Explore Oblivion in spooky new 'Primal'

"Primal" is a spectacularly beautiful game which almost lives up to the unblushing praise heaped on it by its developers in the months before it was released.

"Primal," whipped up by Cambridge Studios for Sony's PlayStation 2, tells the story of two unlikely cohorts, the part-demon rock star-loving Jennifer Tate and an ugly little boulder called Scree.

Hurled to a dimension known as Oblivion by Scree after a demon kidnaps her rock 'n' rolling boyfriend Lewis, Jen and her lumpy Tonto must explore a vast and eerie empire to find him and solve the riddle that could leave the world in ruins.

"Primal" is an action-adventure game that's heavy on the adventure and a bit light on action. Jen is the battler, but most of her fights are over almost before they begin and the damage she takes is minimal. The combat seems almost an afterthought, since it's rarely a challenge.

Instead, the game depends on letting the tale unfold as the pair explore, searching for clues and solving puzzles as they go.

Jen and Scree both are controllable; changing characters is as fast as pushing the "select" button. Scree does much of the dirty work, exploring crumbling palaces and ruins and turning to stone at the least provocation.

Switch to Jen for combat, or to help solve puzzles.

The game is set up so the character you're not controlling will often -- but not always -- follow the other. For instance, in one scene, Scree, who can climb stone walls, clambers down same to avoid being washed away by a rushing river.

You then have to switch to Jen and control her along a narrow ledge to achieve the same end.

When they reunite, switch back to Scree and the adventure continues.

Jen also has the ability to morph to one of the four races which inhabit Oblivion and take on their characteristics -- the power to control time, super strength, swimming and special attack modes.

There is an excellent map of the four realms and central hub which is easily summoned, complete with guide posts which tell you where to go next. It's crucial to the game's main reason for being -- figuring out your next stop and how to get there.

The game also offers a feature which should be required by law -- you can save at almost any point.

"Primal" spends a lot of time in cut scenes -- the introductory screen seems to last for hours -- but the scenes are acceptable because of the excellent voice acting.

Graphics get an A. This is one amazing, dazzling game to look at. Excellent details, textures and light shading abound. The characters move smoothly and look great.

Sound gets another A. From the gorgeous strains of the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra to rock tracks from a band called 16 Volt, this is a great game to listen to. The main actors are both from television shows -- Hudson Leick of "Zena: Warrior Princess" and Andreas Katsulas of "Babylon 5" -- and they do a fantastic job.

Control gets a B. Camera angles are the culprit pulling the rating down here, along with the fairly simple combat sequences. Also, "Primal" doesn't allow you to interact with your environment as a free agent; you can only do what the game wants you to.

That said, "Primal" gets a B+. It's lovely to look at, delightful to listen to and often as spooky as Stephen King at his best.

Horror fans, and gamers who like to explore, not just fight the same battles over and over, will love it.