E3 2002Primal impressions

Sony's Cambridge Studios is best known for its MediEvil series and the upcoming C12: Final Resistance. However, since the launch of the PlayStation 2, the studio has kept fairly mum on its upcoming PS2 game, called Primal. On a recent trip to the studio in Europe, we finally saw the fruit of its quiet labor. A gorgeous third-person action adventure game with some very cool gameplay elements, Primal certainly makes a strong case for the old adage about good things coming to those who wait.

The game is being described as a "dark fantasy" by the team and is set in a world called Mortalis, where the everyday life we're accustomed to is inextricably bound with the demon world, reminiscent of the world seen in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. As a result, demons come and go from the everyday world, which makes for some interesting situations. Case in point, the lead character Jen and her boyfriend Lewis face an uncomfortable brush with the demon world that results in Lewis being kidnapped by demons and Jen being left near death in a hospital bed. Jen is visited in the hospital by Scree, a gargoyle who takes her astral form to Nexus, a land that is the center of power for the two ruling primal forces of chaos and order and the only way to reach Oblivion and its surrounding lands. Jem discovers her boyfriend has been taken into Oblivion by the forces of Abbadon, the ruler of chaos, because Abbadon intends to use him in his struggle for power against Arella, the ruler of order. With Scree as your spiritual guide, you take control of Jen and head out to explore Oblivion and its worlds to rescue your boyfriend and return home. However, over the course of your adventures you'll learn that there's a great deal more to Jen than meets the eye as she discovers her true heritage.

When Primal begins, it's easy to expect the game to play out in the standard mold of most third-person action adventure games. You're in control of Jen, you're viewing the action from the standard third-person view, and a clearly defined path lies in front of you--which all seems adequate. However, a few more minutes into the game will put your first puzzle in front of you. A cave is impassable due to the presence of creatures that would rip you to shreds. Realizing it would be possible to ward off the creatures with a torch, Scree sets out to find one, at which point control shifts to him and highlights one of the game's cool gameplay elements. As you play Primal, you'll be able to switch between both characters at any time, with the unused character following closely behind you. Both characters will come to have very specific skill sets that will prove invaluable when progressing through the game. For example, Scree will be able to possess a variety of statues, while Jen will eventually gain the ability to change into demon forms once she becomes acquainted with her heritage. The characters' abilities will complement each other during your travels. In addition to touring Oblivion, Jen and Scree will also log some time visiting four other worlds: Solum, a land of eternal night that is home to a demonic race known as the Ferai; Aquis, a water world where the Undine live; Aetha, a violent realm containing high peaks that pierce the clouds, which is home to the Wraiths; and finally, Volca, a massive volcano whose tunnels and chambers serve as home to the Djinn. Jen's visits to the various worlds will eventually reward her with the ability to change into forms based on each race. You'll also find that interacting with various nonplayer characters will fill you in on more of the story as well as the ins and outs of gameplay.

As you can probably imagine, traveling through demonic territory is bound to get you into a few fights. The many brawls that you'll have in Primal showcase the game's surprisingly robust fighting engine. You'll be able to perform punches, kicks, combos of the two, supercombos, blocks, throws, and 3D movement around your opponent. You'll even be able to perform some truly nasty finishing moves. One of the coolest aspects is how quickly the game switches from exploration to the fighting engine. The speedy change helps keep the game's pacing, which is a good thing.

Graphically Primal is one of the sharpest PlayStation 2 games seen yet. Using a custom graphics engine that churns out amazingly detailed creatures and environments with minimal loads, thanks to streaming, Primal is gorgeous. Jen's character is generously modeled and shaded and features an extremely pliable face that registers a myriad of emotions. Even more impressive is the excellent morphing effect when she switches to her various forms. The effect is nicely animated and very fluid. Scree is no slouch in the animation department either, with his unique look and movement due to his rocklike nature. The worlds you'll explore are massive and, thanks to the aforementioned use of streaming, nearly load free. Much like in this year's Jak and Daxter, you'll be able to go anywhere you see off in the distance in Primal. One of the coolest features of the worlds is the attention put into what you see. Early in the game you'll come across trees that feature some cool real-time leaf animation.

In terms of audio the game offers some very nice ambient effects already, and with Dolby Surround support in the cards, there should be some good things yet to come. Voice acting in the game wasn't final in the build we played, but Jen's and Scree's voices were. Fans of Babylon 5 should recognize the voice of Andreas Katsulas, G'Kar on B5, as Scree.

So far Primal is looking very cool. The game's graphics engine and varied gameplay make it one we'll be watching closely in the coming months. Primal is currently slated to ship this winter for the PlayStation 2. Look for more on the game from the show floor.