From February 3 to February 10, Epic Games Store users will be able to claim Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, a 2019 title. This serves as a side-scrolling spin-off from Playtonic’s Yooka-Laylee, which was released in 2017. Early reception saw Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair as a more modern take on a classic gameplay style than the original game, but overall, Yooka-Laylee has a solid fanbase as a spiritual successor to titles like Banjo-Kazooie.
It's interesting that it’s on Epic Games Store, not because it necessarily means anything for either the EGS or Yooka-Laylee itself, but because developer Playtonic has recently expanded. That’s not to say fans should expect Yooka-Laylee 2 this year, though it’s certainly possible fans learn of it this year. If so, then this release serves as an appetizer for more content down the road.
Yooka-Laylee Sequel Inbound (And More Playtonic titles?)
First off, it’s worth mentioning that it’s been crudely five years from the first game and three years from the Impossible Lair spin-off. Game development isn’t quick, but assuming Playtonic had goals and ideas in mind for a potential sequel, it’s likely in some stage of development now. Indeed, Playtonic even recently mentioned it back in 2021.
Back in November, it was revealed that Tencent had acquired a minority stake in Playtonic. GamesIndustry.biz conducted an interview around the time of this announcement, where Playtonic discussed how Tencent fully supported the studio and enjoyed its games. Specifically, it was also stated that Tencent’s investment doubles Playtonic’s headcount, expanded it to three core development teams (and thus more games), and confirmed that one of those games will be a proper sequel to Yooka-Laylee.
With this additional funding and the direction of the Impossible Lair, it makes sense that Yooka-Laylee 2 count tackle the biggest criticism of the first game: lack of innovation. Impossible Lair shows Playtonic is capable of this, and Yooka-Laylee 2 could knock it out of the park. Not to mention, Playtonic publishes other games too (including three in 2021) and seemingly has a couple of other games in development.
All of this is to say that, if Epic Games Store users download Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (and enjoy it), they should keep an eye out for more Playtonic games being revealed in the future. It’ll be interesting to see how a sequel follows the first two Yooka-Laylee games, and if it lands that, it’ll be a real studio to watch in terms of growth in the industry and for fans of nostalgic platformers.
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is available for free on Epic Games Store from February 3-February 10.
Source: GamesIndustry.Biz