Primal

"A Good Game to Pass Up the Wait"

Primal is a good game, there is no denying that. I will tell you now though, it is not a game for everybody. The game is very story driven, and the gameplay is not drawn out to it's full potential. And while Primal is still a very good game for the PS2, it does not live up to the hype that it recieved.

A lot of people compare Primal to the game Soul Reaver 2 (and Soul Reaver 1 on psx for that matter). Well, it's not like Soul Reaver 2 so get that out of your head now. There are only a few key elements of similarity between the two games, and the main one is that both games are heavily Story based, over gameplay. There are some other similarities like gaining new abilities and 'ward gates.' But other than that, Primal is nothing like Soul Reaver. It is a game of it's own. You be the judge of whether or not that's a good thing or not...

Story: 8/10

Since this game is primarily story based, I find it best to talk about the story first. I wont give too much away here, but basically you are a girl (Jen)from the ''real world'' that ends up getting hospitalized along with your boyfriend, who gets captured by a demon, and a mysterious benefactor (Scree the gargoyle) brings you to the ''other side'' which is basically Heaven and Hell (Order and Chaos). There is an imbalance caused by the bad guy Abadon and you (Jen and Scree) must find a way to save oblivion, and find Jen's boyfriend...

The story is a pretty good one. Primal shows an excellent character development from the beginning to it's very end. The relationship between Jen and Scree rise and fall and rise again and it is very well drawn out. However, the game's overall plot moves very slow in the first half of the game (the first two 'worlds'). This is why the story only gets an 8 out of 10 simply because it's slow moving plot at the very beginning of the game will more than likely turn off a lot of gamers. But if you stick out with it, when the plot picks up, it really does pick up and keep you more interested. There are also a lot of comical moments in this game, that suprisingly made me actually laugh out loud. Primal is a pleasant suprise.

Graphics 9/10

The graphics run superb on the PS2. Primal has one of the best looking graphics on the PS2 than just about any other game on the console. The scenery is beautiful to look at, and the character models look wonderful. There is not much more to say about the graphics of Primal other than they are fantastic.

Gameplay (6.9) 7/10

Ouch, this is where the game draws back a bit, and here's why. This is not an action game. Primal is more or less a puzzle game. Yes, a puzzle game - with a lot of fighting in it too. The puzzles are pretty easy to figure out, and some puzzles you just plain don't want to do because many of them seem to be just in the way of your goal.

Both Jen and Scree have different powers that benefit eachother. In many puzzles, this is the key.

The fighting isn't that good in Primal. The camera system is pretty bad during fights, to say the least. It jumps around that some times you can't see yourself, and even more so when you can't see the enemies. The combat itself can get pretty tiresome because every fight is basically the same thing, even in all four realms. And you can only attack when there is an enemy near you. The combat is not where this game shines.

Another reason why the gameplay draws back is because you can't jump in Primal. I don't know why, but in 3D platform game like this I have to have a jump button. It took me a long time to get used to the fact that I couldn't jump.

Controls 7/10

The controls are pretty basic. Run from point A to point B. The fighting controls are similar, you just use the shoulder buttons to fight and block. It's all pretty simple...and too simple if you ask me. The controls arent very diverse, even when you switch between Jen and Scree. Once again, too bad you can't jump...

Audio 9/10

The band known as 16 volt did the music for Primal. The music is kick ass and is very fitting for every situation in the game. The music really sets the tone for the game. Kudos to 16 volt.

Secrets and Goodies 7/10

Basically through the whole game you can find tarot cards to unlock concept art in the galleries. Since the game is 100% linear, you shouldn't have any trouble finding the majority of the tarot cards. When you beat the game, you unlock a lot of cool things like a voice actor interview and a behind the scenes feature, and even a 16 volt interview. I was pleasantly suprised by this and hope that games in the future follow Primal's example in this.

Glitches

Can't give a separate score for glitches. I didn't find any glitches, but a lot of others have found them and even say that Primal is full of glitches. I, however, have not found any glitches that were even noteworthy to complain about. Play at your own risk, I suppose.

Replayability: 5/10

Once you beat Primal once, there is little to no desire at all to play it again. Not even for the tarot cards. The only reason to play this game again is if you really liked the story a lot. One play through of Primal is pretty much all you need.

Buy or Rent?

Well, considering this game dropped in price to like 18 bucks at certain stores, you can't beat that price for such a good game. Granted Primal is nothing fantastic, but for 20 bucks you can't complain. I paid 40 for it, and I am not disappointed. I liked Primal, but its just a good game. It is nothing fantastic, or extraordinary, or even close to it really. But it is also nowhere close to being utter crap either. Primal is a good game, and if you have the opportunity to play it, I recommend it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/06/03, Updated 06/06/03