Most of the game is a solid (if unspectacular) platformer with great visuals and music, a fun little overworld to explore, and an interesting gimmick of altering levels through things like freezing them, or reversing them, or shooting a stream of monsters into them...
Unfortunately, then comes the titular Lair, which feels like playing a Mario game only for Bowser's Castle to suddenly be a Kaizo level. Despite the mechanic of collecting bees in the rest of the game so you can take hits, nothing in the rest of the game really prepares you for the Lair. It feels incongruous - like it should be an optional challenge or DLC separate from the main game, and it tanked my enjoyment of the game completely. After trying to force myself to have fun, I decided to call it a day.
I have other minor issues too - the controls felt a bit sluggish to me and the humour hasn't evolved at all since Banjo-Kazooie, but excepting the Lair this would be 4 stars as it was a fun romp up until that point.
Unfortunately, then comes the titular Lair, which feels like playing a Mario game only for Bowser's Castle to suddenly be a Kaizo level. Despite the mechanic of collecting bees in the rest of the game so you can take hits, nothing in the rest of the game really prepares you for the Lair. It feels incongruous - like it should be an optional challenge or DLC separate from the main game, and it tanked my enjoyment of the game completely. After trying to force myself to have fun, I decided to call it a day.
I have other minor issues too - the controls felt a bit sluggish to me and the humour hasn't evolved at all since Banjo-Kazooie, but excepting the Lair this would be 4 stars as it was a fun romp up until that point.