psychonauts pc game review
In the world, there are two categories of people: the psychic and the non-psychic. The former have extraordinary mental powers and are destined for a bright future, provided, however, that they know how to use their precious gift. The seconds are like you and me. All they can do with their minds is solve sudoku puzzles. And still, not all of them succeed. With Psychonauts, the barrier between psychic and non-psychic is shattered since everyone can take themselves for a mentalist in the making.Introducing Psychonauts is not an easy thing as this game is like no other. On the bottom, of course, we can easily put it in the category of platform games, but in its approach to the genre, in its universe, its history, its characters and its atmosphere, there is a real gap with this that we know. A discrepancy which finds its explanation in the authorship of the title. The happy parent is indeed Tim Schafer, a rather discreet storyteller since Day Of Tentacle, Full Throttle and Grim Fandango in 1998, when we lost sight of him a bit. Psychonauts is in a way marking its big comeback on the front of the stage and what is more at the head of a new development studio (Double Fine Productions). You will tell me quite rightly that a name, whatever it is, is not always synonymous with quality. In the case of Psychonauts, it is, believe me. Tim Schafer has lost nothing of his creative spirit and he clearly knew how to communicate his sweet madness to his team to give birth to a singularly funny title which, if it does not necessarily innovate in terms of game mechanics (I jump , I shoot, I pick up objects) clearly pulls out of the game thanks to a wacky and perfectly mastered atmosphere.
But back to square one. Welcome to Roc-Qui-Murmure, a holiday camp specially designed to train young psychics to lead them to join the ranks of Psychonauts, soldiers of the spirit generally sent on top secret missions on behalf of the nation. After fleeing to leave the family circus and paternal oppression, the young Razputine, known as Raz, manages to integrate the colony to follow his training. Unfortunately, what should have been just a simple apprenticeship quickly turns into a real mission when he discovers that a traitor is stealing children's brains to build psychic tanks. Abandoned by the instructors, Raz finds himself alone in being able to act, only guided by Ford Cruller, a high-level mentalist half mad and half genial.
With such a scenario, Double Fine did not hesitate to make Psychonauts a totally barred adventure. So the game levels are nothing but spirits to visit. The training even begins in the head of coach Oléander, a soldier obsessed with warlike things. A kind of tutorial, this first environment will be the opportunity to set the tone of the game as a whole by warning the player that he is about to follow story like no other through the spirits he will visit. Reflections of the personalities of their respective hosts, the spirits / levels do not refuse any extravagance. Whether it's the army for Oléander, disco for the levitation teacher or cubic minimalism for the agent Sacha Nein, each spirit adopts a very specific graphic theme, giving a unique cachet to its affiliated environment. And each time, it is the same thing, we note with happiness that the designers have given free rein to their imagination to prepare us totally crazy playgrounds in which we nevertheless find the objectives mentioned above and common to many platform games (jumping, shooting, collecting).
Indeed, under cover of a design and a scenario both completely barred, Psychonauts can afford to take over the foundations of games already seen and reviewed several times elsewhere. Adapted to this very special universe, the daily life of a platform player then takes an almost unprecedented turn. So, we are not going to get tired here collecting stars or energy balls, but snatches of imagination and emotional baggage. We will also have fun hitting memory boxes, cleaning the mental webs confusing the visited spirit. We will finally spend our time chasing after psychic cards, capable of advancing the level of Raz and subsequently giving it access to real mental powers (pyrokinesia, telekinesis, levitation, clairvoyance, etc.). As he learns, Raz will suddenly gain abilities that will allow him to return to certain areas and explore places that were previously forbidden to him. Classic.
But then, if Psychonauts is only a succession of clichés repeatedly played, what makes it such a special game? Well, we have already said, under the distorting prism of its scenario, the gameplay takes a very different turn which would almost allow dusting the genre. But it's not just that. Dressing (visual and audio) also has a role to play in this success. Even if it is not really a question of putting our eyes full with the latest generation of graphic effects, the aesthetic manages to deliver its charm thanks to a design, admittedly strange, but perfectly in the general tone. Like the hilly decor and convoluted architecture, the characters are as destructured as they are endearing. It's very simple, there is not one that looks like another. Ford Cruller, for example, has asymmetrical eyes, Sacha has a perfectly rectangular face, while Raz has thighs as thin as an insect. However, despite so many influences and different profiles, everything inexplicably comes together to form the coherent universe of Psychonauts. The same attention to detail was applied to the soundtrack. The musical themes paint a wide range of genres ranging from the quiet little melody played on the harmonica when Raz is walking in the camp, to the more lively disco rhythms when the young hero enters the mind of Milla Vodello. Also very neat and diverse, the French dubbing does not detract from the good general impression. The voices agree with the characters while the lines of text never interfere to place precious touches of well-felt humor.
In short, a great success that knows only two small faults: a lifespan a bit too short (count less than ten hours to complete the game, a little more if you want to find everything) and a playability which must sometimes undergo the level design twisted from certain passages. We will quote for example the course of levitation. Balanced on a psychic ball, Raz must go through a whole lot of obstacles appearing on his way. Unfortunately, the handling of the ball is not as flexible as we would have liked and we find ourselves railing against the game for not having corrected this little error. But be careful, this defect does not come at all to encroach on the enthusiasm that you must bring vis-à-vis Psychonauts. We are indeed in front of a very good game of platforms, with a crazy atmosphere and omnipresent humor. Thank you, Mr. Schafer!
The notes
Graphics 17/20
More than the technical aspect, we will retain here the artistic aspect. Each character, each object, each level has a strange design which nevertheless manages to agree with what surrounds it. The influences are diverse and varied but all contribute towards a common goal: to make Psychonauts a game really apart from everything we have seen so far. Mission successful. Psychonauts is indeed a UFO. An unidentified visual object.
Gameplay 14/20
If overall, we can say that everything is fine and that Raz is handled without a hitch, there are however some sequences that require a little more patience than others, especially when it comes to telekinesis. In levels where nothing is straight, nothing is parallel, it is indeed quite difficult to perform precision jumps. Fortunately, these passages are largely in the minority.
Lifespan 13/20
Always guided by a precious map showing us where to go, the hurried player will quickly end Psychonauts. To fully appreciate the title, and its universe, it will take time to unearth all the shrink cards, all the snatches of imagination and all the memory boxes. We can also look into the discovery of hidden objects throughout the camp.
Soundtrack 17/20
Thanks to always relevant musical themes, we are quickly immersed in the world of Psychonauts. The voices are also to be credited for this immersion, they which give life to the strange characters who populate the camp. The dialogues are full of humor will undoubtedly win you many smiles.
Scenario 17/20
Funny and surprising, the story of Psychonauts takes us on a quest for stolen brains by exploring a dozen completely different minds. The subject therefore leaves free rein to the imagination of developers who have not been deprived to prepare a lot of quirky situations.
Thanks to its script, its aesthetics and its soundtrack, Psychonauts has no trouble captivating us from the first moments of play. If we later discover its two small flaws (its lifespan and its sometimes annoying playability), we remain in the presence of a very good title of platforms aimed at all lovers of the genre, especially those who appreciate marginal universes.
0 comments:
Post a Comment