TY 2 continues the story from the first game with the villainous Boss Cass breaking out of prison and once again planning to take over the world with his army of lizards. Boss Cass has also cooked up a more powerful mutant version of his lizard warriors -- consider them a cartoony, Australian version of the Uruk-hai. The game begins right in the thick of the things with TY and the Bush Rescue team engaged in a war with the Frills (Boss Cass' lizards buddies who look like those frilled, spitting dinosaurs in Jurassic Park … you know, the one that killed Newman). The Frills are working their way towards the prison to free Cass. As you fight through the level, explosions rock the environment and there's gunfire everywhere. It's like an adorable version of Halo.
Once Boss Cass is freed (and no, you can't stop his escape), the real game begins. TY's world is huge and seamless. You're free to roam the world at will and take on various missions at your leisure. At the risk of making the game sound like 50% of every other game coming out now, it's "sorta like GTA3." Of course, some missions won't be immediately available, and others you'll need a specific item to access.
Kerpow!
And by "item," I mean boomerang, TY's weapon of choice. There are a total of 22 boomerangs that you can arm yourself with during the course of the game. To get them all, you'll need to purchase them with the "Opals" that you collect throughout the world. Of these 22, there are 10 that can be upgraded into new 'rangs, another all-purpose boomer for underwater use, and a special, super-powered "I can't think of any more slang terms for boomerang." Each boomerang has its own ability -- like fire, ice, electric, X-ray, or smashing (great for busting through rocks). There's even a grappling hook boomerang for swinging across chasms.
During his missions, TY comes across a few different vehicles that he can control. There's a 4x4, a helicopter, and a submarine. There are also go-kart missions that you'll have to win Mario Kart-style. The snazzy thing about this part is that by winning races you'll unlock the tracks for use in a multiplayer kart game. Huzzah for bonus mini-games! TY can also take control of a mech suit for some heavy-duty stomping and smashing. While piloting the mech, you can take control of occasional gun turrets that allow you to take out Boss Cass' own giant robots and drop ships in first-person shooting sequences.
In addition to all the new gameplay additions, Krome Studios is taking great pains to make the game look nicer than its predecessor, too. Sure, the bright, colorful graphics look sharp, but there are plenty of neat little effects for that little extra "oomph." You know how realistic moving cloth looks in Splinter Cell? A similar effect is being used here, so watch the little flag on TY's go-kart or items hung out to dry on clotheslines in town. Also, watch out for explosions -- they send out ripples along the ground thanks to the deformable surfaces.
It takes a bit of effort to grab the public's attention with a platformer. Bush Rescue is making a solid effort, and if the game stays on the right track, it could rise up past the Taks and Dr. Mutos of the world.