A long time ago, I read a magazine article (back when they existed) that listed Psychonauts as the best game you never played that given year. While I do not normally take too much direction from magazines or web sites I thought I would take this one recommendation and some time later (it takes time for me to get around to things) I sauntered over to the game store and found a XBox copy in their used section and picked it up. I can say now that the magazine was definately accurate in its description as a good game but was no longer accurate in saying that I had not played it.

I'm old enough to have grown up playing that classic platformers of the NES and SNES era and was always a fan of such games. When Mario 64 came out I was immediately impressed the platformers transition to 3D gaming. Psychonauts is compariable to Mario 64 in much of the basics of 3D platforming but with some evolution beyond Mario 64. First, there is an actual story to follow; second there are slightly more fleshed out characters; and third the environments have moved beyond the obvious themes (fire, ice, castle) of Mario style platformers.

The story is fun and highly comedic. It at times will play with a trope and try to switch it up; such as the child running away from the circus. The characters themselves have some interesting details and various quirks and with some of the characters you get to dive right into their mind to explore them in a little more detail even if surreal and filled with metaphors. It is these trips into a characters mind that allows the game environment to shine and be unique and evolutionary. Unfortunately, the number of minds you get to explore felt too few mainly because they were so enterataining and I so wanted more. Thankfully, there is now a Psychonauts 2 coming down the pipe.

Somewhere in this simple review I wanted to make a play on the term minefield/mindfield but just couldn't get it to work so there we have it. Psychonauts is one of my favorite games and one of the few I have actually gotten around to finishing and completing (twice even, thanks to getting it again on Steam).

(This review done under duress in order to complete the 2016 Autumn Sale badge.)

A long time ago, I read a magazine article (back when they existed) that listed Psychonauts as the best game you never played that given year. While I do not normally take too much direction from magazines or web sites I thought I would take this one recommendation and some time later (it takes time for me to get around to things) I sauntered over to the game store and found a XBox copy in their used section and picked it up. I can say now that the magazine was definately accurate in its description as a good game but was no longer accurate in saying that I had not played it. I'm old enough to have grown up playing that classic platformers of the NES and SNES era and was always a fan of such games. When Mario 64 came out I was immediately impressed the platformers transition to 3D gaming. Psychonauts is compariable to Mario 64 in much of the basics of 3D platforming but with some evolution beyond Mario 64. First, there is an actual story to follow; second there are slightly more fleshed out characters; and third the environments have moved beyond the obvious themes (fire, ice, castle) of Mario style platformers. The story is fun and highly comedic. It at times will play with a trope and try to switch it up; such as the child running away from the circus. The characters themselves have some interesting details and various quirks and with some of the characters you get to dive right into their mind to explore them in a little more detail even if surreal and filled with metaphors. It is these trips into a characters mind that allows the game environment to shine and be unique and evolutionary. Unfortunately, the number of minds you get to explore felt too few mainly because they were so enterataining and I so wanted more. Thankfully, there is now a Psychonauts 2 coming down the pipe. Somewhere in this simple review I wanted to make a play on the term minefield/mindfield but just couldn't get it to work so there we have it. Psychonauts is one of my favorite games and one of the few I have actually gotten around to finishing and completing (twice even, thanks to getting it again on Steam). (This review done under duress in order to complete the 2016 Autumn Sale badge.)