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Great, creative game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 46 / 50
Date: August 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

*NOTE: I have the Xbox version of this game but wanted to take the time to help people decide if they want to purchase this game or not. From what I've read, they managed to keep the game about equal to the Xbox version so my review should be pretty accurate. The only differences will be that the Xbox has 5.1 surround in game not just cutscenes and the graphics will probably be a bit better. If you own an Xbox I would recommend that version over the PS2 but honestly the game is great, and if you own a PS2 I would doubly recommend picking this up. On to my review:

Everytime Tim Schafer creates a game, I know it will be a blast. Having been on a roll starting with The Day of the Tentacle up through The Grim Fandango, each game has been delightfully intelligent, creative and an overall wonderful experience. Psychonauts is no different. In fact, it is one of the best games I have played not only this year but in a long time.

The setup is that there is a camp for psychic children who feel different in the outside world. At the camp, the counselors teach children how to harness their power to become Psychonauts, psychics who actually enter people's minds and sort out their problems. Because of this setup, each and every world is completely different from the others. Connected to a hub world of the camp, each real "level" is a person's mind. And each mind reflects the person's personality, fears, phobias etc. For instance, the beginning level is that of your drill instructor. His level is a warzone complete with mines, air plane drops, explosions, barbed wire etc.

Tim Schafer's touch is also evident in the characters who are actually characters. They all have a personality and are very emotive. I haven't laughed at a video game so hard since Conker's Bad Fur Day. This game is hillarious. From the kid who practices looking through a peep hole in the day to get practice for when it's filled with girls to trashing a town Godzilla style, the game has it in spades. However, there are some surprisingly disturbing moments in the game that are also darkly humorous. Because you have psychic powers, you also can do some pretty cool stuff from pyrokinesis, telekinesis, levitation, invisibility, etc. These moves help you progress through the levels and pick up hidden items throughout the game.

Graphically, the game is awesome on the Xbox. The levels are done in vivid colors and with a wonderful cartoon style. The campground seems alive as there are creatures walking your path. From squirrels, crows, pigeons, lizards, bears, etc, the world seems populated and just feels real. You can tell a lot of time and effort was put in to make this game come alive and it works. The game is presented in 480p, for those interested.

Aurally, the characters are voiced to perfection. Some great voice actors have been employed and it really helps create characters that are lovable. The biggest audio glitch I've noticed is that sometimes my speakers will "click" as voices come in or as the sound changes sometimes. For some reason, the sound gets funkier as the game progresses. By the last level, it was as if every time a new sound was introduced or the sound changed, the game would stutter. Definitely some bugs that could have been worked out before the game was released. But, honestly, these aren't game stopping problems and are only vaguely annoying considering how awesome the game is. The game is also presented in 5.1 surround in game.

Since the game is a platformer, all of the standards apply. In the real world and in each person's mind, there are a ton of things to collect. In the real world, there are arrowheads that can be pulled from the ground that represent cash. There is a scavenger hunt also going on that will earn you rank (which gives you new powers) and there are cards that can be formed as more rank. In each person's mind, there are also different things to collect such as emotional baggage, mental cobwebs, figments of the imagination and safes which you much punch open to reveal some of the person's past. Some of these slide shows are funny and some are actually kind of sad as you see how these people came to be who they are. I list these items to collect just as a note that the game definitely exhibits all of the charms of a platformer. But there actually is a reason to collecting everything and they fit together in this humorous world.

The game moves quickly and besides one or two intstances of panning that had the game do a wave type pattern, it is perfect. My recommendation if you play the game is to take your time talking to everyone. It helps flesh out the story and if you listen and keep making rounds after each world you will see minor breakups, makeups, humorous instances involving squirrels who tell one kid to kill everyone, and plain funny dialogue. Take your time with this one and you will definitely be rewarded.

This game is great, it's just what I was looking for. It helped remind me why I play video games. When a person can create such wonderful worlds and allow you to play in them, you realize why you play games. It is so creative. Where else can you be chased by a giant fish, rage across town as a Godzilla-like creature, be in a disco world where you must race, pin-ball style, wage war against a Napolean complex and set fire to squirrels? If you want a creative and fun video game that will take approximately 10-15 hours of your time, then this is definitely a must buy. I absolutely cannot recommend this game enough. And unfortunately, it's one of those games that will end up like Ico or Beyond Good and Evil where no one hears of it and no one plays it. Don't let that happen. Play this game because its games like this that the industry needs to keep creating.

A must buy. Creative and excellent.

Still King

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: January 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The greatest heartbreak for cult hits like Psychonauts is that, unlike books and movies, the shelf-life of games is such that the ones that don't get noticed in the first few months by the mainstream will never get noticed. Technology, both hardware and software oriented, moves so rapidly in the industry games can become completely outdated in no more than a year. This is one of the prime reasons I think Psychonauts is, even at nearly two years old, still worth reviewing. Having experienced the early titles for the Wii and the PS3, I can confidently say Psychonauts has lost none of its strength in comparison - a great game is a great game, regardless of generation. The other reason is the predictable backlash the game has gotten from purists and elitists. As happens with any piece of unique entertainment that grabs rave reviews across the board, Psychonauts is now experiencing the onslaught of naysayers - the same sort of onslaught thrown against the PS1 gothic platformer MediEvil and the same sort of onslaught that will invariably be lifted for the brilliant Clover adventure game Okami in the next few months.

The most common rebuttal against the game's popularity among reviewers is the claim that it's "just a platformer", as if that wasn't obvious and as if the game's place in a genre somehow negates it's innovative aspects. Mario '64 and Banjo-Kazooie are both platofrmers, both considered classics, and both inferior to Psychonauts in terms of level design, writing, characters, and gameplay variation. Psychonauts is a platformer, yeah, meaning there's a lot of collecting and a linear progression from level to level, but it doesn't feel like a platformer. The reason for this is the sheer depth of both the gameplay and the world, as well as the concept behind the levels. Each level is, essentially, the hidden psyche of some character within the game, and each level is completely different in terms of the way you play. See some of the reviews below me for more detailed descriptions, but suffice to say, each level in and of itself could be expanded upon to create an entirely new game, meaning Psychonauts is, to say the least, never short of surprises.

There are other hooks to the game, of course. The combat is hugely varied - shoot lasers, set things on fire, throw them, smash them, look through their eyes, turn invisible - the fighting's never dull. The camp, which serves as the launching pad and recconaisance center for the rest of the game, is bursting at the seams with side missions, hidden areas, and character intrigue. The writing is supremely intelligent, flawlessly voiced, and hilarious in the way only Tim Schaefer can deliver.

This review may sound vague or over-enthusiastic, but consider it a simple urging not to overlook the game simply because it can now be considered last-generation. It's still among the very best in its field.

Great platformer!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: July 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

In a world where even games that claim to be "platformers" (like the sequels to the Jak and Ratchet franchises) are really just gun-toting action games, Psychonauts is a welcome return to the classic platforming formula. There are plenty of items to collect (with great rewards for doing so), lots of environmental puzzles, and, thankfully, little focus of combat and weaponry.

The main game has 10 levels, each taking place inside someone's mind. Each one is very creative, sometimes confusingly so. Although figuring out what all the mental world stuff means is sometimes hard, I found nine out of ten of them to be pretty satisfying. Also, all of them have plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, from jokes about main character Raz's goggles to tiny, screaming charicature of Napoleon who struts around on stilts.

However, it's the parts outside of the main storyline that really sold me. There are tons of things to do when you don't feel like advancing the plot. You can crack memory vaults to get the characters' backstories, dust "mental cobwebs" to exchange for rank upgrades, and sort "emotional baggage" to unlock concept art--and that's just in the mental world. In the physical realm, you can explore a fully-featured summer camp, collecting PSI cards, having funny conversations with fellow children, and discovering an assortment of humorous scavenger-hunt items.

Although I wish the game would have given me more opportunities to use my psychic abilities, they were still very fun. Levitation was the most useful, but I couldn't get enough of telekinesis. And things just got more interesting when I leveled up, making my powers even stronger and cooler. These powers, as well as all the normal moves such as jumping, fighting, and swinging on things, are relatively easy and intuitive to use, thanks to a simple control scheme. Also, it's almost impossible to get stuck, thanks to a well-crafted in-game hint system.

Overall, I would highly reccomend this game to gamers who enjoyed real, true platformers like Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, and the first Jak game. Although I'm forced to bring it down to 4 stars for a sometimes-confusing plot and the PS2's noticeable technical disadvantage to the Xbox, it is all in all a fun, enjoyable ride.

The Most Fun You've Ever Had in a Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: August 23, 2005
Author: Amazon User

There's not much to say about this game, except it is hilarious. The cartooney feel and design is great, and really adds to the mood of the game. The main character, Raz, is a lot like other boys his age, and makes the game feel real. The characetrs are great, you can really get attached to them. I found myself with an odd liking for Fred Bonapart at the end of the Waterloo World level. The story is great, and takes you through lots of twists and turns, and you find out more about Raz every level it seems. The twistedness of some of the mental worlds is great, and makes you want to keep playing for days on end. The only bad part about this game is the frusterating platforming, and just as it seems you have mastered a certain move, the game adds some element to it that makes it hard again. I'm almost through with the game, but I got stuck at one part on one of the last levels, where there are jumps I just can't pull off, especially on a time limit. Overall, a great game, and no game collection should be with out Psychonauts.

Awesome platformer

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: September 14, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is a great, quirky, funny platformer. You get lots of cool Psi powers that you sometimes have to remind yourself that you have and try to use when you get stuck.

The level design is intelligent, you need to do a little thinking to get through it all. The art is amazing.

All in all, a great immersive world and a funny, hugely entertaining game.

Of the current generation of platformers, I give this my top rating, equal or better to the first Ratchet and Clank.

Too much fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 16, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I can't believe I had read about this game for quite a while and never got around to playing it until now.

I love everything about this game except one small detail. Something other reviews have noted also. The extreme platform jumping near the end was so annoying that I almost gave up.

This is by far the funniest game I've ever played. Clairvoyance is the best thing for a smile. If someone or something can look at you, have a look through their eyes. Even when the game is almost over, go back and see all your early characters and see what they see. USE THE CROWS.

You might need a walkthrough when fighting some bosses but rarely. Most are pretty easy to figure out.

A must buy game.

Ive Gone Psycho for Psychonauts

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: July 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Psychonauts is a well put together game by all means. Psycohonauts is an awesome game and is really neat. To all the different characters to talk to and the story is real cool, and the backround is gameplay is interresting. The story mode is about a interesting boy name Rez who is real pumped up to be psychonauts. The Graphics are nice and you are allowed to rome around the camp and see all the wierd kids. The gameplay is nice, you have psychic moves to go around and find your way out of sticky situations. And Romance....... yeah. Psyconauts will have you falling in love with all there is to do in this game. So much to keep up with, like the rankings and all the different stuff you find and turn in. The game is wierd in a good way. Psychonauts is a really fun experience. I give it 5 stars... people

Can great creativity make up for gameplay flaws?

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 14 / 26
Date: August 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is a contrast of gameplay and creativity. In terms of innovation and originality, this goes beyond any platform/adventure game out there. First rate. The gameplay, itself, lacks a good deal of the substance and polish that a game of this type deserves.

First off, I must say that this game has a well earned reputation for uniqueness and creativity. The level designs are really, really unique and at times amazing. There are two levels that I just loved. One required a lot amazing fast paced gliding, jumping and floating in a fun expansive environment. Another one required you to move around a game board and then shrink and travel around the game board and convince people to join an army so you can get another board piece. Those levels were flat out amazing and were nice breathes of fresh air. Almost all the levels have a central theme, and many of the levels tend to stretch the boundaries of physics and gravity. Some levels feel more like a Escher painting than a video game level.

The characters are pretty fun, the story line is a nice little compliment, and the extremely colorful levels (which represent the people's minds as you travel inside them - thus the title) are definitive stand outs in this game. I wish most games would supply this attention to detail when it comes to visuals.

The main character is a kid name Raz, and he travels throughout a summer camp and enters people's minds using various powers, ranging from the psychotically fun Levitation ball, to the almost useless fire starting power. He cycles through people' minds in order to become a true Psychonaut. Quite brilliant at some points.

Their are a lot of problems though. The voice acting is very repetitive and many times grating. I often had my television remote next to me so I can mute it quickly. Almost headache inducing. The load times are terrible. Maybe the second worst loading times I've ever scene (Mafia for PS2 still is the worst). One particular mission was almost an 90s point and click adventure game, where you walk around and try one thing, then walk around and try another thing and continue until you find the right item. It may be fun for some people, but it breaks up the action. Also, since it is so creative, it tries to do things and sometimes fail miserably. There is one part where you follow a badly shaped bubble around the ocean and if you hit the edge, you drown. Not fun or interesting at all.

The main problem, and it's a huge problem, is the fact the game plays like a second rate, cookie cutter platformer. A game where the mechanics and level design are flawed enough where you feel that your main enemy is bad game design and construction rather than jumps or real enemies. Grabbing something or landing on something on a jump almost feels random. Double jumping is a joke that only works one out of every three times. Camera movements often force you to make blind or awkward jumps, but more often than not, it will move unwillingly, causing you to fall as it moves in the middle of a jump. An annoying, practical amateur mistake that destroys all possibility of enjoyment in the last third of the game.

All in all, it's a great attempt at an original game, but the rudimentary and buggy gameplay just places it in the realm of an average game.

Pros:
A couple of great levels
Original, unique, varied backgrounds
Fun concept
Levitation ball is really fun
Usually very little repetition of certain parts of levels

Cons:
Load times are horrendous
Voice acting is grating and annoying
Adventure elements are boring
Horrible camera
Terrible jumping mechanics
Terrible grabbing mechanics

Difficulty Level: Medium

Frustration Level: Medium

Time to Complete: 15 hours.

Not Your Average Summer Camp

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: March 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This sadly underrated game is different from most anything you've played before, and this is certainly a good thing.

You play as Raz, a youngster who's gate-crashed his way into a government sponsered summer camp for psychically gifted kids. His goal (despite his father's wishes) is to ultimately become a psychonaut--one of an elite government unit using psychic powers.

The game's environments are not only great to look at, they're fun as well, with plenty of hidden goodies to stumble over and search out. Besides the campground, you're eventually able to hop into various people's subconscious minds and encounter drastically different and intricate levels in each. These are just a few:

- The mind of an artist is rendered as a stylized world that looks like a black velvet Spanish painting
- You can tromp through a city in which you're Godzilla sized, able to crunch buildings at will, and swat airplanes from the sky.
- A paranoid mental patient's mind is a bizzare neighborhood controlled mysterious agents. Surveillence cameras peek out of nicely manicured hedges.

The writing is pretty hilarous at times.

For the most part, the game is well balanced: hard enough to be a fun challenge, but not so hard you end up repeating boss fights a thousand times.

My only complaint comes with the later part of the game when you're suddenly required to do some intense platforming with a time limit while projectiles are being hurled at you. It seems out of character with the rest of the game, and it's intensely frustrating because suddenly you're required to use the sort of platforming skills the game hasn't required of you before, and it's a "one chance or you die" situation. I actually almost quit playing the game at this point because I failed this section so many times.

However, if you weigh the incongruous and difficult section near the end against the hours of crazy fun you've already had, and I think this game still definitely comes out as a keeper.

The best modern day platformer since Super Mario 64

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 11
Date: September 16, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Tim Schafer, the creative genius behind Grim Fandango, masterminded this highly imaginitive platformer. Psychonauts is is one of those games that you have to play to believe, as you play as young Raz; a fledgling psychic who sneaks his way into in a psychic boot camp. There's more, much more to the story than that, but for the sake of spoiling the fun, all that I'll say is that Psychonauts features some of the most imaginitive and inventive level design to be seen in a platformer in quite some time, and because it's from Tim Schafer, there is a twisted and wicked sense of humor throughout. Even on the PS2 the game looks good (the XBox version is superior, but there's nothing wrong here) and the voice acting is some of the best you'll hear in a game. There's hardly any low point to Psychonauts, only being that the game has to come to an end. Do yourself a favor, believe everything you've heard about this critcally acclaimed gem, and go out and pick it up so you can discover the absolute best modern day platformer since Super Mario 64.

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