3D platformer Yooka-Laylee getting a redux with Yooka-Re-Playlee

Playtonic Games’ 3D action platformer is back in action, with bumped-up visuals and refinements, in Yooka-Re-Playlee.

Yooka-you, Yooka-me

Remember Yooka-Laylee? It wasn’t all that long ago that the indie 3D platformer, forged in the vein of famed 64bit era game Banjo-Kazooie, made its debut. From Playtonic Games, Yooka-Laylee introduced genre fans to the new (titled) duo of Yooka and Laylee, and presented a more modern take on the genre. That title even spawned a sequel, and both were fairly well received.

You can forget about a three-quel right now though, because Playtonic is instead going back to where it all began. Yooka-Re-Playlee is next for the developer, and will re-present the original game in the duology, in new and improved format.

While the game is most definitely looking better than ever, there’s a lot more to this revision than just looks. As mentioned, Playtonic is refining things to what seems to be a considerable degree, including fresh challenges for players to overcome, new collectibles to grab, a new map and tracker, and more.

Here’s a peek at what’s coming:

• MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN EVER – With an art and animations overhaul and enhanced performance and resolution, the favourite buddy duo has never looked or moved better.
• NEW AND IMPROVED CHALLENGES – Improvements to existing in-game challenges and many entirely new challenges to discover and undertake!
• NEW COLLECTIBLE CURRENCY – Capital B’s inept minions have dropped their hard-earned coins all over the place. Collect the official currency of the Hivory Towers to spend on video games’ most beloved sentient vending machine.
• NAVIGATING THE WORLD – Now you can get lost in the game, not in the world! A brand-new world map and challenges tracker helps you know where you are and what needs to be done. Hooray!
• VENDI HAS PLENTY TO OFFER – Tonics are back with all new flavours! With the option to equip multiple game-changing enhancements, you can truly customise your playstyle. And as if that wasn’t enough, Vendi has new lines of merchandise for the modern fashionable adventurer.
• REVISED CONTROLS & CAMERA – A new tweaked move set allows you to combine moves more fluidly while the new camera controls makes framing the action a breeze.
• A DREAMY ORCHESTRAL SOUNDTRACK – The original score from famed video game composers Grant Kirkhope (Banjo-Kazooie) and David Wise (Donkey Kong Country) returns but as a beautifully arranged orchestral score. Now seriously, clean out those ears.

Playtonic press release

Stay tuned, because there’s no release date for Yooka-Re-Playlee just yet, though we do know it’ll eventually be on the way for both PC and consoles. If you’re significantly pumped though, you’ll be able to get some burning questions answered right around the corner.

Playtonic is hosting a YouTube question and answer segment on June 11th, with “Senior Community Manager, Steve James, and some of the company founders”. Look for that here.