Psychonauts (Xbox, 2005)

This is hands down one of the best games I've ever played. Tim Schafer- Creator of Grim Fandango, Day of the Tentacle, the Monkey Island series, etc- comes through once again with another amazing title. It's a wonderfully imaginative platformer with some of the best gameplay you'll find. It's hilarious and has a great voice cast including Richard Horvitz (voice of Invader Zim), all the characters are lovable in their own qay, and the story is really uniqe- This game keeps you interested the whole way through.
I first bought this game for the PS2 and I loved it. After that I bought it for the PC, but my laptop didn't meet the system requirements- The PC version tends to be the cheapest, but make sure your computer can play it.
It's had nothing but positive reviews from critics, and has been called "The best platform game to ever grace the Xbox." Psychonauts has also won dozens of awards, including Best Original game, Best Game No One Played, and Funniest Game Ever. It's easy to see why after you play it!

The only thing I've ever disliked in the slightest about the game was the fighting (and the ending, but mostly just from the disappointment that the game was over!). I'm not very fond of dealing with enemies running around... I don't have a problem if they're really frequent so you come to expect it, but in Psychonauts there are only a few areas where you have to fight and they startle me frequently! It's not too bad, though, and you're sure to love the game whether you love fighting enemies or not!

Overall, Psychonauts is a one-of-a-kind game, and definitely worth buying. I've recommended it to people who instantly rejected it because it didn't seem like 'their kind' of game, but once they played it they quickly changed their mind. I can't say I've met a single person who has played the game and didn't like it!

Trust me, you won't be disappointed! (:

I played the demo years ago and thought it was fun. Got my Xbox out of the closet recently an was playing through some old classic and remembered wanting to buy a few games that came out close to the end of the Xbox's life cycle. This was one, so I looked on eBay and found a copy for a decent price.E


This game blew me away. Its absolutely funny, I laughed the whole time playing it. Its the perfect mix of dark, slightly morbid humor and lighthearted nonsequator antics. Story is good and engaging. There is a ton to do as far as collecting hidden trophies and powerups. Each level is very well designed and very unique. I really believe the only reason we didn't see a 2nd and 3rd incarnation of this title is because it got lost in the rush caused by the 360s release within a month or two of this title dropping.

Overall this game was worth the 15 bucks or so including shipping. Hell I wish I had had the money when it came out so I could have played it and supported the developer.
If you like good games you will fall in love with this title.

Strange. Strange in a very good way, though.

One of the most impressive things about this game is the little things, the little creative details that really keep me interested. I get distracted easily, and this game is full of distractions. Full of environments that really try new things, this game will keep you playing just to see what the next area will look like.

You cycle between the dream like environments contained within the different characters’ psyches, and the real world (which is also surreal), in an attempt to become a ‘Psychonaut’. You can’t make any sense of the plot, which is fine, but this leads to some confusion considering that common-sense won’t help you solve any problems. There is lots of collecting items (a little too much), but it doesn’t seem all that urgent that you collect everything.

Graphically, this game is a splendid gem to look at, and works well with HD and widescreen. The controls are exactly what you want. They incorporate control elements from all sorts of games successfully to give you a very well suited control style that feels easy and natural.

This game is teeming with originality and it would be a shame to miss it. 9.2/10.

As Yahtzee of the Escapist said best: "I'm just going to list out of context some of the things that occur in Psychonauts: A telekinetic bear, a dentist who harvests brains, a sequence wherein you become a giant Godzilla-style monster and terrorize a society of talking fish, and shadowy, trenchcoated government agents who disguise themselves as housewives by brandishing rolling pins and talking disjointedly about pies. A game that features all of these things simply cannot be criticized, it's against the law or something."

That is Psychonauts in a nutshell. It is an off-beat, hilarious, sometimes frustrating romp through Tim Schafer's twisted mind led by our protagonist Raz... a boy who ran AWAY from the circus to join a summer camp for psychics.

If I was forced to criticize anything in this game, it would be the sudden difficulty spike near the end of the game. The last couple of levels can be an exercise in not throwing your controller through your TV. It's well worth the frustration.

I had a good idea about what to expect from a game whose creator was also responsible for the Earthworm Jim series, but I was not prepared for the sheer perfection with which the humor and gameplay in Psychonauts is executed. The main character in this game (Raz—short for Rasputin) is a refreshing step away from the prototypical videogame lead we have come to expect. He truly exudes a personality all of his own, and he’s only the start. The other characters in the game provide for an amazing cast that is extremely memorable and genuinely funny. My wife and I still quote lines from the game and laugh about them.

The humor isn’t the only thing this game has going for it. The controls are excellent and for a platform adventure game there are a surprising number of tasks to occupy the player beyond the linear story. The controls are also well executed and simple enough to allow you to sit back and enjoy the visceral (and at times downright psychedelic) environments. Every single piece of art in this game screams production value, but more importantly, illustrates genuine creativity on the part of the designer(s).

I can wholeheartedly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys platformers, adventure games, or even just humor in general. This is one of the few games that is funny beyond a videogame context, and is also one of a dying breed of fresh, creative experiences in gaming. You will not be disappointed with this game unless you’re an embittered giant lungfish, and even then you’ll find a character to relate to within the game.