©2005 Majesco Entertainment Company. All Rights Reserved
Game length provided by HowLongToBeat
Posted on: October 7, 2011
pankratz
Verified ownerGames: 137 Reviews: 1
First underrated...now overrated
As everyone knows this game didn't get the sales figures it deserved. But in nowadays it is commonsense that this software is a masterpiece. I disagree. It is a very good, smart and funny Third-Person Action-Adventure. But nothing more. It has all the disadvantages the wohle genre got and some more (e.g. much repetition).
Is this helpful to you?
Posted on: March 17, 2011
saikofish
Verified ownerGames: 132 Reviews: 1
Don't miss this gem of a game.
Psychonauts has a reputation amongst in-the-know gamers as one of the most original, entertaining games of the past decade. It's well deserved. First of all, it's designed by the legendary Tim Schaefer of Monkey Island fame, as his first game since departing from LucasArts - and if you liked anything at all about the classic LucasArts adventure games of the 90s, you'll see the same polish, warmth and humor throughout Psychonauts. It's beautifully crafted and achieves a cartoony art style that doesn't need to strain graphics cards in order to look good. The storyline is incredibly imaginative for the time - today, comparisons to the movie Inception are easy to come by - but the idea of jumping into the minds of very different characters and experiencing truly different environments is unlike most games you'll see. The levels start out like fairly standard platformers but then evolve: a war-torn battlefield is a dime a dozen in games these days, but the level in which you are a giant and stomp around a city, Godzilla-style is one of the most satisfying experiences in any game. And while it may look like a kid's cartoon, the subject matter is anything but. Carefully balancing the humor is a very serious, darker side of storytelling. A teacher at the camp escapes into her psychedelic nightclub because of a terrible past; it's never explicitly mentioned, but the observant gamer will learn these secrets. And the twisted, topsy-turvy Milkman level isn't just a gravity programming trick, it's a commentary on the darker, hidden secrets of cookie-cutter, picture-perfect suburbia. What the game is best at, owing to the adventure game background of its creator, is really making you feel like you can interact with these imaginary worlds. You can try your skills on almost anyone and anything, and the game likely has a built in response unique to the situation, which is extremely rewarding for just trying different things. There are just some annoying hiccups that will hamper your enjoyment of the game, however. Some of the platforming controls don't work as responsively as you'd like, so you spend a lot of time having to retry certain jumps, and in some levels a mistimed leap will send you to the bottom of the room only to try again, and worse, sometimes death. The last level of the game has some of the most frustrating platforming elements, which is unnecessarily punishing compared to the rest of the game. It's a huge shame to enjoy this game so thoroughly only to give up at the end, as some players might, as the ending to the game is worth it. And it also leaves open the possibility of a sequel, although unfortunately, given the relatively poor sales volume of this game, we may never see one.
Is this helpful to you?
Posted on: March 30, 2020
davewithstevens
Games: 37 Reviews: 4
Little bit overrated
I really enjoyed the first half of the game where you explore the summer camp, but as soon as you get to the asylum it goes downhill really fast. The story is incredibly captivating, a summer camp for psychics is probably the most uniqe setting Ive ever seen in a platformer and the diverse cast of characters elevate it even further. The levels being the tortured minds of the characters you encounter is genius, each level feels distict and different both visually and in gameplay mechanics which adds a great layer of variety. The combat is clunky, Im not expecting devil may cry but trying to fight multiple enemies or even just locking on is very janky. The pacing is downright terrible. Once you get to the asylum you are hit with some big roadblocks in the form of the tedious level up sysytem and the cobweb duster. I just dont get why you need to grind to get essential abilities for progression it wouldve been better if you could just discover them in the levels they are needed. The cobweb duster is needlessly exspensive and only exists to pad out the playtime, you never need it for half the game but all the sudden its essential for progression which feels like a slap in the face. I also wasnt fond of any of the levels in the asylum, they steer away from platforming and focus on gimmicks(which is fine) but none of it is executed very well. The play level was just tedious and boring, the waterloo level was frustrating(platforming with enemies constantly shooting at you, hooray!), and the bull level(while beautiful) was also trial and error tedium. And the meat circus, oh my god that part with the bunny was easily the worst part of the game. I really hated the ending too, everyone basically forgives the villain and lets a bunch of unstable mental patients back into society for no good reason. I like the game but Im not gonna ignore the obvious flaws and pretend its a masterpiece.
Is this helpful to you?
Posted on: December 13, 2021
Viewtifu1
Verified ownerGames: 508 Reviews: 9
A Platformer with heart
Returning to Psychonauts, I was glad to find this game still excels not just as a story but as a collectathon as well. Raz's range of psychic abilities are fun to battle and traverse with, this feels like if a LucasArts adventure became a platformer. Being able to explore the minds of the people you meet to enter all sorts of crazy stages is such a great premise. All the collectibles tie in to the backstories of each mind's owner and there are great characterizations done with the little details. For anyone looking to try this for the first time, I highly recommend getting both the Widescreen Mod/fix and a 4k/HD texture pack to clean up the UI. With just those two small easy enhancements you'll be in for a great time!
Is this helpful to you?
Posted on: March 16, 2022
xykoled
Verified ownerGames: 495 Reviews: 6
A Unique, Fun but Flawed Game
Psychonauts is one of those games I've heard so many great things about. I finally got around to playing this game. I understand why some people love this game, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I would've liked to. Traveling into people's minds was fun. The story had intelligent moments. I like how it showed the relationship between the mental worlds and the real world. One character's resentment over his heartbreak. Another's frustration with his undesired heritage. Another's imposter syndrome. The story did a great job keeping my interest. Playing as a psychic was fun. I was excited to find all the different abilities. The game has a sense of humor, but it was hit and miss for me. Many of the characters have exaggerated, cartoonish personalities. It fits the game's quirky silliness, but I found some of the characters unlikable. At one point, you can save everyone. The ones I liked, I was more than happy to rescue. The ones I disliked, I had no sympathy for. They were a checkmark on a list. Nothing more. Near the end, the difficulty becomes excessive. The upper asylum was annoying. It would've been fine, had it just been the complicated jumping puzzle. But rats keep attacking you, forcing you to stop to avoid their gas. That section was a slog. The ambiance was well done, but I don't care for horror. About forty minutes of constant stress, tedium and frustration. The meat circus was also frustrating. Challenging jumping puzzles with a time limit? And if you fall, you're sent so far back, you might as well wait the time limit out? No thanks. I see why people love this game. It's quirky. It's unique. It's silly. There's a lot to love. But it didn't work for me. The humor is hit and miss. Some characters are unsympathetic. The later levels are frustrating. I'm glad I played this game, but I won't be coming back to it any time soon.
Is this helpful to you?
Something went wrong. Try refresh page.
No reviews matching your criteria
Error loading patrons. Please refresh the page and try again.
