When it comes to originality and creativity, Tim Schafer is a true master. He's been gifted with the ability to turn the most outlandishly wacky ideas into some of the most funny and original games ever created. Day Of The Tentacle, The Secret Of Monkey Island, Grim Fandango and Full Throttle are all excellent games, with clever writing and engaging yet fun stories. However, Psychonauts is Schafer's masterpiece. Psychonauts is a one-of-a-kind game full of all kinds of wacky characters, über-creative levels, subtle dark humor, innovative gameplay mechanics, responsive controls, and mature themes under all those bright colors (the Memory Reels are quite tragic and sad, mirroring the losses and hardships we've all faced). I consider Psychonauts to be one of the finest games ever made, and I guarantee that no matter what type of gamer you are, there's something for you in Psychonauts.
Where to start? With the heart of game: the characters. Psychonauts has a wide variety of memorable characters that are amazingly fleshed out and perfectly designed. They're an eclectic mix of witty, serious, nutty, psychotic, and all around goofy, and that's what makes the game so original. Nowadays, games are all about realism and I'm afraid developers have forgotten that games are supposed to be a fun escape, not a chore. The characters in Psychonauts showcase more creativity than 20 other games combined. The main character of Raz is likable and funny, really giving the game heart. His design is clever (I love the goggles/leather pilot helmet combo) and his voice actor (Richard Horvitz) does a fantastic job. The supporting characters are what really elevate the game from great to amazing. Each is wonderfully designed with their own personalities and quirks. There are too many to list, but my personal favorites include camp mentor Ford Cruller, who has multiple personalities and reminds me of Doc Brown from Back To The Future; the portly Coach Oleander, who is scarred by both his abusive father and the horrors of war; and Boyd Cooper, a tweaky milkman with paranoid delusions about the government and double agents. Even the very minor characters have personalities and deliver funny quips.
Along with each of these eccentric and memorable characters comes a completely original and beautifully designed level that reflects the character's current mental state. Again, there are too many to list, but the standouts are a trippy black-lit Spanish villa being terrorized by a giant pink bull, a minature metropolis populated entirely by talking lungfish, and Boyd's government conspiracy level (which is one of the coolest levels in any game, ever). There's not one repeated idea throughtout the 10+ levels either. It is this uniqueness that is Psychonauts' biggest strength, never making the game feel boring or forced; it all flows naturally and seamlessly. A rather deep and complex story ties all the levels together, so if you're one of those people who complains there are no longer any games with compelling stories, here's a game that will pleasantly surprise you.
Now a game can be the most original thing around, but if the gameplay stinks it renders all that creativity moot. Luckily Psychonauts excels in the gameplay as well! Being a psychonaut, you have an impressive arsenal of psychic powers at your disposal. You can use levitation, pyrokinesis, telekinesis, and clairvoyance, among others to your full advantage. Don't feel like fighting that enemy? Set them on fire and then levitate to a safe location until they're dead, or pick them up with your mind and throw them off a cliff. The powers are fun to use and easy to wield, thanks to the excellent controls. Each level has a different theme, with a new gameplay element central to beating the level. For instance, in the government conspiracy level, you must collect ordinary household items that disguise you as double agent performing a certain task in the eyes of the bad guys. If you're holding a plunger, they see you as a plumber and you can pass by undetected into the sewers. Every level also encourages you to use your powers in a way you wouldn't have thought to use them, like using clairvoyance on a crow feather to spy on enemies from the crow's point of view. In short, the gameplay is excellent.
If you love collecting things like I do, than this game will definitely satisfy your appetite. There are thousands of items to collect, all of which upgrade your psychic powers, actually giving you a reason to collect them instead of just for 100% completion. There are figments (as in figments of your imagination), mental cobwebs (which clutter your brain), memory vaults (for those repressed memories), emotional baggage (which is actually baggage, like a suitcase or storage trunk), scavenger hunt items, stolen brains and loads more. I had so much fun collecting these items, some of which are very cleverly hidden.
The music, sound effects, and voice acting is superb. The music, composed by Tim Schafer regular Peter McConnell is great and compliments each level nicely. The sound effects are top-notch, each with its own memorable sound - I love the sounds the enemy censors make. Each character's voice perfectly suits their design, even the minor ones. The voice acting is professionally done and doesn't feel phoned in by anyone. I was highly amused to hear the voice of Earl Boen (Dr. Silberman from The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day) as a boss character.
So is there anything wrong with Psychonauts? No, nothing that takes away from the extraordinary gaming experience. I only have a few minor nitpicks: There are long load times, but this is understandable considering the intricacy and amount of stuff going on in each area. The targeting system and camera could use some tweaking. Sometimes I couldn't get a lock on an enemy or the camera would cause me to miss a platform I was jumping to. Finally, and this is strictly my opinion, at the end of the game Raz removes his helmet and we get to see his ridiculous hair-do. Talk about hat hair...let's just say he should never take off the helmet! However, none of these tarnish Psychonauts' brilliant shine.
All in all, Psychonauts is one of the best games ever made, of this or any generation. Everyone, no matter what your age or gaming experience, should give this masterpiece a try. You won't regret it!
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