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. EddM
    Jan 17, 2010
    9
    Brilliant. Pure and simple. The game is wacky, funny, clever and above all: fun. I'm on my fifth play through at the moment and it still makes me laugh. The only issue really is the frankly insane difficulty spike over the last level or two. The game goes from fun to mind numbing slog for a half hour or so. It's no where near enough to ruin it, but it does take the shine off it! Brilliant. Pure and simple. The game is wacky, funny, clever and above all: fun. I'm on my fifth play through at the moment and it still makes me laugh. The only issue really is the frankly insane difficulty spike over the last level or two. The game goes from fun to mind numbing slog for a half hour or so. It's no where near enough to ruin it, but it does take the shine off it! Fully recommended though!… Expand
  2. KimP.
    Jun 15, 2005
    9
    Aside from Full Throttle, I wasn't a Tim Shafer junky like many. However, I *loved* this game. I thought the gameplay was original, the theme and story VERY original, and the level design was BRILLIANTLY original. The writing and voice acting was far above the quality of most game titles. There were jokes kids would find funny, and jokes that adults will get and that will go over Aside from Full Throttle, I wasn't a Tim Shafer junky like many. However, I *loved* this game. I thought the gameplay was original, the theme and story VERY original, and the level design was BRILLIANTLY original. The writing and voice acting was far above the quality of most game titles. There were jokes kids would find funny, and jokes that adults will get and that will go over kids heads. The only thing barring this from getting a 10 was that some of the boss fights, especially the last few, revert to very classic button-mash style, poor AI-driven, ones. Don't let that stop you though. One of the must play games of 2005.… Expand
  3. JasonM.
    Jun 1, 2007
    9
    Pros: Great game that is nothing like anything I played before it. Good humor, and story. Cons: The interface was clearly not designed smartly for a pc game. If you pick up this game you may also want to snag a good joystick to go with it. Some minor quest bugs that required a save and restart to fix.
  4. BenB.
    Aug 12, 2007
    9
    Very original! Thanks to Double Fine Productions for making a great game !
  5. CharlotteF.
    Mar 15, 2009
    9
    Not the longest or most technologically advanced game there is, but Psychonauts makes such a creative take on the Action/Adventure layout that you'll barely notice, with hours of witty dialogue to discover along the way. Concentrates on what games are supposed to be about - fun. Which you WILL have.
  6. MarkG
    Jul 29, 2009
    9
    The worst aspect of this game is that fact that when it was first released back in 2005 it got overlooked by the gaming public which lead the studio who created it getting closed down. For some reason people prefer to stick to what they know and play the countless Halo, Call of Duty and Tomb Raider squeals instead whereas Psychonauts is wholly originally and a great deal of fun. The in The worst aspect of this game is that fact that when it was first released back in 2005 it got overlooked by the gaming public which lead the studio who created it getting closed down. For some reason people prefer to stick to what they know and play the countless Halo, Call of Duty and Tomb Raider squeals instead whereas Psychonauts is wholly originally and a great deal of fun. The in game graphics, box art and concept do paint this game as some what 'quirky' which I guess is one of the reasons why people where initially put off this game but if you can put your first impressions aside and at least play the free demo you will find just how fun this game is. What makes this game stand out for (as has been pointed out by other reviews) is the level design, the scripting and the humour. Now whilst the gameplay isn't ground breaking it works well although I would highly recommend you use a control pad to play this game. Now I don't want to give to much away but in all my years of gaming I've never played a game like this, the ideas behind some of the levels are just fantastic with one level basically being a parody of Godzilla. Although the game is from 2005 the graphics still hold up in my opinion after all this is a platform game in the vein of Mario but unlike most games of that period it does support wide screen monitors and resolutions up to 1920x1200 within the in game options! I've even come across games this year that don't fully support wide screens yet, so, so much for the argument Psychonauts isn't a technical. The only negative aspects of this game are only minor, the camera positioning doesn't always end up where you want it and even with a control pad the controls takes a bit of getting used to. My only other gripe is the the wasn't long enough, I played it for a week but I had so much fun playing it I wanted more. If I had played this game from new I would have given this an 8/10 (due to it's length) but since it can be bought for next nothing now it gets a well deserved 9/10.… Expand
  7. JohnG.
    May 21, 2005
    9
    This game is, as some of the other user-reviews fail to note, fantastic. It's kid-friendly - no blood and guts here - but that's hardly a negative. Some of the best writing in games is on display here, along with ideas and level design that would make David Lynch and Frank Oz jealous. Buy this game; you will be happy you did.
  8. 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
  9. jcdoll
    Feb 8, 2012
    9
    I was pleasantly surprised by this game. It starts off slowly but by the third 'stage' the game is just incredibly fun and creative. There are more than few annoying, whining kids in the very beginning of the game but they quickly vanish. Most of the later stages are extremely fun and memorable.
  10. 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.
  11. megamormonman
    May 29, 2012
    9
    Psychonauts was one of the best games of the new millenium decade. It makes it right up there on my top 5 games of all time list. In the way of Art Design, the game is incredibly stylized with no two NPC's looking alike. The writing that went into these NPC's is also fantastic, making each character memorable and unique. Voice acting was great, but a few more lines were needed, as I foundPsychonauts was one of the best games of the new millenium decade. It makes it right up there on my top 5 games of all time list. In the way of Art Design, the game is incredibly stylized with no two NPC's looking alike. The writing that went into these NPC's is also fantastic, making each character memorable and unique. Voice acting was great, but a few more lines were needed, as I found characters repeating lines too often. Controls are smooth, but the terrain can trap you into a slide move when you landed there by accident. The game is largely a 3rd Person Platformer with puzzles and combat done through the various psychic powers you get during the game. On my first playthrough, I had trouble with something that should never happen in a video game. When you go to a store, the merchandise should be an optional item you buy, not required to progress. It turns out you NEED to buy an item, and it just so happens to be the most expensive item in the shop. You have to KNOW to save up your currency. The setting for the game is a summer camp for psychics as an overworld, and the main levels of the game are inside people's minds. For example, there is a mind that looks like a war zone, a mind that looks like a theater, and a mind that looks like a board game. The difficulty curve of the puzzles dramatically increases at one point of the game to where it becomes a 90 degree angle. Some of the platforming gets difficult later on in the game as well, and if you aren't experienced, you will die. A LOT. But these faults are dramatically overshadowed buy the good, which is the writing which is legitimately funny, the voice acting, the art, and something that is rarely seen. The gameplay is actually FUN. So many games out there just aren't FUN anymore. They try to convince you otherwise with multiplayer or a good story, but if the gameplay is bad, then we're only fooling ourselves. I know I focussed more on the bad than the good in this review, but in a review, I need to say what went wrong so if a sequel is ever made, it will be done right. I do want a sequel, seeing as the story ends on a cliffhanger, and I would love to see what other ideas there are for the inside of minds. I want to see the mind of a gamer, the mind of a professor, the mind of a computer technician, or heck, the mind of an Amish person could be hilarious and imaginative. But like I said, this game makes it on my top 5 list easily, and it's definitely worth your money and with a campaign that is about 4 hours for a $10 game, it surely worth your time.… Expand
  12. Wherewolf
    Jul 17, 2012
    9
    Just purchased this game for next to nothing on Steam and played through the first 'mission.' I almost wish I'd paid more! It's such good fun, the creators really do deserve credit for this. It looks so sharp and fresh even though it's 7 years old, voice acting is very good and the script is funny too. A lighthearted and enjoyable game, just what you need when you have to have a break fromJust purchased this game for next to nothing on Steam and played through the first 'mission.' I almost wish I'd paid more! It's such good fun, the creators really do deserve credit for this. It looks so sharp and fresh even though it's 7 years old, voice acting is very good and the script is funny too. A lighthearted and enjoyable game, just what you need when you have to have a break from killing orcs or bringing down the combine :) It's a 10/10 for it's genre, but rating it 9 because I think that only games like Bioshock and Half Life 2 really deserve full marks... Nonetheless, a happy game that I know I'll keep coming back to.… Expand
  13. GameDragon
    Jul 11, 2012
    9
    In my latest obsession with indie games, this is the best one I've played so far. The concept of going into people's minds and gaining clues, sorting their emotional baggage, and just looking around in the "world as they see it" is fun and interesting (as well as creative). One of the levels is the mind of a mutated lungfish; it doesn't get much more creative than that! It's much easierIn my latest obsession with indie games, this is the best one I've played so far. The concept of going into people's minds and gaining clues, sorting their emotional baggage, and just looking around in the "world as they see it" is fun and interesting (as well as creative). One of the levels is the mind of a mutated lungfish; it doesn't get much more creative than that! It's much easier to play with a controller than the keyboard, but there really aren't any problems with the keyboard, either. The camera angles are a little strange and takes some getting used to (especially in the last level), but there are more positives than negatives with this game. The cut-scenes range from curious to hilarious, and though it feels short before the main plot is revealed, you still get to know a good amount of the characters. Some parts require thinking, and the last level really takes patience, but it's just the sort of game that you can play over and over again.… Expand
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. curzon_dax
    Dec 21, 2019
    9
    This game deserves a 9, not a 10, not an 8, and I'll tell you why. First of all it's extremely underrated since it's almost unknown compared to its quality, being one of the best platformer games in the history of gaming, with extremely good variety and even originality and a well all-rounded game that even balances difficulty and length of the game very well. However, it is definitelyThis game deserves a 9, not a 10, not an 8, and I'll tell you why. First of all it's extremely underrated since it's almost unknown compared to its quality, being one of the best platformer games in the history of gaming, with extremely good variety and even originality and a well all-rounded game that even balances difficulty and length of the game very well. However, it is definitely imperfect because at least the sociological aspect of the game, namely the relations between the characters in the story and the characters themselves while they are are relatively good they are not perfect and at times they try too hard to seem cool but they aren't that cool but it's not that bad at that though.… Expand
  19. Xzenor
    Mar 4, 2020
    9
    I really loved this game! It doesn't even look that bad considering its age (2005!).
    Great story, fine gameplay. A little issues with the camera once in a while but not really a lot.
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. FrannyFantastic
    Nov 15, 2014
    9
    Easily one of my five favourite games. Psychonauts is genuinely funny, remembering that idiosyncratic characters have always been key to good comedy. I was also impressed by the big themes that the game tackled: mental illness, child-parent relationships and trauma being among them. For all this Psychonauts is never heavy-handed or frivolous in its treatment of these concerns.

    The    Easily one of my five favourite games. Psychonauts is genuinely funny, remembering that idiosyncratic characters have always been key to good comedy. I was also impressed by the big themes that the game tackled: mental illness, child-parent relationships and trauma being among them. For all this Psychonauts is never heavy-handed or frivolous in its treatment of these concerns.

    The gameplay is incredibly solid, keeping enough variation to keep the audience engaged. Each level offers different challenges and objectives, never lingering too long at a certain point, but without straying from core mechanics. I wouldn't say it's perfect, and it times the 'collect-a-thon' elements are a bit tiresome, but aside from this Psychonauts is a game of incredible merit and creativity.    … Expand
  23. djball
    Jul 24, 2015
    9
    I would say one of top 5 pc games ever created, next to NOLF1, Dues Ex1, Grim Fandango, Diablo 2.

    It's a dirty filthy whore near the end, but just keep trying! Most people drop out at meat circus, so test your old school skills to the max! Difficulty is beyond insane, be warned. Good Luck young brainless campers!
  24. RiotKnight
    Mar 17, 2015
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I remember seeing this advertised a bit as a kid in the year 2005. Seemed pretty popular, but never got to play it myself. However, recently Steam had one of those NSFW (Not Safe For Wallet) Sales going on over Thanksgiving Weekend and I saw this in the list of games with discounts. So I bought it along with a bunch of other games I may never get to play any time soon. I would just like to share some of the experiences I had playing it.

    You play as Rasputin (or just Raz for short), a 10 year old boy with psychic powers who runs away from home to avoid his father's prejudiced attitude towards psychics. He ventures into Whispering Rock Summer Camp to learn how to become a Psychonaut. Psychonauts are a group of individuals capable of using psychic powers and do so for the greater good (i.e. super heroes). Now they don't quite accept Raz at first, but they see he has incredible potential as they can't even read his mind even with their combined efforts. Thus Raz begins to learn how to utilize his psychic abilities.

    Now this game is more of an adventure type of game with some puzzles involved. You enter people's heads and make your way through their subconscious, their memories, and all of their thoughts. The gameplay itself was nicely done, but the best part of the game is what you see. I saw the thoughts of a man who dreamt of being in the military, so his mind reflected a battlefield with tanks, planes, bombs, land mines, and ...rabbits? Whatever. You can see some of the more personal thoughts by unlocking vaults. It is revealed that even though this man dreamt of being a 5 star general, he never became one because he never got into the military. He was rejected due to being too short.

    I saw many other things in other people's heads and noticed how it affected their behavior. For example, this one person was a simple night guard, but what was really off about him was his constant muttering and the strange drawings surrounding him. He seemed to be trying to connect clues and hints to answer one question: "Who is the Milkman?" The level representing his thoughts consisted of TONS of private investigators looking for something (or someone) and objects that followed you everywhere! This place made me very paranoid and some locations I couldn't enter without the right "disguise." These disguises were literally just items. No clothing, just items. Apparently holding a plunger makes you look like a "Sewer Maintenance Worker" to these identical and ubiquitous investigators. Also running around were these little innocent looking girls selling cookies. Some of them could be found whispering into bushes, trash cans, and dog houses as if they were talking to someone. They just looked crazy to me.

    But then it all began to make sense after viewing one of the vaults. A person who looked exactly like the night guard was seen in the vault lighting a bottle of milk and using it as a Molotov Cocktail Explosive! It suddenly dawned on me that the man whose mind I occupied IS the Milkman! The investigators represented his mind searching for the conspirator and the little girls symbolized his innocence and ignorance for this man was blissfully unaware that he had done such things. Once everything had been fixed and settled, I left and the night guard seemed more stable. He still lit the building on fire, but at least he found out who he was.

    This may seem like a pointless thing, but get this: things like this can apply to reality. Granted, we cannot venture into the minds of other people physically, but through therapy (also known as "communicating") we can find out a person's mental issues and fix them. Anyone who is mentally sick is genuinely sick and curable! We don't just let them destroy themselves.

    But that epiphany aside, this game was amazing. The characters are memorable, the gameplay was smooth, the levels were well designed, the difficulty didn't spike too high or fall too short of expectations, and not once did I think "When does this end?" in a negative way. I really didn't want it to end. I felt like I only explored just a few of the minds. Maybe a sequel or spiritual successor of this game will be made.    … Expand
  25. TheAcidBoot
    Nov 27, 2015
    9
    Psychonauts is a masterpiece! Now I usually wouldn't give a game such a high rating however I truly believe that Psychonauts deserves it. This game plays out kind've like a Pixar animation just much much darker. Like be prepared for some dark stuff in this game. The story is top notch and entertaining. The gameplay is great aswell. The characters are all interesting and funny. The music isPsychonauts is a masterpiece! Now I usually wouldn't give a game such a high rating however I truly believe that Psychonauts deserves it. This game plays out kind've like a Pixar animation just much much darker. Like be prepared for some dark stuff in this game. The story is top notch and entertaining. The gameplay is great aswell. The characters are all interesting and funny. The music is amazing! My only complaint with Psychonauts is that the first few hours of the game feel more like a tutorial rather than actual gameplay. But other than that this game is great. I would rate it a 9/10. A must buy!… Expand
  26. zzzsheepyzzz
    Feb 10, 2016
    9
    This comes very close to being a "perfect game".

    Compelling story and characters, very fun and dynamic game and best of it is intelligent and it really left an impression on me - the kind of feeling from reading a worthwhile book, or great movie, or awesome game. One reviewer said that it includes a knowledge of a Masters level of Psychology, and I think that is what makes this game    This comes very close to being a "perfect game".

    Compelling story and characters, very fun and dynamic game and best of it is intelligent and it really left an impression on me - the kind of feeling from reading a worthwhile book, or great movie, or awesome game.

    One reviewer said that it includes a knowledge of a Masters level of Psychology, and I think that is what makes this game so awesome and unique; it comes from an intelligent background of Psychology and of History.

    There is room for customization for your character, and each level is dynamic and unique. The artwork is phenomenal, and the characters (and character work) grow on you. Also it is full of very witty humour along the way.

    I suppose the only flaws are that I wish the game was longer, or there was a sequel as there could be a lot more to explore with the world and the characters - although there are 'collect everything' features to this game for those who enjoy the 100% completion.

    Definitely a must play for any single-player advocates!    … Expand
  27. FromKanga
    Aug 2, 2017
    9
    Psychonauts is a very charming game and it still holds up.
    The story was weird but charming and unique, it has a lot of dark humor and it works really well.
    The characters were likable, I thought that Raz had a really annoying voice but I do found his character to be enjoyable, the other characters were over the top but really fun and entertaining. The gameplay is fun, it's a    Psychonauts is a very charming game and it still holds up.
    The story was weird but charming and unique, it has a lot of dark humor and it works really well.
    The characters were likable, I thought that Raz had a really annoying voice but I do found his character to be enjoyable, the other characters were over the top but really fun and entertaining.

    The gameplay is fun, it's a platformer with great level design, there is a great sensation of progression when you unlock a new power and a new area, the worlds you travel in are all unique and look different from each other, my only problem is that the camera can get annoying.

    I didn't know what to expect with this game but I'm so glad I gave it a chance, it's unique, it's funny, it has great gameplay and a great story and I highly recommend it.    … Expand
  28. shadowpoker
    Apr 25, 2018
    9
    Original and fun game with nice art, fun story, interesting game mechanics. It have a few problems with some levels seems repetitive but it is very enjoyable.
  29. HarrySatschel
    Dec 14, 2018
    9
    I had a great time with this game. It truly is a case study in imaginative level design. There are so many memorable moments and details within the story & levels.
  30. gamerz4life
    Sep 27, 2020
    9
    Classic and just old fashioned ‘PS2’ fun, Psychonauts is a “Collect it all-story driven platformer” and it succeeds on all of those mechanics. Psychonauts has exciting story (with primary missions and a lot of side missions in different areas around the maps), and actually pretty entertaining platforming (with different powers and abilities to achieve getting around levels and collectingClassic and just old fashioned ‘PS2’ fun, Psychonauts is a “Collect it all-story driven platformer” and it succeeds on all of those mechanics. Psychonauts has exciting story (with primary missions and a lot of side missions in different areas around the maps), and actually pretty entertaining platforming (with different powers and abilities to achieve getting around levels and collecting items).

    I would go so far as to rank Psychonauts among one of the preeminent titles of the (collecting/platformers) of its day and even currently (it still looks actually pretty spectacular taking in the fact it was launched in 2005!). I would even go so far to say it ranks above the ‘Spyro’ series in my opinion.

    Pros: Story, Platforming, Puzzles, Control Mechanics

    Con: Can get redundant if played in long play thru runs with no break. Sometimes the camera does not help, (it reminds you it was on the ‘PS2’).    … 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

All reviews »
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.
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  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.
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