The Escapist Game Circle: Psychonauts
- Thread starter Russ Pitts
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I'm currently just past the Milkman Conspiracy, it's weird, I bought the game over a year ago as a starter to video gaming. He stopped in the paintings, got frustrated when he couldn't figure it out. I have to say both times through I've thoroughly enjoyed the humor.
I'm playing the PS2 version, and the only thing that really bugs me is the camera. Otherwise, the imagination is just top notch. The Milkman conspiracy threw me a few times, in that I kept falling off the world. But the men in black were awesome.
I'm playing the PS2 version, and the only thing that really bugs me is the camera. Otherwise, the imagination is just top notch. The Milkman conspiracy threw me a few times, in that I kept falling off the world. But the men in black were awesome.
I played this game on the PC up until the part where you have to fight your dad, and scale a bunch of rotating metal screens that are ON FIRE, while he juggles threateningly an arm's length away, and if I get knocked off, I fall into the water and die.
I did that about 20 times before I quit and uninstalled. Great game, great story, great puzzles, bad pacing.
I did that about 20 times before I quit and uninstalled. Great game, great story, great puzzles, bad pacing.
@JtheYellow: Both times I've played this game, first time a while back, second time just now for this Game Circle, I've gotten to those metal screens and died over and over and over again. The first time, I recall, I went to a guide to figure out what I was doing wrong. This time, I started doing it wrong again, died a few times, and experimented to figure it out again. To my mind, the way they set it up is highly contradictory to the way they want you to approach it. Very counter-intuitive, and it bit me both times.
@Game Circle: For the game as a whole, I was reminded of how awesome and cohesive each of the individual brains are. The themes used to tie each together, but make them wholly different experiences from the rest, are wonderful. The human pinball machine, the Escher-like schizos brain, each serves the purpose well.
On the art side, it amazes me that the characters themselves are so hideous, and I still find all of them so endearing. Most likely due to the quality of the writing and ever present humor.
Probably too much to ask for given the financial success of Psychonauts, but I get to the end of the game and I really wish that I could fly off on a mission and keep going! The one game is not enough! I want there to be more.
Then again, feeling this way about an IP is better than the way I feel about Star Wars after Lucas finished the prequels. Maybe we're all better off just letting it ride off into the sunset, never fading from glory. Now I just have to keep telling myself that..
@Game Circle: For the game as a whole, I was reminded of how awesome and cohesive each of the individual brains are. The themes used to tie each together, but make them wholly different experiences from the rest, are wonderful. The human pinball machine, the Escher-like schizos brain, each serves the purpose well.
On the art side, it amazes me that the characters themselves are so hideous, and I still find all of them so endearing. Most likely due to the quality of the writing and ever present humor.
Probably too much to ask for given the financial success of Psychonauts, but I get to the end of the game and I really wish that I could fly off on a mission and keep going! The one game is not enough! I want there to be more.
Then again, feeling this way about an IP is better than the way I feel about Star Wars after Lucas finished the prequels. Maybe we're all better off just letting it ride off into the sunset, never fading from glory. Now I just have to keep telling myself that..
I really have to chime in with disapproval of the final level. It was infuriating (and I was playing on a PC).
It is, indeed, because it's the most platform-ey level in the game. In fact, the thing I liked the LEAST about the otherwise-brilliant Psychonauts is the actual platforming involved. I don't like these games very much, and I find them repeatedly senseless. I thank the gods of gaming the Psychonauts doesn't "play more like a traditional platformer".
It is, indeed, because it's the most platform-ey level in the game. In fact, the thing I liked the LEAST about the otherwise-brilliant Psychonauts is the actual platforming involved. I don't like these games very much, and I find them repeatedly senseless. I thank the gods of gaming the Psychonauts doesn't "play more like a traditional platformer".
Err...no. PoP let you rewind time if you erred, somewhat removing the pain of the checkpoint save system. I don't know if that's all, but I don't recall the same amount of cursing going on when I completed SoT.Lara Crigger said:
I found the end very frustrating, but I did get past it eventually. I picked it up off of Steam a month or two ago. It's possibly one of my favorite games ever, because it's so complete in terms of defining a real world. The Goggalor level is the one that cemented it for me - it's like someone took 5 different smaller games and stuffed them into this one, just for the variety.
Collecting a lot of arrowheads and buying the cobweb cleaner and the device that attracts mental energy to you from the camp store made the experience a lot better. There are so many figments through the whole game that collecting only the ones you encounter directly will get you as far as you need - level 30 is probably the highest you need to go in terms of 'required' achievement. Playing the game a second time through and making an effort to get as many figments and cards as I could did make the overall game easier in terms of added abilities, though.
Something interesting - there's a lot of times they put in dialogue that isn't needed in the normal course of the game, but still funny. For instance, you can take Mr. Pokeylope all around the camp at the end of the game, and each character will have different things to say. As you 'solve' different minds in the game, it's worth wandering around and talking to everyone you can find, as the conversations and situations change as people move around the camp. There's a number of videos on Youtube that show some of the conversations, including the extra little movie you get at the ending if you reach level 100 (which I have not been able to do).
Collecting a lot of arrowheads and buying the cobweb cleaner and the device that attracts mental energy to you from the camp store made the experience a lot better. There are so many figments through the whole game that collecting only the ones you encounter directly will get you as far as you need - level 30 is probably the highest you need to go in terms of 'required' achievement. Playing the game a second time through and making an effort to get as many figments and cards as I could did make the overall game easier in terms of added abilities, though.
Something interesting - there's a lot of times they put in dialogue that isn't needed in the normal course of the game, but still funny. For instance, you can take Mr. Pokeylope all around the camp at the end of the game, and each character will have different things to say. As you 'solve' different minds in the game, it's worth wandering around and talking to everyone you can find, as the conversations and situations change as people move around the camp. There's a number of videos on Youtube that show some of the conversations, including the extra little movie you get at the ending if you reach level 100 (which I have not been able to do).
Oh, and another thing, for anyone who hasn't seen it: Double Fine, the people who made Psychonauts, have regular comics on their website drawn by staff:
http://www.doublefine.com/comics/main_comic.html
Scott Campbell, one of the cartoonists, was definitely involved in Psychonauts just looking at the style. He and others have shown up in various small press comics efforts - I noticed Campbell in the recent Flight 4 anthology:
http://www.flightcomics.com/
http://www.doublefine.com/comics/main_comic.html
Scott Campbell, one of the cartoonists, was definitely involved in Psychonauts just looking at the style. He and others have shown up in various small press comics efforts - I noticed Campbell in the recent Flight 4 anthology:
http://www.flightcomics.com/
I was really looking forward to this game. I'm a massive Tim Schaefer fan, and was excited from when they first announced it. But I think I made an error buying the PS2 version. I've never finished it. I simply can't outrun the rising water when you fight your Dad. It was driving me completely nuts. Every time I log into Steam I'm half tempted to buy it again, but I don't know that I can be bothered to play it all from scratch.
The Milkman Conspiracy is a great level. And Lungfishopolis, as no-one's mentioned that yet. Though I was stuck for a good while on the boss fight at the end. Also, the first time you face the brain tank. Drove me round the bend. Maybe that's PS2 controls as well. Nightmare.
The Milkman Conspiracy is a great level. And Lungfishopolis, as no-one's mentioned that yet. Though I was stuck for a good while on the boss fight at the end. Also, the first time you face the brain tank. Drove me round the bend. Maybe that's PS2 controls as well. Nightmare.
So I've finally beaten Psychonauts, and it was good. The final level, it was not so good. The escort was slightly frustrating, I missed one of the grinder areas because I thought I was supposed to jump below and it was above. Man were those bunnies annoying. I found the most frustrating thing to be, dun dun dun, the metal screens. I tried it for almost all of my 11 or 12 lives once and had to leave to go to a party. I told myself if I took another two hours on it, I would give up and watch some spoiler video. I turned off the sound, turned on some music, and took quite a few deep breaths. Heh, eventually I managed to relax enough to think of trying different moves on the screens and I found that if I pressed cancel it would force me to release and wow, hey, I could actually double jump instead of fall again. Unfortunately it still took me half an hour after I figured that out.
The unfortunate closing to this escapade? My sound messed up on my PS2 right after Raz leaves the mindscape. I'm still shell-shocked about it all, the game was fantastic, imaginative, and good storytelling. On the otherhand, it had pockets of frustration unimaginable.
One level that I don't think gets enough credit is the card level.
And I kind of wish you could see a creator's commentary on a game. I'm not quite sure I see all the subtleties in the level design, especially after rereading the article on Psychonauts.
The unfortunate closing to this escapade? My sound messed up on my PS2 right after Raz leaves the mindscape. I'm still shell-shocked about it all, the game was fantastic, imaginative, and good storytelling. On the otherhand, it had pockets of frustration unimaginable.
One level that I don't think gets enough credit is the card level.
And I kind of wish you could see a creator's commentary on a game. I'm not quite sure I see all the subtleties in the level design, especially after rereading the article on Psychonauts.
The key to the Meat Circus is to use Telekinesis on the bunny to hold it in place so Olly can get to it.
The card level, or Black Velvetopia, was actually the first level completed for the game, used as a demo to get the Microsoft deal (which eventually fell through anyway, and within a year of its release, Majesco's CEO stepped down after disappointing sales from Psychonauts and Advent Rising.)
The card level, or Black Velvetopia, was actually the first level completed for the game, used as a demo to get the Microsoft deal (which eventually fell through anyway, and within a year of its release, Majesco's CEO stepped down after disappointing sales from Psychonauts and Advent Rising.)
I just read Lara Crigger's article The Milkman Cometh [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/6.44954?page=2], which gives a very solid recap as to how the Milkman Conspiricy is a great example of deep art in games.
But I pose a question. In this case, to what degree is the player involved in the artistic quality of the game? Does the fact that Psychonauts is a game, as opposed to a book, movie, or painting, add to the art, detract from it, or simply serve as a mechanism to view the developer's artistic vision?
But I pose a question. In this case, to what degree is the player involved in the artistic quality of the game? Does the fact that Psychonauts is a game, as opposed to a book, movie, or painting, add to the art, detract from it, or simply serve as a mechanism to view the developer's artistic vision?
Seems to me like it serves as a mechanism. You can't entirely appreciate a fully 3D world without exploring it. It would be possible for the entire story aspect to be told without me ever taking control of Raz, so I don't think the story aspect is somehow furthered by the platforming aspects.
I've ordered up the game (PC), I'll see how it plays. If this is the first one of many of these discussions (or threads?) that's cool, since I might well own other games, and not have to wait 2-4 weeks for delivery 
I've heard good things, and hopefully the mechanics mentioned won't stop me at any point.
I've heard good things, and hopefully the mechanics mentioned won't stop me at any point.
As with most people on this forum I hated the last level, I was getting so pissed that I didn't even finish the game. I just lost interest, a game that had been so well crafted and level designs that were unique, to come to the Meat Circus and find that all of a sudden we are back to the most irritating platform levels almost killed the game for me.
It is like playing the original Half-Life and getting to Zen only to find your back to jumping puzzles and it's FPS roots to have something that was so plot driven and thrilling and go back to that before the end of the game, just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
In the end I will play psychonauts again, I loved it to much. The Milkman Commeth, Lungfishopalous, Waterloo, and Running against the Bull. The next time I will spend more time trying to interact with people and enjoy the dialogue that occurs between the characters so that when Raz finds their brains his reactions make more sense instead of seeming to care for characters that have no depth to me.
As a note to the editors, I really enjoyed this concept of the monthly game club, please keep it up. I look forward to next months game.
It is like playing the original Half-Life and getting to Zen only to find your back to jumping puzzles and it's FPS roots to have something that was so plot driven and thrilling and go back to that before the end of the game, just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
In the end I will play psychonauts again, I loved it to much. The Milkman Commeth, Lungfishopalous, Waterloo, and Running against the Bull. The next time I will spend more time trying to interact with people and enjoy the dialogue that occurs between the characters so that when Raz finds their brains his reactions make more sense instead of seeming to care for characters that have no depth to me.
As a note to the editors, I really enjoyed this concept of the monthly game club, please keep it up.
I look forward to next months game.
It is. We'll be doing another one for next month. Stay tuned.Andrew Armstrong said:If this is the first one of many of these discussions (or threads?) that's cool, since I might well own other games, and not have to wait 2-4 weeks for delivery
Great, I'll be on the lookout. Seems a good way to focus a discussion on specific games without going into huge discussions on the merit of them vs. others, or on why people are discussing this game and not another (like so many "What's your fav FPS game!11!" and the like).
Somewhat more critical discussion of specific titles, good stuff.
Somewhat more critical discussion of specific titles, good stuff.
First post to The Escapist (you can thank Yahtzee for bringing me here)!
Playing Psychonauts was some of the best adventure gaming I'd managed to pull since Grim Fandango (and a $10 copy of Full Throttle!).
@Lara Crigger, now you make mention of the differences between the rest of the game and the final level, it does make sense in context - taking into account Rasputin's past, shunning and then psychic development. However, I feel that the steep learning curve required for the final level was a little harsh. I've been playing platformers for far too long and I had to give up when attempting to manoeuvre the metal grates.
You argue the gameplay wasn't as difficult as some levels in K&D and PoP:SoT, and maybe it's just I was playing the PS2 version (now have it on PC and will give it another shot if I can get over BioShock) but Raz wasn't as well equipped to tackle certain sections of that level as those characters were in J&D and PoP.
Overall, I felt the dark, twisted humour and story-telling in Psychonauts was the most refreshing thing for a long time. Better yet, it was a game that didn't feel the need to hold your hand at every stage and really allowed you to explore and experiment and search freely. Even though the game is fairly linear there was enough reward and room to explore that provided that extra depth and replayability. And replayability is something found in short supply when it comes to adventure gaming. I've finished the original Monkey Islands and some Lucas Arts games a number of times to see what else could be accomplished but honestly, Indian Jones from Lucas Arts was one of the only adventure games that allowed you to select one of three styles that affected the way some segments of the game play out.
Ok, going to try Psycho again with a 360 controller on my PC. Back to ***** about the shoddy PS2 controls in a minute
Playing Psychonauts was some of the best adventure gaming I'd managed to pull since Grim Fandango (and a $10 copy of Full Throttle!).
@Lara Crigger, now you make mention of the differences between the rest of the game and the final level, it does make sense in context - taking into account Rasputin's past, shunning and then psychic development. However, I feel that the steep learning curve required for the final level was a little harsh. I've been playing platformers for far too long and I had to give up when attempting to manoeuvre the metal grates.
You argue the gameplay wasn't as difficult as some levels in K&D and PoP:SoT, and maybe it's just I was playing the PS2 version (now have it on PC and will give it another shot if I can get over BioShock) but Raz wasn't as well equipped to tackle certain sections of that level as those characters were in J&D and PoP.
Overall, I felt the dark, twisted humour and story-telling in Psychonauts was the most refreshing thing for a long time. Better yet, it was a game that didn't feel the need to hold your hand at every stage and really allowed you to explore and experiment and search freely. Even though the game is fairly linear there was enough reward and room to explore that provided that extra depth and replayability. And replayability is something found in short supply when it comes to adventure gaming. I've finished the original Monkey Islands and some Lucas Arts games a number of times to see what else could be accomplished but honestly, Indian Jones from Lucas Arts was one of the only adventure games that allowed you to select one of three styles that affected the way some segments of the game play out.
Ok, going to try Psycho again with a 360 controller on my PC. Back to ***** about the shoddy PS2 controls in a minute
In related news, Tim Shafer had some great things to say [http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6904&Itemid=2] on the subject of creativity at Leipzig.
"Schafer addressed a fact that many creatives know too well; that being creative isn?t always easy.
A lumberjack has it easy, he said. A lumberjack just sees trees and he knows it?s his job to cut them down.
The job of a creative person, such as a writer, begins with a blank page?creative people don?t always know if and when they?ll have a job."
and:
??Being uncomfortable is an important part of the creative process? [that?s] when your brain does its best work.?
Good stuff.
"Schafer addressed a fact that many creatives know too well; that being creative isn?t always easy.
A lumberjack has it easy, he said. A lumberjack just sees trees and he knows it?s his job to cut them down.
The job of a creative person, such as a writer, begins with a blank page?creative people don?t always know if and when they?ll have a job."
and:
??Being uncomfortable is an important part of the creative process? [that?s] when your brain does its best work.?
Good stuff.