Fifteen years on from Banjo Tooie and it’s safe to say that Rare isn’t the revered studio they once were. Six ex Rare developers have now come together to create a studio called Playtonic Games and their first title will be what they themselves are calling a spiritual successor to the much loved Banjo Kazooie franchise. At EGX the team held a press conference showcasing the very first details of this new game currently titled Project Ukelele as well as releasing a couple of background screens to show us the tone of the game.
The full video is available below but for your benefit I’m going to sum up all the most important and meaningful bits below for those who don’t have over half an hour to hear from some of these game developer legends.
– The game will most likely feature two main playable characters just like Banjo Kazooie.
– Multiple characters are being created for this game that will appear in the world somehow. All these characters are envisioned in the future to be receiving their own game where they are the star and the other characters can then appear in their games. Think The Avengers but cuter.
– While Project Ukelele will indeed be a giant love letter to the 3D platformer, the other games with the other characters could be of any genre which will be decided by both the fans and the developers.
– Don’t worry about free to play, micro-transactions, whale hunting or in game-ads. Playtonic are looking to deliver an old school full game experience.
– Playtonic are aiming to give people exactly what they want and expect. The tone and style will be similar to Banjo, the humour, challenges, eyes on inanimate objects, a wealth of NPCs and the classic mumble like speaking will all be in this title. Don’t expect a Nuts N’ Bolts revolution from this title (serisouly don’t, the developers even made a joke about it).
– They are looking to take advantage of the technology leap and bring the 3D platforming genre up to date. New mechanics as well as bringing the classic mechanics back.
– Expect lots of collectibles. One type of collectibles detailed today were called ‘pagies’ which unlock more worlds as well as expand current worlds.
– The characters will have lots of special moves they can learn thanks to their unique characteristics.
– Expect big, beautiful themed worlds that can be explored in a less linear fashion than in previous Rare games.
– The game will be single player.
– Music composers from past games will be coming back! One of them is Grant Kirkhope who has composed a few songs from his home in California. The music will change as you go throughout the level.
– The game will be coming to Kickstarter in May 2015! Regardless if the Kickstarter fails (don’t bet on it) or not the game will be released at least on PC, however it is all but guaranteed additional platforms will be in the Kickstarter tiers.
– Playtonic want to hear from the fans about what they want as Kickstarter rewards. There was even mention of replica Nintendo 64 cartridges and Amiibo! You can get in contact with the team through the forums on the website or their Facebook page.
This is a dream come true for any gamer who grew up in the 90’s and I am sure this Kickstarter will see a lot of support. We will keep you update on the latest news from Playtonic and Project Ukelele as it is released. Be sure to let us know what you think about this newly formed studio and Project Ukelele in the comments below.
