Psychonauts

"Just another review for Psychonauts, Zeep style."

Psychonauts, are they real? Or are they just something made up by the milkma-err, minds of some game designers. We will start this magical journey of this review with the basics, control and stuff like that. Then we will follow it back around and end with the good stuff, such as story and gameplay. With that said, let's jump right on into this nightmarish review, and take a deeper look at the game.

Graphics
In my opinion, the graphics in this game are absolutely great. Sure the worlds, characters, and everything else looks cartoonish, but it's suppose to look like that. I didn't see any clipping in the game, the levels looked absolutely awesome, and the characters looked great as well. All the pieces graphic wise went together like a top of the line jig saw puzzle. Perfect if you ask me.

Controls
The basic controls in this game were simple to pick up. The advanced controls however, may be just a little too simple. Now let me explain this a bit better. You have two buttons, and a trigger to pull off all your powers. Two buttons, and a trigger, for 8 powers. Now, you can only assign three powers to use at a time, one to each button. Its easy and rather quick to assign powers to buttons but thats the problem. You tend to get confused at times. Want to use an assigned power, simply hit the button. Easy as that. However, lets say you keep that power assigned to that button for a long time and you get use to it being there. Now let's say you need another power, however it's not assigned yet. So you simply go in and switch them up, nothing big. Now let's say you get into a fight later on, and you forgot that you messed with the powers your use to. So now lets say you go to attack with a power, and bam! Your looking through the eyes of your enemy, when you really wanted to have it burst in flames. Now you feel like an idiot because your standing there, looking at yourself, as enemies beat the crap out of you. Think about it, how much fun is it to watch yourself get the snot beat out of you through the eyes of the thing thats beating the snot out of you? It's like looking at yourself in the mirror while you are driving your car. Before you know it you hit another car head on. Now your brains are on the road and you cant do a thing about it. The point is, the controls that I like to call 'advanced' are a little too simple. I admit, there isn't much else they could have done, and the way they have it is very nice. Its just that it can be a problem at times. Other then that, controls to the game are great.

Soundtrack
I hate to break it to you people, but I have to. The sounds and music in this game, are great! This game seemingly can't really do anything wrong! The music is great. The sounds for the powers are great. Even the voice acting is great! This game is just one great ball of greatness! Most games, if you are stuck on a level, you start to get sick of the music. Once that happens, you want to throw your game system at the TV just to end the music. With this game however, that never happens! I never once had the urge to throw my Xbox at my TV.

Gameplay
This sadly, is what is keeping me from giving this game a 10 out of 10. Don't get me wrong though, the gameplay for this game is good, maybe even too good. The problem I have with this game is, I was totally hooked. The gameplay was fun, and addicting. Because of this, I beat the game in two days. This game will gladly grab onto you, and not let you go till it is beat. That however, doesn't take that long to do. Anyway, the gameplay to the game is awesome. You get to play with 8 powers. These include, but are not limited too, Invisibility, Pyrokinesis, Telekinesis, and Levitation. Each of your powers get upgrades as you rank up as well. The game brings you to many crazy, odd, strange, characters. Then there are the levels as well. The levels seem to always outdo the last one, and they all contain many things for you to do and or collect.

Story
The story of this game is, and I'm sure your getting as sick of hearing this as I am of saying it, great. You play as this boy, Raz. He and his family are circus folk. However, he thinks his dad hates people with the powers he has. So instead of running away to join the circus, he does the next reasonable thing. Runs away to join the psychonauts camp! Anyway, the people who run the camp say he can't stay, so they call up his dad to pick him up. This is where the story of Raz really starts to kick in. As soon as Raz finds out his dad is coming, he spirals out of control. He picks up drinking, drugs, gambling and sex. The poor ten year old bets all his women in a game of blackjack, and loses them all. This is where you come in, you help Raz get his girls back! Ok ok, so thats not how it really goes. Raz doesn't spiral out of control. No drugs, booze, women, or games. Anyway, Raz decides to become a Psychonaut before his dad gets to him. You help him go through training. Once training is over, you soon find yourself in an unexpected situation. A situation that will take you to all sorts of places. To the bottom of a lake, to a secret lab, and into the minds of many people. You end up meeting people such as psychonaut agents, kids training to be psychonauts, people who were sent to insane asylums, and talking fish. The story will suck you in and not let you go.

Over all, the game is a great game. However, it is a little too short. The game leaves you wanting more, oh so much more. If it were not for the fact that I beat it in two days, it would be getting a 10. Great game, great fun, too short.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/08/05