Cyberpunk point and click adventure game Primordia from Wormwood Studios and Wadjet Eye is getting a new chance to shine on Nintendo Switch. Check out our Primordia review!

 

Cyberpunk point and click adventure game Primordia from Wormwood Studios and Wadjet Eye Games is getting a new chance to shine on Nintendo Switch. The game was originally released at the end of 2012, and it’s now presented to a Nintendo Switch audience that has seen a great deal of adventure games to enjoy since the console’s launch – five years ago on March 3rd. The point and click adventure game genre is one of my favorites, so I was definitely up for checking this one out.

In the world of Primordia. Life as we know it is no more. Humans are, in fact, not more than a myth. What’s left then? Well, there certainly are some machines that are still around, but even them are falling into pieces. You’re going to have interact with malfunctioning robots, explore a wasteland that is in ruin, with rusting metal all over the place. There’s one last city standing: Metropol. What will you find there? Will you be able to do what it takes to keep the spark alive no matter what?

 

You’ll be playing as the android Horatio Nullbuilt, who is joined by Crispin, his sarcastic sidekick. Horatio studies the Book of Man, to try and learn more about what really happened to humanity. The pair had a rather peaceful existence, inside a cycle that made both of them carry on with their day to day with ease. Unfortunately, this was not going to last forever. A robot ends up stealing the power source that Horatio and Crispin need to survive, which is why they must search Metropol in order to survive.

The game can be played either with physical inputs or by using the console’s touchscreen when playing in Portable or Tabletop Mode, or if you’re the owner of a Nintendo Switch Lite. You’ll move a cursor around the screen and interact with hotspots by pressing the A button so that you can move closer to it or interact with it. When your cursor is over a hotspot, there will be different interaction options to use. A hand will be used to taking an item, for using an item, or for talking to another character. A magnifying glass will allow you to take a closer look. The Crispin icon will allow you to use Crispin. To see all hotspots press the Y button or press and hold the touchscreen. If you use the D-Pad, you can move around from hotspot to hotspot at a faster pace.

 

Move the cursor to the top of the screen to access the Iconbar. From there, you will be able to use the fast-travel map, check your inventory, or your datapouch. All of the items you collect will be sent to your inventory, and interacting with an item in there will bring up the interaction options. Your inventory can also be opened with the – or + buttons. The ZL button can be used to open up the map, and the ZR button can open your datapouch. The datapouch is very important, because it will make it possible to not have to take notes to remember important information – such as, say, a passcode – since it will be stored in the datapouch!

You can’t die in Primordia, but the choices you make will have consequences, and will chance how the story develops and what ending you’ll reach. There are many puzzles to solve in the game, and you’ll be using the items you find to repair machines, solve said puzzles, and maybe even get a chance to befriend other robots. But what happens if you ever end up stuck? Then you can ask Crispin for a hint by interacting with him! You won’t be able to abuse this, since there’s a bit of a cooldown before you can ask for another hint.

 

Primordia has an in-game achievements system you can work on by completing almost 30 objectives while playing the game. Without talking too much about them – since doing so would end up spoiling this excellent point and click adventure game for you – I can mention a handful of the objectives to give you an idea of what to look out for. There’s going to be an achievement for completing a specific test during your first try, one for using brawn instead of brains to complete an objective, or helping a lost pilgrim find his way.

I greatly enjoyed my time with Primordia. The game’s premise, the retro-styled cyberpunk pixel art look, the voice acting, the game’s story, the soundtrack, it all comes together to give us an excellent point and click adventure game. Primordia offers some replay value by way of alternate endings, hidden secrets you can uncover during a second playthrough, as well as being able to check out the Developer Commentary Mode to get some extra insight into how Primordia was created. Primordia is out today on Nintendo Switch with a $14.99 asking price, and it’s one you should definitely check out on Nintendo’s console.

Disclaimer
This Primordia review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by Wadjet Eye Games.