Primal: The Awakening Review: Hey, Boss. Wanna Battle?

Tom and Chris take a look at Primal: The Awakening
0:00 Intro
0:56 Overview
10:27 Review
23:19 Final Thoughts
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BGG Link: boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3...
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[@brandobombchu8827]

A Top Ten Boss Battlers would be a fantastic top ten. Many of us love fighting a big boss together or controlling one.

[@Kuptain]

You called it, haha

[@ThorAxiun]

Clicked on this review after recently re-watching the "Top 10 enemies of gaming" And both Kickstarter bloat and massive boxes were mentioned on the list 😆

[@rb4551]

I would totally have backed this if they had put in a non-mini version with big discs represending the monsters. Its mind blowing to me how they would just ignore that market. Oh well.

[@ObsidianKnight90]

100%. The monsters could have been standees with the base indicating facing with an arrow. It's frustrating because their last game, ELO Darkness, has 50! characters all represented with discs instead of minis, plus a TON of cards, and it all fits inside a single medium sized box.

[@kumanight]

Yeah I got priced out of this game real fast

[@nconod8449]

me2, maybe with reprint someday

[@AaronAndSusie]

Same

[@ilqrd.6608]

Me too. I literally don’t have the space

[@ElectricMetalMuffin]

Everything about this review was perfect for me. I fully understand and agree with the topic of bloat and giant boxes, but im glad to hear the positives are in what truly matter, the rulebook is good and the gameplay sounds fun. To add a bit of context, Prima was made by fans of the Monster Hunter video games. This was my main selling point to back since im a huge fan too and even though there is an official licensed BG by steamforge, Primal looked and sounded way funner and actually less expensive. That said, everytime Tom mentioned how he felt playing as a hunter it was like describing the same feeling you get while playing the VG, AND THAT IS AWESOME! The devs clearly knew what made MH special and tried their best to replicate the same feeling. The cinematic gameplay with big damage turns with escalating stats for both hunters and monsters based on equipment is exactly how its played in the MH video game. I am so excited for my copy, happy hunting!

[@JakeRyneJohnson]

Yeah it sounds like it's just not for them from a theme standpoint on some things. Like Chris mentioning that he wants the monster to just drop loot and not pieces to craft with and I think that's totally valid. But this is really Monster Hunter the videogame in a board game form and this is how it works. It's clearly a love letter for MH fans and they really nailed all of the feelings from that game. fighting a big monster, feeling so small next to it, getting parts from it and using that to make new weapons, unlocking new weapons of elemental types after beating a monster of that type, making potions, gear, etc. I just got my copy in and have been reading the (120 page!) rulebook to prepare for this weekend and I just keep getting more excited going through it. But I think if you come into this as not an existing MH fan, it just seems like 'whats the point of all of this?'

[@MrGainify]

The designer said he didn’t use monster hunter as inspiration…wanted to make something like kdm

[@thereal4579]

@@JakeRyneJohnson they complain about the big box and "too much content" but the game has big miniatures, its needs a big box, and its a boss battle, youll need variety. the fact theres "too much content" in the base game shoes the love and appreciation the devs had for the game and the backers.

[@JakeRyneJohnson]

@@thereal4579 I think the issue is the oversized miniatures inflate the price drastically and don't add to any gameplay. They sit on a board and rotate 90 degrees. It could be a standee, it could be a card that you rotate. As a huge fan of monster hunter and after playing this game, I do like having the miniatures. But there's something to be said that the base game and every expansion could fit in a regular board game box if there were standees for monsters (or like I said, just a top down card) and that would make the price probably 60-80 dollars instead of 300 for all in.

[@thereal4579]

@@JakeRyneJohnson market too small for multiple versions, multiple skews, more logistical resources needed. The appeal to this game WAS the minis and their grand size. This is a new publisher who had a vision of what they wanted the game to be. It was clear the storage and pricing was intentional to meet the standards they envisioned.

[@pdbedlion]

I backed this and just got it in 2 weeks ago. I've loved playing it so far. I think a "Jaws of the Lion" style standalone set could do really well

[@thereal4579]

there is a the mini campaign included with extra heroes box.

[@LunasaVT]

Really hope this system can be implemented in a cheaper more accessible game.

[@VaultBoy13]

Isn't it mostly just Marvel Champions with the added mechanism of facing?

[@denvergoudeau]

My copy comes in Friday, and I'm so pumped to play!!!!

[@rgsniper2]

Went all in on this campaign and have received the product. So far it's still in the box, but I have perused it and can't wait to get it on the table.

[@rdot8419]

The game is absolutely amazing. Loved it and sold it. Had the gameplay all in and the amount of content was insane. The problem was all that content came in massive boxes. I had nowhere I could reasonably store it.

[@derekgarcia3069]

Great review! I need to get this to the table, and you've increaded my excitement. Hearing that they actually pulled it off AND its (relatively ) easy to teach and table. Thats impressive.

[@7mikeyortiz7]

I love this game and I’m so so glad I got it. It’s giant and sits proudly on top of my shelf’s and painting the minis is so fun!

[@defiantj975]

I'm psyched to get to play my copy now!!

[@AlBundy4td]

2nd KS ever and the three year wait was worth it. Excellent game!

[@joshuag7027]

I love the minis and they were by far the most fun thing I've painted, but the box size is a problem, I've brought 1 mini plus the stuff needed to play to a friends place before and it fit nicely inside an expansion box, I've thought about potentially getting some discs to represent the monster/hunters when traveling, but at home seeing the scale of the monster vs the hunters makes it feel even more epic.

[@JakeRyneJohnson]

I think a small budget of this would work with even just characters being depicted as cardboard tokens and the monster being a top down view of a token. Yes, you lose some of the features but it makes it more clear where is front, flank, back if they were just big oversized flat tokens and you could still get scale seeing how small your top down guy is compared to the dragon. That would allow the whole game to fit in a normal size box. I went all-in and I'm pumped for the minis. But I could see making something like that to travel with and only using minis at home.

[@joncarr5545]

This is why I didn't back this game. The minis are 100% unnecessary. The gameplay is a near identical copy to Marvel Champions villains activation just with supposed "directions" which would simply be left/right/above/below the monster card. It could have been a fraction of the price for almost identical gameplay.

[@keonster]

Own this game and all expansions. Really like this one. Gives me that “Monster Hunter” feel. It is really big though.

[@JamesOrr1987]

Man, I chickened out of backing this, but was still very interested in how it is and would love it play it at a DT con etc, sounds fun, as Tom described it it makes total sense he would like this, as would I! I get it takes too much space but it's also kind of a thing to have big minis etc with this style of game, kind of comes with the territory.

[@anab0lic]

Acrylic standee version much needed

[@AzureRaiden]

Man.. This is a shame really. The size of this box, and the costs, put this out of reach of so many gamers, and the shame is that it sounds like a good game. I didn't back it from the KS because it's too big and way too expensive, and the giant miniatures don't do anything but spin on the table. This is the type of game that I wish so much that they would've made an acrylic meeple variant of. It would've drastically reduced the size and cost of this game, and kept all of the gameplay in tact. I hope that they do this someday, because unless there's a massive sale on this, I'll never own it.

[@SethsTable]

I would LOVE a version of this game with literally nothing but cardboard and cards, in a small package I could take anywhere.

[@AaronAndSusie]

I really thought I'd love this one but the price point put me off

[@toddcontino7271]

It’s worth the money

[@jonathana6298]

I went all-in in this. I just picked up some display cases for various games and would probably not keep this if it weren’t for them. The box is just too big. With the display cases, all the minis are out and all the cards and in two of the much smaller expansion boxes.

[@zvonk2480]

I am not going to lie, this game has some of the best teamwork. I love using assists or taunts to give my teammates bonus cards, I feel like I am part of their awesome combo.

[@beornthebear9023]

Mine is arriving soon really excited for this one. You could tell how much they enjoyed this one based on their body language and voices.

[@gingerscholar152]

I forgot I backed this one until the shipping notification, and I'll say that I've lost all interest in this as a game. I am planning on painting and displaying the minis though

[@toddcontino7271]

Bummer. The game really is amazing. But I would be lying if I said that painting the minis for display wasn’t 50% or the reason I backed this game All-In 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@godhenry007]

First review I've seen for the final version of this game. Way to get this out first!

[@Kindlesmith70]

I would be interested in hearing Tom's opinion based on the Monster Hunter World The Board Game vs this. A comparison. I have both games, but haven't played Primal yet. Got the core set in the mail today. Jeez does it have minis.... I have a number of boss battlers in my collection. Kingdom Death: Monster, Aeon Trespass, Monster Hunter World tbg, Aeon's End. They all come with issues, some I wouldn't know how to change to make them 'better' for the small number of people I game with. Most of these are probably better suited to just being a video game. Too many components, nuanced rules, and such. Kingdom Death: Monster is basically a game that is played for a day considering setup, and pack up. Monster Hunter World tbg pretty much the same. Aeon Trespass is a colossal mess to organize, certainly would have been better to to have been a video game given the tedious nature of components, and things to do, and keep track of. We ditched it mostly because the story was all over the place with characters that have short term memory problems, as well as behaving like they are bipola (being strongly against something, then immediately strongly being for it forgetting the reasons why they were against it in the first place, as well as emotioanl rollercoatsers from angry to sad to happy in a very brief period). Aeon's End is great. Lot of fun. I cut down the amount of spells, relics, and gems so it could fit into 2 boxes. Have to say the Legacy games were a blast to playthrough, although a lot of content gets thrown out which is unnecessary given they had already invented a campaign structure before hand. Such a waste of resources. This game sounds like a game i'd probably use proxies for when taking it elsewhere. Minis are awesome to look at, but it hinders travel. I've not even botehred to assemble most of Kingdom Death: Monster stuff. They are incredibly frail and a pain to put together. We use colored tokens for survivors, and the base of the monster with something to indiciate facing direction as the monster.

[@philthephreak]

Would be SUPER interested in a standee version of this game. I think we are at a tipping point where we will see that more. All the gamers, myself included, are out of shelf space! (And money) Not to mention, isn’t it kind of irresponsible to produce all this plastic and ship this heavy stuff all over the world? Cost, space, environmental impact… standees are the future.

[@-LiQuidGaS-]

It's not even the price, but the sheer size of the box that deterred me from backing this... if they ever decide to make an acrylic standee version then I'm all in.... for the size of 7-8 standard game BG boxes i just can't justifying the required

[@kurtwolffjr9727]

How would you guys say Dante: Inferno another boss battler compares to this?

[@thedicetower]

We live-played Dante but we haven't played a final version so we can't comfortably speak to it.

[@elzheiz]

The rulebook is fantastic, the game is great (felt much better than MHW: The board game), so I'm glad to see these review scores! To be honest you can skip all of the campaign text if you feel like it's too long, the rewards are separated.

[@CactusJackter]

I'm so glad this turned out to be a real game and not a monster hunter ripoff scam.

[@robertboily9030]

Is my memory failing, or was there another one of these monster-hunting boss-battler board games where one of the key features was climbing on the monster?

[@TabletopFamily]

Crazy developers/ designers make boss battler without a settlment phase. Only reason i play kingdom death monster. To drag the monster back to the tribe to feed my young, to buy tribe upgrades then new gear. So bored of the kill the next big monster just to get shiny new underwear so you can kill a bigger boss.

[@RobOngrui]

That's what I always think when seeing those type of games. KDM has been out for nearly 10 years and people love it, yet so many boardgame devs dont understand what makes it tick. IMO: Aeon Trespass Odyssey is the only thing that comes close but it's nearly a carbon copy.

[@Nayr090]

I backed the gameplay all-in, then got the core box recently. It's ENORMOUS, and that's without any expansion stuff! Super excited to get this to the table, but gosh, storage space is a premium nowadays. 😅

[@mysticmouse7983]

So is it better than Monster Hunter World by SFG?

[@slammurai6492]

General consensus I've seen is yes. Primal is more in depth than MHW but that can also be a bad thing depending on what you're looking for

[@renatocarvalho6059]

The sheer size is what killed it for me. The box is daunting indeed. The game looks amazing though. I’ll think about getting it when they inevitably reprint it.

[@ConeDefense]

That box size… I just can’t.

[@williamradke4290]

I remember seeing this on Kickstarter......4 YEARS AGO! I'm so glad I saved my money lol. Don't get me wrong though it seems really cool and reminds me a lot of Monster Hunter, but was just not worth the money and wait for it. Maybe someday I'll get it.

[@davidstirling2824]

I am getting slightly weary of this kind of reviewer bias where they seem to assume that because they "have" to play so many games and they don't have time for campaigns therefore campaigns = bad. Most people buying these games don't have that issue and love campaign games. Fair points made to a certain extent on the OTT miniatures and box sizes but you could argue that was part of the reason the crowdfunding went so well for them. Happy to see they were still positive about the game and they made some good points that would guide potential buyers. But please, please, please dial back at least a little on the "campaign fatigue" that REVIEWERS (mostly) suffer from. Still the best reviewers out there though!

[@thedicetower]

I appreciate the kind words. I was hoping to express that while I don't want to play it all as a campaign, I think it's great that it's there as a play option for people who aren't campaign fatigued. But the fact they made it have the Expedition mode available is praiseworthy! Also, the comments about the way they approached the campaign (crafting from resources, long story text) are still valid even if I wasn't tired of long campaigns. Hope that helps clarify a bit. -Chris

[@littlewooll8]

You make as big of an over-generalization by assuming most people love campaign games that are getting these. I like 1 or 2 campaign games at most in my collection so the more options of games like this without the need to play as a campaign gives me a reason to get it without being tied down by playing consecutively or with the same group.

[@davidautinify]

make the same game with cardboard standees, drop the price, shrink the box, and i'm all in. we're in a golden age of board games and spoiled for choice, and a box that big (and expensive) could be 3 or 4 other equally great games. i want this game. i don't have room for this game. :/ (and to those who say it would lose some of the magic without the miniatures... see: Oathsworn core box. half the price, half the size, just as epic without the minis.)

[@mm-si3qi]

Oathsworn offered no expansions for its kickstarter. Logistically much easier to offer a second version as the second version is the game, and the miniatures are essentially an upgrade components add on. Primal offers 5 expansions, one which was a 5th player. I don’t see how financially they offer those 4 expansions and base game as cardboard versions in the same campaign, considering the base game was always going to have miniatures since that is what the creators wanted. That is a pretty big logistical hoop to jump through as they are basically backwards to how oathsworn offered their game. Hopefully now that is funded, they come back with a non miniature version and don’t offer the miniature version to simplify the campaign for those priced out.

[@-LiQuidGaS-]

Would be so freaking amazingly cool, if they remake this, but with a Marvel/DC theme and cut down to 45min play time with smaller miniatures and box... and maybe even some henchmen sprinkled on the side to attack you 🤤 Imagine boss battling as your favorite heroes vs your favorite villain in these kinda easy to set up card game with a board and mini setting (not a fan of the CMON one unfortunately, too cartoonish and cards are waaaay too simple)

[@VaultBoy13]

Play Marvel Champions...?

[@-LiQuidGaS-]

@VaultBoy13 I have that, a lot of it...but a pure card game just doesn't have the tactile feel of playing a miniature game unfortunately, nor would it have the positioning of being on a board

[@Theplaysthet]

What is it with these ridiculously expensive massive games? I also have a problem with how environmentally unfriendly all this plastic is. As a big solo gamer this also looks completely over facing in terms of set up and table space..... Overall... couldn't it just be smaller and still be a good game?

[@rawkyle9385]

Is it worth $300? No. Easy pass.

[@1AngelAlita]

Depends if it's something you'd enjoy playing a lot. In such case it's easily worth it, it has enourmous replayability.

[@rpgamerpro9972]

Not even close to being worth anywhere near that. "Games" likes this are a bunch of overwrought plastic figures with a card game attached.

[@1AngelAlita]

​@@rpgamerpro9972 There are people who like painting that plastic, for them it may be well worth it.. ;)

[@TylerAndToast]

​@@rpgamerpro9972unless you also love painting minis then it's super worth

[@Zarfin]

Immersive game about hunting and killing monsters. Euro gamers: "we want standees. The miniatures don't do anything" 😂 Maybe this game isn't for you and you should wait for the next Feld or Rosenberg.

[@fy8798]

The game is for people, the worthless plastic isn't. I have and like the game, but removing the plastic would have made the thing objectively better. Standees just are a better experience in general.

[@soogymoogi]

​@@fy8798not if you like to paint miniatures. That's part of the reason I got it. I agree with others that a standee option would have been welcome, though.

[@RvLeshrac]

Seven. Hundred. Dollars. This game is SEVEN. HUNDRED. DOLLARS. at my LGS. To be fair, that includes tax, but the price with tax is the price a consumer has to pay for it.