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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.

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.

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

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 game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: February 06, 2006
Author: Amazon User

My housemate and I got a Playstation recently. It's been awhile since I've played video games, and I found few of them interested me, until I came across Psychonauts.

The creativity, humor, story and even voice-acting were miles above the other games I'd encountered. Gameplay is typical -- you shoot and jump your way around obstacles while using a variety of techniques (invisibilty, levitation, shielding, etc.) to protect yourself. But everything else is unique, from the clever, funny dialogue (one character has an ongoing, ill-fated argument with the camp squirrels) to a storyline that pokes good-natured fun at the evil-mastermind-taking-over-the-world cliche. Make sure you talk to the characters multiple times -- their dialogue is worth it.

Since your character travels into the minds of the people around him, the levels have the distinction of being entirely different from one another, which keeps you from ever getting bored as you play. For example, one level requires you to run an obstacle course in an ever-shrinking bubble, while another has you recruiting soldiers to fight in a board game against Napoleon. It would be a crime to reveal too much about my favorite, a Japanese-movie scenario laced with hilarious cutscenes and propaganda broadcasts from the game's bad guy. In fact, the game's cutscenes often have the kind of comic timing you find in well-written movies or tv shows. Many times I found myself laughing out loud.

I'm a little surprised to hear some people had problems with the gameplay. I've barely touched a game in over 10 years and I did fine. The final level did have a couple frustrating obstacles, but with some patient repetition (or a dip into the online walkthroughs) you can figure out how to get around them (Hints: let a trampoline carry you past the second wheel; balance on top of the first screen and jump to the inside of the second). If anything, I think the gameplay was possibly a little too easy. I definitely would have liked some tougher puzzles.

To sum up, I enjoyed just about every minute I spent playing this game. Grab it if you see it -- this kind of creativity should be encouraged.

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.

amazing game, with lots of variety and free roaming.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: June 30, 2005
Author: Amazon User

this is definitely the greatest game i have ever played ( this and jak 3). first of all , let me say , thew three most important things in a game are : free roaming , variety , and good gameplay. this game has all of them . it has great graphics , and also lots of free roaming . the main HUB in the game is the camp in which you stay in , and it is HUGE ! there is a store there (and there are alot of things you can buy there ) , and there is alot of exploring to do . there is a scavanger hunt you can do there , you can talk to various people, you can collect all kind of different things , and alot more . so, like i said , there is alot of free roaming . and , in case you didn't know , most of the levels you travel in are the insides of people's minds. and each mind is shaped like their owner's personality. for example, there is a level inside a butcher's mind , and everything is filled with meat.but there is alot more to it than that . each level is different than the other ones. and by that i dont mean that they are just different by the characters , enemies, level design and so on . each level is different is gameplay. like in one level(which is in the mind of a paranoid madman), there are alot of detectives and spies around , and they wont let you pass through some places . so , you need to go around finding different disguises so they will let you go .in another level , you play sort of a boardgame against someone. in another level you need to get around on a thing that's sort of a skateboard , and in another level you play as a giant in a city of little creatures and you can smash up everything. also , in the second half of the game , you are in an insane asylum and it's really nice checking out the minds of the crazy people there . also , the game has pretty funny humour in it . there are also alot of different psychic powers you can use. so, in conclusion , this is a wonderful game, and i highly recommend it .

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.

Break-Out Game of 2005 (Despite Quirks)

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 24, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The levels themselves, which send the player from the psychic kids' camp deep into the twisted dimensions of characters' psyches, are a real treat. Search the demented and quite paranoid guard's brain for the missing and mysterious milkman! Float up and up through rising columns of colored bubbles in the dance-party "levitation" level or stomp around the city and smash buildings Godzilla-style as "Gugalor" in the lungfish level. This game takes imagination to a level not seen in platformers in a lonnnng time. Who knows whose head you'll enter next...and what sort of weird, funny or psychadelic stuff you'll find there!

Raz, the main character, has all of the great charisma of, well, probably Parappa from days gone by. The dialog is regularly witty and at times down-right brilliant (e.g. the rebel lungfish telling Raz/Gugalor to go ahead and stomp on a few civilians. "I don't care," he says with all of the barritone and confidence of a chessy '50s horror film hero, "my family lives in another town!"). This will be (or darn well should be) the break-out, dark-horse game of 2005.

Three faults: the framerate is a little sticky (Raz doesn't always move about the map in an entirely fluid manner), the automatic game-save times are regular and annoyingly long and the instructions on how to utilize certain utilities and devices is often murky. There are a lot of things to collect, combine and use. As such, and without a really supportive help interface to fall back on, doing so can require a fair bit of trial-and-error. These problems are minor and don't detract from the game experience much. They can easily be cleared up for what will be an unbelievable sequel.

A great game. Perfect for summer.

The second-best 3-D platformer ever.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: December 17, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The title tells no lies. This is the second-best 3-D platformer ever. If you don't know what the first one is, I feel sorry for you because you have never played Super Mario 64. But all digressing aside, this is an awesome game. It's really creative, colorful, and not to mention funny. It's not perfect, but it's almost as close as you can get with a platformer. And while I can't completely get behind the name 'Raz,' I love this game and reccomend it to anybody who has a sense of humor.

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