Yoshi’s Crafted World was first announced at E3 in 2017 and unlike some of the other iconic household names coming to the Nintendo Switch, Yoshi hasn’t really had the Super Mario treatment in terms of a marketing push, other than the odd trailer or preview here and there. Yet, that shouldn’t put you off from Yoshi’s Crafted World, because this is a platformer that’s the perfect title to sit back too and unwind. However, as easy going as Yoshi’s Crafted World may be, before starting your campaign you are given the choice of two difficulty settings, which in essence, makes this the Dark Souls of Yoshi games!
Being a Nintendo mascot title, there is a story here, but it is very, well, Nintendo. Not to be confused with the Infinity Gauntlet and stones, it is the job of Yoshi and his group of Yoshi friends to insure that the Sundream Stones remain safe and do not fall into the wrong hands. After all, whoever wields the power of the Dream Stones, has the power to make anyone’s dreams come true. However, after the Sundream Stone gets smashed into pieces, the stones are scattered throughout the world and it’s up to Yoshi and friends to make sure that they retrieve the stones, before scheming duo, Kamek and Baby Bower.
In terms of gameplay, Yoshi’s Crafted World is an old school , side-scrolling platformer, with 3D characters mixed into a 2.D plane and the results are gorgeous. The worlds very much have a LittleBigPlanet vibe, with its crated world filled with cut-outs, paper cups and imaginative materials that might take you back to your primary years. As you progress through a level in the hunt for the Dream Stones, you’ll jump on to enemies, chew them up and spit them out as hard boiled, yet colourful eggs to be used as weapons or to throw at background objects, All while collecting flowers, hearts and the odd puppy hunt as you go from A to B.
In a clever twist, some levels will even ask you to flip the stage in the hunt of extras, essentially going from B to A. There’s nothing overly complicated about Yoshi’s Crafted World, but that’s the beauty of this game. You will encounter the odd minor challenge from time to time, but this is as a relaxing game as you can get and you can even share the chillaxing session with some two-player co-op throughout the entirety of the game.
If I was ever going to have a criticism of Yoshi’s Crafted World, it certainly wouldn’t be its ease of difficulty (with multiple choices might I add) or the not so challenging bosses, but it would be its soundtrack. Now I don’t expect to hear an over-powering orchestra recorded at the Royal Albert Hall, and in the most part the jolly Yoshi soundtrack has you gleefully going about your business, but if for whatever reason you have to pause the game, your ears will soon lock-on to the music loop of the Crafted World theme. It literally had me putting my TV on mute if I had to pause the game for a minute or two. Other than that, there’s not much else I can say about one of Nintendo’s most beloved mascots.
Earlier in my review I referred to Yoshi’s Crafted World as the Dark Souls of Yoshi games, but don’t let that put you off, because this is a charming and welcoming game as you can get, after all, what would you expect from such a happy Nintendo mascot? The challenge of the game is fitting to just about any skill level and is one of the Switch’s most vibrant and best looking games to date. Yoshi’s Crafted Wold is a fun, delightful and welcoming platformer for all ages, and is a further extension to the systems top-line exclusives and should be firmly placed on your “to buy” list for ant Nintendo Switch owner.