Krome Studios has been working diligently on its TY The Tasmanian Tiger action-platformer series for years now, and with its Aussie-charm and family-friendly content, the franchise has blossomed into one of the genre staples that gamers can count on for hours of good, clean fun with each new installment. Now embarking on its third iteration with TY the Tasmanian Tiger 3: Night of the Quinkan, Krome has once again taken the series to new heights by bringing back the open game world and exceptional gameplay variety introduced in TY 2, while further building and expanding upon both aspects for a family-friendly game experience that provides quality gameplay, charming characters and a level of pure fun factor well above and beyond its budget price.

For his third starring game, TY faces his most difficult challenge yet, in the form of the shadowy alien race known as the Quinkan, who have invaded TY's outback homeland, threatening its inhabitants with fear and destruction. The Quinkan aren't unstoppable, however, so TY must reform the disbanded Bush Rescue team to help in his quest for a mystical boomerang capable of slaying his otherworldly enemies. As always with the series, the patented Aussie charm and whimsical humor continues to be the backbone of the game, along with one of the most memorable game casts you'll find anywhere.

Something that has changed a little this time around, though, is the game's moderately darker tone. Don't take that to mean the game has gone 'mature' or 'edgy', like so many other franchises have recently, though - the darker tone actually comes in the visual style and art design. Many of the environments are pretty dark and the color palette is decisively subdued, which personally I find a bit disappointing. When TY 3's improved LETS (Living Environment Technology System) engine is used to power environments with lush vegetation and bright colors, the game looks wonderful, but unfortunately the majority of the game's world is very dark; so dark in fact that a few of the stages become difficult just to see in.

Dark colors aside, the technology behind the returning open-ended world has been enhanced, with impressive results. Though the overall world detail and draw distance aren't the greatest, the seamless running of the game's massive environments is a remarkable feat. There are some load times, but Krome did a great job of hiding them within the flow of the game, Jak & Daxter style - the gameplay itself never stops to load, but there are certain doors to adjacent worlds that take a couple of seconds to open, effectively sneaking in brief loads without that you would never notice unless you're specifically looking for them. Krome has also given a graphical upgrade to the character models; they have clearly received a boost in detail and polygon-count since TY 2, and that only enhances the fantastic art design that went into bringing the game's loveable characters to life. The folks at Krome also prove once again that they know how to create shiny chrome and metallic surfaces to cover the many vehicles that are available to pilot.

With the return of the open-ended LETS system, TY 3 resembles Bush Rescue closely in the way it plays. Clearly inspired by what Rockstar's GTA series have done to revolutionize videogame design, TY 3 has you controlling TY throughout large, seamless worlds, undertaking missions and other challenges in any order (to an extent). A great on-screen map system with many different zoom options makes getting around a breeze, although there are a few too many instances where backtracking through the open areas gets a little tiring. While traveling around in these areas, one of the game's many new additions comes to the forefront; at gates connecting the open environments to the various mission locations and towns, TY can hop into his new Crabmersible, a metal, crab-like vehicle that can travel on land and below water on its six robotic legs, or buzz around above water by sucking its legs in and transforming into a boat. The Crabmersible is also equipped with claws, making it great as a melee fighter, but its homing missile capabilities definitely prove to be its most useful (and fun) functionality. Driving around blowing stuff up certainly makes some of the backtracking forgivable, but not all of it.

The Crabmersible isn't the only debut vehicle for TY to whiz around in either; TY now gets to pilot the Gunyip fighter aircraft for some intense but pretty straightforward aerial dogfights, equipped with cool weapon power-ups and nifty acrobatic maneuvers. Brought back for TY 3, the Bunyip mech-like vehicles deliver entertaining bashing and crashing with their variety of upgradeable weapon components, like satellite beams and grappling hooks. The Outback cart racing mini game has returned from Bush Rescue as well, accompanied by the addition of new tracks and power-ups. Sadly though, these Mario Kart-inspired racing segments are overly simplistic and don't particularly handle that well. In moderation they can be a fun aside to compliment the rest of the game, but overall they don't bring much to hold your attention for very long. For those who do find enjoyment in them, Krome has been kind enough to include the cart racing mini-game as mode in the main menu that's available straight from the outset, in addition to doing the same with the Gunyip shooting mini-game. Both of these support two-player split-screen races and battles as well, which is especially enjoyable for the Gunyip dogfights.

While not riding in the game's many vehicles, TY engages in typical third-person platformer action, although along with the darker tone, TY 3 is a much more action-heavy gameplay experience. Item collection and tricky platforms to hop and bop across still exist, but most of TY's on-foot endeavors involve smashing boxes and vanquishing enemy Quinkan beasts with his trusty collection of boomerangs. The combat system isn't incredibly deep, but the inclusion of close-range 'rang combat and a brand new boomerang customization system makes kicking some Quinkan butt surprisingly satisfying.

Speaking of the boomerang customization system, it truly is a cool new addition to the series. By collecting various 'rang chassis and special Bunyip stones, or purchasing them at shops, TY has a vast arsenal of weaponry at his disposal that is up to you to create. Each 'rang chassis has a unique basic ability, along with a set number of sockets for elemental Bunyip stones that add magical effects to the boomerang's base power. With over 10 types of Bunyip stones, such as fire, water, earth and air, and 7 boomerang chassis, creating the 'rang you've always wanted is now a possibility. Mixing and matching the different elemental types of the stones also leads to some pretty impressive combat effects that greatly improve your Quinkan-slaying results, and there are thousands of combinations to discover - now that's impressive!

From a gameplay perspective, the only significant faults TY 3 really suffers from is its simplistic style that's lacking challenge. Sure, the game is built more for the younger gaming audience, there's no question about it, but some moderate level of difficulty would've gone a long way towards getting the game into the homes of more advanced hardcore gamers. Another aspect I found to be lackluster, this time non-gameplay related, was the audio. The Aussie-accented voice acting, though complimentary to the game's style and largely enjoyable, can be outrageously over the top at times, while the game's music is drab and largely forgettable.

Variety, accessibility, value, fun and tons of content is what TY the Tasmanian Tiger is all about, and never has Krome done a better job at pulling all of these elements together than they have in TY 3: Night of the Quinkan. From third-person 'rang-based combat and Gunyip dogfights to Crabmersible piloting and cart racing, as well as Bunyip mech battles, arena combat and multiplayer modes, this game has something entertaining to do at every turn, and with at least eight hours of gameplay in addition to the extra time needed for collecting the vast array of hidden items and unlockable concept art, you'd be hard pressed to find greater value and quality in a budget-priced title anywhere.

Reviewed by Matt Litten for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).