Yeah Danielle Riendeau did a write up that really was in tune with everything I felt while playing AHiT.
Link:https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/art...e-n64-throwback-yooka-laylee-was-trying-to-be
Picked out the bit that lines up with what I feel are the strongest points of the game:
It's funny, feels good to move around in, levels are all interesting, and every single collectable feels like it has genuine purpose.
Link:https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/art...e-n64-throwback-yooka-laylee-was-trying-to-be
.... That platforming, crucially, feels good, with plenty of augmentable powers on top of the more typical running, jumping, whacking and diving. Hat Kid (yes, that is the protagonist's name. I think...) has a jump that's just a few shades floatier than Mario's, but she can easily double-jump and dash in mid-air, allowing her to cover a ton of distance over enemies or land. She's small and nimble, and quickly turns on a dime of you need her to.
And you can find magical yarn throughout the stages, allowing you to craft new hatslike a sprinting hat that lets you tear ass through stages, an ice hat, and a "detective hat" that lets you solve crimes.
Its worlds are diverse and cleverly designed, and in its best moments, reminded me of my favorite game of all time, Psychonauts. One early stage, where you need to stealthily navigate a bananas film set where two movies are being shot simultaneously (some cartoon owls are filming a western, and their rival penguins a disco kung fu movie?) gave me intense early Double Fine vibes.
Picked out the bit that lines up with what I feel are the strongest points of the game:
It's funny, feels good to move around in, levels are all interesting, and every single collectable feels like it has genuine purpose.