History YMMV / YookaLaylee

** Was removing [[WebVideo/JonTron JonTron's]] cameo from the game shortly before its release because of the controversial political statements he made during the months leading up to it a good or bad decision on Playtonic's part? The fact that VideoGame/AHatInTime kept the cameo regardless only made things more complicated.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Dr. Puzz, which isn't surprising considering that the character she's a successor to, [[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Mumbo Jumbo]], was a darkhorse himself. Many fans enjoy her [[UglyCute weird yet still appealing design]]. And unlike Mumbo, who was rather cynical, Dr. Puzz is genuinely nice and helpful, even if her transformations are never quite what she intends them to be.
* FandomRivalry:

---> '''Laylee:''' Can we get out yet, Yooka? We've been in here for ages!
---> '''Yooka:''' Not until we reach our stretch goals, Laylee! Sit tight!

----> '''Sign:''' I'd love to offer directions but unfortunately I can't see behind my own head. If only I had a pair of wheels... Maybe the final game will have a fun vehicle building mechanic?

** Rextro’s Arcade Mingames have to be completed twice even if you beat Rextro’s high score on your first run. This, combined with the repetitive and sometimes frustrating nature of his minigames, have made the quite loathed.
** Kartos is similarly disliked due to the TrialAndErrorGameplay of his minigames and frustrating controls. Capital Cashino’s boss being fought while riding Kartos is the primary reason why it is considered the hardest in the game.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Capital B is beloved by the fandom. He may be a fat bee man, but you can't deny he's a [[ManOfWealthAndTaste very snazzy dresser.]]

* MemeticMutation: WebVideo/JonTron being removed for his comments regarding [[spoiler: [[BaitAndSwitch not]] [[LetsPlay/{{videogamedunkey}} liking]] ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild''. He just had to be removed.]]

** The game has been described in reviews as a 90s Collectathon Platformer, warts and all. One of said warts involves the camera that feels like it's constantly fighting you for control.
*** This wart, however, was iced with the introduction of the "Manual" camera in the game's first major update (which is included in the Switch port), making the camera ''much'' easier to control for those who aren't satisfied with the "Classic" camera.

** A not-so-minor (and rather unfortunate) one has also formed with the fanbase of ''VideoGame/AHatInTime''. With all the similarities they have (They're both Kickstarter funded "Collectathon" 3D Platformers inspired by N64 titles like ''Banjo-Kazooie'' and ''Super Mario 64'', they both, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen at one point in their development]], contained a cameo from [=JonTron=], etc.) you'd think they'd be FriendlyFandoms, right? Well, thanks to the aforementioned BrokenBase surrounding ''Yooka's'' critical and player base reception along with the fact that ''Hat'' decided to keep their cameo of Jon despite the risk of controversy while ''Yooka's'' was cut out [[MortonsFork because of the risk of controversy]], people are torn over which of the two is "better" or indeed, whether or not ''Yooka'' can even be considered "good" with the seeming minority of fans who [[TakeAThirdOption enjoy]] [[FriendlyFandoms both]] regardless of whichever one they like more being practically drowned out...

** Some of the minigames, particularly Rextro Sixtyfourus's arcade games, have been a point of contention.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: A couple of the earlier patches addressed the performance issues on the UsefulNotes/XboxOne and [[UsefulNotes/Playstation4 PS4]] versions, and a day one patch hopes to help with the much-criticised camera issues.

** Reviews of the game have been very mixed. Some praise the game for essentially being a modern-day Nintendo 64 platformer while others criticize it for the exact same reason, citing that gaming has moved on from nearly twenty years ago.

* EightPointEight: Early reviews were decidedly mixed-to-positive (with Metacritic scores ranging from the high [=60s=] to the low [=70s=]), but [[WebVideo/{{Jimquisition}} Jim Sterling's]] highly negative 2/10 score stood out as being the most divisive among fans looking forward to the game; even some readers who agreed with their criticisms felt that their score was too low for a game that was still complete and functional.

** Bit of a minor one with ''Banjo-Kazooie''. While they're mostly FriendlyFandoms as this is the SpiritualSuccessor to that franchise, a portion of the ''Banjo-Kazooie'' fanbase is rather annoyed/disheartened that this game more or less means "R.I.P. ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie''".

** The game's future sequel has been dubbed by fans as ''Tooka-Laylee'' (like how the game's Spiritual Predecessor's second entry was called ''Banjo-Tooie'' JustForPun).

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: Despite the overall positive reaction to this game basically being ''[[SpiritualSuccessor Banjo-Threeie]]'', there are still some people who criticize the game for looking too similar to ''Banjo-Kazooie'' (right down to the font used in the logo, the designs/abilities of the characters, and [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong the general sound of the music]]) and wish that the developers were doing more to give the game its own unique identity and style while still evolving and reviving the genre. Upon release, many of the mixed reviews for the game stemmed from the game being too similar to a [=90s=] game (right down to the CameraScrew) rather than demonstrating how much 3D platforming had evolved over the past two decades.

** Was removing [[WebVideo/JonTron JonTron's]] cameo from the game shortly before its release because of the controversial political statements he made during the months leading up to it a good or bad decision on Playtonic's part?

* FandomRivalry: Bit of a minor one with ''Banjo-Kazooie''. While they're mostly FriendlyFandoms as this is the SpiritualSuccessor to that franchise, a portion of the ''Banjo-Kazooie'' fanbase is rather annoyed/disheartened that this game more or less means "R.I.P. ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie''".

* SerialNumbersFiledOff: The game can be characterized as Rare's ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' creative team going rogue after the IP's failure post-Microsoft and making an unofficial third ''Banjo'' game that very closely emulates, but does not steal material from, the franchise they lost control over. Playtonic had stated that [[http://www.polygon.com/2015/6/22/8817003/yooka-laylee-e3-preview the game would be more of its own thing and not rely too much on the Banjo-Kazooie formula]], but after the game came out, many people who played the game did find it to indeed be another ''Banjo-Kazooie'' game with different surface aesthetics. Whether this means ''Yooka'' provides the unofficial third game in the only way that was feasible or instead comes off as a desperate endeavor that only highlights ''Banjo'''s loss to Microsoft (rather than the game breaking free a bit more ''because'' a new IP was required) is up to the player.

* SerialNumbersFiledOff: Ever since the first details of the game came out, many were quick to point to similarities to the ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' series. Playtonic had stated that [[http://www.polygon.com/2015/6/22/8817003/yooka-laylee-e3-preview the game would be more of its own thing and not rely too much on the Banjo-Kazooie formula]], but after the game came out, many people who played the game did find it to indeed be another ''Banjo-Kazooie'' game with little identity of its own.

** Capital Cashino, mainly because it contains what many players consider to be hardest Rextro mini-game, the hardest Kartos challenge, and the hardest boss. Until a recent patch, it also had a nasty glitch that could lock you out of 100% completion for good.

* MisaimedFandom: Both coming and going with fans and critics regarding the game's retro nature, "warts and all". While the game is decidedly throwback in its sensibilities (and some of the perceived problems ''do'' come down to a matter of taste), many of its fundamental design problems, especially regarding player instruction and internal logic, would have been noticed and criticized even in the 90s, and are not present in all (or even most) games from that era, including the original Banjo games.

** The player base has unfortunately been much the same as the reviewers. You either love the game for being a true successor to ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' and even considered it better in some aspects, or hate it for being a lackluster game that feels like a cheap version of ''Banjo-Kazooie'' with none of the charm. There is remarkably little to no middle ground. This only got worse when ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'' got released to much more positive critical reception, causing the latter group of the playerbase to move on to what they felt was the better game.

** Was removing [[WebVideo/JonTron JonTron's]] cameo from the game shortly before its release because of the controversial political statements he made during the months leading up to it a good or bad decision on Playtonic's part? [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment To say there have been many flame wars over this would be an understatement...]]

** A not-so-minor (and rather unfortunate) one has also formed with the fanbase of ''VideoGame/AHatInTime''. With all the similarities they have (They're both Kickstarter funded "Collectathon" 3D Platformers inspired by N64 titles like ''Banjo-Kazooie'' and ''Super Mario 64'', they both, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen at one point in their development]], contained a cameo from [=JonTron=], etc.) you'd think they'd be FriendlyFandoms, right? Well, thanks to the aforementioned BrokenBase surrounding ''Yooka's'' critical and player base reception along with the fact that ''Hat'' decided to keep their cameo of Jon [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment despite the risk of controversy]] while ''Yooka's'' was cut out [[MortonsFork because of the risk of controversy]], people are torn over which of the two is "better" or indeed, whether or not ''Yooka'' can even be considered "good" with the seeming minority of fans who [[TakeAThirdOption enjoy]] [[FriendlyFandoms both]] regardless of whichever one they like more being practically drowned out...

* MemeticMutation: WebVideo/JonTron [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment being removed for his comments]] regarding [[spoiler: [[BaitAndSwitch not]] [[LetsPlay/{{videogamedunkey}} liking]] ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild''. He just had to be removed.]]

** The Great Rampo, the 1st world's boss, can be very difficult and frustrating for new players because oftentimes they don't know that you can stop moving while rolling on a slippery surface, and they'll continuously get hit by one of the rolling logs which cause them to slide all the way back down.