|
Most
multi-format titles released at the moment share one major trait;
they are almost all built for the PlayStation2 and then ported to
the Xbox, GameCube and possibly even the  PlayStation Portable before
having an entirely different constructs created for Nintendo’s
handhelds, the Game Boy Advance and NintendoDS. Since the
PlayStation2 is by far the world’s most popular home console this
makes perfect sense, why make a game for a console that no-one has?
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but considering
the ever shrinking GameCube Release Schedule it’s easy to see why
the Xbox is seen as the obvious alternative to the SONY‘s
mega-popular console. While the Xbox has many, many First-Person
Shooters and Third-Person Action/Adventure games, it is strikingly
short on Platform titles when compared with the competition. With
this in mind, it seems a little strange that Majesco’s Psychonauts
was released in the US on Xbox and PC first. However, PlayStation2 fans have nothing to
worry about, it’s not the beginning of the end, yet, Psychonauts,
thanks to THQ,
is also coming to the PlayStation2 in the UK; but considering the
huge gap in processing power between SONY’s dated machine and the
Xbox and current PC’s, have the developers bitten off more than
they can chew?
Psychonauts
is a Platform game by Tim Schaffer, creator of the brilliant Grim
Fandango and the unforgettable Point-And-Click adventure Day
Of The Tentacle. The title represents the next stage in THQ's
plans to bring Majesco's titles to UK audiences; two publishers who
have grown  some fond affection here at Electronic Articles due
to releases such as Juiced,
Nanostray and the next title arriving
from the two companies;
Stubbs The Zombie: Rebel Without A Pulse. The game follows the adventure of Rasputin, a
psychic-acrobat that has escaped from the circus to train at the
Whispering Rock Psychic
Summer Camp. This sets the scene for one of the most original and
inspired, and possibly completely mad, variations of the overused
Platform genre. The game is essentially split into two main
differing planes; the real world - which is generally, but not
exclusively, used as a the HUB area much like that originally
presented with Super Mario64, from which you can upgrade your
Psychic Powers and buy items to aid you in your adventure - and
various dream worlds that exist only in several characters heads.
Most of the game takes place in one of the dream worlds which,
unlike so many other games, consists of several completely different
Levels. For example, Coach Oleander’s mind is a battle torn
wasteland, whereas the mind of fellow Psychonaut Dr. Nein is a
rigidly organised cube. Each Level is well designed and generally
unlike anything you will have seen before.
Following the a-typical structure of Level, Boss, HUB repeat,
Psychonauts’ originality comes from that of offering a
different approach to a gameplay-scape. Levels are no longer
confined to the horizontal, with many Levels within Psychonauts
offering fully 3D movement to an extent that many could never have
even thought of, while seemingly few have thought it would translate
into a playable game. Many Levels in Psychonauts present
themselves as Rubik-Cube-esque revolving Level basis, much like the
Wall-Run technique seen in Bujingai Swordmaster, walking of
an edge will not see you fall to infinity, but instead follow the
curve of the earth. Renovating the idea behind the revolving Metroid
stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee, a huge element is added
to many aspects of the title simply by adding this extra degree of
depth.
The
game uses the Lock-On System frequently associated with Third-Person
Action/Adventure/RPGs since the feature’s debut in The Legend
of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time. Basic movement and attack is mapped
to the Right Analogue Stick and Face  Buttons respectively, with
three of your Psychic Powers able to be mapped to three of the
Shoulder Buttons, while Lock-On features as assigned to the
remaining L1 Trigger. This method has been tried-and-tested on the
PlayStation2 many times and thankfully Psychonauts’
controls are very easy to use for those already versed in the genre.
In
order to attain further Psychic Powers and upgrade the ones you have
already obtained you must increase your Rank. In order to do this
there are various collectables in the game for you to find. The
strange premise of the game has allowed the developer to experiment
with some totally crazy ideas, such as Emotional Baggage as a
tangible-thing that must be sorted by finding the appropriate
name-tag. There are also Figments Of The Imagination, Psi-Cards and
Cobwebs - collectable only with a Cobweb Duster - for you to, of
course, collect, which all in one-way-or-another help increase your
Rank. This method in itself is nothing new, but works perfectly
within the game. Each Psychic Power is used many times in the games
puzzles and those who have played Tim Schaffer’s earlier titles
may see similarities in the logic employed.
Your
life is governed by your Mental Health, comparable to Hit-Points,
and your level of Astral Projection, similar to Lives. When your
Mental Health (which can be extended throughout the game) is
depleted, you lose a level of Astral Projection. When you lose all
of these levels you are ejected from the mind you are in and must
start again from the last area or, if you are in the real world, you
will die. However Psychonauts is not the most difficult game
you will ever play. You Mental Health Gauge becomes quite large
early in the game and you can Save at any point, so it is doubtful
death will be your main problem. However the complexity of some of
the puzzles may take you a while to figure out so it’s likely that
Psychonauts will still take you between ten and fifteen-hours
to finish.
So
how does the PlayStation2 handle running a primarily Xbox game? Not
so great. There are unfortunately obvious Frame-Rate issues
throughout the game, although they do not affect your play over
excessively, they are far from convenient. However, when the screen
is not jerking, Psychonauts is striking in its offbeat style.
Levels feature some completely crazy designs that range from dark
and brooding to bright and vivid and the atmosphere fits entirely in
with the style of the game; think Tim Burton. Animation of the
characters is also very smooth despite the graphical flaws. The real
star of the show is the sound though; each character has loads of
dialogue which is almost always hilarious and very well acted. Every
character from the obnoxious bully Bobby to Linda The Giant Mutated
Lungfish is completely different and there many laugh-out-loud
moments throughout the game, drawing a parallel with a THQ release
from last year – Destroy All Humans!. The music is also
suitably atmospheric and varied helping to make Psychonauts
one of the best games you’ll hear this year.
Despite
the fact that this game should have remained on higher powered
systems, Psychonauts is a charming and adventurous  variation
on a genre so overused in today market. This game is worth buying
even if only for the dialogue, since that alone would probably keep
you entertained for the games duration even without any interaction.
Group this with its unique inherent style, excellently implemented
Psychic Powers, great puzzles and sound Platforming-elements and you
have a very good game indeed.
|
