Noir, Mythology, and Point-and-Click at the Same Time
With PRIM, indie studio Common Colors (led by Jonas Fisch) and publisher Application Systems Heidelberg present a small but lovingly designed graphic adventure. In terms of puzzle design, the game does not compare to the well-known classics, but makes up for its shortcomings with its unique graphics and peculiar story.
Shortly before her 16th birthday, Prim’s mother dies. The girl never knew her father – until now. Shocked, Prim discovers that she is the daughter of Thanatos, the god of death according to Greek mythology. Now she is to live with him in the underworld. But the rebellious Prim doesn’t has other plans. She soon sneaks back into the world of the living – with deadly consequences.
Excellent Gameplay
Apart from a few bugs that still existed at the time of release on October 24, 2024, PRIM‘s game mechanics are thoroughly straightforward and follow the conventions of the modern point-and-click adventure game: a button lights up all available hotspots in each screen; the game relies on a single, all-purpouse mouse button; double-clicking makes protagonist Prim run faster; and instant travel is always possible thanks to the world map.
An unusual surprise is that we can control a second character with our “spider eye” – a stubborn eyeball armed with spider legs. The spider eye is used whenever we want to discover the secrets of other characters or collect small items in hard-to-reach places. It’s easy to forget that this extremely useful item is in the inventory – and then get annoyed (in a positive sense) at how obvious some of the solutions actually were.
Several mini-games allow players to spend a little more time in the Greek underworld. The card game “casketball” is particularly memorable. If Prim is clever and assembles her deck carefully, she can get additional casketball cards. There are also numerous cards hidden around the world. The completionists’ collecting instinct is pre-programmed!
Weak Puzzles
The above-mentioned spider eye also illustrates some of PRIM‘s most apparent problems – and these lie almost exclusively in the somewhat unimaginative puzzle design. The solutions to many situations are fairly obvious, so experienced players will hardly have to think for long. Where puzzles are a little more difficult, the spider eye is usually needed: We don’t have to manipulate secrets out of the characters, but can literally look into their heads.
Additionally, the game shies away from long series of puzzles, preferring instead to focus on straightforward fetch quests. A large part of the adventure consists of collecting three items in the underworld. These tasks, in turn, are made up of several shorter puzzles, where you can often complete the entire series of puzzles in one screen.
Once you have collected these three items, a new section of the game begins – and you are immediately presented with four new things to find. What is particularly annoying here is that these new tasks are now given by an in-game computer. The repetitive design is no longer even hidden behind character conversations.
PRIM-ary Focus: Flair and Atmosphere
These disadvantages in the puzzle design are compensated for by the story and, above all, the visual design. The entire graphic adventure is drawn in comic style, albeit completely in black and white. This creates a peculiar mix of childlike designs and a despondent film noir atmosphere.
This in turn fits the story perfectly: Prim is a headstrong teenager who has to deal with the seriousness of death since her mother’s death – and then also realizes that death – her father – can be quite annoying. There’s more reality to this than it seems at first glance.
Of course, PRIM is not stingy with a lot of puns and allusions to well-known point-and-click adventures such as the Monkey Island series. In a few places, for example when talking about the “Prim Reaper” or “casketball”, the tone is a bit too silly. In most cases, however, the humor hits the right spot – especially when a bunch of jokes about trees are told.
Fact Sheet: PRIM
Release Date: October 24, 2024
Developer: Common Colors
Publisher: Application Systems Heidelberg
Genre: Point-and-Click
Game Length: (ca.): 5-8 hours