Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair - Nintendo Switch [Digital]

When I first played Yooka-Laylee on PS4, I got bored after 50 minutes. After a friend suggested I get Impossible Lair, I was very skeptical about it at first, but I am glad I was wrong for being so doubtful of this. Solid 60 frames per second, fluid controls that are easy to understand and master, and just the right amount of moves to keep things nice and fresh while not being overwhelming. Oh, and the ambient, art and music is the stuff of dreams. Mind you, the game is very tough! It sometimes tests my patience, but it doesn't feel as infuriating when you KNOW your death was caused by a miscalculation, an off-timed jump, or poor judgment, instead of bad controls or input lag. Pros: Beautiful graphics, amazing music, versatility in each and every level, tough, but solvable challenges in a challenging game, Tonics to enhance your playing experience, smooth controls, quirky and witty dialogue, and plenty to do in both the 2D levels, and the 3D overworld. You won't have time to be bored in this game. Cons: VERY long initial loading time, and some levels can take a bit to load as well. On a personal level, I also find the super limited jump on the overworld to be aggravating.

The fact that this title was put into the hands of the same veterans who pioneered the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy definitely shines through the quality of the design. Pros: Lot of collectibles for each level with lots of challenges because these are not just handed to you. Lots of puzzle-solving on the overworld map which is unique for the genre. Gameplay draws a lot of inspiration from DK: Tropical Freeze (which definitely isn't a bad thing). Cons: Difficulty curve could have been less or at least had lower difficulty options. More personality and enemy variety would have helped. Overall though, it's an amazing game and is well worth your cash. Well-played, Playtonic!

This game, developed by the team at Playtonic, is excellent! Many of the development team members were at Rare back when the Donkey Kong Country games were made on the Super NES, and it shows. The visuals are a real treat, and they run at a smooth 60 FPS with only the very occasional wobble! The controls are also tight and predictable, and the level design (from what I've played, haven't beaten the game yet) seems pretty good, too. I'm also quite fond of the 3d-style overworld where you find the levels. Once you find levels, you can warp to them at any time by bringing up the map to save yourself traversal time, too. It must be said that the Impossible Lair is really quite a challenge! A recent update did make it somewhat more approachable, but be forewarned that it definitely has teeth (made an attempt, it didn't go well...) Highly recommended, especially considering it's not terribly expensive!

If you enjoy platform games or are a fan of Dankey Kang you’re in for a treat. All the levels are a challenge and the replay ability and collection aspect are great. Besides the actual levels, the overworld map is practically a game in itself. Super smart level design and different tonics add a great mechanic to this game. The word Impossible is in the title and for good reason. The last level, which is accessible as soon as you start the game is practically impossible. You’ll definitely earn props amongst your platforming pals if you manage to tackle the final stage and boss. Great graphics and an even better soundtrack from start to finish.

Controls well, 60fps with very few dips, great music, and fun levels. I love that I can go experience the old days of classic RARE platformers from the 90's by playing games like this. While this title in my opinion is a strong, fun and challenging platformer with a fresh take on navigating an overworld, I feel its lack of 2 player co-op is a missed opportunity which sadly doesn't surpass Donkey Kong Country V (Tropical Freeze) as the superior game.