Psychonauts Review

The most important part of the game is exploring the virtual world and gaining new psychic abilities. Each person's mind differs according to their character and past experiences, presenting a perfect reflection of the person and their frame of mind. Each mind puts a different task before you, making you accept its rules and play by them. Of course, it's not only Raz who has his inner demons - others have them as well, so characters' inner traumas are used as an interesting part of the story. The central part in the mind gallery is Raz's own mind - he willingly submits to the Brain Fumbler experiment, in which Sasha hopes to untangle the delicate mechanics of the human brain. Raz's guide through his mind is a small bunny which radiates pink hearts (yes, I know; don't roll your eyes like that) strangely reminiscent of the Alice in Wonderland's White Rabbit. (This one does not carry a watch, though.)

And what now? Am I supposed to knock or something?

You sure have a twisted imagination, Agent Nein.

The good thing about Raz's travels from the real to the virtual world and vice versa is that he has a lot of freedom of action. Now, the game has some clearly set objectives and a set path that needs to be followed, with objectives that have to be accomplished in a certain order. On the other hand, it is also possible to choose your own pace and play the game the way you want. You may choose to pursue a goal through to the end or abandon it mid-way and return to it later. I found that I identified with the main hero easily, drawing me deeper into the narrative and the insane world of the characters' minds. The possibilities of your newly learned psychic abilities are many - wait until you learn telekinesis and start throwing objects (and people) around, or start setting things on fire thanks to your ability of pyrokinesis.

Raz's interaction with other characters, as well as with the real and virtual world, proved to be an enjoyable experience thanks to the balanced game elements and the exciting and engaging game play. The only downside may be the fact that, in some instances, the game seemed too easy. In case you fail to do something, you may repeat it all over again until you get it right, having all the time in the world. There are no dire consequences of your failure; you may not even get stuck in the game; as you may go and pursue other interests until you decide it's time to give the area where you got stuck another shot. This makes the game less frustrating, but also a bit easier than it should have been. On the other hand, it features some extremely difficult puzzles that make up for the overall (relative) easiness of the game.

What truly makes this game so enjoyable is the fact that it is incredibly clever and witty, with a gallery of fantastic (as well as bizarre) characters and some intelligently conceived details (Sounds like Actiontrip.com -Ed.). The level design is superb, and solving puzzles is fun because each one offers a unique experience. While this game may not exactly be a trendsetter, it offers an interesting and coherent story, with a plot that actually makes sense (however insane it may be), and many hours of quality game play. Potential boredom caused by having to run from one game section to another has been eliminated by introducing the underground train and a teleportation system for means of faster transport.

While some puzzles may not be exactly challenging, they certainly make for a worthwhile experience. The game successfully evades the trap of being boring or too predictive thanks to the unique nature of each of its elements. And it's basically a platform game. But, nonetheless, it's a platform game that I loved. And you will, too, if you know what's good for you. And now... *brain mode off*. (FYI: You're getting paid while you're in that mode -Ed.)