Yooka-Laylee releases in one week, and already the reviews are rolling in. Most of these reviews praise the game in one form or another, but some are more positive than others.
Many reviews state what most people assume: Yooka-Laylee successfully copies the look and sound of Banjo Kazooie. The game’s mechanics, however, are where opinions start to differ. The Guardian praises the variety of quests, missions, and puzzles players need to complete to collect Pagies, Yooka-Laylee’s Jiggies stand-in, while GameSpot is far more critical and claims some of these challenges are repetitive and simply not worth playing. Another divisive feature of the game is that players can choose how they progress;  Pagies can both unlock new worlds and expand existing ones. Destructoid loves this rather novel concept, but once again, GameSpot is slightly more negative, stating the feature is more tedious than anything else and doesn’t actually improve game worlds.
Polish is where Yooka-Laylee seems to suffer. Many, including independent Youtube channels such as ACG and GameXplain, cite camera and performance issues. And, some reviews are almost exclusively negative. For example, Jim Sterling thinks the game is absolutely horrendous, despite being impressed by the Kickstarter campaign and the demo.
The following are the scores given by the reviews mentioned in the article:
The Guardian: 4/5
“Younger players may be be less willing to forgive its anachronisms but for its target audience, those ageing mourners of a lost fashion in games, it’s a promise that’s proven worthy of backing.”
GameSpot: 6/10 (Fair)
“Ultimately, Yooka-Laylee’s best and worst aspects come directly from its predecessor. Despite attempts at modernizing the formula, its style of gameplay is still outdated, and it doesn’t stay challenging or interesting as a result.”
Destructoid: 8/10 (Great)
“Playtonic’s first foray is rough around the edges, but the center is so full of heart that it’ll melt away the more you play it. How much of that roughness you can put up with entirely depends on your history and mental fortitude for mascot platformers.”
ACG: Wait for a Sale (The channel does not give numerical scores)
“There’s a lot to like here from the strange puzzling way the game’s levels sort of intertwined to the moments when a jump and a roll attack work just right. But, in the end, even at the $39,99 asking price, I think the game’s real lack of really enjoyable main characters, the camera issues, and some bugs hold this back.”
GameXplain: Liked (The channel does not give numerical scores)
“I know I’ve been pretty tough on Yooka-Laylee in this review, and make no mistake, the technical and performance problems in the Xbox One version are every bit as severe as I’ve made them out to be. But, just as importantly, I’ve enjoyed my time with the game moment to moment and the Banjo Kazooie fan in me is satisfied with Yooka-Laylee as a whole, technical problems be damned.”
Jim Sterling: 2/10 (Bad)
“Yooka-Laylee is a game out of time, clinging so desperately to past glories it doesn’t seem to understand the Earth kept spinning after the N64 was discontinued. It’s everything wrong about the formative years of 3D platforming and it somehow retained none of what made the genre’s highlights endure.”
Most reviewers adore Yooka-Laylee and are willing to overlook the game’s shortcomings, although how much of that is due to nostalgia goggles is anyone’s guess. People whose interests are piqued by the reviews will have to wait until April 11th when the game launches on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Sorry Nintendo Switch owners, you will need to wait a little longer.
Gaming
Sony is reportedly engaged in discussions to form a partnership for a potential bid on Paramount
There hasn’t been much buzz lately about any new acquisitions in the world of video game intellectual property. According to a recent report, Sony is currently engaged in discussions with a well-funded partner to potentially acquire the renowned film studio Paramount, along with all the exciting possibilities that come with such a merger.
As reported in the New York Times (thanks, ResetEra), Sony Picture Entertainment is reportedly in discussions with Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, as per two sources familiar with the matter. In the past, Apollo had made an offer to acquire Paramount for a minimum of $26 billion, but their bid was ultimately turned down.
The terms of the joint bid are currently under discussion, and there is a chance that the two parties may decide against making a formal offer. Unnamed sources have revealed that Paramount is currently in exclusive discussions with Skydance, preventing any official offer from being made at this time. Investor opposition to the recent deal that Skydance brought seems to have been significant.
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, have been in discussions about teaming up for a joint bid to acquire Paramount, people familiar with the situation said Thursday. https://t.co/qN86H4y7Va
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 18, 2024
The potential impact of such an acquisition is immense. First and foremost, it would introduce adaptations of Sonic and Halo into the expanding media empire of the PlayStation platform holder. Following the announcement, Paramount’s stock experienced a significant 11% surge in after-hours trading.
What are your thoughts on the news? Is there a possibility of Sony acquiring Paramount? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
In the ongoing conflict against the Automaton invasion fleet, the Helldivers 2 players have successfully halted their advance. However, the situation has now reached a tiresome stalemate. Yet again, the machines refuse to take a break from their relentless pursuit of progress, with reports emerging of the Factory Striders being deployed in record-breaking quantities.
There have been reports of alleged machines that were supposedly encountered during Operation Swift Disassembly, which was just the beginning of a larger campaign. However, these accounts should be taken with a grain of salt, as they are unverified and seem to be more on the imaginative side. Factory Striders have gained a reputation as formidable weapons platforms that can produce more Automatons while enduring significant damage. If the machines are able to withstand such a relentless assault, it will be necessary to develop innovative strategies.
Factory Striders have made a resurgence on the Automaton front. These imposing, massive support dreadnoughts now threaten freedom and democracy throughout the galactic rim. pic.twitter.com/XRTPU7k71s
— HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) April 16, 2024
Have you come across groups of Factory Striders in Helldivers 2? Which strategies are proving to be the most effective in taking down these armored brutes? The Orbital Railcannon Strike will prove to be a valuable asset in the comments section below.
The recent release of Amazon’s adaptation of Fallout has ignited a renewed interest in the series and brought attention to the captivating alternate history that forms its foundation. Fans have expressed concern that the TV show’s events might be at odds with the plot of the Obsidian Entertainment video game New Vegas. Warning: Spoilers ahead for New Vegas and Amazon’s show!
Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard and Fallout TV executive producer Jonathan Nolan recently sat down with IGN to discuss the timeline. Howard was taken aback when showrunners Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet presented him with the surprising concept of obliterating Shady Sands, the bustling capital of the New California Republic, in the aftermath of the events in New Vegas. Howard eventually warmed up to the idea: “After discussing it, we realized that this could be a significant story moment that many things hinge upon.”
It seems that they had to make some tough decisions to ensure everything fell into place, but Howard emphasizes the importance of preserving the integrity of the Fallout timeline: “We take great care with the timeline. There seems to be some confusion in certain areas. However, all the events from the previous games, including New Vegas, did occur. We take great caution in that matter. We’re really pushing the limits here, but the explosions occur right after the events of New Vegas.
What are your thoughts on this? Is it up to par? Even though it may not have a significant impact on the overall quality of the games or show, it is comforting to know that those in charge are paying attention. We value your feedback and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.
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