Psychonauts

"This Gem Needs To Be Dusted Off"

When I first heard about Psychonauts, I really did not care about it. I mean, who would want to go into peoples just to cure them of a mental illness? As it turns, a million people around the world. When I started to play it, it blew my mind. Everything I had come to learn from other games was gone.

Story: A young boy named Razputin (a.k.a. "Raz") runs away from his home at a carnival and heads for Whispering Rock, a camp for the psychologically gifted. He gets pulled out of a tree that he was hiding in by the three main teachers, Sasha Nein, Milla Vodella, Morceau Oliander. They let him stay at camp until his parents take him home. In the middle of the story, a huge twist happens that changes the course of Raz's life.

Gameplay: You play as Raz trying to get through the worlds of various peoples minds. The worlds Vary from action to platforming to shooting to puzzles and even to racing. This game really does not have a game type but if it had to it would be platforming. Their is a leveling system in the game that will give players new powers and bonus content. Their many sidequests that require you to collect things i.e. figments. The rewards are leveling up or new powers. You can also wander about camp and talk to the other kids as their moods and opinions change at the midway point.

Graphics: The graphics in this game are extremely cartoony. Now, that is not a bad thing. Peoples minds do not have the most realistic graphics that represent the problems within their minds. This is also Tim Schafer's style(thinking of Brutal Legend). Overall, some pretty good graphics.

Sound: Like the graphics, they give the game a cartoony feel. From the war music in Basic Braining to the cheesy carnival music of the Meat Circus, it all reflects on the environment. It kinda sets the mood for the level. The voices are great. The nightmares actually sound like demons, Mr. Bonaparte sounds like Napoleon, and Gloria has a singing voice.

Controls: The controls nearly always work. Some of the moves can be hard to pull off, but it really doesn't take away from playability.

Replayability: The leveling system, cob webs, emotional luggage,
figment, scavenger hunt, main story, and everything else ought to keep you busy for a few months to a year.

Overall: This game may have sold only a million copies but people ought to add to this number. This is a game that you at least try. So if I had the question to buy or rent, I would buy it. If you are still unsure about this game, rent it. It will be totally worth it.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/28/08

Game Release: Psychonauts (US, 06/21/05)