Psychonauts

"What a Fantastically Entertaining Game"

This game is an instant classic IMHO. For fun factor alone, which is something that games companies forget about sometimes. There is something new to do at every turn and it never gets old because the next mind you go into is completely different from the rest and a total blast to figure out and complete. I like that it's fairly easy to play as well, because I don't always have a lot of hours to devote each time I play and with Psychonauts I could always make some progress no matter how much time I had.

Story: (9) This is hilarious. I found myself paying attention to the plot elements since they are so well written and wacky and in platformers I usually skip over the story scenes as they're so dumb an unnecessary to the overall experience. I'm not going to give away any of the story here, but you do go to a summer camp type place to become a psychonaut, which is like an astronaut only for psychic powers and the ability to go inside peoples heads and "straighten" them out, including removing cobwebs (something I'd like people to do for my mind at the moment). Each character has phobias or compulsions and that is what you have to deal with in each locale. While I didn't find the story suspenseful so much, I did enjoy going through each section to find what happens next. The story gets a 9 for being good in a platformer game.

Gameplay: (10) I had no trouble with the controls here. The buttons were well mapped and intuitive. I did wish it were easier to get at some of the special abilities but though searching for them and mapping them to the quick access buttons did slow the game in some spots, it didn't ruin the experience. The game seems to sense what you're trying to do and helps you out. When you're at the edge of a ledge you don't fall off that easilty, he'll hang on so you can jump back up, or he'll step up when he needs to without having to jump constantly. It's easy to pick up and play this game and it never gets frustrating.

Graphics: (9) I love the cartoon element here, though this may be why a lot of gamers aren't picking this up. It's cute but it's so wacky that it doesn't play out like a youngish kids game. I'm fully grown and then some and I found the artistic design to be a strong element here. The colors are vibrant and the animation smooth and delightful. An inspired set of minds came up with these graphics and artwork and deserve some awards here. It's not Doom 3, but this style works perfectly in this sort of game and it runs so smoothly that it really adds to the fun factor.

Sound: (10) I just had to go to 10 on this one. The voice acting is so good. Every character has a funny or entertaining voice and well acted. the script is a trip. I found the part of the actress very funny, there's a place where she sits and cries and practices being a tragic actress and I just cracked up. All the dialogue rings true and the music is very fitting though not as memorable.

Replayability: (7) This game is fairly linear though some options are left up to you in what order you do things. Also, there's enough side things to do, such as collecting figments and cobwebs and trunks that you can just screw around with the game and collect stuff when you want to kill an hour or so. It's a fun enough game that I may pick it up again and play through some of the parts just because they're that fun, but it's not something you really need to play a second time.

Fun factor: (10) I've already addressed this above, but I'll state here that the fun factor is the best part of this game. There was no area that became frustratingly difficult or boring so I wanted just to get through it. Even the boss battles that I had to do a few times were a blast. And I found myself laughing out loud very often.

Overall: (9) I hope this game gets the recognition it deserves. I played Grim Fandango all the way through also (an earlier game by the same guy) and this game was even better. We need more games that are different like this, but people have to play them to get more of them produced. This game may not completely redefine platformers but it definately raises the bar on design and fun factor and reminds us that a good storyline can add a lot to gameplay. I hope we continue to get more games from these guys. I highly recommend this to people of all ages.

Rent or buy: I bought it and am glad to add it to my collection. It's one I may pop in once in a while just to have some fun with. It's not really long, so the hardcore gamers might want to rent and finish in a long weekend, but I took my time and enjoyed every minute.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/31/05