An improvement from the original Yooka in every way possible. Playtonic proves they can be more than "Banjo, but not as good" with "Donkey Kong Country AND on an almost equal level." Playtonic is essentially returning to their roots even further by opting to follow up their 3D platformer with a 2D one. Each of the 20 levels are very well crafted with a fantastic Soundtrack, while also taking the idea of the expanded tomes from the first game and making them 10X better with the new Change State function that completely alters how you play every level. The tonic system has also been reworked to be way more fun with a selection of boosters that can help or hinder your play of a level. Using more detrimental tonics can have a big risk, but big reward function, while helpful tonics can do the opposite. The overworld is also really fun to explore as this is where you'll find said tonics, along with puzzles that'll help you State Change a level, and some of the more memorable characters from the first game. The titular Impossible Lair is an aggravating, but very satisfying gauntlet to complete once you get the hang of things, and for the true masochist, Playtonic rewards you greatly for beating the Impossible Lair on your first try without the use of the games main collectible, The Beetalion army. It's crazy to think it's already almost been 5 years since the release of this. Hopefully Playtonix can break their silence soon. I'd love to see them finally take a 2nd crack at 3D platformers with everything they've relearned from the original Yooka and this one.