Primal's relatively simple gameplay is more than compensated by an excellent story and lovable characters.
We are then taken to a scene where Jen is in a coma, battling for her life, when all of a sudden another mysterious figure appears (though this time it's a much less menacing one) calling out for Jen. Jen's spirit appears to leave her body and she meets the peculiar Scree, a small gargoyle of sorts. Jen (in spirit) freaks out at the sight of herself lying in a coma, thinking that she's actually dead but Scree comes out to calm her down, informing her that her spirit has abandoned her body because she's needed in the Underworld and that her life in the real world depends on this. Confused as hell but with no apparent options, Jen follows Scree and enters the world of Oblivion, a place in conflict where the balance between good and evil has been altered, something that has brought chaos upon all of its realms (Oblivion is composed of four realms). As they enter Oblivion, Scree informs Jen that she's a special person and that she in particular is the only one capable of saving Oblivion. Jen doesn't buy any of it and isn't really interested in helping but when Scree tells her that her boyfriend Lewis is also in Oblivion, she agrees to help, hoping that she can find Lewis in the process.
While the premise may not seem particularly original (the whole balance issue seems to have been ripped off from The Longest Journey), the story that unfolds is really great. Jen's past is slowly revealed as well as the reasons behind Lewis' kidnapping. Without saying much, Jen's origins are in Oblivion and this allows her to take on demonic forms. Every piece of the puzzle unfolded makes thing much more interesting yet it never leaves you confused. Each realm that they visit presents a different sub-story that keeps the plot manageable while also explaining how the greater chaos is affecting each realm, as well as why Jen is the only one that can put an end to this. I don't want to spoil anything for potential players but the story in Primal is one of the main selling points of the game as it's not only interesting and full of surprises, but it has no plot holes and manages to tie everything together in a way that all the elements introduced end up making sense and there are no issues left unresolved.
Part of the reason why the story is so believable and memorable is the main characters. Jen and Scree are simply one of the most charming and odd duos ever presented in a game. Jen is just an average girl and she never stops acting like one. She's constantly making funny comments and trying to find some correlation between Oblivion and the real world (which leads to more funny comments). She also never stops mocking Scree for being so short. Scree on the other hand is a stoic warrior, even if his appearance is hardly menacing. He's very loyal to the goddess of order in Oblivion (Arella) and will give his life to protect both her and Jen. The chemistry between Jen and Scree is palpable at every second and as the story advances you get a clear feeling of how close the pair grow and how much they end up caring for each other.
As mentioned before, Primal takes place in the world (or underworld) of Oblivion, which consists of four different realms. Each realm is unique and offers a different scenario as well as different gameplay mechanics. Solum is a place that's perpetually at night and consists of vast forests, mountains, and underground castles. Aquis is an underwater realm that's being threatened by pollution. Aetha is a somewhat gothic realm where demons with vampire traits are threatening the population. The final realm, Volca, is a underground realm filled with fire, lava, and a lunatic King. Each realm is very extensive and when combined together they make up a huge gameworld that will take hours to explore.
You're always confined to one realm at a time and can't visit them back once you finish each realm's quest, so don't mistake this for an open world game. In each individual realm you're given the freedom to follow different paths and explore as much as you want, but usually only one path leads in the right way for your current objective. Also, while the gameworld is vastly detailed and quite immersive, there's not a lot to do aside from your main objectives. There are several hidden "tarot cards" that require that you stray away from your path, which represents a nice collection mini-game, but it doesn't affect the gameplay at all if you ignore it.
Primal's gameplay consists of exploration, puzzle solving, and melee combat. Sometimes you need to find a way in a certain location or navigate around an obstacle. This is where one of the best features of the game comes in, you can take control of both Jen and Scree. Jen can go places Scree can't and vice-versa. Scree's ability to climb walls allows him to get ahead of Jen and clear a path for her, while sometimes it's Jen who needs to squeeze in somewhere tight and open a door for Scree or possibly complete an objective by herself.
Puzzle solving also requires that you make the most of both characters or in some cases use Scree's ability to take control of certain statues. While a select few puzzles are clever, most of Primal's puzzles are really simple and don't really require much thought to solve (in certain cases you only need to follow the on-screen instructions). While this keeps the game flowing it would've been nice to add some more complexity to the puzzle solving.
The other major element of Primal's gameplay is the combat. Jen and Scree will come across dozens of demons in their quest and it's up to Jen to take them down (Scree can't fight regular enemies, but he does participate in some boss fights). Jen's demonic nature allows her to convert to several demon forms, with a new form introduced in each realm (by the final realm she can make use of all four demon forms). Each demon form has its advantages, such as speed, strength, mobility, or being able to swim. The fighting mechanics are virtually the same in each form. Jen can execute strong and low attacks, she can block enemy attacks, as well as do a circular attack that clears any enemies in the vicinity. It's very easy to get accustomed to the combat mechanics and eventually you can learn several combo moves that make Jen more effective in battle.
There are long stretches in the game were you won't fight anyone while there are other areas where combat is constant. While the combat is very enjoyable and can be exciting as well as nerve racking, particularly when you have to deal with several enemies and health is running low, there are certain occasions when it can grow tedious, particularly in the Aetha realm. The reason for this is that Jen's attacks aren't all that powerful and it takes a lot of hits before enemies go down (even regular ones), so when facing three or more enemies you're looking at a particularly long battle ahead. In Aetha, you usually have to face large groups of enemies in each room you visit, which can really slow down your advancement. Fortunately in the other realms this isn't an issue. Combat in Aquis is minimal and you never face more than two enemies simultaneously, while in the realm of Volca, Jen becomes a certificate killing machine, being capable of bringing down enemies in as little as two hits. Overall, even if it isn't the star of the show, the combat is very enjoyable.
There are also several boss fights in Primal and they are really great. Most can be won by sheer force, but others have a puzzle element to them, meaning that Jen and Scree must work in tandem to defeat the enemy. It's only during boss fights that Scree can actually get into a fight but he needs to do a little workaround prior to the battle. The difficulty level in all boss fights is never too high, so they turn out to be one of the most enjoyable portions of the game. It should be noted that saving is prohibited once you start a boss fight which may seem frustrating at first, but in practice it adds to the challenge and provides an extra layer of tension.
Visually, Primal is one of the best looking PS2 games available. The graphics are superb both from a technical and artistic point of view. The game is loaded with detail in every corner. Textures are rich and detailed, environment effects are handled excellently (mostly noted in the cold and windy realm of Aetha), and character animation is fluid and great looking. The character models themselves are very well done. Jen and Scree's facial expressions are realistic, which helps sell them as believable characters. The art direction behind the game is phenomenal too. The theme behind each realm is perfectly expressed in the walls, streets, and buildings you visit in each realm. You'll never grow tired of running around simply to enjoy the environments.
Also worth mentioning are the cutscenes, which are cinematic in their presentation and are simply a joy to watch. What's better, there's an option in the main menu to watch any cutscene you've already unlocked. This is great in case you want to clarify a story element or simply want to enjoy them all over again. You also have the option of playing the game from the point at which each cutscene takes place.
As for the sound, it's also phenomenal. Environment sounds are fitting and help in making the game more immersive. The same goes for the sounds of battle or other special effects. The soundtrack is fitting and really enjoyable. Surprisingly, one single band handled most of the music in the game, 16 Volt. Their heavy metal tunes come into play during combat and were also used in the game trailers. Going from eerie environment noises to full tempo heavy metal is sure to pump up your blood and get you in the mood for fighting. The rest of the music is more orchestral and melodic and serves well in each occasion its played.
But the icing on the cake is the voice acting. Hudson Leick, better known from her role as an antagonist in the TV series "Xena: Warrior Princess", and Andreas Katsulas, who worked in the series "Babylon 5", are the voices of Jen and Scree respectively. Quite simply, they do an incredible job. You can feel in every line they deliver just how much they are enjoying themselves and how fitting they are to each of the character's personality. The game includes a bonus feature that shows some behind the scenes footage where the voice acting is being recorded. Both actors where in the same room at all times, delivering their lines to each other, instead of prerecording them separately. I believe this is one of the main reasons why the voice work came out so great. You gotta hand it to the developers for casting them and the actors for putting on such a phenomenal performance.
Primal is a showcase game for the PS2. It's unfortunate that the game flew under the radar of many people as it's one of those rare gems that you grow to love passionately. While the gameplay may be a bit weak, relatively speaking, the rest of the game is so good that you simply consider it second nature. Between it's great story, wonderful characters, and high level of immersion, Primal is an experience that you'll never forget.