'rang rangers

By Jason Hill
December 4, 2004

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue

Runs on: PS2, Xbox, GameCube

Price: $69.95

Classification: G

Rating: * * * ½

Strewth! This Aussie game for tackers is a bonza bewdy, mate. The billy lids will have a ripper time.

Queensland's Krome Studios have sharp business nous. Few developers target the pre-teens, leaving a gaping hole in the market. Creating an appealing Aussie character has also helped differentiate Krome's games overseas and even led to an animated TV series.

Bush Rescue might not be innovative but it offers terrific entertainment for youngsters. The difficulty level is gentle and the controls simple, but there is a variety of tasks.

Rather than a linear progression through levels as in the original, Bush Rescue features a huge and immersive world players can freely explore. Many children will undoubtedly simply enjoy wandering around finding items and talking to the various engaging characters.

There are dozens of missions to choose from, with chores such as clearing sewers of crocodiles, protecting friends from villainous lizards, disposing of dynamite, chasing ghosts, repairing freeways, battling dinosaurs, finding lost explorers and rescuing allies.

Players also get the chance to drive cars and helicopters, control hulking, mech-like "battle bunyips", and blast opponents from gun turrets. Fun go-kart races can be enjoyed with friends, complete with crazy weapons to hinder rivals.

Players are kept busy leaping across platforms, swimming, gliding and battling foes. Ty can dispatch baddies by biting or hurling 21 different types of boomerang. These 'rangs can also be used for solving basic puzzles or negotiating obstacles - such as melting ice cubes with flamin' 'rangs - or swinging across gaps with the lasharang.

Mission objectives are not always clear and some youngsters might get lost or frustrated at the lengthy travelling between missions, but there is always something fun to see or do.

How many games have a character called Shazza or a statue of a giant prawn?

Endgame: A well-designed Aussie Christmas cracker that any youngster should enjoy.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

Platform: PC

Price: $89.95

Classification: MA15+

Rating: * * * *

Created by the folks behind the legendary Fallout RPG series, powered by the source engine found in Half-Life 2 and set in the deep universe of Vampire: The Masquerade, how could this game go wrong? Put simply - it couldn't.

As a fledgling vampire thrown into the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles' Vampire nightlife, there's a lot to learn if you don't want to end up as a pile of swirling ash and bone.

Not least are the internal politics of the Vampires, with a host of conflicting clans and bloodlines all butting heads in the dead of night.

Even though it's presented from a gorgeous first-person perspective (or third person, if you're that way inclined), at its black, un-beating heart, this is a true role-playing game. It covers the basics of the genre perfectly, with in depth character creation and evolution, a compelling, disturbing storyline and dozens of interesting quests which can be completed in a multitude of ways.

Whether to use brain or brawn is at the whim of the player, and either offers a unique gaming experience. Just don't expect the combat to feel like a regular action game. Even though the combat is played out in real-time, it still boils down to your character's strengths and abilities, not how quickly you can line up the crosshair on an opponent's face.

A couple of minor complaints mar this otherwise exceptional role player. Control issues, with the mouse stuttering and movement sticking, can be a little frustrating, while the game world doesn't feel quite as epic as we'd like.

However, regardless of these small problems, Vampire stands out as being a well-crafted, nightmarish excursion into the world of the walking dead.

Endgame: Role players will love sinking their teeth into this one. - Bennett Ring