Summary
Developer: Good-Feel
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms – Nintendo Switch 2
Review copy given by Publisher
Good-Feel and Nintendo are back with another Yoshi game and this time it’s a little different from previous title – Yoshi’s Crafted World. This time around we have Yoshi and the Mysterious Book where we enter a living encyclopedia seeking and interacting with a variety of creatures in the book’s pages that will help us solve puzzles, complete objectives, and traverse through levels.
From the start of the game we are introduced to Bowser Jr in a cutscene who discovers an old encyclopedia that gives information on a variety of unique creatures. He then leaves his father’s castle in search of one of the encyclopedia’s creatures called the Bewilder Bird. He then accidentally teleports himself into the book.
To begin our journey the book will land on an island that is populated by a large group of Yoshi’s and it’s realized this book has a life. His name is Mister Encyclopedia also known as “Mr. E.” This will begin our adventure in solving puzzles and finding these creatures.
There are twelve chapters to playthrough in Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. To start in Chapter 1, you’ll be introduced to simple puzzles to get accustomed to the gameplay. In each Chapter you will have to study certain objects and unknown creatures that appear in different environments. Essentially, every creature you are studying will introduce you to a new level. Each level is not big but they are full of secrets aside from just figuring out the main objective.
I was skeptical about how the gameplay would work before jumping in. As you go along further into the game especially around Chapter 3 the levels get better such as the one where you are surfing across waves. When I mean better, the puzzles get a little more creative making you think harder and there’s just more entertainment as you go further into the story. As mentioned earlier in my review, your goal is to essentially prevent Bowser Jr. and Kamek from getting the Bewilder Bird.
As you conclude each chapter you’ll have a ‘fight’ against the two villains. Which I thought was a neat idea into this game and something I didn’t expect.
When talking about Yoshi and the Mysterious Book’s gameplay, it carries the experience as we should expect with any game. Every level is creative and none feel like another you touched on previously. There’s always a good difference going from level to level. If you were to have anything negative to say about the gameplay is that it’s too easy for an adult, but on the flipside it’s perfect for a kid.
Boss fights are easy enough and aren’t anything special in my opinion. I maybe would have liked to have seen a little more difficulty options.
I’m also surprised of the amount of replayability this game offers. It’s not just a linear experience. As you progress there might be situations to investigate in previous chapters allowing you to go back into what you already played with a purpose.
Best Looking Yoshi Game?
It’s not hard to realize that Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is the best looking Yoshi game ever created. It’s not saying too much since this is on the Switch 2 and we haven’t gotten a ton of games from the green dinosaur. The art style is one of a kind and matches the book aesthetic so well because you are essentially playing in just part of a page within a whole book filled with storytelling. The level design from within is even clever.
The graphics and art style in this game reminds me of some of the content from Kingdom Hearts’ hundred acre wood. The water is the best feature in the game and probably the best water we have yet to see on the Nintendo Switch 2 thus far.
Another feature that could be improved in this game would be the music. It’s too repetitive and there’s not enough variety. While there are levels where you create music it feels too much of the same. It’s something that had us worried going from Yoshi’s Crafted World to this game. However, the music here is a step above from the previous release.
Performance was a breeze on the Switch 2 except its slightly long load times. Other than that there were not any issues with the game dropping in any case. It’s perfect in handheld mode and on the TV.
Is Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Worth Purchasing?
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a good puzzle platformer that is recommended to play if you want to try something different. To me, what holds it back is its price. If the game was slightly cheaper this would be an easy purchase. The content within the game is fun and entertaining but not enough to spend $59.99 on at this time. If you are on the fence I would look out for a sale.
This is a Yoshi game that gives the dinosaur a positive reception once again. It might not be what we expected for fans of the classic Yoshi games. However, it’s a nice and relaxing game for anyone and even better for kids.
There’s a ton to explore in Yoshi and the Mysterious Book and you aren’t forced to do everything. You could solely focus on the story which is mainly about chasing after the Bewilder Bird before Kamek and Bowser Jr. get their hands on it. It definitely does a great job at appreciating Yoshi’s history for the older fans.
