Disney's Tarzan was one of my more favorite Disney productions in recent times. Therefore, my interest was somewhat tweaked last year when Ubi Soft announced that a Tarzan game was in the works for the Playstation 2. Ubisoft had previously struck a deal with Disney Interactive to publish a number of Disney franchises across a number of platforms. Their previous efforts were good but the games were more geared to the younger audience. Tarzan Untamed, also falls into this category. While there are a few neat instances of brilliance, Untamed is nothing more than a franchised platform game that is reminiscent of a partly 2-D and 3-D experience.

The visual experience is strong. If you have played previous Disney efforts then you know what to expect. The environments are brought to stunning life thanks to some great texturing and special effects filters. The jungle presented is lush and at times I thought if games could only provide smell I bet this would smell dense and wet like a jungle. The filter effects are showcased through some very nice water movement and spray. There are a few fast paced and exciting levels where the water effects are vital in conveying the action that is occurring on the screen. Ubi Soft should be commended for their strong efforts in this department. The various character models are also well done and are very close to their animations from Tarzan the movie. The characters move fluidly throughout each level. Concerns we had include some odd movement around certain environments due to level design and the decision not to make the game entirely a 3-D platformer.

The gameplay is divided into two modes: Story Mode and Terk's Challenges. In the story mode, players progress through the game from level to level. You will visit 3 unique worlds: a dense and happy jungle, a dank and muggy swamp, and a dark caverns that lead to the Elephant Graveyard. At the end of each world a boss fight awaits you. As suspected, the story mode plays like most traditional platform games. In many ways Untamed is similar to the Tarzan game released on the Playstation last year. At times I thought the game bordered on complete boredom but thankfully the developers saw it fit to throw in a number of extreme sports type levels that are exciting, fun to play and work quite well within the game's overall framework. Some of these intense levels include surfing down a wild water river complete with crocodiles, water skiing at insane speeds, and even bungee jumping in order to reach hidden items. Terk's Challenge is a fun mode whereby each level boasts its own set of Terk's Challenges to be completed. There are three Terk's Challenges per level, Trick Score Challenge, Speed Challenge and Super Challenge. Beating Terk's high scores will reward you with new trick moves that can be used in Story Mode and new playable characters.

Tarzan Untamed is one of those games that grows more and more on you as you play through it. Initial impressions of early levels should be ignored as the true beauty of the game is found in later stages and challenges. Untamed is a solid purchase for the younger gamers in the house since many PS2 titles as of late have been aimed at the mature audience. For everyone else, Untamed will make a good weekend rental.