Primal

"A fun game hampered by poor "character development"."

Introduction: Primal is an Action/Adventure game coming straight from SCEE. It is a fairly interesting game. It combines the action of the Legacy of Kain series, mixed in with the adventure of it as well. The voice acting is great, as are the graphics. On the surface Primal is a great game. However, if we dig deep enough, we find Primal is rough around the edges. And there's alot of edges...

Graphics - 9/10

Let's start off with the graphics. The graphics of Primal are great. The environments are fabulous, and the character designs and weapons look great as well. All four levels are greatly detailed, and massive to boot, so having detailed environments is important in a game like this. I never encountered any real graphical problems, but sometimes there can be overused things like seeing the same houses, or things along those lines.

Sound - 10/10

The music of Primal is some of the best in a video game ever for Action/Adventure games. The music is split in to two different categories. For one, there's rock music which is played during combat scenes. These songs are good, and match the environments accordingly. The other type of music is a beautifully orchestrated soundtrack which plays during exploration/cutscenes. I would highly suggest buying either of these soundtracks outside the game, because they are so great.

Gameplay: Adventure Part - 8/10

OK, let's gets down to it. The gameplay of Primal consists of being introduced to one of the four realms, exploring the land while fighting enemies, going through a series of events which ultimately leads to the end of a level. Most of the time the game puts a marker on your massive map to vaguely lead you in the right direction. This can sometimes be annoying, however. Sometimes the map is not detailed enough to give you a definite path. Don't get me wrong, exploring the worlds of Primal is great, but eventually it can get tedious, and there are points in the game where you might get stuck. For example: there's one part of the game where you have to find a girl to give you a key to continue your quest. However, her room is locked, and you might not know that you have to find a gaurd that has her key. Little nuances like this kind of bring the game down, when they should be enhancing the exploration effect. Puzzles also play an important role. If you aren't to quick on the draw, I'd suggest using a FAQ, because some parts (because they are so vaguely created) can be tricky.

Gameplay: Combat Part - 6/10

Combat consists of using the L2/R2/R1 buttons to a somewhat good effect. You making combos using the L2 and R2 buttons. There are weak attacks (press the buttons lightly) or strong attacks (press the buttons strongly). Using both these you make combos that are seemingly endless (in that there is no definite end to a combo string). There is also an effect of a ''finishing attack''. You use these to kill enemies. I would've liked it if they used MORE of these, because each ''form'' you take only has a couple finishing moves. You'll usually spend time learning the patterns of each enemy, then adapting to them and beating them (sometimes with ease). Each combat form has its different uses, but you rarely use a specific form's combat capabilities outside that that specific form's level. For instance: you won't use level one's form in level two, three, or four.

Story - 4/10

Agh! Normally stories don't bother me too much. This game, however, gets me very angry. First of all, the story is set when a girl (Jen) and her boyfriend are exiting a rock concert and Jen's boyfriend gets abducted. Then Jen realizes her mission (which you will find out when you buy/rent the game ;P) and is all lighthearted about it. I mean, she's thrown into a realm which leads to all these fantastical worlds, and she's JOKING ABOUT IT!!! I didn't like this at all. Jen's ''happy-go-lucky'' atmosphere COMPLETELY contradicts the ''gothic underworld'' theme of the game. If Jen had been more serious and less childish, the game would've come off MUCH better, IMO. The STORY is average, but the characters are far below normal. If you can overlook this completely, you'll find Primal to be one of the best games ever.

Overall - 7/10 (not an average)

Overall Primal is a very solid game. The gameplay mechanics are pretty nice, and the music is great. Like I said before, though, the story is it's downfall. It's amazing how one thing like Jen's lightheartedness made this game much less fun for me. I think her persona was horribly done, and they should've seriously reworked her whole meaning in the game. There wasn't as much ''conflicting'' as I thought there'd be. I like a buildup of suspense, and I really didn't feel that in this game.

Rent or Buy? - Buy

If you can find Primal for 30 dollars or less, go for it. Otherwise, keep checking. Primal isn't worth 40, and definitely not worth 50. It has tiny things which make the game noticeably worse than it comes off to be. It's like a chocolate candy bar with something nasty in the middle. You'll easily be able to beat it in a rent, but chances are in a year or two you'll be craving it again, and you might not be able to find it.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/15/03, Updated 07/15/03