Psychonauts Review

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(More customer reviews)*NOTE: I have the Xbox version of this game but wanted to take the time to help people decide if they want to purchase this game or not.From what I've read, they managed to keep the game about equal to the Xbox version so my review should be pretty accurate.The only differences will be that the Xbox has 5.1 surround in game not just cutscenes and the graphics will probably be a bit better.If you own an Xbox I would recommend that version over the PS2 but honestly the game is great, and if you own a PS2 I would doubly recommend picking this up.On to my review:

Everytime Tim Schafer creates a game, I know it will be a blast. Having been on a roll starting with The Day of the Tentacle up through The Grim Fandango, each game has been delightfully intelligent, creative and an overall wonderful experience. Psychonauts is no different. In fact, it is one of the best games I have played not only this year but in a long time.

The setup is that there is a camp for psychic children who feel different in the outside world. At the camp, the counselors teach children how to harness their power to become Psychonauts, psychics who actually enter people's minds and sort out their problems. Because of this setup, each and every world is completely different from the others. Connected to a hub world of the camp, each real "level" is a person's mind. And each mind reflects the person's personality, fears, phobias etc. For instance, the beginning level is that of your drill instructor. His level is a warzone complete with mines, air plane drops, explosions, barbed wire etc.

Tim Schafer's touch is also evident in the characters who are actually characters. They all have a personality and are very emotive. I haven't laughed at a video game so hard since Conker's Bad Fur Day. This game is hillarious. From the kid who practices looking through a peep hole in the day to get practice for when it's filled with girls to trashing a town Godzilla style, the game has it in spades. However, there are some surprisingly disturbing moments in the game that are also darkly humorous. Because you have psychic powers, you also can do some pretty cool stuff from pyrokinesis, telekinesis, levitation, invisibility, etc. These moves help you progress through the levels and pick up hidden items throughout the game.

Graphically, the game is awesome on the Xbox. The levels are done in vivid colors and with a wonderful cartoon style. The campground seems alive as there are creatures walking your path. From squirrels, crows, pigeons, lizards, bears, etc, the world seems populated and just feels real. You can tell a lot of time and effort was put in to make this game come alive and it works. The game is presented in 480p, for those interested.

Aurally, the characters are voiced to perfection. Some great voice actors have been employed and it really helps create characters that are lovable. The biggest audio glitch I've noticed is that sometimes my speakers will "click" as voices come in or as the sound changes sometimes. For some reason, the sound gets funkier as the game progresses. By the last level, it was as if every time a new sound was introduced or the sound changed, the game would stutter. Definitely some bugs that could have been worked out before the game was released. But, honestly, these aren't game stopping problems and are only vaguely annoying considering how awesome the game is. The game is also presented in 5.1 surround in game.

Since the game is a platformer, all of the standards apply. In the real world and in each person's mind, there are a ton of things to collect. In the real world, there are arrowheads that can be pulled from the ground that represent cash. There is a scavenger hunt also going on that will earn you rank (which gives you new powers) and there are cards that can be formed as more rank. In each person's mind, there are also different things to collect such as emotional baggage, mental cobwebs, figments of the imagination and safes which you much punch open to reveal some of the person's past. Some of these slide shows are funny and some are actually kind of sad as you see how these people came to be who they are. I list these items to collect just as a note that the game definitely exhibits all of the charms of a platformer. But there actually is a reason to collecting everything and they fit together in this humorous world.

The game moves quickly and besides one or two intstances of panning that had the game do a wave type pattern, it is perfect. My recommendation if you play the game is to take your time talking to everyone. It helps flesh out the story and if you listen and keep making rounds after each world you will see minor breakups, makeups, humorous instances involving squirrels who tell one kid to kill everyone, and plain funny dialogue. Take your time with this one and you will definitely be rewarded.

This game is great, it's just what I was looking for. It helped remind me why I play video games. When a person can create such wonderful worlds and allow you to play in them, you realize why you play games. It is so creative. Where else can you be chased by a giant fish, rage across town as a Godzilla-like creature, be in a disco world where you must race, pin-ball style, wage war against a Napolean complex and set fire to squirrels? If you want a creative and fun video game that will take approximately 10-15 hours of your time, then this is definitely a must buy. I absolutely cannot recommend this game enough. And unfortunately, it's one of those games that will end up like Ico or Beyond Good and Evil where no one hears of it and no one plays it. Don't let that happen. Play this game because its games like this that the industry needs to keep creating.

A must buy. Creative and excellent.

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Product Description:
Psychonauts are special psychic operatives with powers they use in service to the world's governments. When students begin disappearing from Psychonaut boot camp, a young recruit begins tracking down the mad scientist responsible. Face inner demons and wrestle with other people's nightmares, while accomplishing your mission -- all without going insane. Immersive story injected with lots of humor and lots of imaginative environments Challenging puzzles with alternate solutions that self-tailor to your strategies & abilities

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Enslaved: Odyssey to the West Review

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(More customer reviews)Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a game that has been on my radar for some time now.Not only is it one of the only non sequel or non remakes of Q4, but it's a story driven game.The game actually has a writer who is known for such movies as The Beach and 28 Days Later.Not too shabby, especially in the video game world.So, it's to be expected that I was really excited about this game, the story buff (in video games at least) that I am.Did Enslaved live up to it's high hopes during the first few hours of gameplay or is this game destined for B game bargain bins?Read on to find out in my first impression.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West takes place about 200 years or so after a nuclear holocaust in the United States.Vegetation is beginning to overtake structures and the world is beautiful in a despairing kind of way.You play as Monkey, a strong brute of a man who was captured by slavers and stored on a slave ship.In transit to wherever it is they were taking you, a girl breaks out of her cell and continues to sabotage the ship in her hasty attempt to get free and sets you loose.The ship is coming down and you need to make it to an escape pod.After some platforming, you eventually make it to the last escape pod, which is taken by the girl who caused the commotion.You hold on for dear life to the escape pod as she ejects and you land in a desolate NYC years after a nuclear war. Upon awaking, you find that the girl, named Trip, has fitted you with a slave headband that shocks you if you don't do her will.She can issue commands to you and you must do them for her.If she dies, you also die.So Monkey is a rough spot, but Trip isn't bad.She did this because she knows she would never get home without Monkeys brute strength.Her proposition to him, take her 300 miles to the west to her sanctuary village made by her father and she'll remove the collar.With no choice in the matter, Monkey agrees and the two set off on their Odyssey to the West.

And with that, Enslaved begins.The opening sequence is very epic and the graphics in the game are some of the best I have seen on the 360 this side of Gears of War 2.If you aren't familiar, the game is actually loosely based on Journey to the West, an old Chinese story that is apparently pretty popular in the UK due to some tv shows about it.I wasn't familiar with it until I googled it.Regardless, you don't need to know about the book to enjoy the game.They use some of the same names and try to leave subtle clues to the book, but it's really a different beast altogether.

The story so far is top notch and I'm really excited to see how Monkey and Trip make it to the west, but there are other things besides story in a game.Namely, gameplay.The gameplay is sort of reminiscent of a platformer like Prince of Persia.There's a lot of climbing and swinging, but at the same time combat plays a huge roll.You're going to be doing a lot of computer AI co-op to outsmart enemy mech's, the games most prevalent enemy.For instance, Monkey is the strength, Trip the brains.In one scenario, Monkey needs to make it across a huge area to take out an automated turret, less they be shredded to bits.So, Trip uses her armband to create an electronic diversion that draws their fire.That leaves you to circle around flank the enemy.In doing so, you rip the arm off the mech and use it to finish off the remaining turrets.But, the path you took here required a lot of jumping and swinging, something Trip can't do.You need to go back and carry her on your back across hazardous areas and throw her to places she can't jump to.At first, I thought it would be a pain in the ass, but I found I enjoy the times you have to carry her.During these times is when the next thing I loved about the game begins to shine...

The talking between the two characters is key in the game.You never know when it will start or end, but they talk a lot.It's in these times you learn the stories of the two travelers and what worlds they come from.Without spoiling anything, they come from two totally different backgrounds so relating is a little rough.Their banter is almost flirty in some regards so if you're into the chemistry between two co-op partners, you'll enjoy this portion of the game.I found it refreshing and a nice diversion.The world around them is crumbling but they have each other in rough times.

I already mentioned it but the graphics are amazing.The vistas and backdrops are truly breathtaking, especially when your ship crashes in the beginning.Take a long look at the NYC skyline and be sure to keep your jaw from hitting the floor.It's amazing and a true sight to see in a video game.Plus, this is a post apocalyptic game that isn't brown.How many games are out there that automatically equate post apocalyptic with brown, but in reality, after the fallout (if any) the world would be overtaken by nature.It's nice to see this in a game.

So far, I haven't had many complaints about the game.If I had to point out anything I'd say that maybe the gameplay could get repetitive, but that's just me trying to find gripes where none exist.There's an upgrade system that Trip performs that allows you to learn new combat options and new moves (as well as health and shields) that have the ability to keep things fresh.If you like platformers though, you already know how those games can get after a solid gaming marathon.It's something that comes with the territory, but most good platformers get around this by having varied level design, which Enslaved has in spades.

So, should you buy this game?Depends...do you like platformers that have heavy combat and some stealth scenarios?If so, I'd say yes.How about story?I'm a sucker for a good story in a game so this one was a no brainer.Enslaved could be a rent if you aren't too thrilled on the idea of platforming but be sure not to miss it.This has the possibility of being a sleeper hit of 2010.It won't compete in sales with the Call of Duty and Medal of Honor games, but it's a new IP in a world of sequels and remakes.Give it a shot so we can tell the industry we want to see new games, not just sequels.

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Product Description:
Enslaved is a post-apocalyptic retelling of the classic 400-year old novel 'Journey to the West'. Set 150 years from now, the world has been ruined by war and ecological disaster with only a handful of survivors remaining.In Enslaved, players take on the role of Monkey, a strong and athletic, yet solitary figure, who been captured by one of the mysterious slave ships, which harvest the remaining population and take them out west never to return. Trip, a technologically savvy young woman who has also been imprisoned by the same ship, manages to escape. She quickly realizes that Monkey, with his raw strength and power, is her only hope to survive the perilous journey back to her home. She hacks into a slave headband and fits it on Monkey, linking them together - if she dies, he dies… Her journey has now become his and Monkey must now travel west alongside Trip as they traverse a demolished world, under constant threat of capture and mortal peril.

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