Primal Planet is a New Metroidvania That is Dino-Mite

As if dinosaurs weren’t enough, now we have to deal with aliens?! What is this? Jurassic X-files?

Primal Planet from solo developer Seethingswarm is a story rich Metroidvania that you can play alone or in co-op with a friend. You play as a family of cave dwellers and their adorable pet dino as you attempt to survive and avoid a T-Rex and many other dangers in the brutal wilderness. And just when you think you know what to expect, you’ll find some sci-fi twists along the way. 

I’ve had my eye on Primal Planet for the last couple of years simply because it looks absolutely fantastic. It has some of the most gorgeous pixel art in a game that I’ve seen and I was impressed before even loading up the game. And then it delivers on gameplay too with smooth combat, unique co-op gameplay and a variety of enemies to encounter. 

While the game features no written or spoken dialogue, there’s never a question of what’s going on or what your main goal is. If your family is in danger, your goal is to protect them by any means necessary. If you’re in danger, your goal is to hide or fight for your life. There’s time when the game is fast paced and you have to adapt quickly to the ever-changing dangers and there are also times when things are a bit slower and you have to think and react accordingly. 

There are many ways to fight back against the many threats in the jungle. You can attempt to perform melee attacks, taking the enemy head on, you can craft traps or even use a more ranged approach with a spear. Defeating an enemy often awards you with meat which you can use to heal your dino friend or heal yourself if you’re able to cook it. 

I’ve had a fantastic time with Primal Planet so far. I’m usually pretty bad at Metroidvania’s but the game’s map is easy to follow, combat and movement are beautifully smooth, it looks fantastic and I can’t wait to discover what other weird alien stuff I’ll uncover the closer I get to the end of the story. Pick this one up if you’re looking for a great time and you’re ready to walk the dinosaur. 

Primal Planet is available now on PC with a 10% launch discount until August 11th.