Some say that the time of Gods passed so that their creation, Man, could be given the chance to carve his own era. And it’s also said that in the end, the story of Man will also come to an end. Primordia takes place well after the final chapter of humankind, who, like Gods themselves, left the cycle continuing with Man’s greatest creation: Machines.

It’s unknown what exactly happened to the humans. Some machines look back on Man as a god that has left the world for them to tend, a belief that has developed into the controversial religion that is Humanism. Those who do not share in the faith have gone as far as claiming humans to be nothing more than mythological creatures, mere symbolic representations of hopes and dreams tethered to anything but logic and productivity. Even still, the faith and belief that Man will return someday to reformat all that is wrong and unjust helps a number of robots live on day by day, one example being Horatio Nullbuilt v.5.

As we left off from my preview of Primordia, Horatio and his sidekick Crispin find themselves in a bit of a jam when their Power Core is stolen. Tracking their thief/assailant leads them to the gates of Metropol, a megalapolis of self proclaimed perfection and elite progress, hard lined by its seemingly omnipotent ruler MetroMind. And, like with how most of these situations unfold, what was originally supposed to be a personal task of retrieving stolen property gradually spins out of control as our protagonists find themselves within a cacophony of power struggles, corruption, and the unwitting unveiling of forbidden truths.

While the motions of point-and-clicks tend to be monotonous, Primordia’s theme of fixing and repair adds a bit of conviction. Almost everything picked up is meant to be either combined with other components or manipulated in order to solve predicaments. Primordia also slips in a number of challenges that teases your frontal lobes such as reading into number sequences, wordplay, and occasionally dips into the old school works of making sense of riddles much later on well after they’re presented. Additionally, the game uses a lot of red herring elements - there are times when you think a certain object in the environment will help you out of a puzzle when actually you’re getting distracted from the real solution usually hiding in plain sight.

Very similar in fashion to Joey of Beneath a Steel Sky, Crispin assists in opening access or collecting material that is otherwise impossible for Horatio to accomplish on his own. Crispin also provides hints; however, the dispensing comes random as most of the time you get an earful of teeth wrenching “jokes”, a surefire annoyance.

While Primordia does little to deviate from the genre norms: the plot predictable, the length less than extraordinary, and the endings lacking fireworks, what will really draw players in is the fabulous art. The artwork is certainly amongst the most unique and inspirational of 2012 which compliments well with the title’s solid lore, both refreshing in their imaginative rarity. Of all of WadjetEye’s titles, this is one I’d like to see further developed into a series, maybe not necessarily with a return of Horatio and Crispin, but there’s enough potential in the mythos to tell different stories set within the Primordia universe. This hope is supported by how the game ends with a number of what-ifs that can leave many wondering with enthusiasm.

Whether you revisit Primordia to unlock its multiple endings (well dictated by easily missed one-chance-only optional items) or if you’re satisfied with just a single run, Primordia will enchant its guests, leaving a deep impression that will have you wanting more. And no matter what your craft may be, it unquestionably has a way of getting those creative juices flowing.