Playtonic’s Yooka-Laylee revealed

Ex-Rare developers Playtonic Games have lifted the lid on their hotly-anticipated new IP, previously known as Project Ukulele.

Now known as the not-at-all-dissimilar Yooka-Laylee, the game is quite obviously the spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie that the new studio promised. It will be a 3D platformer, with each of the two characters – a chameleon named Yooka and a bat named Laylee – using different moves to help the duo get around.

Playtonic Games was set up earlier this year by former Rare developers. The characters were designed by Steve Mayles, the artist behind Banjo, Kazooie and the Donkey Kong Country cast, with the studio claiming the duo is “our most inventive protagonists”.

The team has also confirmed the soundtrack will be composed by David Wise and Grant Kirkhope, who between them scored the Donkey Country series, Banjo-Kazooie, Goldeneye 64, Perfect Dark and Viva Pinata.

The studio will launch a Kickstarter campaign for Yooka-Laylee at 5pm UK time today.

“When we first discussed this project, the reaction was immense,” the studio wrote on its site. “You flocked to our shop doors like eager Amiibo scalpers and your mouths were full of requests.

“You told us you wanted Yooka-Laylee to be the best game it could possibly be. You said you wanted sprawling, gorgeous worlds to explore, tons of smartarse characters to meet and inventive moves to learn… and you wanted to do it all on your gaming platform of choice.

“When we launch our kickstarter, you can help us tick all of those boxes and more.”

For all the news straight to your inbox, sign up to the Develop Daily.