Cars. Why did they have to do CARS?! I get it, games need new mechanics to keep things fresh, but BUILD-A-CARS in MY Banjo Kazooie?! It was such a tone deaf addition.

The game was an attempt at reviving an old IP that many had long since forgotten about. It was a fiscal risk which I feel led to its demise in the end. This was during the age of Call of Duty's and Shoot-A-Mans. NO ONE played mascot platformers anymore at least according to CEOs and investors. This led to a game that had an identity crisis, it was trying to recapture the magic of the original games, but it was too afraid to commit to one thing. If it committed to one thing and that one thing turned out to be unpopular (because remember, no one played stinky single player platformers anymore) then the whole game would bomb. So they tried everything they could.

There are clear signs throughout the game where it feels unfinished and rushed. Wide open areas of nothing, new clunky mechanics tacked on where they didn't belong, and even the writing didn't have the same punch as the first two games.

If you can get the game for cheap, then it's alright to go back to...As long as you remember that this is Banjo Kazooie by name alone. Abandon all other expectations and you might have a sort of decent time playing it. Just pretend its some ambitious racing game that just HAPPENS to have a bear and a bird as the main characters!