Similar Character Style

There are many reasons why many people consider video games to be a form of modern art, and one of these is the multitude of graphical variations that have been implemented over the years. From cel-shading and pixel art to vector graphics and polygons, each game is defined not only by its gameplay. It also depends on how it appeals visually to its target audience, and certain styles fit better with different genres more than most. When it comes to spiritual successors, most tend to emulate the game’s original style or offer a slightly enhanced alternative, such as in A Hat in Time.

At first glance, I could immediately tell that Yooka the chameleon and Laylee the bat were created for an adventure to carry on legacy of Rare. The large eyes, combined with the cartoon style rendering and faces that are brimming with undefined personality. The same can be said for how Super Indie Karts Grand Prix has a similar pixelated graphics style to its spiritual precursor Super Mario Kart, rendering different characters in one individual style.

Deja Vu

One of my major criticisms with Mighty No 9, a spiritual successor of Mega Man created by the man who originally designed the character, is that the game seems to lack the same magic that seemed to permeate from his original creations. Whether is because the current footage is still not a representation of the final product, or if my expectations of what the next evolution of Mega Man could look like exceed the game that has been created this purpose. Regardless of the reason, if a spiritual successor lacks a sense of déjà vu to previous games in the series, it might as well just be an individual title with no real connection to any previous franchise.

Shovel Knight also heavily borrows from Mega Man, but unlike the current state of its spiritual successor, the sense of déjà vu is far stronger because of the graphical style and sometimes brutal difficulty level that Capcom’s signature series was renowned for. With barely five minutes of footage released to the public of the pre-alpha build, Playtonic have already invoked a nostalgia that brings back the feeling of soaring through the skies of Treasure Trove Cove and wandering around Mumbo’s Mountain in Banjo Kazooie. So unless the final build dramatically chances, it is safe to say our playable reminiscence is in safe hands.

Genre

Could you imagine Tetris as a racing game, or Lego Star Wars as a rhythm action game? Well luckily for you, neither did the original developers, not that they would have been disastrous. When considering a spiritual successor, the last thing that the development team would do is change the genre to something entirely abstract, unless the change is only temporary during a mini-game sequence or a gameplay style that is dedicated to a single character. This was used effectively in Spyro: Year of the Dragon for the Playstation, where a few of Spyro’s companions had levels that were not the platforming adventure that the purple dragon is remembered for.

The multi genre approach is also used in Retro City Rampage, a spiritual successor that mainly paid homage to the original 2D Grand Theft Auto titles. Certain missions within the game’s storyline take place in buildings or environments that require a different approach, such as the Bomberman segment where the antagonist steals the hero’s weapon, or the Metal Gear Solid style stealth sections that require split second timing to proceed. Banjo Kazooie also used various mini games such as the musical turtles and the jigsaw puzzles inside Banjo’s home by Spiral Mountain, so it is highly probable that these variations will be in Yooka Laylee in some form as well.

New Mechanics

The main purpose of a spiritual successor is to bring back the games that have been left in the past, a direct copy and paste of the same concepts will not endear fans in the same way as the original. In order to make the game stand out, it is necessary to add mechanics that may not have been seen in the genre previously, or entirely new features that rewrite the rules without compromising the spirit of the original’s integrity.

Although Shovel Knight was highly inspired by the original Mega Man games that lacked extensive customisation, it was possible to upgrade the maximum amount of health and magic points, as well as upgrading your weapons with the gold you have collected along your journey. Behemoth’s Castle Crashers offered the side scrolling beat-em-up in a similar style to Golden Axe and Streets of Rage, but it offered an inventory system that could be used to store multiple potions and weapons, ideal for defeating enemies that may need a particular strategy to vanquish. As for what new mechanics will be included in Yooka Laylee, it is up to Playtonic to inform us as its development continues.

Easter Eggs

Aside from similar gameplay mechanics, a tongue in cheek reference to older games is always appreciated. Whether it is an item that appears in the background, a phrase spoken by a particular character or a description that appears in an inventory screen or a signpost, any kind of bonus that celebrates the history of former franchises can be considered a badge of honour. Easter Eggs are often an audio-visual tribute to past development, or they are included to give their fans another reason to enjoy their products.

Many point and click adventures, particularly the ones that are laced with schadenfreude, feature more Easter Eggs than a chocolate factory. Games such as The Book of Unwritten Tales offer multiple references to Discworld, Skyrim and The Lord of the Rings, all within the same location. inFamous’s Cole McGrath sometimes wore a Sly Cooper backpack, and one of the treasures in the original Uncharted is a Precursor Orb from the Jak and Daxter trilogy. All I can say, is if there aren’t a few jigsaw pieces, musical notes or witch doctors with broken English around Playtonic’s world, I would be greatly surprised.

Are there any elements that you feel should be included in not just Playtonic’s spiritual successor, but any future titles that take on the mantle? If there are, let us know what you think in the comments below. If you liked this article, be sure to share it on social media, and stay tuned to VGU for more exciting content