SF Signal: Review: Psychonauts

Review: Psychonauts

MY RATING:
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Outstanding new platformer from Tim Schafer (designer of Grim Fandago and the Monkey Island series of games) that takes you into the minds of some very disturbed people. Literally. You play a boy, Raz, who has to travel into the minds of various characters to help them out so that they, in turn, will help Raz in the real world foil a devilishly evil plot to conquer the world.
PROS: Most unique game in years - even more amazing in that its a platformer (i.e. you jump from platform to platform.) Great graphics, hilarious dialog throughout, and very innovative gameplay.
CONS: Save system limiting, some standard platformer problems such as having to continuously repeat a level if you fall off at the very end.
BOTTOM LINE: An amazing game that really shouldn't be missed. This isn't normally my style of game at all, yet the hilarious story (a hallmark of Tim's games) and very innovative gameplay make it very much worth your time. It took me 14 hours to finish the game and I very much wished for more. It is important to note that despite the friendly looking characters and gameworld, this game is NOT for young children.

This game now moves to my top 10 list of best PC games. The fact that its also available for the XBOX and Playstation 2 means that more people will get to enjoy it.

I hate to give any of this game away but here are just a few of the very cool game elements (look away if you don't like any spoilers at all):

At one point your character is forced to use his clairvoyance power to look through the eyes of his enemy (a boss fight) back at yourself and fight the boss that way. Very fun as the boss is moving and fighting just like normal - only your view is now in 3rd person.

For one level, you enter not as a boy, but as a giant much larger than the lungfish inhabitants of the city of Lungfishopolis. You stroll around like a Japanese movie-monster, crushing the city on your way to free the lungfish from the mind control device (setup like a giant transmission tower.) Along the way, you hear the screams of the tiny lungfish saying things like 'Oh no, he's headed for the orphanage!'

In one level your inside the mind of a painter who just happens to paint on black velvet. So sure enough, the inside of his mind is like a black velvet painting with bright garish colors. There are NPCs inside who are dogs - and all lament that they aren't playing poker anymore.

In every section the writing is very funny and spot on. Sometimes its hilariously funny and others is poignant and telling - when you're inside somebodies head you have to deal with a lot of emotional baggage (again, literally) and personal demons. That's where the more mature content comes into play - one of the characters parents has committed suicide as one example. Mature language is also used in a few spots. This game just isn't for kids and is rated T for Teen.

I have little to complain about but the game isn't perfect. The save system is straight out of console hell and could really be improved on the PC - you're only allowed 5 save slots, for example, and when you reload a save game you restart at the beginning of the section of a level, not at the exact point where you saved. The controls are fine with a keyboard and mouse, but the game was definitely designed for a two-joystick gamepad. And finally, there are a couple of moments that I find annoying in all platformers where you're forced against the clock to complete some section requiring critical jumps and twists. I had to replay one sequence near the end over 20 times to get past it. Ugh!

But these are minor nits - the game shouldn't be missed!