With theEpic Games Store’s 12 Days of Free Games promotionwinding down, the final game of the event has been revealed and will be available until the first day of the new year. That game isYooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair.
A spin-off of the originalYooka-Layleerather than a full-on sequel,Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lairfollows the same duo from the first game, with the villain also making a return appearance.
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There was a reasonable buzz generated around the sequel toYooka-Layleeupon its initial release, as well as a good deal of surprise. This was partially due toImpossible Lairbeing a 2D platformerrather than 3D like the original. This is less surprising when considering the game’s developer, Playtonic Games, is composed largely of former employees of Rare, andYooka-Layleewas an attempt to recapture the magic of Rare’s belovedBanjo-Kazooie.Impossible Lairtakes its cues fromDonkey Kong Countryinstead, another Rare classic that saw revolutionary 3D graphics integrated into 2D gameplay and brought the big ape into the role of hero in his own game series.
The other reason for the surprise overYooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lairis the fact that the originalYooka-Layleewas not exactly beloved.Many considered it a big disappointment, with a nostalgic sheen that could not mask the game’s problems and a distinct lack of the magic that made the originalBanjo-Kazooiesuch an enduring masterpiece.Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lairhas its own distinct charm and a blend of mechanics that make it feel like its own game, but many of those mechanics are taken wholesale from other games, meaning the series still hasn’t hit the mark of quality that Rare used to be known for.
For those who want to see what all the fuss is about and determine for themselves whether this is a platformer worth their time, there’s no better day to get it. The deal only lasts until tomorrow, so anyone who wants to find out ifImpossible Lairis worth the buzz should act fast. The teaser on the Epic Games Store page hints that the free games of next week may include aDarksiderstitle, perhapsDarksiders2if the teaser showing Death’s face is anything to go by.
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lairis out now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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