Yoshi and the Mysterious Book - Switch 2 Review
"Much more memorable than many of its previous entries"
The mysterious book, Mr. E, has suddenly landed on the island the Yoshis call home, along with the mischievous Bowser Jr. and his servant Kamek who have entered Mr. E’s pages in an attempt to find the Bewilder Bird for, no doubt, nefarious reasons. In Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, it’s up to the Yoshis to dive into the pages, learning all they can about its contents, the fantastic creatures that dwell inside and experimenting with the strange and wonderful abilities they have.
The Good
The Yoshi games are always known for their unique art styles. First there was the crayon aesthetic with Yoshi's Island, then Yoshi's Woolly World and, more recently, Yoshi's Crafted World. And Good Feel have done it again here with Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, going for a picture book aesthetic that is pleasant to look at throughout its entire runtime. There are a plethora of minor details scattered throughout, such as the fake writing popping out and the flat paper approach that makes each creature pop. It's truly a work of art.
Each level is unique, and I say that literally. You enter a level by using the magnifying glass on the page and focusing in on a creature, allowing you to explore and research that creature in detail. These creatures all have their own special ability, which allows you to solve the level's own puzzles. Yoshi still has his standard moves, like the flutter jump and being able to throw eggs, but with each character having their own unique ability, it makes every level feel unique and memorable.
And not only is there the main puzzle to solve, there's also a lot of experimentation to be had. Little actions that aren't part of the primary objective but if you experiment with each creature enough, you'll discover new ways that they can interact with the environments. This provides a plethora of micro-puzzles to solve, which is a completionist's dream, and when you finish a level, if you've missed something, the book will tell you what you can go back to do.
Because of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book's more puzzle-like approach, it makes it a wonderful game to sit back and relax to. The weather has certainly begun cooling down here in Australia, so when I booted it up on a cold Saturday afternoon with the rain falling outside and a cup of tea next to me... well, I hate to overuse the word 'cosy', but it fit the bill to a T.
TL;DR
- The world of Yoshi is as cute as ever
- Each creature has its own secrets and mechanics
- Completionist-friendly
- A genuine game to relax with
The Bad
I very quickly learned that Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a very different entry. A lot of the complaints tend to stem from its sharp departure from the series’ norms. I would argue that these reviews had a predetermined opinion and didn’t judge the game on its own merits as more of a puzzle game, and not a 2D action platformer. That all being said, this entry can certainly feel too easy and hand-holding at times, lacking any meaningful stakes. It’s tricky to judge seeing how Mysterious Book’s approach is more of the ilk of an experimental puzzle game, but it does admittedly alienate series fans who were hoping for more to contend with.
Many modern 2D platformers have learned that the right analogue stick and be used to move the camera around, allowing the player to have a better idea of their surroundings. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book contains a plethora of secrets, especially with the wonderful creatures each having unique ways they allow Yoshi to explore, so it’s often frustrating when the camera is as zoomed in on the playable character at all times without the ability to zoom or move the camera in any way. This often leads to missing collectibles, resulting in replayability of the annoying kind.
TL;DR
- Series fans may see this as an unwelcome departure from the norm
- Tight camera often results in missing collectibles
Final Score: 8/10
What I will say about Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is that it’s much more memorable than many of its previous entries. I remember playing through Yoshi’s Crafted World fondly, but after the credits rolled, I found myself struggling to remember any memorable moments. Finding new creatures and discovering the many different ways you can engage with them leads to plenty of memorable ‘a-ha’ moments, and that’s what it’s all about. It also helps to give the Yoshi series a profound point of difference among Nintendo’s slew of other platformer franchises, so I’m all for the multi-coloured dinosaurs exploring the avenue of gameplay.
Thank you for checking out our Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Switch 2 review, thank you to Nintendo AU/NZ for providing the review code and thank you to our Patreon Backers for their ongoing support:
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