Psychonauts

The game is charming, the characters are fun, and the world is great to be a part of. It's one of those games that jumps around all over the place in terms of level theming, but it works really well. With that said, the game is SUPER janky to the point where it would have stood out as janky even back in 2005. Ledge detection doesn't always work, the player "snaps," strangely to tightropes and other special platforms, it's almost impossible to intuit when certain special abilities will work and when they won't, the camera likes to spend half it's time behind walls and other geometry, and the platforming just feels all around sluggish. It wasn't that bad for most of the game and I didn't really pay much attention to it until the final level or so which felt straight up broken to the point where I almost quit the game (but didn't). All in all though it was a good game. I enjoyed the story, and even with it being a comedy game the overall concept feels like a nice breath of fresh air. If you don't mind a bit of jank, you could do far worse than picking up this game.

One of the best titles nobody ever heard of, Psychonauts is a fun, creative adventure game with an interesting twist, most of the action happens inside your head. Well, inside the heads of the games various wacky characters actually, as you go in to fight their various psychosis, neuroses and mental demons. You play a young cadet named Raz, who escapes FROM the circus to become a Psychonaut, a kind of psychic spy. Over the course of the game you uncover a sinister plot to steal brains, and go through numerous extremely fun levels. There are also numerous unlocks and hidden items which encourage you to retrace your steps throughout the process. The game has a gentle learning curve, guiding you through your hero's mental powers one by one, right up until the end that is. The last level of the game is an incredibly frustrating mess that replaces creativity with precision jumping puzzles, the absolute bane of third person action/adventure titles. It was the last level that caused me to put this game down and never pick it up again, as it didn't just feel cheap, it felt like a betrayal after so much excellent content. However, despite its flaws, you still should play Psychonauts, if only to see what you missed out on the first time around. There just aren't enough creative, colorful and most of all witty titles like this around.

Story and Characters: Witty, lovable, and at times genuinely funny. Totally unmatched in recent memory. Level Design: All based on psychological concepts and cliches. A few can be underwhelming but that's because the majority are truly innovative and clever! Gameplay: Like any platformer, it can be a bit frustrating if you're knocked off a ledge and die a few times. Some enemies are overpowered and others underpowered. Item collection can slow down the pace a bit. But the psychic powers ("magic") you eventually gain mostly make up for it. I played with no problem using a mouse and keyboard. Replay Value: Mostly if you want to re-experience the story, but it might also warrant a second playthrough if you want to be a perfectionist and collect every last hidden item. Overall: Totally worthwhile. The story, characters, and level design make it worth all the praise. I'm frothing for a sequel!

Psychonauts is imaginitive, creative, intelligent and above all fun! It's funny and entertaining, something all too few games manage to do. A must-buy, in every sense of the word.

Do you want a game with an interesting cast of characters? How about a game with excellent level design? Cool powers? Different conversation options? Places to explore and things to collect? Oh, and humor. Because Psychonauts has all of this, and more. Whether you're saving the brains of your classmates, helping battle Napoleon Bonaparte, or wondering why your subconscious is filled with meat, you'll always find something to laugh at. Double Fine created a masterpiece, and the only disappointing thing about Psychonauts is that more people haven't played it. Don't be one of them. Get this game now!