Destination Primus Vita – Episode 1: Austin – Review
Follow Genre: Puzzle, Indie
Developer: Epsilon Games
Publisher: Green Man Gaming Publishing
Platform: PC, Mac
Tested on: PC

Destination Primus Vita – Episode 1: Austin – Review

Site Score
8.5
Good: Immersive story, fun puzzles
Bad: Menu bug
User Score
9.5
(2 votes)
Click to vote
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 9.5/10 (2 votes cast)

Puzzle games have always been a good casual entertainment for people but puzzle games with a good story often become more than just casual entertainment. Destination Primus Vita will probably become one of these games as it not only has a story setting and good puzzles but also a fun art style. In Episode one: Austin we will follow the scientist of crew 121: Austin. Destination Primus Vita has been developed by Epsilon Games and published by Green Man Gaming Publishing and we got the chance to give the game a try!

Story

In 2353 the Shatters came to Earth and stole almost all of the water. This was nearly the doom of humanity. It’s now 3044 and the humans have discovered where the Shatters live. They are sending a special team, crew 121, to recover the water. Since Earth is light years away from Primus Vita, where the Shatters live, the crew gets put into cryo-sleep during the journey. While in cryo-sleep an A.I. called NIM is taking care of them and preparing them mentally for their mission. NIM makes the crew go through simulations of Primus Vita and also makes them relive memories. This helps them build a better bond with the rest of the crew.

Episode one of Destination Primus Vita is about the Scientist Austin. You will re-live some of her memories and see the kind of relationship she has with the crew. As you play the game you will find backstory pieces and see the memories of Austin. This helps with piecing together what life on earth is like in the game and what happened with the Shatters.

Graphics

Destination Primus Vita’s graphics are in a sort of cel-shaded style. They are not overly detailed but still look very nice. The characters are more detailed than the background, however, the background is mostly a simulation so it fits in context. Most of the floor and walls crumble near the edges so it really feels like a simulation. Scenes are filled with detailed objects so the scenes never really look flat.

The circles that show you can interact with something, sometimes blend in with the background or object itself. They don’t really stand out a lot but this might have been done on purpose to make it harder to find clues.

Sound 

The music in Destination Primus Vita is upbeat and futuristic. Depending on the scene, the music changes to a more dramatic tone which helps greatly with the immersion and the feeling that you’re supposed to get from the scene. Sound effects in the game also have a more futuristic sound to them. The white circle that shows that an object can be interacted with makes a sound when you pass by which was a good choice for the developer to add. Without the sound, the white circle is even less noticeable. Voice acting in Destination Primus Vita is pretty good. The voice actors did a good job voicing the emotions of the characters.

Gameplay

Destination Primus Vita is a puzzle indie game where you search for clues around the simulation to solve the puzzles and continue with the story. In Episode 1 – Austin we follow the scientist: Austin. Since The whole crew, including Austin, is put into cryo-sleep for the journey to Primus Vita they get taken care of by an A.I. called NIM, who makes them go through simulations in their brain to prepare them mentally for the dangers of Primus Vita. Austin is the scientist of the group so she will not have to go outside that often, however, according to NIM she will still spend about 46,7% of her time outside. So in the simulation, there are some parts where you are outside.

During the simulation, you will come across clues which, when you pick them up, you have no idea which puzzle they are for. Once you encounter the puzzle which u This is actually a really handy feature so you don’t have to go in and out the puzzle to check the clue. If you haven’t found the clue yet it just shows a question mark so you know you have to look around more. Every object you can interact with has a white circle hovering above it. These objects can either be background story, a clue, an actual interactable object or an item you need to collect. Once you found a story part or a clue, you can find them again in the AR menu. However, the menu seems to bug out sometimes so you can’t always access it.

Puzzles are mostly of a “try until you succeed” kind, depending on how good you are in puzzles. Depending on your skill level, it might take you a few tries more before you reach the desired result. Some puzzles are easily figured out with the clues, others you know what to do but still need to try a couple things before succeeding. Some puzzles come back a bit harder or look similar to other puzzles but the solution is never the same. At times when you walk around, you will need to press buttons quickly to dodge enemies or falling objects. There are also times when you walk around that clues can’t be picked up but are visible around the area.

Besides solving puzzles, you also revive relationships and strengthen them with the rest of the crew. NIM will make a simulation from one of Austin’s memories with a specific person. You will then need to find specific objects which tell more about the memory. These items sometimes double as a clue as well. Once you find the specific amount of items you need to find, you learn more about the person the memory is about and revive Austin’s relationship with it. Once you revive a relationship they start appearing around the regular simulation as well. While talking to them you find out more about them and about Austin as well. You can also strengthen the relationship by picking the right answers during a conversation.

Conclusion

Destination Primus Vita is a really fun puzzle game with a good story. Episode 1: Austin has a really good start with Austin’s memories. Hopefully, more episodes of the game will come out with the view from the other characters and maybe NIM’s view. There is no saying yet to what the developers are planning for the next episode but it sure has us excited. Destination Primus Vita – Episode 1: Austin is certainly a game that should be on the must-have list for every puzzle game lover. Even if you don’t really like puzzles, the story of the game is really good so you should still give it a try and see if you like it.

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 9.5/10 (2 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)
Destination Primus Vita - Episode 1: Austin - Review, 9.5 out of 10 based on 2 ratings
Theotakutem


The one and only slowqueen! -student multimedia-

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