PsiloSybil is a tough-as-nails 3D platformer that can be easily described as "PS1 Crash Bandicoot" - as easy a comparison it may seem, it fits the game to a T and allows me to start out with a very brief statement: if you want to play an indie Crash game, buy this one immediately.

Gameplay-wise, it's a spiritual successor to the series in almost every way: the world map is divided into a bunch of levels you go through linearly, each level has a bunch of mushrooms you can choose to collect if you're aiming for 100%, pattern-based bosses give a welcome change of pace and there are super strict time trials that also contribute to 100%ing the game. You go through a level by running in 8 directions, making terrifying jumps and slapping enemies.
It's all very familiar, and that's a good thing since PsiloSybil is such a hard game. It starts out easy but very quickly surpasses Crash levels of difficulty, especially if you want to collect everything, which makes you free a mushroom friend! Some levels require you to have freed a specific mushroom friend in order to unlock secret paths. Interestingly, this adds replayability to an already quite replayable game, and obliterating a previously super hard level feels very rewarding.

This difficulty is both a great asset and a detriment for PsiloSybil. On the one hand, it's a game that is definitely not accessible to everyone. Levels get progressively tougher even without aiming for 100%, and there's no way to make it any easier: easier you make it or you don't. This can absolutely feel frustrating at times, since jumps tend to feel just a bit too short and checkpoints are too rare at times. This is a deliberate design choice, but it still makes some levels quite frustrating, which I feel is a pity.
On the other hand, it's not *made* for everyone. It absolutely caters to an audience of hardcore Crash fans, the kind that spent hours beating the series' levels as fast as possible and is looking for a similar experience. In that respect, they couldn't ask for a better game and will definitely have a great time pulling their hair if they're ready to deal with a few annoying problems.

In short, PsiloSybil is both a tough and an easy recommendation. It's not for everyone, but if you've seen the game's trailer and know what to expect, there won't be any surprise. If you're in doubt, there's a great demo that showcases a few levels to get an idea of how it plays - it's not perfect, but it does everything quite well and the vibes are absolutely immaculate.
It's important to note that this review was written during Early Access, but the levels currently there won't change much: the dev, bad_vertex, is active on Twitter and posts updates quite often. I absolutely recommend playing PsiloSybil, especially since there's a demo available and the asking price is on point.

[b]PsiloSybil[/b] is a tough-as-nails 3D platformer that can be easily described as "PS1 Crash Bandicoot" - as easy a comparison it may seem, it fits the game to a T and allows me to start out with a very brief statement: if you want to play an indie Crash game, buy this one immediately. Gameplay-wise, it's a spiritual successor to the series in almost every way: the world map is divided into a bunch of levels you go through linearly, each level has a bunch of mushrooms you can choose to collect if you're aiming for 100%, pattern-based bosses give a welcome change of pace and there are super strict time trials that also contribute to 100%ing the game. You go through a level by running in 8 directions, making terrifying jumps and slapping enemies. It's all very familiar, and that's a good thing since [b]PsiloSybil[/b] is such a hard game. It starts out easy but very quickly surpasses Crash levels of difficulty, especially if you want to collect everything, which makes you free a mushroom friend! Some levels require you to have freed a specific mushroom friend in order to unlock secret paths. Interestingly, this adds replayability to an already quite replayable game, and obliterating a previously super hard level feels very rewarding. This difficulty is both a great asset and a detriment for [b]PsiloSybil[/b]. On the one hand, it's a game that is definitely not accessible to everyone. Levels get progressively tougher even without aiming for 100%, and there's no way to make it any easier: easier you make it or you don't. This can absolutely feel frustrating at times, since jumps tend to feel just a bit too short and checkpoints are too rare at times. This is a deliberate design choice, but it still makes some levels quite frustrating, which I feel is a pity. On the other hand, it's not *made* for everyone. It absolutely caters to an audience of hardcore Crash fans, the kind that spent hours beating the series' levels as fast as possible and is looking for a similar experience. In that respect, they couldn't ask for a better game and will definitely have a great time pulling their hair if they're ready to deal with a few annoying problems. In short, [b]PsiloSybil[/b] is both a tough and an easy recommendation. It's not for everyone, but if you've seen the game's trailer and know what to expect, there won't be any surprise. If you're in doubt, there's a great demo that showcases a few levels to get an idea of how it plays - it's not perfect, but it does everything quite well and the vibes are absolutely immaculate. It's important to note that this review was written during Early Access, but the levels currently there won't change much: the dev, bad_vertex, is active on Twitter and posts updates quite often. I absolutely recommend playing [b]PsiloSybil[/b], especially since there's a demo available and the asking price is on point. [code]Find more reviews of small and overlooked indie games that deserve more recognition at our [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/40624114-Hidden-Indie-Gems]Hidden Indie Games[/url] curator page![/code]