Tamarins are fun and energetic monkeys, so it’s no surprise that there is a game starring one. In Tamarin, players play as Tamarin, who wants to save his family. Players will run through a variety of levels taking on enemies and platforming in a weird game that might not be what the player hopes it’d be at the start of it. The opening of the game is grim, as insects come from an abandoned factory in hopes of taking over a verdant land. They have been living in a terrible place and now; are going to take the peaceful land. These insects will stop at nothing, just like they did in Jet Force Gemini. Yes, this game is a spiritual successor to Jet Force Gemini, with many ex-Rare employees working on this game.
The idea that this is a game made by ex-Rare developers is no shock as players begin playing it. The game is a fantastic platformer, and players will see plenty of platforming through the course of the game. The Tamarin can run, jump, and roll; while also jump diving when need be. This Tamarin plays like an old school character and even has to deal with a hedgehog buried underground like a blind mole from Banjo Kazooie. Like that bespectacled individual, this hedgehog is here to help.
Things take an immediate turn after meeting this character, and I’m not sure it’s necessarily for the better. Instead of giving our hero something like a new ability, the hedgehog hands him an Uzi. The game doesn’t seem to keep the name as it sometimes calls it a pistol, but this little monkey now has a gun. In some levels, the Tamarin will wield an Uzi or other types of guns. These levels are simple shooters, where the player must run through levels, killing the insect invaders and not killing the little birds that live in them. The player must collect the birds, but the insects will aim to kill them. It’s easy for this to occur as the birds fly around or stand still and hop a little. The insects want nothing more than to kill all of the creatures that inhabit this world, and they will stop at nothing to achieve this.
My biggest gripe with the game is that there are checkpoints in the run and gun levels. Players will need to use these sparingly as they are only usable once. Once the player runs by, they are no longer activatable. It can get tedious as players may have to play a section again if they die, collect all the birds and ammo upgrades and rush to the end. Sure, it increases the playtime but at what cost? Checkpoints are usually saving graces from the game, a place to rest and feel secure in oneself. These checkpoints can be annoying; the player can accidentally run past one and then die after they’ve collected all of the items in the level. One wrong move and the player dies, and then they have to go through the level again. I’d much rather be able to use the checkpoints repeatedly, as playing through the same area over again isn’t fun. There are just too few, and once the player uses them, they will have to rely on themself to get out of there.
Once the player leaves the run and gun section, they will return their guns to the hedgehog. The player will then rely on platforming again. The first thing I noticed after handing over my weapons was how many enemies the game threw at me. With no weapon or way to attack, this was unfair and, I wasn’t here for it. The player has to dodge enemies and time their jumps to get to the next area to pick up their weapons. A simple ground pound would work wonderfully. But dodge rolls are helpful, and they can only occur without a weapon.
Tamarin is a game that changes up how players play. Players will rely on their grit and determination to get through levels. They will have to be clear in their movements and think rationally. The resources are finite, so players need to balance the damage they take and the collection of resources. If they can avoid a checkpoint, they should, until they are ready to move on. The game also has a cool progression for health and ammo. As the Tamarin collects health, their max health will slowly increase. I appreciate the choice because at first, the Tamarin has low health. Players can find ammo upgrades in the levels; this is nice because there is no need for a store or currency. Players need to keep an eye out for the cases and do their best to collect them all.
To get to different levels, players must hunt for birds and collect dragonflies. The dragonflies are like the Jiggies in Banjo Kazooie, and players will need to collect several of them to make it through the game. The dragonflies are a little harder to come by, but the player will come across plenty of them. Personally, the platforming areas are where the game shines, but the run and gun sections do shake up the formula a bit. If players are unsure of what they need to collect in the levels they can find out from the menu. There is a quick menu that players will open countless times as they battle through levels. Players will need to look at this to see how many ammo cases, birds, and dragonflies they need to collect. It also handily tells the player how much of the game they have completed.
The game itself is beautiful, and even when ravaged, the player can tell they are somewhere special. The area where the ants hail from is wartorn and broken. They yearn for clean land that they can destroy, but also because they want to get away from the industrialized world. The insects might be brutal, but in their way, they are just trying to do right by their people.
Tamarin is at its heart a reimagined Rare game, with elements from Jet Force Gemini. It checks all of the boxes and does all it needs to feel like a rare game. I wouldn’t have given a cute monkey a gun, but it works for what the game is. Sometimes even cute monkeys need to arm up to take out the villains. There’s a world at stake, and a family to rescue; will the player help the Tamarin save his family and the world?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided