E3 is starting early for Playtonic Games, the developers ofKickstarter darling 3D platformerYooka-Laylee. Playtonic teased an announcement yesterday and has since delivered, revealingYooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair. ButYooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lairisn’t going to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor. Instead,Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lairwill attempt to be theDonkey Kong CountrytoYooka-Laylee’sDonkey Kong 64.
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lairwill feature 3D visuals with 2.5D gameplay. Playing through the game will include a mix of side-scrolling platforming levels and a top-down overworld with gameplay more akin to a 3D platformer’s puzzles and action. The trailer shows that theYooka-Layleesequel is mixing the modernized style and design of titles likeRayman OriginsandDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freezewith the retroBanjo-Kazooieprinciples that define Playtonic’s game development.
As for the story behindYooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, Playtonic explains that Queen Phoebee and her Royal Beetallion Guard are in danger. It’ll be up to Yooka and Laylee to save the day, putting Capital B back in their place and defeating the Impossible Lair laid before them. Players can expect to find a beautiful and fantastical world to adventure through, filled with myriad creatures and enemies.
The shift in direction for Playtonic is certainly a surprise, given the enthusiasm the studio built aroundYooka-Layleebeing a retro 3D platformer. However, after the criticism that the first game received, trying something new may be just what the franchise needs. That said, Playtonic may find that modern gamers have just as high or higher expectations frommodern 2D platformersas they do for 3D platformers.
This isn’t the last we’ve seen ofYooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lairfor E3. Playtonic and publisher Team 17 promise that more information will be shared about the sequel duringE3 2019itself, which kicks off on June 11 and runs through the 13.
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lairreleases on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One in 2019.
