Tamarin Reviews
Although a little dated in design, Tamarin is a ton of fun for fans of good old fashioned Collectathon platformers.
Tamarin may look like the ideal nostalgic fix - evoking fond memories of Rare's Jet Force Gemini - but this is not the game you are looking for. Tamarin's external charms hide flawed and deeply dull gameplay. What's most frustrating is the squandered potential of Tamarin, this could have been a game worth playing, but sadly you're best keeping a safe distance from this particular monkey.
Tamarin had the ingredients to become a remarkable experience, but the final product is a weird and shocking mixture of tones and genres. It has its moments, but terrible camera movements and cumbersome exploration ruin the experience.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Tamarin has a quirky and fun concept (a monkey with a gun), but its poor 3D platforming, inability to inform the player properly about objectives and where to go, and dated look with bugs make it a title that few people have any good reason to play, especially when there are much better games of the genre out there right now on PS4.
I really hope Tamarin’s issues are addressed with patches. It’s possible, as the game was constantly pushed back from its original release date. But right now it’s almost unplayable, because of its camera pulling. It’s not possible to recommend Tamarin for anything other than the music at present.
Overall, it's just not particularly well made; music will drop out occasionally, some collectibles aren't fully explained, the writing isn't good, and it's awkward to control.
Tamarin has a very cute protagonist and an interconnected world to explore but the gameplay and level design are extremely poor across the board.
Tamarin tries to recall the old rare classics, but fails to propose a valid platform that looks and plays like a game form the mid '90.
Review in Italian | Read full review
To put it bluntly, Tamarin is messy. The story isn't that interesting, and the characters try to make it sound important but come off as pompous. The platforming is decent once you learn that you have useful moves, but the finicky nature of some elements and the slippery physics mean that asking for precision is inviting frustration. While the thought of resurrecting a Jet Force Gemini-style game is intriguing, the execution fumbles greatly due to it casting aside the advances that have been made in third-person shooters in the last 20 years. Unless you're craving an exercise in frustration, steer clear of Tamarin.
Tamarin is disappointing. Bad gameplay and prevented from progressing by constant crashes, there is a moment when you simply give up on a game.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Tamarin strives to be a spiritual successor to Jet Force Gemini, but its poor art style, stale and disappointing gameplay, and shoddy controls result in a game that won't be remembered as fondly as its inspirator.
Tamarin may be an adorable game but it's also one that'll make you wonder if it's sponsored by the NRA with its odd use of guns.
Tamarin ultimately falls short in bringing back some of the best franchises of yesteryear. Though the effort is a valiant one, Tamarin, hampered by the flaws of the games it attempts to emulate, is just too clunky in its execution.
Tamarin had one thing going for it: the main character is a very cute monkey. Unfortunately, this is literally the only thing that is good in the game. The game lets you walk around with weapons, shooting all kinds of enemies, but there is no real entertainment. The game becomes boring really quickly and doesn't really know where to take you. 40 euros for this game is simply too much.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
There is fun to be had, but it just isn’t enough to leave a lasting impression outside of disappointment. For those in love with platformers and the N64 era there might be some value here. There is not enough, however, to rope in anyone from outside those circles.
Tamarin is a cute platformer with shooter elements that serve as a great time sink. It doesn't require a lot of thinking and the concept is straightforward, allowing players to pick up a controller to enjoy a couple of hours of fun. Beyond that, the game doesn't provide much else except for excellent graphics, awesome audio, and a cuteness factor. Unfortunately, the game doesn't quite reach the high standards of other games in its genre. As such, I give Tamarin a 7 out of 10. It was a fun experience once players get passed some of its drawbacks. Besides, if we were given the option to play on a keyboard and mouse, I would be a lot happier with this title!
Tamarin lacks polish and not even the great soundtrack and the interesting interconnected 3D world saves it from a confused and meaningless story with characters without charisma. It's a monotonous and exhausting title, with poorly designed mechanics, annoying camera and inaccurate and problematic gameplay. The absence of markers in a semi-open world that is visually polluted and disorganized makes exploration repetitive, frustrating and almost anything challenging, and even though the shooting experience is less terrible than the platform experience, there are not enough reasons to check out the game.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Something went terribly wrong with the development of Tamarin. Nothing works and everything comes off like it was slapped together causing this entire adventure to feel like a random and confusing mess. Still, if you’re trying to experience one of the most bonkers 3D platformers ever developed, you found it, but I urge you not to put your money into this game.
Tamarin ended up as a big disappointment for me. I imagined the cute platformer that it could have been again and again. But the Uzi that you receive in minute five changes everything - and the inaccurate shooting mechanics and horrible camera don't even make shooting with it enjoyable. There are a lot of good ideas in Tamarin but they have not been executed well.
Review in German | Read full review
I was really hoping Tamarin was going to be the spiritual sequel to Jet Force Gemini I’ve been waiting for the past twenty years. What I ended up getting was a carbon copy of an old game with even clunkier controls, underwhelming production values, a terrible setting, and not a single droplet of charisma or humor.