laylee, as beloved as it was and still is, wasn't the product of a studio working at its full capacity. The game was, lest we forget, produced by tiny team compared to the one currently seen occupying Playtonic's new and rather spacious offices, and it's perhaps not fair to take it as the definitive example of what the company can offer; that product is likely to be Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, Playtonic's next game and one which demonstrates a team at the very height of its creative powers.
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair sees the evil Capital B – thought to have been banished inside a mysterious book at the end of the last game – rising up to cause more mischief. Unlike the first title, this isn't a 3D platformer in the style of Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie; instead, it's a hybrid which skillfully mixes Donkey Kong Country-style 2.5D platforming with an expansive Zelda-like overworld, the latter of which also serves as the 'hub' from which you enter the aforementioned side-scrolling stages.
The visuals are absolutely stunning – we're talking Nintendo-levels of quality here
The aim is to conquer Capital B's titular Impossible Lair, and as Lane reveals, this can actually be taken on from the beginning of the game. However, doing so is brutally difficult and you'll want to instead explore the 2D levels to unlock 'Bee Shields' which allow you to withstand more punishment in the Impossible Lair (think TV's The Crystal Maze, but instead of crystals buying you time, they're buying you stamina).
While many fans may be disappointed that Playtonic has decided to take a step back from the kind of full-3D adventure many of the team was famous for at Rare, there's a definite feeling that Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair feels more polished and playable than its forerunner. The visuals are absolutely stunning – we're talking Nintendo-levels of quality here – and the controls are tight and responsive. Price tells us that the shift to 2D wasn't as easy as some might assume, as everything needs to be tighter and more accurate as a result; there's no margin for error here, he insists.
However, as good as the platforming levels are, it could be the massive overworld which steals the show. While it's tempting to compare it to the map in Super Mario 3D World, it's far more interactive; you can pick up objects, talk with NPCs and solve puzzles to unlock new routes. Perhaps the most tantalising feature is the ability for events in the overworld to directly impact the layouts of the 2D stages; for example, if you unblock a river in one part of the map, it will flow into one of the 2D stages and change the way it looks. If you're old enough to recall the Block Palaces in Super Mario World on the SNES, this is a similar mechanic – but far bolder.
Had we shipped simultaneously on Switch with the first Yooka-Laylee game, the ratio between the platforms would have been even more in favour of the Switch
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is shaping up to be quite the game, but for Switch owners, the fact they had to wait for the previous title might cause some concern. Price is quick to point out that it won't happen again. "There's been tons of effort, under the hood, put in to make sure that, day one, the Switch version – and all the versions – launch simultaneously and there's parity across them all," he says.
Despite shipping much later than the PS4 and Xbox editions, it turns out that the Switch version of the original Yooka-Laylee did very well for Playtonic and publisher Team17. "We're so pleased with how we were received on Switch," Price says. "I think, had we shipped simultaneously on Switch with the first Yooka-Laylee game, the ratio between the platforms would have been even more in favour of the Switch." It's clear from his explanation that the first Yooka-Laylee shipping later on Switch wasn't something Playtonic could control itself; a lot of "external factors" were to blame, although Price is too much of a gentleman to go into more detail.
The bottom line is that Playtonic knows it has a receptive audience on Nintendo platforms, and Price is aware that a strong affinity between the studio and Nintendo fans exists. "There's more of a natural fit between our games and fans of Nintendo," he explains. "Even though the Switch [version of Yooka-Laylee] came later down the line, it did incredible for us." It's encouraging then that with this sequel, Switch owners won't need to feel like second-class citizens. In fact, Price says that Switch has arguably been the studio's target platform this time around, even though it's less powerful than Sony and Microsoft's hardware.
Playtonic as a studio, as a brand, has got to be its own machine, its own beast
With the strong connection to Rare – which, it should be noted, is a short drive away from Playtonic's offices – it's unsurprising that so many fans compare the studio's output to what many of its staffers have done before on the SNES, N64, GameCube, Xbox and Xbox 360. However, Price insists that Playtonic as a company needs to carve its own niche, and that means stepping away from the past to a degree.
"We do want to do games in styles to what we've done in our past, but we've also got to stand up on our own two feet," he adds. "Playtonic as a studio, as a brand, has got to be its own machine, its own beast. So we'll be looking to try and do a bit of both in a way that makes sense; no more are we going to say 'we're doing a spiritual successor to this game we've previously done'; everything we do from this point on is a brand-new concept for us, unshackled. But hopefully, there's plenty of crossover – without us having to say it or try to achieve it – with stuff we've done in the past, as well."
Comments 33
The game looks promising and the fact it doesn't have a limited quantity physical release entices me even more.
Game looks like quite a bit of fun
“The visuals are absolutely stunning – we're talking Nintendo-levels of quality here – and the controls are tight and responsive”
Is it 60 FPS on Switch then?
It is interesting to see Playtonic build their franchise out from scratch again starting with what made Rare, well, Rare.
If this turns out anything like Tropical Freeze, it's an insta-buy for me. David Wise certainly helps too.
Hmmm. I am not entirely convinced by the trailer. I do not like the look of the way it controls. And the platforming looks kind of basic, compared to the excellent level designs of say, DKC Returns. However I will try to stay optimistic, even after being greatly let down by Yooka Laylee.
I had a good time with the first game. Double dipped Xbox and switch. It somehow felt more at home on switch. Day one for me as no Donkey Kong on the horizon.
@SalvorHardin My question exactly! I hate 2D sidescrollers that run at 30fps or less. This game has got to run at 60fps. I'll be super excited to play it if it does. If it runs at 30fps I won't play it and I'll trash it every chance I get! Kirby on Switch sucks because they went with 1080p and a choppy 30fps, which ironically makes the game look blurry until you stop moving. Since videogames are almost always about movement they should always run at 60fps.
I hope this promising looking game run at 60fps in both portable and docked play!
Well it looks like a video game. Not a particularly exciting game, but a game nonetheless.
I like how they are embracing a DKC style but I am disappointed with the music. A part of what made the DKC trilogy feel so special was the music, and the music in this video just feels so... generic.
These guys are childhood heroes for a lot of us. It gets me excited that they are learning and expanding. I haven’t played the first game, but I am definitely interested in this “sequel”. The hub world looks like an wunderful addition.
I just saw a Nintendo Treehouse YouTube video that showed this game running at 60fps. It looks awesome. Maybe Nintendolife are limiting the frame rate of their videos to 30fps? It looks like 30fps on Nintendolife videos. At least there's hope that this could be another beautiful 60fps Switch game!
These people constantly critiquing Playtonic and dumping on Yooka Laylee at every turn seemingly never fail to come out in droves to comment on this company and the games it produces. Usually I avoid reading stories about bad games I don't care for, but who am I to judge.
Rare wasn't built in a day, and Playtonic are no exception. With every release, this company is further honing their skills and expanding to bring titles with the spirit of classic Rare games to you, with the added benefit of favoring Nintendo consoles.
I could forgive it if the complaints were slightly less unreasonable (JonTron aside, whose unnecessary removal was handled poorly more so by Team17 than Playtonic). "60fps." Many Nintendo-published games on the Switch do not even run at 60 frames per second. "The camera is awful in Yooka Laylee." The camera is awful in many great games, including many by Rare — Donkey Kong 64's camera was so bad that it was used as a feature in certain scenarios where you are challenged to walk across narrow paths without falling, and that is an awesome game. You're criticizing a game crowdfunded on nostalgia inspired by classic 90's 3D platformers for having issues many 90's 3D platformers had at the time. With each release, the developer is improving, and we all win because the spirit of Rare lives on and continues to bring consistently better games with that classic Rare charm to Nintendo consoles, which is a lot better than nothing at all.
I saw the the Treehouse footage live, was very impressed. The visuals looked really polished, looking forward to this....
Can't wait to get it. As long as we can expect a proper YL sequel, this is more than enough to tide me over until then
Whoa, this is MUCH more my type of game than the first. I'm actually kind of excited about it.
@60frames-please Have you considered buying a PC and gaming monitor? Then you could run your games at 120 fps. You'd have to change your name though.
I first played Yooka-Laylee and was continually frustrated with how much it was not Banjo Kazooie. I put it down for a few months. Then eventually I picked it up again and managed to find a way to look at it on its own merits. It actually is good fun - the levels (while too large compared to BK) are filled with stuff, the tone is playful and the movement is tight. That qualifies as a good 3D platformer to me. I ended up very happy with Yooka Laylee and I look forward to Playtonic's next work.
@BionicDodo I'm kind of afraid to try 120fps. If I couldn't go back it would ruin thousands of games for me!
@Majora101 I love Playtonic and I have Yooka Laylee on Switch where I enjoy it in docked mode so it can look smooth on my TV. Off the top of my head I can think of 10 Nintendo games on Switch that run locked at 60fps. It is absolutely doable. I just wish it was a higher priority. Also, even though I'm all about getting more 60fps games on Switch some of my favorites don't run well. Kingdom and Kingdom Two Crowns have choppy and uneven frame pacing, but I like them so much I play them a lot and recommend them highly. Breath of the Wild is my favorite game ever at it only runs at 30fps. I also love Okami, Valkyria Chronicles, and Katamari on Switch. They all run at 30fps. I just play them docked so my TV can dejudder them and make them look smooth.
@60frames-please Precisely. I appreciate 60 FPS as well, but I'm not about to pass on a game if it doesn't have it or put down a developer for not implementing it. It's nice to have, but it isn't a pre-requisite for a game to be great, and in some cases they are better without it. Ocarina Of Time for one example is significantly less cinematic at a higher FPS, the lower framerate actually enhances the experience.
@Majora101 the camera was awful in Donkey Kong 64. Which was released when? You making that arguement puts you on par with the folk who have written playtonic off after one game. Yooka Laylee had its flaws. However it was a small team. Of course the game wasnt going to fill that Banjo shaped hole in most folks lives. It's a big hole to fill.
I'll be looking at picking this up as it's looking pretty good.
Playtonic looks like my middle school! I can imagine walking in the building and seeing anti drug posters and kids walking around with hall passes and stuff 🙃
That seems somehow apt for such a nostalgia based video game maker.
Anything these guys do has my attention, I didn't think much of the trailer at first in the midst of all the other big announcements but rewatching it has made me very excited, I can't wait to see what these guys do with a bigger team and budget!
@MarzipanD We agree for the most part! I am looking forward to The Impossible Lair as well. Your initial point is inaccurate, however. A game's release date has little to do with the quality of its features. There were games with great camera systems from 1999 just as there are games with awful camera systems today.
The point you are missing is that some unfairly criticize Yooka Laylee and Playtonic by extension for having crowdfunded and developed a game on a nostalgic late 90s-style 3D platformer premise because it has quirks that are common to many games of that style. This is like buying a copy of Windows 98 and wondering why it doesn't do certain things the same way as Windows 10.
Would it be nice if the game ran at a stable 60 FPS and had a camera system similar to what we've grown accustomed to in more modern games? Sure. Is it a gamebreaker that makes the game "bad" and condemns the developer to criticism of everything they do because some people had an overly-ambitious idea of what their first game would be and were a little disappointed upon its release? I say no, generally, as the developer has nowhere to go but up, and they rightfully treat Nintendo consoles with reverence as the true home for their games.
Tropical Freeze is a good game to take notes from, if not every note because retro seems to have fallen off a cliff with their own project output
The game looks nice, and I'm glad for Playtonic. I hope they manage to walk out of Rare's shadow and eventually manage to go back to making 3D platformers, but with their own spice instead of looking to recapture the "Rare magic".
I kickstarted the first game and was pretty disappointed by it. But I think a big part of that was that they were trying to push out a modern feeling game with pretty minimal resources.
This side scroller looks way better and let’s be honest? DKC was always better than anything they made for the N64.
Fantastic. This looks increadible. I love the 2.5d aspect. Some stages will be like donkey kong. But to me it looks simerlar to the banjo kazooie on the nintendo ds. A kind of top down overworld that you can explore. Kinda like spyro aswell
Doesn't look bad, but its nothing I haven't seen before either.
Looking forward to playing this game!
Please be out this year!
The man sounds determined. I'm glad.
The biggest issue I've had with Playtonic was the delay to Switch. More transparency would have been helpful.
Hopefully this game helps them further rebuild the glory days. Rare's best-remembered IP's have a certain whimsical charm about them that I do think Yooka-Laylee carries on.
I do think the new game looks like a lot of fun. Some DKC like moments, but different, too. I'll look forward to it.
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