Yooka-Replaylee from Playtonic and PM Studios is a full remake of the beloved 3D platformer Yooka-Laylee. This updated version features rebalanced gameplay, sharper visuals, and a few welcome modern touches that make this duo’s adventure shine brighter than ever. Learn more in our Yooka-Replaylee review!
Embark on an epic open-world 3D platforming collectathon adventure with Yooka and Laylee! The search for Pagies starts anew in Yooka-Replaylee, the enhanced definitive version of the beloved indie darling with all new challenges, secrets, mechanics, and accessibility options.
Yooka-Replaylee from Playtonic and PM Studios is a full remake of the beloved 3D platformer Yooka-Laylee. This updated version features rebalanced gameplay, sharper visuals, and a few welcome modern touches that make this duo’s adventure shine brighter than ever. I first got a chance to reviewthe original Yooka-Laylee back in 2017, and it was a joyful return to classic 3D platforming — the kind of collectathon that feels like a warm handshake to fans of Banjo-Kazooie and the like. Back then, I praised how intuitive the controls felt (even if at times a bit overly sensitive), and how much fun it was to hunt for hidden Pagies across the vibrant levels. I also flagged the camera as the game’s biggest stumbling block: too often it would get awkwardly close or angle poorly during jumps, making precise platforming frustrating. Finally, I noted performance issues—loading times between areas and hardware strain on my PS4.
Yooka, the friendly green chameleon, and Laylee, his adorable bat companion, find themselves stranded on a mysterious island after their ship goes off course. There, they discover a talking book locked in a cage — “The One Book” — capable of turning anything written in its pages into reality. Unfortunately, it’s not long before the evil Capital B swoops in to reclaim it. During the chaos, the book’s magical pages scatter, sending our heroes on a quest to recover all of them. The writing and tone are lighthearted, full of Saturday morning cartoon energy. The cutscenes have an old-school charm with exaggerated expressions and playful banter, and I found myself chuckling a few times at the silly humor that Playtonic is known for.
Much like the original release on PlayStation 4 from 2017, Yooka-Replaylee delivers a colorful collectathon experience inspired by the golden era of 3D platformers. Controls are crisp and responsive, making it easy to enjoy the precise jumps and exploration-based challenges in full. The duo also has gained access to a few new abilities, including a sonar move that helps uncover semi-hidden objects and platforms. It’s a small but handy addition that fits naturally into the game’s rhythm, considerably improving the exploration gameplay loop.
Since this one is a 3D platformer, you’ll be taking control of Yooka and Laylee with the left analog stick, while the right analog stick will be controlling the camera as you move it around. Pressing the Square button will allow you to use Yooka’s tail twirl to attack enemies. Press and hold down the R2 button for the reptile roll. Laylee is helpful for gliding after a jump, so be sure to hold down the X button to float down at a slower pace. Jump and then press the L2 button for a powerful slam toward the ground. If you press and hold down the L2 button and then press the X button, you can perform a high jump. Press the Circle button near slurpable objects and then press the Square button to shoot. The sonar can be activated when you press the Triangle button.
When you miss a jump or fall into danger, you’ll respawn nearby, losing a bit of your collected currency in the process — which isn’t really punishing. The difficulty is moderate overall, with no adjustable settings, but it stays accessible for most players. If you’re a fan of 3D collectathons, then you probably have a good idea of what it is that you’re getting yourself into.
The adventure takes place within Hivory Towers, which serves as the game’s central hub. As you gather Pagies, new doors and areas unlock, revealing interconnected worlds filled with secrets to uncover. It’s something that reminded me of 3D platforming classics such as Super Mario 64 and the game that inspired this one – Banjo-Kazooie and its sequel, Banjo-Tooie. Each world features multiple sub-areas and can be tackled non-linearly, giving a great sense of freedom to explore at your own pace. Along the way, you’ll collect Pagies, Quills, and currency used for upgrades and new tools that can help you take on the ramping challenge.
Unfortunately, the camera system still leaves something to be desired. While this particular remake has certainly improved the visuals and lighting, the camera remains too close in tight spaces, making it hard to judge certain jumps or landing spots. For a 3D platformer, this can quickly lead to frustration — especially when a missed leap means replaying an entire section.
As mentioned before, Yooka-Replaylee features a visual overhaul that brings us improved lighting, more detailed character models, and improved expressive animations. Yooka and Laylee look great in motion, and their idle animations give them even more personality. Backgrounds are vibrant and colorful, though some environment textures don’t quite reach the fidelity of more recent releases on Sony’s PlayStation 5. On the audio side, the orchestrated and upbeat arranged soundtrack is a joy to listen to, capturing the playful tone perfectly, taking the original soundtrack and elevating it to a whole new level. The game’s sound effects are routed to the DualSense controller, which certainly adds a nice modern touch that enhances immersion without feeling gimmicky.
The trophy list for this revamped experience includes trophies that unlock for progressing through the story, collecting Pagies, completing challenges, and other miscellaneous tasks. It’s a fun and straightforward list that encourages exploration and full completion without resorting to unnecessary grind. Compared to the trophy list for the original version, this one adds some trophies for new objectives based on the new content that has been sprinkled here and there, as well as the new challenges that you’ll need to complete.
Yooka-Replaylee successfully modernizes one of the most nostalgic collectathons of the past decade. Between its improved controls, vibrant worlds, and charming humor, this is easily the best way to experience Yooka and Laylee’s first big adventure. While the camera still causes some headaches, this remake reaffirms Playtonic’s talent for crafting cheerful, old-school 3D platforming fun. There’s a ton for you to do during your time with this game, with 700+ Quills to find, 300 Paiges to collect, as well as a brand new collectible known as Q.U.I.D.S., which are used in the Vendi store for gameplay-altering Tonics, as well as cosmetics. Yooka-Replaylee launches tomorrow on PlayStation 5 with a $29.99 price tag.
Disclaimer
This Yooka-Replaylee review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by Playtonic.
