27th April 2017, 5:30 AM
The camera movement is pretty awkward on the up/down axis, with little range of movement and slower speed compared to left/right. Frankly that was par for the course on the N64, so it's not like it's worse than those games, but these days people expect more. No one was really asking to bring back old school controls after all. Still, that seems like a quick fix. Overall, the camera does a fine job. Also, the "quick turn" camera button is always welcome and I make heavy use of it both here and in Breath of the Wild.
As far as level size, yes they are bigger than Banjo Kazooie, but that doesn't QUITE make up for it. In fact, I'd say the pricing of the game is an admission that this is "Banjo-Lite" in that sense. I really do think that 2 or 3 more levels would have evened things out a bit, and answered another complaint about variety in level design. I for one actually LIKE the main evil corporation. Yeah, it's possible to get lost, but that's been true in all Rare's collectathon hub worlds. However, making 5 levels longer just means you get tired of the individual worlds quicker and want to see more variety. I kinda hope that DLC comes along and adds a handful of new worlds to this game (they can add in an extra chapter or two to the main story as well as a second big boss fight with Capital B). This isn't a major complaint, don't misunderstand, but the comparisons to the original games (which this game demands we do) mean it can't be ignored.
I do like the "story". The whole thing seems like allegory to MS's acquisition and mishandling of Rare. So, Capital B (Microsoft) suddenly decides to suck up (buy out) every book company (game company) in the world, but mainly just wants the One Book (Rare) so he can rewrite history (take credit for a gaming past MS doesn't actually have, like bragging about "their" games Battletoads and Killer Instinct). However, when they get the "one book", all they have is the cover (the name only) and the pages (employees) all fall out of the book and hide away (quit to form other companies) until Yooka and Laylee (Playtonics) get them all back together to take on Capital B in his own house (release this game on both PC and XBox). Or, I might be reading way too much into this. There's also a pants-wearing snake named "Trouzer". I'm not sure what he represents.
As far as level size, yes they are bigger than Banjo Kazooie, but that doesn't QUITE make up for it. In fact, I'd say the pricing of the game is an admission that this is "Banjo-Lite" in that sense. I really do think that 2 or 3 more levels would have evened things out a bit, and answered another complaint about variety in level design. I for one actually LIKE the main evil corporation. Yeah, it's possible to get lost, but that's been true in all Rare's collectathon hub worlds. However, making 5 levels longer just means you get tired of the individual worlds quicker and want to see more variety. I kinda hope that DLC comes along and adds a handful of new worlds to this game (they can add in an extra chapter or two to the main story as well as a second big boss fight with Capital B). This isn't a major complaint, don't misunderstand, but the comparisons to the original games (which this game demands we do) mean it can't be ignored.
I do like the "story". The whole thing seems like allegory to MS's acquisition and mishandling of Rare. So, Capital B (Microsoft) suddenly decides to suck up (buy out) every book company (game company) in the world, but mainly just wants the One Book (Rare) so he can rewrite history (take credit for a gaming past MS doesn't actually have, like bragging about "their" games Battletoads and Killer Instinct). However, when they get the "one book", all they have is the cover (the name only) and the pages (employees) all fall out of the book and hide away (quit to form other companies) until Yooka and Laylee (Playtonics) get them all back together to take on Capital B in his own house (release this game on both PC and XBox). Or, I might be reading way too much into this. There's also a pants-wearing snake named "Trouzer". I'm not sure what he represents.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)