The Ramsey is an adorable and colorful platformer about a cute little squirrel trying to save his planet. Even though this game seems to merge squirrels and hamsters together. Do squirrels run on hamster wheels too? I don’t know. Anyway, it’s a very low-intensity game that doesn’t take too long. Clocking in at around 8 hours if you’re fully exploring each area to find all the hidden secrets.
The game isn’t too challenging. Most obstacles come down to knowing the right tool for the job, or timing things properly. I’d say it’s a great rainy day game. Everything is so bright and colorful, and all the squirrels are cute, that it will most likely cheer you up. There are plenty of rewards for exploration, as well as a strong amount of location and gameplay diversity for how short the game is. It’s pretty wild that a game with a $18 price tag offers more fun and varied gameplay than the $70 Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. But that’s modern gaming for you.
Squirrel? Hamster? You decide!
There’s really not much in terms of huge negatives in The Ramsey. You get what you pay for. A fun little platformer with some interesting mechanics and a pretty brief run time. If you prefer games with hard-hitting violent action or deep complex narratives, then this game isn’t for you. Though you probably figured that out after looking at it for five seconds. However, fans of platformers will probably enjoy it. Though, the more experienced players may find it a bit too easy.
The Ramsey is available on Steam for $17.99 with a free demo.
This review contains minor spoilers for The Ramsey.
Story – Galaxy Hamster
The Ramsey follows a cute little squirrel named Ramsey. He tells the story of his arrival to his new squirrel friend. So we follow his journey to find a scientist in hopes of undoing the climate crisis and the famine plaguing his home planet. Crossing between different islands and helping different creatures along the way.
Ramsey begins his story
The story is pretty straightforward, and there’s only really one twist. And you can see it coming miles away. However, the story is only really there to motivate the gameplay. Which is the real focus here. This isn’t groundbreaking BioShock or Alan Wake II level storytelling. Though, it does have a good message about science’s willingness to do whatever they want without thinking of the ethical implications. Pretty deep for a cute squirrel game.
Gameplay – Go Go Gadget Gun
There’s only one core gameplay mechanic here: shooting things. However, there’s a lot of variety in that one mechanic. As Ramsey will get different flower power bullets through his adventure that all work differently. The popcorn shot creates clouds that provide a jump boost, while the ice shot freezes enemy projectiles to create platforms, for example. All of them have their uses to assist your platforming.
Different flowers, different powers
The Ramsey is a pretty standard platformer aside from that. With a solid mix of challenging platforming and puzzles to balance things out. There’s also some Metroidvania elements thrown in as well. As Ramsey explores the different islands and comes across certain areas he can’t access yet. The player is rewarded for marking these locations on the map and coming back once they have the appropriate power.
There are three kinds of hidden items in the world: Boltnuts, heart flowers, and stamps. Boltnuts go toward very helpful upgrades, while every second heart flower gives Ramsey another hit point. The stamps are just added flavor to add to the map if you want. The game also shows you what percentage of each location you have explored, which is a very nice touch.
Graphics & Sound – A Modern Classic
It’s an indie game. It’s a safe bet that it has a pixel art style. However, The Ramsey has more of a modern edge to it than other games with a similar art style. It doesn’t feel like it’s trying to replicate the feeling of a certain era of gaming. It feels more like a general stylistic choice. All of the characters are adorable and expressive. And all of the locations look, sound, and feel completely different from one another.
Everything is so charming
There’s plenty of nice, chill music on offer here as well. Adding to the feeling of this being a more relaxed platformer. You aren’t going to be stressed about timing things exactly right. You’re going to sit back, enjoy the music, and have a good time. Or you can put on your own music. It’s a relaxed game, so you can dictate your own pace and mood.
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- Is it hot in here, or is it just me?
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- Waterlogged
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- Popcorn platforming
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- Two of the upgrades Ramsey can make
The Ramsey was reviewed on PC with a code from Ikina Games.
