Primal Flame: Play With Matches For Great Justice [Review]

Primal Flame is one of those games that’s immediately impressive. Its brief loading screen at startup is gorgeous, and the title screen presents the obligatory social-networking links in its own cave-drawing aesthetic so that they fit in while still remaining recognizable.

But I’m not here just to talk about the title screen, luckily for you, and once you stop gawking at it and actually start Primal Flame up, it just keeps on being amazing.

You start with a black screen covered in specks with the sounds of a forest at night. Brighter lights start drifting down from the top, and you run your finger along the screen. Sparks fly and grow and burst into flame, and then you’re playing one of the most unique games I’ve ever seen.

The concept is that you are lighting matches to keep away a creeping, oppressive darkness that threatens at all times to destroy you. You keep the flame burning by gathering those light seeds that are coming down, and you lose light by running into environmental hazards like leaves, rain, and the creepy, hostile plant monsters that sprout all around you.

Plant monsters, people.

It just keeps on being amazing.

Your floral enemies want to eat the light seeds before you can grab them, and they’ll also take a nom to your flame because they just don’t even care. You defeat them by swiping through their stems to cut them.

It’s a pretty basic idea, and Primal Flame offers a lot of replay value. Your points allow you to unlock new flames and spells that will help you in future rounds, and it’s always kind of thrilling to rescue your fire when it’s an instant away from snuffing out.

Plus, I can’t think of too many titles in which rain is presented as a deadly enemy, so extra-special bonus points there, too.

Game Name: : Primal Flame The Good: Pretty graphics, unique gameplay, and just an all-around fun time. The Bad: Depending on the size of your finger, it may be hard to see what’s going on. The Verdict: It’s absolutely worth your time and money. You know, if you like beauty and fun. Buy from: App Store – Primal Flame – Pierre Aclement

[rating=game5]