PRYZM -- Chapter One: The Dark Unicorn

• Release Date: June 12, 2002
• Genre: Action
• Style: Action Adventure
• Similar Games: Gauntlet: Dark Legacy (PlayStation 2), Dragon Rage (PlayStation 2), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (PlayStation 2)

Game Description

TDK Mediactive offers a classic fantasy adventure with the trappings of next-generation console power in their release of Sandbox Studios' PRYZM Chapter One: The Dark Unicorn for the PlayStation 2. Inspired by the timeless stories of fantasy writers like J.R.R. Tolkien, this adventure follows a plot of mysterious legends and heroic deeds through an epic struggle between good and evil.

A dark plague looms on the horizon, a menace that threatens all the land from the peaceful Unicorn Valley to the peaks of the Troll Mountains. Two heroes form an unlikely alliance in the face of this threat. Pryzm, the mighty Unicorn, and the giant troll mage Karrack join together on a quest to rid the land of this evil that befouls it and heal its inhabitants of the damages they have suffered.

At first, Przym and Karrack seem mismatched as companions. Many Trolls actually blame the Unicorns for the evil that is now befalling the good peoples of the land. After a rocky start however, the two heroes learn to work together, each relying on the other's strengths in times of trouble and each learning to respect the distinguished character and noble passions of the other as they progress through the adventure together.

Roots & Influences

PRYZM -- Chapter One: The Dark Unicorn, prolific developer Digital Illusions' first release for the PlayStation 2, contains fantasy elements reminiscent of writers like J.R.R. Tolkien.

Review: Overall

While PRYZM's story might turn off all but the most dedicated of fantasy gamers, it also has something quite tempting to most potential players: a budget price tag. Even though the gameplay falls somewhere in between Spyro the Dragon and Gauntlet Legends, the express bus through cliché city doesn't take it to the levels usually associated with budget titles. PRYZM isn't going to knock anyone's socks off, but for its low price you could do worse. Heck, for twice its price you could do a lot worse.

Yes, you're playing as a troll and a unicorn, and you're fighting evil plants (you've read that correctly: you're fighting evil plants), but the two main characters have some personality and even interact with each other by arguing and discussing what they should do next. The developers didn't explore this idea to the extent they might have, but it's still a fun little addition worth mentioning.

The troll and unicorn tandem can charge and cast magic attacks, engage in melee combat, and even fly for a limited time thanks to the unicorn's wings. Controls are simple and easy to adjust to, and you have access to all the powers at the beginning of the game. The benefit to this is you can practice and become skilled in battle right from the onset, but it also takes an element of surprise out of the title. There's really nothing to discover later to make you more powerful or to help spice up the action.

Generally, you'll end up using the same few magic spells over and over, and the game will fall into a hack-and-slash pattern of repetition. The story of PRYZM involves defeating the evil plants who have turned the locals into monsters. Thus the action boils down to attacking the monsters first and then going after the vegetation. This can get tiresome after 16 levels, but thankfully, the game offers some challenging boss battles to break up the monotony.

The visuals are surprisingly mediocre for a PlayStation 2 game. There are some nice spell effects, but the world presented here is drab and gray -- certainly not the sort of fantasy world the game's story suggests. The music is also low budget, but the voices are serviceable and do not detract from the experience. PRYZM is a trifle of a game made more appealing by its suggested price. It might only have a limited audience of fantasy fans who enjoy the hack-and-slash tactics of games like Gauntlet Legends, but players won't risk much in giving it a look.

Review: Enjoyment

The controls are easy to use, and the boss battles are compelling enough to keep things interesting.

Review: Graphics

There's nothing special to note aside from the repetitive, drab textures.

Review: Sound

Some fun dialogue punctuates the melodramatic music, while the sound effects are just par for the course.

Review: Replay Value

There's not much to do with {*PRYZM} once you've finished it, which is a process that won't take most gamers too long to undergo. Still, there's some enjoyment to eke out of the game.

Review: Documentation

The instruction manual covers the basics.

Production Credits