Primal (PlayStation 2)

By JON MINIFIE

(Herald rating: * * * * )

Primal is the new 3D adventure from Sony's British-based Studio Cambridge. With its detailed, rolling narrative and a cinematic splendour, Primal will sit well alongside the present crop of movie-inspired or at least, movie-like gaming titles.

The opening sequence sets things up, with an ugly brute crashing the club, abducting heroine Jennifer Tate's boy-friend and putting her in the hospital. Jen then wakes up and the nightmare begins.

There are a lot of cut-scenes early on but they blend nicely with the action to fill out the substantial background story, introducing us to the lead players and walking you through the basics of exploring, combat and demonic shape-shifting.

The voice acting stands out in this title and is well-matched to the characters and interaction that takes place on screen. Although some may find the delays frustrating, the video sequences contain crucial information, effectively unravelling the plot and driving towards each chapter's conclusion.

Jennifer Tate is a well-realised character who can communicate through facial and body animations. The game is tied into her journey of discovery, and each new event changes what she can do and how she looks doing it. As such, she carries a heavy load, including the bulk of the fighting duties.

Combat starts with a few leisurely hand-to-hand romps and builds as Jennifer's power increases. Stringing together combos relies on accurate timing of the left/right attack buttons and using special moves to deal with multiple opponents.

The pressure-sensitive buttons provide a great feel when lashing out. It is tempting to mash, especially when confronted by crowds of demons, but a more strategic approach to combat better exploits her numerous strengths.

Combined with great visual design and the overall attention to detail, Primal blends together beautifully the atmosphere, character and story. Soundtrack, game mechanics and the excellent graphics engine provide top-notch support for the main character and make it easy to lose yourself in the story.

The developers have done a great job balancing the smooth control system, making the game accessible for younger and novice gamers, while keeping the challenge and play-

ability for harder-edged fans. Primal doesn't offer too much that we haven't seen before, but what it does, it does well.

This is presently the best way for PS2 owners to explore those inner demons.

$119.95

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