Psychonauts – XB – Review

Are you a fan of good
games in particular very interesting and original platforming games? If you
answered yes to any of the previous questions than a recently released game
entitled Psychonauts is just want the doctor ordered. This game has to be one of
the most original platform games that I have played in quite a long time. Read
on to find out what makes this game tick and why you should rush out and pick up
a copy for yourself.

The background and story
for this game is very interesting. It starts off at a children’s summer camp
that trains the next generation of psychic soldiers known as the Psychonauts.
Players will take on the role of Raz, a powerful new student who dreams of
becoming a Psychonaut. While he is just starting his training, many of his
classmates start to disappear. Soon it is discovered that a crazy scientist is
after the children’s powerful brains for some malicious purpose. It is up to Raz
to stop this person using his special mental powers. Are you up to the
challenge?

The controls for this game
are really easy to pick up on. You will need to learn how to jump, double jump,
swing on pipes, balance yourself on ropes, slide and jump down rails, and do
many other tasks that are common in games of this nature. As players progress
through the game they will obtain powers that will help them defeat various
enemies on their quest. Here is just a sample of some of the mind powers he
obtains: Telekinesis, Invisibility, Pyrokinesis (set things on fire),
Clairvoyance (see through the eyes of others), as well as many other powers that
will be a blast to use.

Like all platforming games
there will be some item collecting that you must do. Psychonauts form of
currency is a PSItanium arrowheads that can be found all throughout the level.
If players see the ground glowing with purple energy all they have to do is go
beside it and unearth the arrowhead. Not only that but you can collect the
brains of fellow students and turn them in to increase your health. This is only
a taste of the different items that you will collect in the game that will
benefit Raz later on in the game if you accomplish this.

A very important thing in
this game is leveling up, because the higher you level the more powers you can
obtain. Luckily there are several different ways to level up, or as it is called
in this game, obtain a higher rank. If players collect enough PSI cards they
will be able to increase their rank by one point. If you find a PSI Challenge
market it will increase it as well. There is an on going scavenger hunt; if you
complete it you can get a maximum of an eight rank boost. When you are in the
“mental worlds” you can collect figments of the minds imagination, and once you
collect 100 points you can level up one rank.

Psychonauts is a great
looking game. Everything in this game is highly detailed from the character
models to all of the environments that players will go through during their
adventure. The best thing about this game is the variety of minds (environments)
that the players will eventually go into. All of these minds look completely
different from one another, from war torn brain of the camp counselor to a
psychedelic mind of a fellow camp student. There are so many different areas to
explore that are completely different from one another, players will never find
anything mundane here. The animation for the characters looks very nice and has
a good flow throughout the entire game.

The voice acting for this
game is top notch and to make things better the dialog is hilarious and
informative at the same time. All of the voices and the characters that they are
associated with fit this game atmosphere perfectly. The music and sound effects
also really compliment the game. If you have a Dolby Digital setup then you will
want to hook up your Xbox to it so you will be able to hear the great music
selection that this game has to offer. You will not regret it.

Psychonauts is rated T for
Teen. It supports 480p HDTV as well as in game Dolby Digital.

Gameplay: 9.0
Psychonauts is a blast to play and it will only takes a few minutes to
get adjusted on how to play this game. There will be various challenges for
players to overcome, but it is nothing that will completely get you frustrated.

Graphics: 9.3
Psychonauts is a really nice looking Xbox game. I really liked the
entire “zany” theme the game had going for it and it works. One of the best
things about this game is that all of the different levels are completely
different from one another so you will never feel like you are going through the
same level twice.

Sound: 9.2
The game has a great dialog and voice acting that compliments it. The
music is really nice and fits this Psychonauts theme.

Difficulty: Medium
The game can get challenging in later levels, but it is nothing that
more experienced gamers can overcome with a little trial and error mixed with
some patience.

Concept: 9.0
Psychonauts is a really great game and the entire premise is something
that is rarely, if ever, seen currently. The entire focus and story of the game
is zany and addictive, making you want to collect all of the little things in
each level to get that next level up to get various powers.

Overall: 9.2
Psychonauts is a really great game that you should have in your Xbox
collection. The storyline is unique, the graphics are great, and the dialog is
many times down right hilarious. You will find many hours of enjoyment in this
game and will not want to stop until you see the final credits go across the
screen.