10 Video Games That Blatantly Ripped Off Iconic Franchises
2. Yooka-Laylee
The Game: Yooka-Laylee is a platforming game about a chameleon and a bat that are tasked with exploring colorful worlds. They do so in search of items known as "Pagies." Along the way, they learn new abilities that make it easier to traverse and explore their surroundings. It's a fun formula - one that's rarely done nowadays.
The Game It Ripped Off: Banjo-Kazooie
Once again, this is a spiritual-successor-gone-somewhat-wrong situation. Banjo-Kazooie is an extremely popular video game that got a sequel, and a weird racing spin-off, but never a true third game. Rare (the game studio that made Banjo) decided to focus on titles that weren't Banjo-Kazooie for a while. This left fans desperate for something that would bring them the same sense of joy.
Enter Playtonic Games, a studio made up of former Rare employees. Using the power of Kickstarter (a very popular power back then), they developed Yooka-Laylee in an attempt to satisfy their fans' thirst.
When Yooka-Laylee was released, it only received lukewarm reviews. It was criticized for feeling outdated and bland. The frustrating camera and controls earned complaints as well.
Yooka-Laylee went on to receive patches that fixed some issues, such as the camera. Just recently, Playtonic Games announced a sequel titled Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair. It's in 2.5D rather than the original title's 3D. It seems to feature gameplay that's inspired by Donkey Kong Country - and hopefully won't ape the past too much like its predecessor.