Psychonauts

 PC
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 786 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 661 out of 786
  2. Mixed: 89 out of 786
  3. Negative: 36 out of 786
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  1. flamedance58
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    A great game with a fun graphic style and great sound to go with it not to mention the gameplay that is interesting and unique. The UI is also in the cartoon style and it sometimes is a bit awkward to use but why would the game have the UI any different from it's art style? Lotsa collectibles and fun storyline.
  2. Pie4Pigs
    Dec 26, 2012
    10
    Psychonauts is an unforgettable experience. Its humor and art style is superb, and when everyone who plays it says that it's amazing and underrated, they're telling the truth. It feels like a cartoon/movie that you want to watch over and over again. The characters are likable, especially the main character, Rasputin. In fact, every character has voice acting, which was very impressive forPsychonauts is an unforgettable experience. Its humor and art style is superb, and when everyone who plays it says that it's amazing and underrated, they're telling the truth. It feels like a cartoon/movie that you want to watch over and over again. The characters are likable, especially the main character, Rasputin. In fact, every character has voice acting, which was very impressive for a platformer like Psychonauts. The gameplay is entertaining, the only downfall being some odd controls. You can move around just fine, and fighting is quite fun, but switching between psychic powers can feel a bit odd. The graphics are very stylized and look quite nice, even if they are currently outdated. You'll come across glitches every once and a while, but all the problems Psychonauts have are forgivable. The charm it has is borderline excessive, and even though I only really finished the game a year or so ago, I feel overwhelming nostalgia for it. The game really dos a good job of entertaining and bringing back that childhood wonder you may have once had for games. The MAIN drawback is that this game will, most likely, have no sequel. But it's cheap, so buy it for yourself, and any friends who may want it too.… Expand
  3. ElPresidenteTim
    Sep 14, 2011
    10
    Outside of the tediousness of collecting the outlandish number of collectibles, Psychonauts is one of the most overlooked platforming gems to have ever been made. The art and general look of this game is very reminiscent of a Henry Selick film right down to the characters having exaggerated legs, arms and defining features. It's just a shame that there won't be a Psychonaut 2 in the future.
  4. Palfrei
    Jul 28, 2013
    9
    The gameplay involves the usual 3D platforming and we can resort to several psychic powers to ease our journey through the minds of several unstable people; unstable people with hilarious personalities and dialogues [yes, personalities for one person, I'm talking about crazy people here]. Besides jumping, moving and shooting there's the usual item and money fetching and we can level up ourThe gameplay involves the usual 3D platforming and we can resort to several psychic powers to ease our journey through the minds of several unstable people; unstable people with hilarious personalities and dialogues [yes, personalities for one person, I'm talking about crazy people here]. Besides jumping, moving and shooting there's the usual item and money fetching and we can level up our character by using psycards and mental cowebbs in weird machines.

    What makes this game shine above others, besides the sense of humour, is its level design. Each level is a crazy world on its own and they range from a Godzilla-sentai level to a meat-filled circus and, my favourite, a Waterloo-battle game board. In this level, we go from the traditional board perspective requiring to move pieces [with our psychic powers] to actually being inside the board world as if it were a regular a level and we keep going between these two "dimensions" of gameplay.

    There are some issues with the default controls, especially if you are using the keyboard-and-mouse combination but, fortunately, we can customize almost everything and even the camera pitch, which is extremely important for me since I prefer the inverted vertical control.

    Graphically, the game looks vibrant and the engine handles things well. It is a pleasure to look at the characters and levels because they have been cleverly designed with a lot of "personality".

    Psychonauts is a platformer like many others but its heart does not lie in its platforming roots but in its "psychoticness".

    Funny story, crazy characters and witty level designs make it a must-play

    Give it a try!

    ---o---o---o---

    Graphics: 8.5

    Music: 9

    Story: 8.5

    Control: 7

    Gameplay: 9

    Art: 10

    ///------TOTAL: 9 [rounded]------///    … Expand
  5. NeTw0rK
    Feb 9, 2012
    10
    How many times have I passed this game? Million! And every time I passed this game with pleasure! A wonderful game... Suitable for gameplay characters, original graphics, great story... Excellent, just excellent!
  6. Helmore
    Apr 5, 2012
    8
    Certainly doesn't have amazing graphics but it does have a good art style. The gameplay is... a bit bland and clunky. I can't give this more than a 8, it's just not that well. Fun.
  7. CannibalBob
    Aug 8, 2012
    9
    Pleasantly satisfying gameplay is combined with beautiful environments, outstanding humor and an interesting and developed story to make Psychonauts a must have for gamepad owners! The memorable adventure at 30 hours completion with 100% achievements on Steam makes Psychonauts quite the bang for your buck.
  8. joltmans
    May 3, 2012
    10
    Great game. Lots of fun moments, humor and challenges. You have to be careful not to blaze through the main challenges in the game and take some time in between each person's mind/level to explore the camp and interact with all the characters. The achievements for this game are a lot of fun but can be very frustrating when tracking down those last few figments.

    Works wonderfully with an    Great game. Lots of fun moments, humor and challenges. You have to be careful not to blaze through the main challenges in the game and take some time in between each person's mind/level to explore the camp and interact with all the characters. The achievements for this game are a lot of fun but can be very frustrating when tracking down those last few figments.

    Works wonderfully with an XBox360 game pad.    … Expand
  9. elhive
    Oct 1, 2012
    10
    Imaginative, creative, hilarious, charming, beautiful, and fun! These are the traits Psychonauts has to offer. But would you expect anything else from Tim shafer? It baffles me how well Double Fine have made this game. Not just from a technical view point, Psychonauts is a genius game. The humor and dialog are some of the best I have seen in videogames, and the characters and story blendImaginative, creative, hilarious, charming, beautiful, and fun! These are the traits Psychonauts has to offer. But would you expect anything else from Tim shafer? It baffles me how well Double Fine have made this game. Not just from a technical view point, Psychonauts is a genius game. The humor and dialog are some of the best I have seen in videogames, and the characters and story blend together in a most fitting way. There are so many lovable characters in this game, and each has something unique of their own. You get to get into the minds of various folks during the game, and each has a special vision in their brains. The story is fantastic, and geniuanly forces you to keep going. So much creativity and originality is here, I can't recommend it enough. If you like games that aren't conventional, or games that break the mold, this one is like no other. It aged very well, graphically, so you won't have a problem playing it today. A videogame masterpiece.… Expand
  10. Augusto
    Oct 9, 2021
    8
    Unbelievable how this is a 2005 game. There is so much attention and care with every detail. A must play for every one. Not giving a 10 just because of the clunckyness of the controls
  11. zalzane
    Jun 1, 2012
    10
    Extremely impressive game, was amazed at how well the graphics look considering it's essentially a ps2 port. Biggest issue with the game is the menu navigation, which are pretty much on par with skinning a bear with a carrot. 9.6 rounds to 10.
  12. R-Q
    Jun 12, 2012
    10
    Up to date, this is the best platform game I ever played. Maybe not in terms of gameplay - there are some performing as well - for example Rayman 3, Kao the Kangaroo or various console platformers. But visual aspect of Psychonauts, themes and motifs make this game a piece of modern art. I highly recommend this inspiration for "Inception" movie.
  13. NerdHero
    Jul 22, 2012
    10
    Bestes Jumpn Run Game das ich kenne !!! :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
  14. oda_krell
    Jul 21, 2012
    10
    Psychonauts is one of the best games ever made. In the same league with, say, Bioshock and Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. It is incredibly funny, brilliantly written and designed, and was a huge amount of fun. That said, the jump&run game play is not always perfect, and sometimes frustrating, so it's not perfect. But the brilliance of the story, the visuals, and the writing make up forPsychonauts is one of the best games ever made. In the same league with, say, Bioshock and Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. It is incredibly funny, brilliantly written and designed, and was a huge amount of fun. That said, the jump&run game play is not always perfect, and sometimes frustrating, so it's not perfect. But the brilliance of the story, the visuals, and the writing make up for small-ish game play problems, at least for me. If you've never played it, do it now!… Expand
  15. SirDrake
    Sep 26, 2012
    10
    Best game I ever played! The characters are fantastic, the plot is crazy as the level disegn... A strange and funny travel in the maze of our minds. Is Tim Schafer a genius? Maybe... but this game is really perfect in every aspect. Congratulations to all the team that worked in this beautiful piece of art.
    Please, don't miss this masterpiece of irony and level design!
  16. Claytality
    Nov 10, 2017
    9
    Great environments, collectibles, platforming, abilities, characters and humor combine to form an amazing adventure. The levels are unique and incredibly creative.

    There are several puzzles, and I found myself stuck a few times, but it makes for a good challenge. There are a lot of cutscenes, which can be annoying. A few control difficulties, for example while grinding on rails    Great environments, collectibles, platforming, abilities, characters and humor combine to form an amazing adventure. The levels are unique and incredibly creative.

    There are several puzzles, and I found myself stuck a few times, but it makes for a good challenge.

    There are a lot of cutscenes, which can be annoying.

    A few control difficulties, for example while grinding on rails it can be difficult to jump off. Sometimes Raz falls off poles or refuses to grab onto them.

    Cost $1, played for 25 hours (collecting all items), will replay every few years for the rest of my life. Highly recommended.    … Expand
  17. fedak
    Nov 23, 2012
    9
    I originally played this back on the original Xbox and it remains one of my favorite games of all time. The storyline and art style of Psychonauts just oozes with originality and the characters are some of the most memorable ever to appear in a game title.

    As a platformer, this is a pretty standard Mario style
  18. Lomax
    Jun 3, 2013
    10
    I love Psychonauts it is the best game I have ever played. The funniest level was the Milkman Conspiracy. And my favourite level was Lungfishopolis. It is so amazing and imaginative.

    You should check it out too.
    (Louisa Sweeney London, Aged, 7).
  19. wnbowen
    Mar 8, 2013
    10
    The most unappreciated game of our generation. This game is a perfect example of what makes games fun. This game made me feel the way I did as a kid first discovering games. Genius humor and level creation. I have never laughed harder or been more surprised by plot twists. I cannot recommend this game enough. I have set this game as a benchmark for every game I play from then on andThe most unappreciated game of our generation. This game is a perfect example of what makes games fun. This game made me feel the way I did as a kid first discovering games. Genius humor and level creation. I have never laughed harder or been more surprised by plot twists. I cannot recommend this game enough. I have set this game as a benchmark for every game I play from then on and they all fall short. Long live the Milk Man.… Expand
  20. ritardedartkid
    Jul 5, 2014
    10
    Aside from a few poorly explained controls this was a really fun and original game. The plot is strange, the dialogue is humorous, and the levels each offer something new and different from one another. Unfortunately, the cutscenes are low res, but for a game from 2005 that's to be expected.
  21. whatthefunk
    Mar 1, 2014
    8
    The story and level design certainly are original, and it was fun to play. However, wonky controls and sometimes horrendous camera control bring the score down a couple notches. 20 hours of game play make it definitely worth the money though.
  22. benpaco
    Feb 6, 2014
    10
    I throw 10s around more often than I should to boost a rating of a game I really consider a 9.5 or 9.7 maybe, but there are very few games I consider perfect. This is one of them.

    The levels are mental, quite literally, the dialogue is perfectly written and well delivered, the gameplay is fun and the concept is unique. The art style, even, was like anything before it.
  23. starise
    Jul 19, 2013
    10
    One of the best games of all time. The plot is unusual and original. Dialogues and situations are full of old style adventure's characteristic humor. The gameplay is fun, never boring, gives the ability to use many kinds of gadgets and mental power, exploring various and colorful places through the "mind" levels of the characters, dreamlike, insane and brilliant at the same time. AnOne of the best games of all time. The plot is unusual and original. Dialogues and situations are full of old style adventure's characteristic humor. The gameplay is fun, never boring, gives the ability to use many kinds of gadgets and mental power, exploring various and colorful places through the "mind" levels of the characters, dreamlike, insane and brilliant at the same time. An absolute masterpiece of its genre.… Expand
  24. TacoTM
    Aug 1, 2013
    10
    Easily my favorite game. The story and characters are awesome. The gameplay and voice-acting are top notch. The soundtrack is AMAZING. Wish I could rate it higher Still waiting on that sequel Double Fine; will pre-order it, hands down.
  25. andrew0w
    Dec 2, 2014
    9
    Psychonauts does what few games can manage to do, have a good story, great comedy, and fun game play. This game is a diamond in the rough that everyone should play.
  26. ThatCooperGuy
    Jun 27, 2015
    9
    Everyone should go buy this game right now.
    Seriously. It's on Xbox Live, PSN(America only), and Steam for just $9.99. It's a very under-looked game that needs more attention.
    GO NOW. PLAY IT.
  27. gamerscritique
    Nov 23, 2013
    10
    Just started a metacritic account so thought I'd jot a quick word about one of my all time favourites games: Psychonauts. Funny, artistic and lovable. The fact that this games makes use of innovative platform mechanics can help but come second to the fact that the characters and comedic writing is so captivating. We love it.
  28. DarumaBlue
    Aug 9, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Psychonauts is a big game for such a small team. Most of the time the gameplay is engaging and fun, and the storyline has a kind of whimsy to it that I miss from my childhood days of gaming. Still, there are hiccups to the gameplay - places where it's no longer fun, but a slog. Notable mentions include the Lungfish level, the Bonaparte level, and a few boss battles which are devastatingly boring. These are matched by some utterly brilliant levels including the arduous but curious Milkman level, as well as one of my favorite levels ever: Black Velvetopia. A good mix, and overall a great game, especially considering you can pick it up for the price of a couple of tacos these days.… Expand
  29. Steeldude
    May 29, 2015
    9
    Easily one of the best platformer games, in Psychonauts you play as Raz, a boy that has unique psychic powers and wants to become a Psychonaut (something like a super hero). In order to do that, he has gone to a training camp. This game excels in story telling, humour and the overall complexity. You can walk around the camp and talk to all children, you will be visiting people's minds toEasily one of the best platformer games, in Psychonauts you play as Raz, a boy that has unique psychic powers and wants to become a Psychonaut (something like a super hero). In order to do that, he has gone to a training camp. This game excels in story telling, humour and the overall complexity. You can walk around the camp and talk to all children, you will be visiting people's minds to solve their problems and take part in uncovering the huge conspiracy that's happening in the world.

    The platforming in this game is simply brilliant and level feels completely different and is filled with unique ideas. Just to give you an example, you'll visit a level that is basically a large cube, as the person whose mind you're going to visit is an organized one.

    Combat is fun as well and there are a lot of things to collect in this game if you are a fan of that. You'll be acquiring new powers and abilities as you go, making you a better and better fighter. The game is pretty long, the art style is great, the story and characters are simply phenomenal, all the levels are unique and varied and the game never stops to be great fun. if you haven't played this game yet and you like platformers, this is your dream come true.

    I didn't gave this game a 10 because of the following reasons:
    - No sequel even though the ending suggests continuation
    - Some portions can be quite annoying (such as the bull level, good luck finding everything there)
    - The bosses are too easy
    - The controls are not always precise    … Expand
  30. SuperkenGaming
    Jun 4, 2021
    9
    Psychonauts
    getting stuck in your mind
    Psychonauts is an 8 and a half hour long 3D platformer where you play as raz.. youre a psychis and youre at this camp to hone your psychic abilitites and become a psychonaut… and I absolutely loved this game from start to finish.. it feels like youre in an interactive cartoon from the late 90s or early 2000s, the humour, the voice actin, the    Psychonauts
    getting stuck in your mind
    Psychonauts is an 8 and a half hour long 3D platformer where you play as raz.. youre a psychis and youre at this camp to hone your psychic abilitites and become a psychonaut… and I absolutely loved this game from start to finish.. it feels like youre in an interactive cartoon from the late 90s or early 2000s, the humour, the voice actin, the perasonality of every character in the worlds.. I absolutely loved it… eventually brains strat getting snatched up so youll be going on a journey to get them back.. and along the way youll need certain items to progress and to get those items you have to teleport into the minds of different charatcers and deal with their demons, their insecurities, really anything that’s holding them back emotionally.. and every mind feels unique.. this is ultimately a 3d platformer with light combat aspects.. youll unlock new psychic abilities as the game goes on,giving you new ways to interact with the world… but no 2 levels feel the same, and I love that especially for a 3d platformer… every level here is memorable, youll be faced with different obstacles and problems to solve, and I love it.. one moment youll be floating through the air and rolling on a ball, and the next youre inside of a board game…
    the only issues psychonauts has is that it is in ways. But only in a couple of ways stuck in time.. I did have to check a walkthrough a couple of ytimes to figure out where to go or what im supposed to be doing to do damage to a boss.. as in a good and bad way.. bosses are all different and cant be damaged in the same way.. this is great when it comes to boss variety, but I feel I would’ve appreciated some cinsistancy in this aspect of the game.. especially since dying will cause you to restart the battle completely, and there are multiple stages and the way to damage the boss isn’t even consistent within its own battle…
    overall though psychonauts is pure nostalgic magic, this over 15 year old game is worth going back for before the sequel comes out.
    I give Psychonauts
    an 8.5/10    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best PC Game of 2005
9
#9 Most Discussed PC Game of 2005
9
#9 Most Shared PC Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. GameSpot
    84
    Psychonauts doesn't reinvent the platformer, but it still delivers an experience that feels wholly original in every aspect of its execution.
    Read full review
  2. 1UP
    90
    It's a brilliant debut for Double Fine, and here's hoping it's just the start of what we can expect to see from them.
    Read full review
  3. Computer Gaming World
    90
    A triumph of art direction, a prime example of exquisite aesthetics and of how well an imaginary world can be beautifully conceived.
    Read full review
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