-THE MOST EXCELLENT GAME-

Psychonauts is a game series of two adventure platformers and one VR adventure in the middle and it may be my favourite series ever in the world ever. If you haven't played or watched a playthrough of Psychonauts, now is your chance! Some of my favourite playthroughs are the Snapcube one for the first and second games (its all vods so it LONG) and the Psychonauts 2 with a Therapist series from Dr. Mick. You can go watch a playthrough now or keep reading this spoiler free explaination/essay begging you to go play Psychonauts.

A quick overview if your not familiar, in Psychonauts you play as a young psychic boy named Razputin (but everyone just calls him...Raz). He was raised in the circus with his family, The Aquatos, learning professional acrobatics from a young age. One of his ancestors was apparently cursed by a psychic to die in water. As a result his family is less than thrilled about his intrest in psychics. Feeling alone and betrayed, Raz runs away to a psychic summer camp run by the Psychonauts, leading into the first game.

The Psychonauts are a government organisation that handle all sorts of psychic emergencies and deal with psychic threats. In order to do so, they engage in psychic battles. They also use whats called a Psycho-Portal (a literal door into the mind) in order to astral project into peoples minds and help them sort out their issues and trauma. They are essentially psychic therapists. Also, mostly unrelated, people can take out their brains without much issue and just sort of do it sometimes for fun.

The games follow Raz as he goes through various mental worlds and helps people work through their trauma. The mental worlds themselves are all so fucking grogeous oh my god. They are full to the brim with stunning visuals, incredible symbolism and shockingly emotional stories. The art direction in these games is incredebly charming and timeless. The angular, grungey wonk of everything is just so comfortable and fun. The character design is SUPREME with all the characters looking like stupid little freaks. I love them all, they are all great.

The story of these games is so addicting. Getting to learn about the characters in the most intimate way possible, no surprise, really gets you attached. Something unique about the games is the way they flesh out their side characters so well. In the first one, the camper's stories are told purely through optional scenes that you have to actively seek out. It gives each of the campers such big personalities and encourages exploration (it also makes grinding less of a pain). In the second, the interns are unfourtunatly harder to find since the world is so much larger, but if you find them, you do get to know them more and their stories are also very fun.

The controls are so fucking NICE oh my god it feels great to play. I haven't actually played the first game, but I've heard it's very fun to control. The levatation ball is a huge draw with its crazy momentum based movement. I've played the second one and even though the lev ball isn't as crazy, I thought it was great and was thrilled by how smooth it felt. I love how the game explains the platform mechanics in the lore, with water being a stage hazard because Raz and his family's phobia. Raz, even though he's like 10, is an excellent acrobat because he grew up in the circus. Of course the levels are filled with obstacles and danger, you're inside someone elses mind! Who knows what they're thinking? Even the collectables and enemies are themed well. It's so well thought out an I love it all so much.

I'm terrible at conclusions so just go play the god damn game!!!! Or at least watch some one play it. It's so good and I love it so much and I'm certain that you'll like something about it, even if it's only something small. :)

-SPOILER ZONE-


!The rest of this page has some major spoilers!
If you don't want the story spoiled, don't go on or read at your own risk!
Click on the boards bellow for my opinions on the seperate games.

×

Opinions? In my shrine?

1: I think Fords plan to defeat Maligula is good.

The whole thing with Maligula is that she is a primal instinct that escaped the subconcious through the expirements the psychic 6 were doing. What Ford was doing was putting that instinct back into the subconcious where it belongs. I think people often see the big hole as, like, him ignoring her trauma or something? Or at least taking an easy way out? But the whole point is that her situation was created by , essentially, digging a big hole in her mind! The Psychic 6 opened "every closed door in [their] minds", giving Maligula a gateway to escaspe the subconcious. I really don't think there was a way to get rid of her through the conventional methods specifically because of how she gained control in ther first place! The only reason Ford didn't do this the first time he tried to defeat Maligula is that he was trying to do it alone. Ford finally has the chance to actually reverse what happened because he has help this time. Idk, I just feel like people don't get it. I've heard a lot of critisism that drilling the hole is contradictory to the message of the game, like it is just brute forcing a healing process, but that's not what is happening. Raz does help her with her trauma, there's a whole scene where she comes to terms with the fact that she killed her sister. What throwing Maligula into the hole is doing is putting that instinct back into the subconcious mind WHERE IT BELONGS! And Lucy is all for it! She helps Raz do it! Idk, I just feel it's not as wild of a plan as people think it is.


2: I don't like Sam

I get that she's a funny character. Very random, ha ha whale and all that. But that scene in the Lumberjack is CRAZY! How she treats the squirrel is, like, textbook emotional abuse! And all the animals SHAKING WITH FEAR??? Not cute. Don't like. No THANK you.


3: The tutorial isn't bad

I've seen people criticize the tutorial for being hand holdy and retcon-y, but I really don't think so. Coach doesn't know Raz knows about Censors, and all the other enemies are new! Milla does re-explain levitation, but she's just kind of like that? Like it doesn't surprise me that she would remind Raz to use his levitation, it's a stressful situation, it might have slipped his mind. Also, of course a lot of stuff is introduced, it's a TUTORIAL!

that's it, I just had to rant about some stuff lol
×

Whispering Rock

I love the campers so much. They are all so funny and interesting. I love how much work was put into developing them as characters, with the campster profiles and every thing.

Their designs are so stupid and fun. I do think it's a little destracting how different some of the campers look compared to Raz, specificaly Chloe, Benny, Crystal and Vernon. I think it's the eyes, they just kinda sit on their face. And maybe the mouths too, they got muppet mouths. I don't know, that's just me. I do still like their designs though, very cute.

All of the campers arcs are so good. The whole love situation with James, Chops, Elka and Nils is so funny. It's seriously exactly how me and my friends acted in elementary school. That probably isn't great, but it's true and I think it's hilarious.

Dogen is so cute omg. He is such a sweet kid. It makes me sad that he needs the hat. Like obviously it's better for everyone that he wears the hat, but it still makes me sad :(

Maloof and Mikhail scare me.

Elton and Milka are some of my faves, they're so cute. Elton's voice is so precious, Christina Pucelli does a great job. Also he grew up in a brothel?!?!? Hello?!? Milka makes me sad. Her mom teaching her to stay invisible so she doesn't have to look at her is SO SAD oh my god. I need to give her a hug NOW!

Kitty and Frankie are so funny. Gal pals for sure. Kitty is who I wanted to be in like grade 3. I love that she has a full face of makeup because you KNOW she looks like a clown and I love that.

Crystal and Clem are wild. I have never seen a piece of media that explores suicidal tendencies in 10 YEAR OLDS? Holy cow, dude. The roof scene is sureal, man. Also they definitely did drink, like, antifreeze or something. They need to go to the hospital! Now! I'm glad they change their views afterwards, but christ.

Benny cracks me up. The part in basic brainging where he freaks out is so funny. That poor boy lol.
I think about Bobby Zilch every day. His stupid dance lives in my head. Doug Giorgis put in the work, babe. Chloe and Bobby are really funny together. Chloe like "I can fix him" and it's working? Work, honestly.

Pheobe is probably my favourite camper. She really has her shit together and shes so cute. Quentin is cute too. He was definetly hypnotised by Kitty though. His and Pheobe's friendship is super sweet. Love the band, will buy the EP.

Lili is my daughter and I LOVE HER. She's so cute and aggressive and funny. She is just quintessential 10 year old girl. Cracks me up so bad.
×

Psi-Cadets

People complain about not getting to know the interns as much as you get to know the campers. It's true, but most people don't see what they DID put in because the world is much bigger than in the first game. It's a lot harder to find all the interns and seeking them out isn't as encouraged. Also the hazing stuff puts a bad taste in my mouth right away. It's not a good first impression. I still really enjoy the interns, despite their flaws.

Norma sucks and I love to hate her. The scene where she flirts with Raz's dad is so stupid and funny. She's so sneaky and such an ass. I love the scene where she fully manipulates a TRAINED AGENT into telling her confidential information.

Lizzie is fun. Very 2000s movie punk older sister vibes. She is very commited to getting an animal for Compton. I appreciate the hustle. Legend says she's still trying to get that damn goat.

Adam is definitely my fave intern. He's very sweet to Raz and I love his passion for the history of the psychonauts. He seems like the only one who actually enjoys being an intern. He's a little arrogant, but he's cool so it's fine.

Morris is cool. He acts a little sleazy sometimes, but he's fun. He's very excited about his station and I like that you can hear the guard listening to it. Also he's so desperate for a DJ he hired a baby.

Sam scares me a little. She's very "weird girl", like with Esmeralda the whale and all that, until the Lumberstack. That scene in the Lumberstack is, like, textbook abuse and I Don't Like It. I honestly liked her less after that. I do like that she thinks Compton killed a woman by triggering a stampede.

Gisu is cute. I like her vibe, but she's probably my least favourite. She just doesn't have as much characterisation as the others. I do like her attempt to un-radicalize Dion.