Psychonauts

⭐ 8.0/10

(Originally written by Joseph)

This is a cult-classic old Xbox game that basically nobody played, but whoever did loved it. It's a puzzle-platformer about a boy who comes to summer camp to learn to be a Psychonaut (some sort of psychic officer who invades people's minds to fix problems), and of course chaos ensues and it's up to him to save the world.

This game is hilarious. It's by far the funniest game I've ever played, which is a weird quality for a game, but the writing is always ridiculous, always witty and completely absurd. The story reminds me of a crossover between Recess, Jimmy Neutron and Adventure Time which are some strange names to bring up in 2021. But it works. The whole idea is you are entering people's minds, and what lies inside them is something outrageous. it's honestly impossible to describe without butchering it and you'll have to take my word for it. The animation style is also ridiculous, where everyone is human but look like aliens or something. It's all a hoot.

The gameplay is probably more N64 Zelda than it is Mario, and although the platforming or puzzles are never as creative or complex as either, they get the job done. There is plenty of old-school jank to drive you crazy (not very tight controls, doesn't always grab ledges, etc), but the consequences are never quite as infuriating as say, Mario 64. This game came out around the time of Sunshine, and I feel they control pretty similarly. But what this game has over that garbage franchise though is that this makes some human sense, though admittedly not much.

So yeah, this game is great and I can't wait for the sequel to come out this month (after like 15 years). It's a great alternative if you are trying to rid yourself of those overrated, trash plumber games. Yeah, you know who I'm talking to.