I was visiting my brother the day after I bought this game and played it for a bit while visiting. He walked by and asked me, “Are you playing a knock-off Crash Bandicoot?” He was wrong with his assessment of this game, of course. At that point, I thought he was wrong because I was so early in the experience and didn’t have a grasp on the flaws of the game. In retrospect, He’s actually wrong because this is a Banjo Kazooie rip-off with a dash of Sonic Adventure.
My brother being wrong about stuff isn’t uncommon (He tried to tell me Newton’s Third Law of Motion made no sense one time), but I think that just demonstrates the significance of the fact that even he was able to tell this game was nothing special. Honestly though, I knew that going in. I had seen enough of Ty the Tasmanian Tiger to know it would probably be derivative of those two games. I knew it would be ludicrous to expect even a 7/10 experience from it. I just wanted to play a decent 3D Platformer. But the problem lies therein: This game is hardly a 3D Platformer.
I talked about this briefly in my Spyro 2 review, but there’s a lot of 3D Platformers where Platforming takes a backseat to other elements. Most of this seemingly started with Banjo-Kazooie, which is the game that cemented the ‘Collectathon’ genre: Platformers where you must collect a lot of things. Banjo itself de-emphasized platforming a lot, but it was still there. Every level had one or two focal points that the player has to climb to get a Jiggy. The moveset doesn’t have the flow of a Mario game or the sort, but it is a platforming moveset. While I’m not huge on the minigames, they’re inoffensive at the end of the day. A lot of games copied the core structure of Banjo-Kazooie but missed elements like the aforementioned that made it good, such as Ty the Tasmanian Tiger.
How much platforming is actually in this game? Not much. Your moveset consists of a jump, glide, a homing attack, and throwing boomerangs. Level design doesn’t really enhance the platforming either; It’s all very basic platforms and obstacles, and the most interesting things get is hitting coconut trees with boomerangs to create platforms. That happens once in the game. There’s no sense of momentum either. The homing attack may sound cool, but all it amounts to is mashing a button in certain situations. The platforming is bare. I’m not exaggerating, God of War II has just as in-depth platforming as this game. I mean, it has a double jump and glide, so I don’t think what I’m saying is facetious. So what else is there in Ty the Tasmanian Tiger? Well, random busywork. Turret sections, killing random enemies, annoying escort missions, collecting random macguffins, etc.... The game does have the good idea of having race sections in every level, but even those are pretty dull overall.
One of the levels in this game has you riding this big bull thing. You can’t get off of it. You can’t jump while on the bull. Think about that. There’s an entire level in this game where you can’t jump. In a 3D Platformer. So… there’s like 72 Thunder Eggs in this game (Think Stars, Jiggys, Tickets, etc…). 8 of those are in this Outback level. Imagine you were playing Doom, with its 36 levels in total, and suddenly, midway through the game, you just can’t shoot any guns for four levels. Instead, you’re now engaging in sword combat for the next four levels. After these four levels, you never touch the sword again. That is the equivalent of this level in Ty the Tasmanian Tiger.
The thing is, even though I understand why so many games were made like this, I’m still confused about one thing: Why do people like games like this, or at least are fine with them? Let me be clear: I am happy if you enjoy this game. Getting upset because someone else enjoys something that isn’t hurting anybody is probably the dumbest thing a person can do. But… WHY?!?! What about it is fun? I’m sure that if the hypothetical Doom situation I concocted actually happened, people would be pissed, so why is it acceptable here? You could argue that people don’t love this game anyway, but even in beloved games like Crash 3, Spyro 2, and Sonic Adventure 2, these kinds of diversions are abundant, so why do people love those games? Why?
Well, I have a theory. Imagine, for a moment, you wanted to make a First-Person Shooter. What would you need, at minimum? Well, you’d need some movement options such as running. You’d need at least one gun. You’d need enemies to shoot. You’d need levels for all of this to take place in. Code all of that up and you have a very barebones FPS.
Let’s do this with a 3D Platformer. You need movement options, with the bare minimum probably being running and jumping. You need a level to do it in. And… That’s it. That is all you need to make a 3D Platformer. It won’t be good, but it will be a 3D Platformer.
I think that when you realize this, why so many 3D Platformers deviate from platforming becomes clear. You can make a great, varied game purely about 3D Platforming. Super Mario 64, Marble Blast Ultra, and Super Sami Roll are good examples. You can add more moves. You can make the levels more interesting and add powerups. You can lean into aspects such as momentum. The thing is, you can also make a great 3D Platformer that focuses on driving vehicles, or shooting, or hack n’ slash combat, or situational stories. You could probably even make a good 3D Platformer with a bunch of minigames. How you fill in the blanks is just much less obvious with 3D Platformers than most other genres. As such, it actually makes sense that this kind of stuff is normalized in 3D Platformers, at least to some extent.
The diversions do need to be good though, which is where Ty the Tasmanian Tiger goes wrong. None of the diversions could make a good game in isolation, and they don't make a good game when spliced together into a platformer. But what about the other constant elements? Well, they’re not great. The combat is fine, but not enough to make up for everything else. Most of the time you can just mash buttons to dispatch common enemies. There are other kinds of boomerangs one can use, but they’re mostly for ‘puzzles’ and stuff. The bosses aren’t great either. Generally, I think the biggest issue is that the player is expected to do things that haven’t been taught in any way. For example, the final boss requires one to use an ice boomerang on turrets and then bite them to defeat them. The thing is, this was never established as a mechanic before this one fight. Usually, the best bosses in games take advantage of pre-established mechanics framed in new ways, so it’s a shame Ty went in the opposite direction.
Another big element that brings the game down is just the general level layouts. As an example of a great level, let’s look at Mad Monster Mansion from Banjo-Kazooie. Yes, I’m comparing it to Banjo again. Now, this level is actually pretty small. You have a house, a thorny hedge maze, a bog, and a church as the main points of interest. The house has a basement and main room. The Church has an inner area that has a few things to do in it. The bog is admittedly pretty basic with not that much of interest. The thorny hedge maze basically separates each point of interest. That sounds fairly typical of a game, but once you transform into a pumpkin, not only does it allow you touch the thorny hedges which changes how you interact with the level, but it also unlocks more areas in the house. Mad Monster Mansion is small, but it’s also layered. Compare this to pretty much every level of Ty the Tasmanian Tiger. Most of the levels are… pretty big. Usually you can’t fast travel either, so you just have to slowly walk between areas of interest. Sometimes backtracking is very difficult as well. There’s no real layers to anything either. What you see is what you get. As such, exploration and collecting is usually underwhelming.
The stages also have the issue of a lack of variety. A lot of stage themes are reused at some point. I know this is all based on Australia, but still. Super Mario Sunshine stuck entirely to a tropical island theme, but it still had tons of variety. Australia has cities, right? I’m sure there’s some cool caves there too. Why not use stuff like that if you’re gonna stay faithful to the theming?
Alright, let’s discuss the story. Uh… I dunno, it’s fine. It’s about as cliché as an early 2000s 3D Platformer can get. It even has the edgy counterpart character who contributes pretty much nothing to the game. However, I do think there’s a fun level of self-awareness here that makes me like it a little more. The titular character isn’t as ‘’’’’’cool’’’’’’ as you’d think. He’s just a normal guy. Other characters make jokes and do action story cliches and he’ll just act confused or brush it off. He’s honestly an alright character, and I gotta admit, his design is alright too. He definitely has that Sonic appeal, although he’s definitely not as well designed.
I do think most of the other characters are pretty boring though. There’s this bird who gives you exposition and this koala that invents stuff, and at some point I had to wonder why they weren’t just combined into one singular character, because they’re not that well defined. The same goes for all the other characters, really. I mentioned the edgy counterpart Sly earlier, but his redemption is poorly developed. Shocking, I know.
Overall, not a good game. I hear that Ty 2 is better, so I might try that. Regardless, 4/10.
Oh, also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDIA_X1iqsY
My brother being wrong about stuff isn’t uncommon (He tried to tell me Newton’s Third Law of Motion made no sense one time), but I think that just demonstrates the significance of the fact that even he was able to tell this game was nothing special. Honestly though, I knew that going in. I had seen enough of Ty the Tasmanian Tiger to know it would probably be derivative of those two games. I knew it would be ludicrous to expect even a 7/10 experience from it. I just wanted to play a decent 3D Platformer. But the problem lies therein: This game is hardly a 3D Platformer.
I talked about this briefly in my Spyro 2 review, but there’s a lot of 3D Platformers where Platforming takes a backseat to other elements. Most of this seemingly started with Banjo-Kazooie, which is the game that cemented the ‘Collectathon’ genre: Platformers where you must collect a lot of things. Banjo itself de-emphasized platforming a lot, but it was still there. Every level had one or two focal points that the player has to climb to get a Jiggy. The moveset doesn’t have the flow of a Mario game or the sort, but it is a platforming moveset. While I’m not huge on the minigames, they’re inoffensive at the end of the day. A lot of games copied the core structure of Banjo-Kazooie but missed elements like the aforementioned that made it good, such as Ty the Tasmanian Tiger.
How much platforming is actually in this game? Not much. Your moveset consists of a jump, glide, a homing attack, and throwing boomerangs. Level design doesn’t really enhance the platforming either; It’s all very basic platforms and obstacles, and the most interesting things get is hitting coconut trees with boomerangs to create platforms. That happens once in the game. There’s no sense of momentum either. The homing attack may sound cool, but all it amounts to is mashing a button in certain situations. The platforming is bare. I’m not exaggerating, God of War II has just as in-depth platforming as this game. I mean, it has a double jump and glide, so I don’t think what I’m saying is facetious. So what else is there in Ty the Tasmanian Tiger? Well, random busywork. Turret sections, killing random enemies, annoying escort missions, collecting random macguffins, etc.... The game does have the good idea of having race sections in every level, but even those are pretty dull overall.
One of the levels in this game has you riding this big bull thing. You can’t get off of it. You can’t jump while on the bull. Think about that. There’s an entire level in this game where you can’t jump. In a 3D Platformer. So… there’s like 72 Thunder Eggs in this game (Think Stars, Jiggys, Tickets, etc…). 8 of those are in this Outback level. Imagine you were playing Doom, with its 36 levels in total, and suddenly, midway through the game, you just can’t shoot any guns for four levels. Instead, you’re now engaging in sword combat for the next four levels. After these four levels, you never touch the sword again. That is the equivalent of this level in Ty the Tasmanian Tiger.
The thing is, even though I understand why so many games were made like this, I’m still confused about one thing: Why do people like games like this, or at least are fine with them? Let me be clear: I am happy if you enjoy this game. Getting upset because someone else enjoys something that isn’t hurting anybody is probably the dumbest thing a person can do. But… WHY?!?! What about it is fun? I’m sure that if the hypothetical Doom situation I concocted actually happened, people would be pissed, so why is it acceptable here? You could argue that people don’t love this game anyway, but even in beloved games like Crash 3, Spyro 2, and Sonic Adventure 2, these kinds of diversions are abundant, so why do people love those games? Why?
Well, I have a theory. Imagine, for a moment, you wanted to make a First-Person Shooter. What would you need, at minimum? Well, you’d need some movement options such as running. You’d need at least one gun. You’d need enemies to shoot. You’d need levels for all of this to take place in. Code all of that up and you have a very barebones FPS.
Let’s do this with a 3D Platformer. You need movement options, with the bare minimum probably being running and jumping. You need a level to do it in. And… That’s it. That is all you need to make a 3D Platformer. It won’t be good, but it will be a 3D Platformer.
I think that when you realize this, why so many 3D Platformers deviate from platforming becomes clear. You can make a great, varied game purely about 3D Platforming. Super Mario 64, Marble Blast Ultra, and Super Sami Roll are good examples. You can add more moves. You can make the levels more interesting and add powerups. You can lean into aspects such as momentum. The thing is, you can also make a great 3D Platformer that focuses on driving vehicles, or shooting, or hack n’ slash combat, or situational stories. You could probably even make a good 3D Platformer with a bunch of minigames. How you fill in the blanks is just much less obvious with 3D Platformers than most other genres. As such, it actually makes sense that this kind of stuff is normalized in 3D Platformers, at least to some extent.
The diversions do need to be good though, which is where Ty the Tasmanian Tiger goes wrong. None of the diversions could make a good game in isolation, and they don't make a good game when spliced together into a platformer. But what about the other constant elements? Well, they’re not great. The combat is fine, but not enough to make up for everything else. Most of the time you can just mash buttons to dispatch common enemies. There are other kinds of boomerangs one can use, but they’re mostly for ‘puzzles’ and stuff. The bosses aren’t great either. Generally, I think the biggest issue is that the player is expected to do things that haven’t been taught in any way. For example, the final boss requires one to use an ice boomerang on turrets and then bite them to defeat them. The thing is, this was never established as a mechanic before this one fight. Usually, the best bosses in games take advantage of pre-established mechanics framed in new ways, so it’s a shame Ty went in the opposite direction.
Another big element that brings the game down is just the general level layouts. As an example of a great level, let’s look at Mad Monster Mansion from Banjo-Kazooie. Yes, I’m comparing it to Banjo again. Now, this level is actually pretty small. You have a house, a thorny hedge maze, a bog, and a church as the main points of interest. The house has a basement and main room. The Church has an inner area that has a few things to do in it. The bog is admittedly pretty basic with not that much of interest. The thorny hedge maze basically separates each point of interest. That sounds fairly typical of a game, but once you transform into a pumpkin, not only does it allow you touch the thorny hedges which changes how you interact with the level, but it also unlocks more areas in the house. Mad Monster Mansion is small, but it’s also layered. Compare this to pretty much every level of Ty the Tasmanian Tiger. Most of the levels are… pretty big. Usually you can’t fast travel either, so you just have to slowly walk between areas of interest. Sometimes backtracking is very difficult as well. There’s no real layers to anything either. What you see is what you get. As such, exploration and collecting is usually underwhelming.
The stages also have the issue of a lack of variety. A lot of stage themes are reused at some point. I know this is all based on Australia, but still. Super Mario Sunshine stuck entirely to a tropical island theme, but it still had tons of variety. Australia has cities, right? I’m sure there’s some cool caves there too. Why not use stuff like that if you’re gonna stay faithful to the theming?
Alright, let’s discuss the story. Uh… I dunno, it’s fine. It’s about as cliché as an early 2000s 3D Platformer can get. It even has the edgy counterpart character who contributes pretty much nothing to the game. However, I do think there’s a fun level of self-awareness here that makes me like it a little more. The titular character isn’t as ‘’’’’’cool’’’’’’ as you’d think. He’s just a normal guy. Other characters make jokes and do action story cliches and he’ll just act confused or brush it off. He’s honestly an alright character, and I gotta admit, his design is alright too. He definitely has that Sonic appeal, although he’s definitely not as well designed.
I do think most of the other characters are pretty boring though. There’s this bird who gives you exposition and this koala that invents stuff, and at some point I had to wonder why they weren’t just combined into one singular character, because they’re not that well defined. The same goes for all the other characters, really. I mentioned the edgy counterpart Sly earlier, but his redemption is poorly developed. Shocking, I know.
Overall, not a good game. I hear that Ty 2 is better, so I might try that. Regardless, 4/10.
Oh, also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDIA_X1iqsY
ps2 platformers were a different era of fun
Willing to believe this game could've been one of the collect-a-thon greats had it not been for its tedious level design.
That being said, the atmosphere, music, and art style really shine here.
That being said, the atmosphere, music, and art style really shine here.
childhood game. competent and charming (australian) 3d platformer but not much else to note
A game that is surprisingly popular and I am not sure how it sold so many copies back in the day. That isn't meant to be an insult, just the opposite it's really cool how such a middling yet charming as heck platformer sold so well and was played by more people then you expected. Probably my favorite aspect of it is the many boomerangs you aquire as they get increasingly more overpowered and fun to use the further you advance in the game. I also have to give credit to the satisfying sound design of said boomerangs, makes it fun just to toss them without rhyme or reason. Overall it's not one of the better 3D platformers since it doesn't do much interesting with its movement or level design, but it's inoffensive enough for those who love the genre. To call it "bad" by any means is being overly harsh.
I have a lot of nostalgia influence on this, but overall it's a pretty solid game. It's fun and has good characters, and the levels are pretty good. The environments are really peaceful and fun to explore but finding collectibles can be a nightmare. Again, its a solid game.
I never played Ty growing up but have many friends who have spoken highly of the series over the years. However I found his first outing to be not what I expected. While I really did enjoy Ty as a character I couldn't look past the abysmal camera and awkward gameplay.
It does have some fun ideas, but this outback themed platformer focuses too much on being cool over playing well.
It does have some fun ideas, but this outback themed platformer focuses too much on being cool over playing well.
PAL copy played on a PlayStation 2 Slim.
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger is a fine game. It had the unfortunate timing of being an animal mascot platformer during a period when they were losing popularity, whilst its game design really only being possible as soon as the PlayStation 2 era.
Compared to Jak and Ratchet, it holds its own fairly well and has the great novelty of a a variety of abilities via the boomerangs. The art direction is bright and fun while the level design keeps your attention for the most part but feels a little stuck in the 90s. The story is pretty meh but that's not really a slight during this time when good narratives and characters weren't a solid "must have" in the big releases.
If you're exploring the platformers available during this period, I'd easily recommend you check Ty out - it has its own fun gimmicks via the boomerangs and it was cool to see a gaming character represent Australia in a positive manner.
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger is a fine game. It had the unfortunate timing of being an animal mascot platformer during a period when they were losing popularity, whilst its game design really only being possible as soon as the PlayStation 2 era.
Compared to Jak and Ratchet, it holds its own fairly well and has the great novelty of a a variety of abilities via the boomerangs. The art direction is bright and fun while the level design keeps your attention for the most part but feels a little stuck in the 90s. The story is pretty meh but that's not really a slight during this time when good narratives and characters weren't a solid "must have" in the big releases.
If you're exploring the platformers available during this period, I'd easily recommend you check Ty out - it has its own fun gimmicks via the boomerangs and it was cool to see a gaming character represent Australia in a positive manner.
I have the HD remaster on my shelf, how did I forget to add this to my completed games?
Played this as a kid to completion.
Played this as a kid to completion.
A Simple collectathan platformer that doesn't have much to make it stand out outside it's cultural humor and style, ty model being in middle of the camera can be issue at first but it's quick to adjust to it as you progress, nice 2002 visuals and great swimming mechanics unfortunately don't compensate for weak bosses, mundane objectives and inconsistent level design that jumps in between open area and linear 3d areas
I need to replay this, but rose tinted tells me this game was great
this game is objectively mid but it's so nostalgic for me man
Surprisingly good. I ended up liking this a lot more than a lot of other collectathons, like Spyro. Pretty decent length, with some good variety of levels. I think they could use a bit more variety, so I'm interested to see how they expand in the sequels.
Rip
One of my FAVORITE Platformers. Vast worlds, plenty of challenge and powerups!
Australians only have one thing on their mind and its disgusting
Main character was one of my first fictional crushes so I've been a gay furry my entire life 10/10
A competent, yet very 'of-its-time' PS2 mascot platformer. The theming lends a lot of charm here, with delightfully cheesy VA where every sentence features some use of slang. The level design does quickly run out of juice (the back half just features levels that are a slight tweak on the first), but the game remains an enjoyably simple experience throughout. Those damn turkeys can get lost though.
So most of this game is fine for what it is. I think the majority of levels could be a bit smaller and I don't like any of the thunder eggs you get from mini games (also the bosses are bad but every ps2 era platformer had bad bosses). However the core platforming, levels and mechanics are enough to carry Ty for most of the game.
With that said once you hit the last two worlds and the final chunk of the of the game it become abundantly clear that krome ran out time and or money, because the levels are mostly reused assets and the story is rushing through to it's conclusion. I'm not in any rush to play ty 2 but I'm hoping it's a proper improvement
With that said once you hit the last two worlds and the final chunk of the of the game it become abundantly clear that krome ran out time and or money, because the levels are mostly reused assets and the story is rushing through to it's conclusion. I'm not in any rush to play ty 2 but I'm hoping it's a proper improvement
This was a fun game from my childhood that recently got remastered and re-released onto PC and Switch.
My biggest praise for the remastered release is that they DRASTICALLY improved the camera controls. In the PS2 version I played as a kid, the camera was so sensitive and crazy that I couldn't bother to replay it nowadays after being spoiled with games that have nice camera controls. However, this release offers really detailed controls such as whether or not you want the camera centered on Ty as he jumps. Huge quality of life improvement.
The addition of achievements is fun, and I've nearly 100% the game after just 14 hours. Currently working on the hardcore achievements.
This game is obviously a kids' game that was made for PS2, so obviously the animations are super wonky and the writing is really cheesy, also considering it is just stuffed full of Australian stereotypes and slang (which is fine, because the developers are Australian, but it does go a little overboard at times). It's really only a story that is there to drive the theme and gameplay.
Level design is actually really good, for the most part. There are a couple levels that are annoying and one that is really gimmicky, but the rest are really fun to explore, and they gave me a feeling of what the landscape is like Down Under. Platforming is quick and tight, and combat is really kinda basic (you either rang or bite your enemies, and they die in 1-2 hits). Bosses were mainly puzzle-based, so you're not just whittling down their health bar by flinging your rangs at them, which I appreciate.
Collecting things is actually a lot more fun than I anticipated. Usually it's tedious, but for some reason, this one was fun. Sucks if you miss a single opal, though, and you have to scour the entire level looking for it.
The different boomerangs you can get have very limited functionality, and nearly every one of them has a benefit to its usage, but once you get the Megarang, the Multirang kinda becomes obsolete. Towards the end of the game while picking up missed collectables, I found myself just using the Megarang and the Kaboomarang to quickly clear out enemies.
This is a fun game, and you can easily beat it in a weekend or so. I'd recommend it.
My biggest praise for the remastered release is that they DRASTICALLY improved the camera controls. In the PS2 version I played as a kid, the camera was so sensitive and crazy that I couldn't bother to replay it nowadays after being spoiled with games that have nice camera controls. However, this release offers really detailed controls such as whether or not you want the camera centered on Ty as he jumps. Huge quality of life improvement.
The addition of achievements is fun, and I've nearly 100% the game after just 14 hours. Currently working on the hardcore achievements.
This game is obviously a kids' game that was made for PS2, so obviously the animations are super wonky and the writing is really cheesy, also considering it is just stuffed full of Australian stereotypes and slang (which is fine, because the developers are Australian, but it does go a little overboard at times). It's really only a story that is there to drive the theme and gameplay.
Level design is actually really good, for the most part. There are a couple levels that are annoying and one that is really gimmicky, but the rest are really fun to explore, and they gave me a feeling of what the landscape is like Down Under. Platforming is quick and tight, and combat is really kinda basic (you either rang or bite your enemies, and they die in 1-2 hits). Bosses were mainly puzzle-based, so you're not just whittling down their health bar by flinging your rangs at them, which I appreciate.
Collecting things is actually a lot more fun than I anticipated. Usually it's tedious, but for some reason, this one was fun. Sucks if you miss a single opal, though, and you have to scour the entire level looking for it.
The different boomerangs you can get have very limited functionality, and nearly every one of them has a benefit to its usage, but once you get the Megarang, the Multirang kinda becomes obsolete. Towards the end of the game while picking up missed collectables, I found myself just using the Megarang and the Kaboomarang to quickly clear out enemies.
This is a fun game, and you can easily beat it in a weekend or so. I'd recommend it.
If Banjo-Kazooie had an Australian setting and was slightly jankier. Being an Aussie myself, this game is extra charming to me. All the levels in this game remind me of the amazing road trips and hikes in rural Australia I've had.
If I am only allowed one Australian themed piece of media to consume, I would choose Australian Survivor over this.
Everything I knew about Australia as a child was from this one game (and The Crocodile Hunter). Fuck that level with the Abominable Snowman guy, though
You know, knowing how many games my dad bought me with anthros in them I'm surprised I did not grow up to become a furry.
Ty will always hold a special place in my heart as one the earliest games I remember playing. It could be nostalgia bias, but I truly love this game. The environmental designs and atmosphere of the game are really nice to look at. Also this game has surprisingly good dialogue for a B-list platformer.
australian bias but this game slaps
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger comes to us from the golden age of 3D platformers. You use boomerangs to attack, some with special powers. The game takes place in Australia and each level is a different environment that is seen in Australia and I think Tasmania as well. It is a lot of fun and definitely one to look into.
This review contains spoilers
A nostlagic game for me but looking at it now, it does have some flaws.
The gameplay is decent. The boomerang powers are fun but the bite mechanic slows down the game exponentially.
Environmental hazard hitboxes are especially finnicky causing a lot of hits that just don't make sense.
Glide mechanic is very underwhelming and sometimes difficult to execute properly.
Characters and designs are fantastic but sadly we never get to know much more than a few lines via thunderegg quests.
The last third of the game is very...different? We're introduced to villains we had no previous info on (Besides Sly) and their storylines abruptly end.
The boss battles aren't difficult but they lack logic and understanding. For instance, Bull is easy enough to figure out, but Crikey's battle involves new unexplained mechanics. Fluffy I have no indication of using fire rangs on the fire pistons. Cass is the worst because even when using the proper technique you have no indication that its working or what to do next.
Let's not mention the numerous mechanics introduced and never used again and the hidden opals in the worst places.
But this is just looking at the bad parts of the game.. Let me explain why Ty is worth a playthrough.
Our setting is the australian outback with many different and fun characters to help along your way. The designs are amazing and the locations are mostly consistent with the theming.
The rangs are a fun weapon giving you a two shot third person shooter style attack. Frills are fun to fight for this specific reason and the different effects each rang has just makes it even better.
Swimming mechanics are actually very fun in this game with very little anxiety inducing moments due to the breath meter being an afterthought.
While we only get one "driving" level the mechanics are solid and fun when crashing into things or just running around the track.
The ability to gain new boomerangs at your own pace with required rangs being given to you free is much less stressful than grinding to get that one object to fight the boss.
So while my nostalgia glasses are off, I think the game still holds up as one of those middling platformers that never really got big but still has a big place in my heart.
The gameplay is decent. The boomerang powers are fun but the bite mechanic slows down the game exponentially.
Environmental hazard hitboxes are especially finnicky causing a lot of hits that just don't make sense.
Glide mechanic is very underwhelming and sometimes difficult to execute properly.
Characters and designs are fantastic but sadly we never get to know much more than a few lines via thunderegg quests.
The last third of the game is very...different? We're introduced to villains we had no previous info on (Besides Sly) and their storylines abruptly end.
The boss battles aren't difficult but they lack logic and understanding. For instance, Bull is easy enough to figure out, but Crikey's battle involves new unexplained mechanics. Fluffy I have no indication of using fire rangs on the fire pistons. Cass is the worst because even when using the proper technique you have no indication that its working or what to do next.
Let's not mention the numerous mechanics introduced and never used again and the hidden opals in the worst places.
But this is just looking at the bad parts of the game.. Let me explain why Ty is worth a playthrough.
Our setting is the australian outback with many different and fun characters to help along your way. The designs are amazing and the locations are mostly consistent with the theming.
The rangs are a fun weapon giving you a two shot third person shooter style attack. Frills are fun to fight for this specific reason and the different effects each rang has just makes it even better.
Swimming mechanics are actually very fun in this game with very little anxiety inducing moments due to the breath meter being an afterthought.
While we only get one "driving" level the mechanics are solid and fun when crashing into things or just running around the track.
The ability to gain new boomerangs at your own pace with required rangs being given to you free is much less stressful than grinding to get that one object to fight the boss.
So while my nostalgia glasses are off, I think the game still holds up as one of those middling platformers that never really got big but still has a big place in my heart.
A very fun 3D collectathon with charming environments and characters. Had a great time with it and is recommended to anyone who likes games like Banjo-Kazooie or similar.
¡ɹǝɯɹoɟʇɐld ᄅSԀ ɐ ǝʞᴉl slǝǝɟ ʎllɐǝɹ ʇI ˙ƃuᴉʎɐld ǝɯᴉʇ pooƃ ɐ pɐɥ I 'sʎɐʍʎu∀ ¿ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀ ǝsnɐɔǝq ¿ʇᴉ ʇǝפ