Tanglewood

 PC
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 11 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 1 out of 11

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  1. abarone
    Aug 28, 2018
    9
    Another World, Flashback, Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure, The Lion King, Sonic The Hedgehog... If you loved those games back in the days, you'll certainly love Tanglewood. Because not only it delivers a authentic 16-bit experience as it also offers you a brand-new world of interesting characters, nicely detailed environments and polished puzzle-platformer gameplay mechanics.

    The controls    Another World, Flashback, Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure, The Lion King, Sonic The Hedgehog... If you loved those games back in the days, you'll certainly love Tanglewood. Because not only it delivers a authentic 16-bit experience as it also offers you a brand-new world of interesting characters, nicely detailed environments and polished puzzle-platformer gameplay mechanics.

    The controls are fluid and responsive, using the classic arcade layout of three action buttons with one of them being reserved for jump. Tanglewood's 68000 assembly-programmed physics are very consistent and realistic, blending perfectly with the controls and delivering a very pleasant experience.
    And as the game progresses and the story is unveiled you'll learn new abilities and face more challenging situations.

    The music compositions are unique and make full use of both FM Synth and PSG sound chips. The tracks are played in key moments of the game, like in Flashback.
    The game also uses its own unique sound effects package, so every sound was created especially for this game; unlike many other modern platformers. Furthermore, most of them aren't just PCM samples, but carefully composed FM and PSG-based effects.

    Tanglewood's graphics use the Mega Drive's 9-bit master palette which is tailored for high contrast and vibrant colors.
    The game sports *true* old school pixel art, limited to only four sub-palettes of 15 colors each and the native resolution of 320 x 224 pixels. Each one of background tiles and frames of animation were created pixel by pixel, with no digitized art or automated process whatsoever.    … Expand
  2. RetroMegabit
    Aug 28, 2018
    10
    Before I get into some finer details of Tanglewood (without spoilers) I’m going to try and find the words to express how much fun I’m having playing Tanglewood.

    You play the game as a ‘fox like’ creature named Nymn who is very endearing. Nymn doesn’t have dialog and the plot is simply help Nymn survive the night and find home. Yet despite this simplicity I found myself getting attached.    Before I get into some finer details of Tanglewood (without spoilers) I’m going to try and find the words to express how much fun I’m having playing Tanglewood.

    You play the game as a ‘fox like’ creature named Nymn who is very endearing. Nymn doesn’t have dialog and the plot is simply help Nymn survive the night and find home. Yet despite this simplicity I found myself getting attached. The more I struggled solving puzzles and after each narrow escape from the jaws of some beast the more Nymn mattered to me.

    Nymn is without question the underdog when night falls. And both the mood and story telling in Tanglewood are perfection.

    It’s not often that I feel such a strong emotional connection when playing any video game. And I was genuinely amazed at myself when I started to realize how invested I felt in Tanglewood.

    Of course I managed to bring Nymn to an unfathomable number of savage deaths. But each time death found us I was in fact trying very hard to save poor Nymn. I found that I really, very badly, wanted to safely guide Nymn home.

    Tanglewood is always engaging and you’ll always be eager to find out whats next.
    Although, I promise, you’ll not be able to anticipate where this adventure is going to take you.

    The drive to carry on is fueled by a game that offers both a level password save feature and checkpoints through out each Act. While Tanglewood can be challenging and difficult it is not punishing. Unlike many platformer games from Sega’s 16-bit catalog, when you return to Tanglewood for another session you’ll be picking up where you left off instead of starting right from the beginning. Which is a refreshing change and helps keeps the wonderful story center stage.

    Tanglewood has it’s own direction and a very strong identity that sets up the game as something truly original.

    An intuitive understanding of the games mechanics will guide the player while Tanglewood’s mysterious lore will slowly unfold as the player progresses.

    Despite his appearance Nymn is not actually a fox, but ‘fox like’ and where this adventure takes place is not on Earth but someplace ‘Earth like’. Tanglewood is set on a world with two suns and two moons. Factions are distinguished between the day dwellers and night dwellers. While an extinct race wiped out by it’s own enslaved Djakk beasts have left behind many shacks, tree houses and contraptions that were once powered by small round creatures called Fuzzl’s. Fuzzl’s posses a varied array of powers which can be bestowed onto Nymn. Which in turn help Nymn navigate the games many puzzles and often aid in escaping the creatures of the night.

    The core mechanics of Tanglewood will have you running and jumping through each level searching for Fuzzl’s that need a ‘helping paw’ and then figuring out how to return each Fuzzl to its near by nest. Once a Fuzzl is returned you’ll have earned the use of it’s power for a short time. You’ll then have to figure out how to use this power to advance through the next portion of the level.

    Combine borrowed powers and the ability to interact with flues, boulders, logs, winches, creatures (both big and small), a labyrinth like forest and even a demon Tanglewood will feel fresh and terrifying every step of the way.

    If you enjoy retro video games you owe it to yourself to pickup Tanglewood. It’s an incredibly detailed, polished and fully realized video game. And despite coming from a small Indie Developer Tanglewood is so much bigger than I could have ever dreamed.

    I don’t normally put a number on the games I talk about but for Tanglewood I’m compelled to give is a full on 10/10. As far as human kinds reach for perfection can extend Tanglewood has thoroughly earned this perfect score.    … Expand
  3. JP_Wilde
    Jun 3, 2020
    10
    a game that deserved more attention, one of the biggest surprises I had in 2018, the game is graphically beautiful, the character's animations are smooth and the music is always well placed, when there are sad or relaxing moments, the music comes, since in most of the time, the game is silent.
    Its story is simple, but it moves you in the end.
    i just love Tanglewood
  4. bas1k
    Mar 8, 2022
    10
    Отличная игра для старенькой консоли, но при этом очень сильно выделяющаяся на фоне других проектов того времени. Это не экшеновый платформер в стиле соника, это неспешный вдумчивый паззд-платформер с уникальной атмосферой. Обязательно стоит попробовать.Отличная игра для старенькой консоли, но при этом очень сильно выделяющаяся на фоне других проектов того времени. Это не экшеновый платформер в стиле соника, это неспешный вдумчивый паззд-платформер с уникальной атмосферой. Обязательно стоит попробовать.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. Digital Chumps
    Sep 10, 2018
    78
    Overall, Tanglewood is a solid game that shows there is still life in a video game era long since forgotten. I highly recommend it, if not just for the puzzles and visuals. It’s a well-made game.
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  2. The Digital Fix
    Sep 6, 2018
    80
    Not only a curiosity with it's Mega Drive release, Tanglewood is also a solid and challenging platformer in its own right.
    Read full review
  3. GameGrin
    Aug 27, 2018
    90
    Overall, whilst Tanglewood has a few minor niggles, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it as a must-have title on either the Mega Drive or Steam. It's cute, colourful and great fun. It's also a great achievement and testament to the dedication Big Evil Corp have put into authenticity.
    Read full review
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