June 25, 2003

I've been playing the video game Primal on a PlayStation 2 over at a friend's house recently.

Never having been a huge video game buff (I've only played Unreal Tournament, Luigi's Mansion, and The Seventh Guest extensively), I was surprised and delighted to see how far games and game graphics have come in recent years. And not just in reference to the fancy animation - but also to the content. Primal really is an interactive mini-movie, with cool characters, entertaining puzzles, and unexpected plot twists.

And unlike Unreal Tournament, Primal is more than just an exercise in unloading your various high-powered weapons at your unfortunate oppenents (and having the dubious pleasure of seeing them splatter on the floor in a spray of blood and guts) - Primal appeals more to the aestetic eye and the keen wit of the player. Granted, there is combat (you have to fight all kinds of monsters as you try and solve a single huge problem in each of the four game worlds) and it can be a bit bloody at times, but compared to most FPS (First-Person-Shooter) games, it is mild.

The real reason I got hooked on Primal though (and am now itching to get my own PlayStation) is the simple fact that it's not just a game, but a delicious escape into a realm, where none of your real-world worries matter. The game is so stimulating and so involved, that putting the joystick down and turning off the PlayStation makes you feel like a traitor to the quest you were just on for the past hours (ok - many, many hours).

True - the puzzles are a bit too easy, and the combat is less than challenging. But who really cares about all that, when you have such cool locations to explore and the movie-interludes are so entertaining. In the end, it's all about the eye candy.