Primordia is badass. Old school point ‘n’ click brain-teasing at its finest, set in an inspired dystopian world of sentient robots.

Let me say this: I only had a brief preview build to play, but I was quickly and thoroughly engrossed in the atmosphere Primordia creates.

Dark, stormy wastelands stretch the horizon, and the protagonist, Horatio, and his floating robot sidekick, Crispin, fit right in with the lonely vibe.

Horatio is your typical man of few words, a lone engineering ‘bot trying to resurrect a long-dead spaceship that’s slowly sinking into the muck of his world. Crispin is his helper unit who deals primarily in-game hints and useless sarcasm.

Crispin is not particularly funny. Most of his jokes fall flat, aside from the ones that subtly mock the more archaic mechanics of point-and-click games. But that’s part of the appeal in the character.

Crispin is like your dumb best friend who believes wholeheartedly that he IS funny and, even though he’s not, he brings a little brightness into the depressing, lonely world of Primordia.

The preview build was polished, and very pretty to look at. The interface is simple and easy to navigate, and all of the game’s mechanics work fluidly.

The art is fantastic, and there seem to be a few pop culture references scattered throughout. For instance, a broken robot lying in a junk pile is very clearly Tom Servo from the cult comedy TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000 (which is hilarious, by the way).

The music is very fitting for the dystopian setting, featuring strained, foreboding electronics that haunt your every step. It reminded me in equal measure of Blade Runner, Escape From New York, and certain John Williams pieces from Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Whoever did the music for this game deserves a frosty beer and a high five.

My initial impressions are that Primordia is going to be plenty challenging and an experience that sticks with you for awhile. It has only begun to hint at the depth surrounding its backstory, but I’m very excited for what’s to come.

If you like things that don’t suck, Primordia looks like it’s going to be well-worth your time. I’ll be posting a full review upon the game’s release, which is planned for December 5th by publisher Wadjet Eye.