Primitive Review

Flashy graphics, although certainly difficult to pull off, can at least give one guaranteed impressive element to a game that might otherwise be bland. With minimalism though, the game runs the risk of both looking dull and being no fun to play. While it’s definitely not the first or only game to do this, Primitive does a decent job riding that line and serving its gameplay needs.

Primitive's style of infinite runner, with players controlling a square hopping over spikes, recalls The Impossible Game. And while it’s not nearly as brutal, the similar lack of spectacle puts the focus squarely on tight reflexes. Players swipe to launch their square onto surfaces away from death, however, instead of being confined to one level, players can hop between two - each with their own ceiling and floor. Passing through the edge of one level sends them onto the next. It makes more sense in motion than in words, but in total players have four different paths to choose from at any given time. It’s tempting to ignore that choice, to just stay on one plain alternating between top and bottom. But soon, spikes come so fast and furiously that players have no other option than to escape completely or pray a power-up is nearby.

True to its name, Primitive's gameplay has a raw, unpretentious, functional quality, and that shines in the minimalist visuals, too. Each level has its own pastel color, with the black square contrasting nicely within. At times, it can be difficult to separate the spikes of one level from the gaps left behind by the spikes of another, but the seamless blending is otherwise a cool aesthetic. As players progress, stages change and take on new, darker palettes. They also change positions, having players flip from left to right as the square travels down instead of moving up and down while side-scrolling. Although these transitions exacerbate some of the occasional unresponsiveness of the touch controls, mostly they keep the game looking dynamic without betraying its virtue of simplicity.

However, that simplicity combined with the ubiquity of the genre itself, keeps Primitive from being particularly noteworthy or much more than exceedingly competent. It’s very good, and it does the best it can within its self-imposed limits, but that also limits its appeal.