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Primal for PlayStation 2
Primal for PlayStation 2 follows Jen Tate, who loses her boyfriend Lewis after an attack outside a nightclub. The stone gargoyle Scree takes her to Oblivion, where four demonic realms are falling out of balance. You explore these worlds from a third-person perspective, talk to their inhabitants and seek passages between vast halls, outdoor areas and underwater locations. The search for Lewis becomes increasingly entangled with the struggle between Order and Chaos and with questions about Jen's own origins.
You switch between Jen and Scree with SELECT. Jen handles the fighting and gradually gains four demonic forms with different weapons and abilities. As a Ferai she can run faster and jump higher; as an Undine she can swim underwater. Scree tackles other problems: he climbs masonry, collects energy for Jen and can possess certain statues. A blocked route therefore often calls for exploration with one hero followed by action with the other.
Despite its two characters, Primal is a single-player adventure. You control both in turn with one DualShock 2; no second controller or Multitap is needed. In combat, you combine attacks, blocking and well-timed counters. Outside battles, the map and Scree's guidance help you progress. Each realm has its own architectural style and inhabitants, so a new area also poses different questions: which form will help here, and what can only your companion reach?
Region and language
Our PlayStation 2 games are PAL editions and come with a Dutch or English box, unless stated otherwise. By default, you receive the version for the European market. We note it in the product details if the region is different or the box is in another language. In almost all cases, the game is playable at least in English, and often in the other five common European languages too.
Manual
Primal for PlayStation 2 includes the manual unless the product title states otherwise. If the booklet is missing, the title says “No Manual”. This lets you see before ordering whether the game comes with a manual.
The manuals included with our games usually contain at least English and often around six European languages. The exact languages vary by edition, so Dutch is not always included. The booklet explains the controls and the main rules. You can use it to check how to control the game, which actions are available and how its different features work.
The history of Primal
Primal appeared on PlayStation 2 in 2003 and was developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Studio Cambridge. It was the studio's first PS2 game, following earlier work on MediEvil. Creative director Chris Sorrell wanted a story-driven adventure in which a relatable young woman gradually entered a strange world. Jen therefore did not begin as an experienced demon hunter. Her search for Lewis gave her a personal reason to follow Scree and explore the unfamiliar realms.
During development, the design shifted from a plan more strongly focused on tarot and mythology towards tangible demonic peoples and physical transformations. The creators cited television series such as Buffy, Angel and Dark Angel as influences. That combination of supernatural threat and everyday remarks can be heard in Jen and Scree's conversations. Hudson Leick and Andreas Katsulas provided the original English voices. Their contrasting tones helped convey the difference between the forthright Jen and her much older guide.
The four transformations also required different animations and combat movements, from underwater attacks to using an energy whip. At the same time, Scree needed to retain his own purpose without becoming a second fighter. His climbing, energy reserves and statue possession made cooperation part of the puzzles. The result combined a set storyline with large areas to investigate. This PS2 release contains that original adventure, without the Trophies or image processing added to later rereleases.
Similar games for PlayStation 2
ICO shares Primal's idea of two characters needing one another to make progress. There the boy helps Yorda through a castle and protects her from shadows. Primal lets you control both protagonists yourself and gives Jen four demonic forms. Cooperation is therefore divided more clearly into separate abilities. Conversations and combat also play a much more prominent part here than in ICO's quiet escape.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 also combines a dark world with battles and puzzles requiring special powers. Raziel switches between planes of existence to change routes. Primal divides its solutions between Jen, her forms and Scree. Both adventures ask you to reconsider a space, but Soul Reaver 2 centres on one protagonist and his history, whereas the pair's conversations and division of tasks guide the journey here.
Like Primal, Beyond Good & Evil features a female protagonist investigating a greater threat with companions. Jade photographs evidence and sneaks through installations; Jen fights with demonic powers and sends Scree to explore otherwise unreachable places. Both alternate investigation with action, but Primal focuses more strongly on the architecture and inhabitants of supernatural realms. Here the abilities of your two controllable heroes determine which passage you can open.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time links combat with finding routes through monumental buildings. Its prince can run along walls and recover from missed jumps by rewinding time. For such obstacles, Primal mainly uses Jen and Scree's different powers. Instead of mastering a long sequence of acrobatic moves with one hero, you choose the character and demonic form demanded by the surroundings at that moment.
God of War shares Primal's supernatural enemies, huge structures and alternation between fighting and puzzles. Kratos has a more extensive attack system built strongly around groups of enemies and spectacular finishing moves. Primal spends more time on conversations and dividing the work between Jen and Scree. A sealed room here regularly calls for a climbing gargoyle or another form, whereas Kratos more often relies on his weapons and acrobatics.
