Primal (Sony PlayStation 2, 2003)

A caveat before I begin: I've never given 100% to a game before. Not once in my life. My requirements for a game are quite stringent, and if a game can claw its way up past 80%, it's cause for comment.

That said -

This game is a masterwork. A magnum opus. Playing this game the first time (and the second, and the third, etc.) was and continues to be the finest experience I've yet had with a video game controller in my hands. The team at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe should reach around and pat themselves on the back for creating such art.

The primary feature is that this game is GORGEOUS. Unlike the bullshots you see plastered up by so many companies, PRIMAL really is the game where the game looks as good as the cutscenes. The attention to the detail of the surroundings is astounding -- there are no cheap texture cut-corners, no preposterous physics, no uncontextual actions. The worlds are all unique and distinct, and though some items are consistent through the worlds (i.e. torches), they appear different for each world they're in. The characters are also beautifully motion-captured models that move in a manner consistent with what they are. This is the type of game that gets you shopping for hi-def TVs.

The sound is similarly impeccable. If you have surround, fire it up and sit between the speakers. The game is worth it for the music alone, performed by with an actual orchestra in Prague for the soundtrack or rocked out by the band 16 Volt for the action scenes. The characters are well-voiced and the game's native language is English, so no ear-clawing translations.

The game's primary theme is puzzle-solving, much like Tomb Raider, but with no platforming elements. The game rewards lateral thinking skills, as most puzzles require a player think outside the box to solve. Interspersed between the puzzles are frequent combats, which have a steep learning curve but are simple enough once enough practice is attained.

The game's one dismal spot is the aforementioned learning curve . . . if you are not good at solving puzzles and unwilling to experiment within the confines of the combat system, PRIMAL will be very frustrating to you. It is clearly not meant for everyone.

WILL APPEAL TO: Puzzle gamers, people with good imaginations, Buffy: the Vampire Slayer fans, people who like cinematic games
WILL NOT APPEAL TO: People with short attention spans, people younger than eighteen, people who like watching things blow up, people who like big flashy action games

Primal is a great game, with very good graphics. A player can expect many hours of play in its vast world. The ability to gain and utilize 4 distinct demon forms anytime the player wants, adds to the experience. These forms will be necessary to solve some of the challenging puzzles in Primal. The game is a large 3-D adventure/RPG, with the ability to switch between the two main characters, also necessary to solve certain puzzles. The game is challenging, but you can ask for help from one of the characters at anytime. There is also a hidden cheat, that can be found on-line to aid less skilled players, such as invincibility, or one hit kills. The storyline is also well thought out and entertaining, featuring voice talents such as Xena warrior Princess' Hudson Leick (Callisto) as the main character. There is one slight problem with the game. Glitches can occur while playing, causing freeze ups or the inability to switch between the characters. However they are infrequent, and as long as you have at least two save files, just save frequently, and restart from the previous save point and it should be fine. Nevertheless I would still strongly recommend this game for its fun factor and originality, I have not seen another game like this before, it is well worth puchasing it.

I purchased this game for only one reason: I had 5 bucks to blow, so I bought this used. There were not alot of other choices. I thought it might be worth some good playing time, but after a few hours, I was pretty much finished with it. The puzzles are interesting and the scenery is nice, but beyond that, the game takes a turn for the worse. The combat controls are awful. Sometimes you can accomplish a nice combo by button mashing, and do a very nice looking move that turned out to do no damage because the enemy walked away or decided to block while you were doing it. And this game has it's fair share of glitches to boot. I was constantly getting the characters stuck in places, having trouble getting them out. I also have heard many people say its possible to fall out of the world, but I suppose I never played long enough for that to happen.
As for the characters, I wasn't much impressed. Jen is sarcastic and has bouncy breasts. Not alot going for her. Scree is a gargoyle. Thats it.
Now then, should you purchase this game? Sure, if you have a few bucks to blow. It might entertain you for a couple hours.

The story line is gothic and very deep and it grabs your attention before you even get to control jen. The unique ablities are fun to use. You never get bored because it has so many unseen twists. It is not easy but at the same time it is not impossible to beat the game. I choose to buy it because I had played it before and automaticly fell in love with it. The little side kick Scree is fun and in my opinion very cute. There are so many other reasons that I could go on and on but I will stop at the reasons I added here.

If you like RPG/Adventure games, this is a MUST HAVE! I play it over and over. My only gripe is that they haven't come out with a Primal 2 yet!!!!

Enter the realms of the Nexus, a dimension which houses four distintly different worlds. Jen goes in search of her boyfriend, Lewis, who's been kidnapped by a nasty demon, Belazure, with her new companion Scree. In each world, Jen gains a new power. The story is excellent and everytime I play, I learn something new.