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Tamarin

Although a little dated in design, Tamarin is a ton of fun for fans of good old fashioned Collectathon platformers.
56%Game Brain Score
music, graphics
story, stability
66% User Score Based on 148 reviews
Critic Score 45%Based on 10 reviews

Platforms

PCPCXboxXboxXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|SPlaystation 5Playstation 5Playstation 4Playstation 4WindowsWindowsPlayStationPlayStationXbox OneXbox One
Buy Nowfrom $11.50
Buy NowGet on Steam$29.99

About

Tamarin is a single-player, kids' open world game with ingenious visuals and a compelling soundtrack. You play as a tamarin monkey, exploring a beautiful 3D Nordic landscape to save your family from an insect invasion. Leap, fight, and solve puzzles to restore your natural habitat, encountering fireflies, ants, birds, and other creatures in an interconnected world.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Tamarin screenshot
Tamarin screenshot
Tamarin screenshot
Tamarin screenshot
Tamarin screenshot
Tamarin screenshot
Tamarin screenshot
Tamarin screenshot
Tamarin screenshot
Tamarin screenshot
Tamarin screenshot
+4

66%
Audience ScoreBased on 158 reviews
music44 positive mentions
stability10 negative mentions
  • Tamarin features charming graphics and a cute protagonist, making it visually appealing and engaging.
  • The game offers a unique blend of platforming and shooting mechanics, reminiscent of classic Rare titles like Jet Force Gemini.
  • The soundtrack, composed by David Wise, adds a nostalgic and enjoyable atmosphere to the gameplay.
  • The controls are frustrating and unresponsive, particularly during shooting and platforming sections, making gameplay feel clunky.
  • The camera system is poorly designed, often leading to disorientation and difficulty in aiming accurately.
  • The game is relatively short and lacks depth in its level design and storytelling, leaving players wanting more.
  • music
    110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game, primarily composed by David Wise, receives mixed reviews; while some praise its atmospheric and dramatic qualities, others find it generic and lacking in memorability. Many players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to enhance the game's exploration and combat, but some note that it fails to stand out or evoke excitement, particularly in comparison to classic Rareware titles. Overall, the music is described as pleasant and fitting for the game's setting, though it may become repetitive over time.

    • “The soundtrack is great, being chilled and upbeat at the same time, keeps you going through the game while relaxing.”
    • “From the peaceful, near atmospheric music in the hub worlds to the pounding, intense beats of the action stages, the music helps to absorb the player into the game.”
    • “Fantastic soundtrack by David Wise, as usual.”
    • “But... the music isn't so exciting.”
    • “The music for each level also sounds similar and generic.”
    • “Music in Rareware games normally stands out and you normally associate the music with the level, but in this game; because the music is just all so generic and so similar, the music doesn’t stand out and doesn’t get tied to levels.”
  • graphics
    96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beauty and aesthetic appeal, featuring lush environments and charming character designs that evoke nostalgia for classic platformers. However, some players have noted issues with graphical glitches and texture quality, which can detract from the overall experience. While the visuals are a highlight, they are sometimes overshadowed by control and gameplay concerns.

    • “The graphics are stunning, with lush forests, flowing rivers, and detailed enemies that look like they jumped straight out of a retro classic.”
    • “This game has beautiful visuals and is a feast for the eyes.”
    • “Very beautiful graphics, juicy picture with beautiful landscapes, rivers, forests.”
    • “The graphics are terribly rendered (hazy and even glitchy at times) even when I crank the settings up.”
    • “Graphically, there are problems with the textures.”
    • “The graphics, the camera, the controls are all less than ideal.”
  • gameplay
    94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Tamarin is a mixed bag, with players appreciating its charming world and platforming elements, but expressing frustration over cumbersome controls, awkward shooting mechanics, and unresponsive aiming. While the game offers a blend of exploration and action, many find the execution lacking, leading to a disjointed experience that detracts from its potential charm. Overall, the game struggles to balance its various mechanics, resulting in a gameplay experience that can be both enjoyable and frustrating.

    • “It's a gameplay first kind of game, and I appreciate that.”
    • “A great game, mixing platforming/exploration with action/shooting elements, which means you get some variety in the gameplay.”
    • “What it may lack in modern polish it more than makes up for with charm and fun, in gameplay and presentation.”
    • “The shooting mechanic is awful, and the tone of the game is somewhat a mismatch.”
    • “Only 20 minutes into playing, the camera angles kept going into unflattering and unfixable perspectives, the third-person shooting mechanics were terrible (the camera forcefully auto readjusts when you're aiming, which causes you to miss shots constantly). From what I can tell so far, the world seems to be very barren.”
    • “I have no idea what any of the positive reviews are talking about because the controls, camera angles, and shooting mechanics make the game very annoying and pretty much unplayable.”
  • story
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story revolves around a small monkey and its family living in a forest threatened by invading ants with laser weapons, but it is criticized for being overly simplistic and lacking depth. While some find the premise cute, many reviewers note the absence of suspense, character development, and engaging cutscenes, leading to a bland narrative experience. Overall, the story is seen as a weak aspect of the game, with little emotional investment or buildup.

    • “In the story, we play as a small monkey who must save his forest from ants.”
    • “The plot is as follows: in the native and beautiful forest of tamarins, evil insects with laser weapons invade, which burn the entire forest, destroy all houses, and destroy the inhabitants.”
    • “It's an easy story, but it's interesting to see what happened next.”
    • “The story of the game is pretty bare bones.”
    • “The story is awful; there is little to no suspense and build-up (where are all the epic cutscenes and boss fights?) The ending is an absolute joke; I'm normally in suspense and awe when I get to the end of a game, but in this game, I literally just rolled my eyes.”
    • “There is no buildup to the story at all; I have no idea who I am or where this is and why I should even care.”
  • stability
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many players report enjoying the mechanics and controls with only a few minor glitches during extensive playtime, issues such as a buggy camera and frustrating sections can hinder the experience, particularly for those aiming to complete the game fully.

    • “I tried to 100% the game, but because of these glitches, I couldn't.”
    • “The camera is very buggy and not responsive in the way the player wants.”
    • “Edit: I just want to mention that there are a few glitches and a few frustrating sections.”
  • character development
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game excels in charming and visually appealing character designs that quickly endear players to the characters, enhancing emotional investment in their journeys. However, the reviews suggest that while the designs are captivating, the depth of character development may be lacking, indicating that the focus primarily rests on aesthetics rather than narrative growth.

    • “The character designs cause you to instantly fall in love with them, investing you in their plight.”
    • “Other than that, there's a ton of charm and personality to the character designs; the soundtrack comes together beautifully and is reminiscent of a lot of classics.”
    • “It has appealing character designs, but that’s clearly where all the focus went.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is enhanced by a well-crafted soundtrack that transitions seamlessly from peaceful, atmospheric music in hub worlds to intense, engaging beats during combat, effectively immersing players in the experience.

    • “From the peaceful, near-atmospheric music in the hub worlds to the pounding, intense beats of the action stages, the music helps to absorb the player into the game.”
    • “The exploration music fits the atmosphere, and the combat music is pretty good and fits the tension.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is primarily geared towards children, providing a lighthearted and entertaining experience that resonates well with younger audiences.

    • “It's hilarious and perfect for kids!”
    • “The humor is great for children and keeps them entertained.”
    • “The jokes are funny and suitable for a younger audience.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users generally agree that the game has strong replayability, indicating that they find it enjoyable enough to play multiple times.

  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game effectively balances emotional highs and lows, with players experiencing moments of sadness alongside exhilarating combat sequences where they protect and save birds from drones. This duality enhances the overall emotional impact of the gameplay.

    • “Even on that sad note, the game also has its emotional highs, especially charging into combat in the shooter sections and blasting away drones while attempting to protect and save the several birds scattered around the levels.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players generally note that there are no grinding achievements in the game, indicating a lack of repetitive tasks or activities designed solely for the purpose of extending playtime. This absence may enhance the overall experience by allowing players to focus on more engaging content.

  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that the game suffers from various optimization issues, with players noting several oddities and inefficiencies that detract from the overall experience. These unoptimized elements may lead to performance hiccups and a less polished gameplay experience.

    • “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
    • “I encountered numerous bugs and glitches that made the experience frustrating, indicating a lack of proper optimization.”
    • “The loading times are excessively long, and the overall performance feels sluggish, suggesting that the game wasn't optimized for smooth play.”

45%Critics’ scoreBased on 10 critic reviews

Buy Tamarin

8h Median play time
7h Average play time
5-9h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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