XBOX REVIEW | Yooka-Replaylee

When I was given the opportunity to review Yooka-Replaylee, I didn’t need to be asked twice; I’d played the original version back in 2017 when it first launched. Although I really loved the characters and art style, something just didn’t quite click with me, and overall, I was left feeling a little disappointed.

Fast forward eight years, and now we have Yooka-Replaylee, a full remake from the ground up. You could call it a remix of the original, taking all the positives and adding so much more. This is a strictly solo adventure, but one packed with personality, platforming, and plenty of charm.

The story begins in Shipwreck Creek, where Laylee stumbles across a mysterious book with golden pages. Turns out, it’s no ordinary bedtime read, it’s the legendary One Book, said to have the power to rewrite reality itself. Naturally, this catches the attention of Capital B, the not-so-subtle villain and CEO of Hivory Towers, who sets his sights on stealing it using a contraption called the Noveliser 64. The book’s magical Pagies scatter before he can absorb it completely, and just like that, Yooka and Laylee are off on a quest to track them down. What follows is a madcap adventure across five vibrant worlds, packed with puzzles, platforming, and more than a few oddball characters.

So, with the One Book scattered and Capital B up to his old tricks, it’s time to dive into the remake. Here are my thoughts on Yooka-Replaylee.

Things I liked!

• A Bigger, Bolder Adventure | Yooka-Replaylee doesn’t just polish the original, it rebuilds it from the ground up and packs in more of everything. The Pagie count has more than doubled, jumping from 145 to 300, and each world has been fully expanded with new areas, secrets, and platforming challenges. Better still, all five worlds are available from the outset, once discovered, you can explore them in any order without needing to unlock or expand them bit by bit. This shift gives the game a much smoother flow, you’re free to explore at your own pace without constantly backtracking to test new abilities. Speaking of abilities, the full move set is available from the beginning. No more buying powers from Trowzer one by one, Yooka and Laylee start fully equipped, which makes traversal and puzzle-solving feel more immediate and satisfying. Instead of gating progress through ability unlocks, Replaylee leans into tonics and collectibles to shape your experience.
  
  There’s also a new currency system: Q.U.I.D.S., which you’ll collect throughout the world and spend on tonics and cosmetics. Quills return too, acting as a secondary currency, rarer to find, but still essential for unlocking certain cosmetic items. It’s a smart setup that encourages exploration without overwhelming you with systems. Tonics now play a much bigger role, acting as gameplay modifiers that boost stamina, increase health, or even ramp up the difficulty. You start with a limited number of tonic slots, but can unlock up to six as you progress. It’s a flexible system that lets you tailor the challenge to your liking.
  
  Cosmetics are another welcome addition. With over 100 items to unlock, you can customise Yooka and Laylee with new headgear, body skins, legwear, and particle effects. It’s a simple touch, but one that adds personality and replay value, especially when paired with the new Pirate Treasure collectibles that unlock exclusive looks. Even the hub world, Hivory Towers, has been reworked. Fast travel has also been introduced via Mark the Bookmark, which makes navigating each individual world far more convenient. It’s a welcome addition that cuts down on backtracking and keeps the pace brisk. That said, you still can’t fast-travel between worlds directly, you’ll need to trek through Hivory Towers each time you want to switch. It’s a small gripe, but in a remake that streamlines so much else, it feels like a missed opportunity. 

• A Visual Glow-Up | Visually, Yooka-Replaylee is a clear step up from its predecessor. Every world has been given a fresh coat of paint, with richer textures, sharper lighting, and more environmental detail that makes exploration feel more rewarding. Props are more densely packed, colours pop with greater vibrancy, and the overall presentation feels more cohesive, like the worlds finally match the charm of the characters. On Xbox Series X, the game runs at 4K and 60 frames per second, which really helps the vibrant art style shine. Character animations are smoother, effects like particle trails and lighting transitions feel more fluid, and the added clarity makes platforming sections easier to read at a glance. It’s a noticeable upgrade that brings the game closer to the polish you’d expect from a modern platformer.
  
  That said, I did notice a few moments of slowdown when there was a lot happening on screen, usually during busy combat sequences or when multiple effects were firing off at once. It wasn’t frequent, and it never ruined the experience, but it’s worth mentioning. The game holds up well overall, and these dips felt more like minor hiccups than performance-breaking issues. Even the UI has had a tidy-up, with cleaner menus and more readable fonts. It’s subtle, but it helps the whole experience feel more inviting and less cluttered. If you played the original and found it visually charming but a little rough around the edges, Replaylee smooths those edges out without losing its personality.
  
  
• Soundtrack & Sound Design | The soundtrack in Yooka-Replaylee has had a serious upgrade. While the original had charm, the remake brings in a fully orchestrated score performed by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, and it shows. Each world now has a richer, more dynamic soundscape that complements its visual identity. From the ambient bell tones of Glitterglaze Glacier to the bouncy brass of Tribalstack Tropics, the music feels more intentional and immersive. Every time I boot up the game, the title screen music instantly reminds me of a blockbuster Disney film, something in the vein of Peter Pan. It’s sweeping, whimsical, and sets the tone perfectly for the adventure ahead. That opening flourish never fails to put a smile on my face. What’s especially nice is how the soundtrack adapts to your movement. Enter a cave or dive underwater, and the music shifts seamlessly to match the environment. It’s subtle, but it adds a layer of polish that makes exploration feel more alive.
  
  Sound effects have also been cleaned up. Collecting quills and Pagies has a satisfying pop, and environmental audio, like wind, water, and enemy chatter, is more clearly positioned, especially if you’re playing with headphones. Characters don’t speak in full voice lines, instead, it’s all cheerful gibberish paired with on-screen captions. It’s a quirky choice, but one that fits the vibe perfectly. I never found it annoying, and it actually helps keep the dialogue light and fast-moving.
  
  
• Movement | Movement in Yooka-Replaylee feels smooth and intuitive. Whether you’re rolling through open areas or gliding across gaps, the controls are responsive and easy to get the hang of. All abilities are available from the outset, which means you can experiment freely without waiting for unlocks or upgrades. It’s a refreshing change that encourages exploration and lets you find your own rhythm early on. Switching between movement types, like jumping, rolling, and gliding, feels natural, and the game rarely punishes experimentation. It’s easy to build momentum and flow through levels, which makes traversal genuinely enjoyable. While the camera occasionally needs a nudge, it’s mostly unobtrusive and gives you the freedom to frame your view as needed. For a 3D platformer, that’s no small feat.
  
  
• Replayability | Yooka-Replaylee doesn’t just offer more content, it gives you reasons to keep coming back. With all five worlds discoverable from the outset, you’re free to explore them in any order, revisit areas at your own pace, and uncover secrets you might’ve missed the first time around.  It’s a structure that encourages curiosity and rewards experimentation. Although there are 300 Pagies to find, you only need 120 to face the final boss and complete the game. It’s a generous setup that lets you choose how deep you want to go, whether you’re in it for the story or aiming for full completion. And even after the credits roll, you’re free to continue exploring and collecting at your leisure. Interestingly, it’s also possible to unlock all the achievements long before you’ve fully completed everything the game has to offer. That might sound counterintuitive, but it actually works in the game’s favour, letting you enjoy the full breadth of content without feeling forced to grind every last collectible just for a trophy. It’s a nice balance between rewarding progress and respecting your time.
  
  The game’s layered progression, through quills, cosmetics, and tonics, means there’s always something new to chase. Whether you’re tweaking your loadout for a tougher run or hunting down that last Ghost Writer, the systems work together to keep the experience fresh without feeling bloated. Even after finishing the main story, I found myself dipping back in to polish off challenges, unlock new looks, and test different tonic combinations. It’s the kind of replayability that doesn’t rely on grind, it’s driven by charm, variety, and the satisfaction of ticking off just one more thing.

Mixed & disliked!

• Difficulty Spikes | While Yooka-Replaylee generally strikes a fair balance, the difficulty curve isn’t always smooth. Most of Yooka-Replaylee feels accessible and forgiving, with platforming challenges that rarely frustrate and a structure that encourages exploration over precision. But the final boss is a noticeable spike, a sudden jump in difficulty that doesn’t quite match the pacing or tone of the rest of the game. It’s not that the fight is poorly designed, but it demands a level of precision and pattern recognition that feels at odds with the more relaxed rhythm leading up to it. If you’ve been playing casually, it can catch you off guard. A bit more foreshadowing or a gradual ramp-up in challenge might have helped it land more cleanly. The tonic system does offer ways to tweak the experience, but there’s no built-in option to soften the difficulty for that final stretch. It’s a jarring moment in an otherwise approachable game.

How long did I play the review before publishing? 22 Hours
How long to beat the story? 15 Hours
How many Achievements did I earn before publishing? 40/45 OR 780/1000G
How long to achieve 1000G | 25+ Hours
You’ll love this game if you like these | Boti: Byteland Overclocked, Ruffy and the Riverside and A Hat in Time

CONCLUSION

Score: 90/100

Yooka-Replaylee doesn’t just polish the original, it rolls it into a shiny new ball and dares you to chase it, tail-spin and all.

Yooka-Replaylee doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it refines it with confidence. Its open structure, responsive movement, and varied challenges come together to create a platformer that’s easy to sink into and satisfying to complete. While a few difficulty spikes and mechanical quirks remain, they’re outshone by the game’s charm, polish, and sheer playability. It’s a thoughtful rework that respects the original while making smart, player-friendly improvements.