Garlic is the latest in a spate of extremely tough precision platformers that have transitioned from PC to console in recent months and years, indeed I’ve reviewed a few on this very website. But Garlic is different – Garlic is wonderful.
Originally released back in 2021 by way of Kickstarter, the bulbous one has now finally made the transition to Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch thanks to indie publisher, Ratalaika Games.
You play as Garlic, an onion-headed boy, who plans to climb a Sacred Tower in order to meet a wish-granting cyber-goddess, but it turns out wishes aren’t what he’s really after – she is a goddess after all. As you start the first zone, you’ll realise this is going to be a pretty tough game, filled with challenging platforming, evasive manoeuvres, precision jumping, and thrilling confrontations.
It also looks absolutely amazing, with stunning retro pixel art that looks manga-inspired, fantastic animations, and wacky comedy in the mix as well. The original music soundtrack is quite simply phenomenal, and I don’t use that term lightly. Very often music can annoy you, particularly if you’re stuck on a particular level, but that never happens here. Is only when the earworm strikes that you realise exactly how impressive these tunes are.
Now I can’t stress enough how difficult this game can get at times – it’s definitely one of the toughest platformers that I’ve ever played, and although I’ve gotten frustrated, I’ve never hated the game for it. I just wish there was a lower difficulty setting to allow me to enjoy the later stages of the game, perhaps by adding another energy hit or two, and bouncing out of the water/lava etc. Developer Sylph, please make this so!
The game is of considerable length and consists of twelve zones, each split into ten levels littered with checkpoints, and culminating with a boss battle. These battles are intense, but also a lot of fun, as our veggie superhero clouts some rather unique baddies. Littered throughout are special ‘Garlic Coins’ to collect, just in case you want more of a challenge – and for added variety, there’s a large smattering of mini-games showcasing how wonderful the pixel art is.
Controls are very tight, levels are creative, smooth and well-crafted, and sore thumbs are guaranteed! Trophy hunters will be happy that you can platinum the game after just two zones, but if you think that’s a walk in the park, think again. Personally, I’d like to have kept a few trophies for completing every zone, as it gives you extra incentive to persevere.
If you’re after a challenge, I wholeheartedly recommend Garlic – it’s probably my favourite precision platformer by a long way. Just don’t come running to me saying it’s too hard. I did warn you…
Garlic is set to be released for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch on July 7th, priced at £14.99 // $14.99 // €14.99.
