Is Psychonauts worth buying?

[GrantM]

All I know of Psychonauts is that it is by Tim Schafer, and having played some of the games he made when in Lucasarts I was wondering if this new game from him is any good

[Mynd Hed]

If you like collect-the-tokens platformers, it's got good graphics and controls and a nice aesthetic to it.

If (like myself) you abhor collect-the-tokens platformers, avoid it at all costs.

[Lord Dalek]

Tim needs your money. All of it.

[The Horcrux]

It's on my buy list after I get Kingdom Hearts II. It sounds interesting and alot of people liked it....

[Invader_Spooch]

Tim needs your money. All of it.

Agreed. Favorite game this last year.

All of you must buy it, consarnit. I want him to keep making games, and there is NO reason not to buy it.

[Rasputin]

Buy it! Buy several copies of it! Give them to other family members and tell them to buy several copies! If Tim Schafer becomes penniless then the world will be devoid of fun!

[Frank Castle]

It's the best platformer of all time. Yeah I said it. Also, I have 2 copies of it.:)

[Noukon]

Yes, buy it.

[Invader_Spooch]

It's the best platformer of all time. Yeah I said it. Also, I have 2 copies of it.:)

Me too (bought a PC version, then a PS2 one when it went down to 29.99).:sweat:

[Shnay]

If you like collect-the-tokens platformers, it's got good graphics and controls and a nice aesthetic to it.

If (like myself) you abhor collect-the-tokens platformers, avoid it at all costs.Others have painted the game this way, as well, and I'm not sure it's totally fair. Yes, there's tons of collecting that can be done, but most of it isn't really necessary. I only went out of my way to collect stuff in order to advance on one or two occasions, and that was over failry quickly. Most of the things you have to collect are right in front of you. If you're not concerned with getting a 100% completion rate, you can play it as a straight platformer most of the way through without any problems. I hate collect-a-thons as well, but I loved this game.

To Grant, whether any game is "worth buying" depends on your game budget. Psychonauts doesn't have a ton of replay value, so if your wallet is tight, you might want to just rent this one. However, if you the have the cash, Psychonauts would make a mighty fine purchase. The art is stylish, the writing is witty, the levels are imaginative, the characters are fun, and the platformer gameplay is...adequate. And, as others have pointed out, purchasing this game means supporting a creator who faught with publishers to make something unique, instead of churning out something safely familiar.

[Mynd Hed]

Others have painted the game this way, as well, and I'm not sure it's totally fair. Yes, there's tons of collecting that can be done, but most of it isn't really necessary. I only went out of my way to collect stuff in order to advance on one or two occasions, and that was over failry quickly. Most of the things you have to collect are right in front of you. If you're not concerned with getting a 100% completion rate, you can play it as a straight platformer most of the way through without any problems. I hate collect-a-thons as well, but I loved this game.

Fair enough, I guess the collecting aspect just seemed like a bigger part of the game than it really was from my perspective. After hearing all the hype about how it was this wonderful, unique gaming experience, realizing that there was any token collecting at all was this real let-down. I mean, how been-there done-that can you GET?
But you're right, most of the collecting is either insanely easy or can be skipped.


And, as others have pointed out, purchasing this game means supporting a creator who faught with publishers to make something unique, instead of churning out something safely familiar.

Umm... but as far as gameplay goes, it IS something safely familiar. It's the same old platformer with a coat of Burton-colored paint slapped on it. That's what I don't get about this game. Everyone touts it as this innovative product, and when you get past the appearances, it's really not... at all.

There's not anything wrong with that, you understand-- there are genres that I will happily play the latest iteration of even if it adds nothing new besides a fresh coat of paint. Platforming doesn't happen to be one of them in my personal case, but if you like platformers, it's a perfectly solid game. But game of the year / unique experience / innovative gameplay / anything of all time? Where are all these outrageously hyped-up claims coming from?

But to get back to GrantM's original question, the best advice is always the same-- rent it. It's easy to find at major rental places like Blockbuster and Hollywood, and it's been around long enough that you shouldn't have any problem finding a copy checked in.

[Shnay]

As I said, I wouldn't tout the gameplay itself as the game's finest aspect. If the other elements of the game don't amount to anything more than a coat of paint (which one could make a strong argument for), then it is an entirely average game. I, and many others, apparently, would say that various elements of presentation make the whole experience something more than that.

[Artimus Gigan]

Depending on the version and retailer the game ranges from 20-40 bucks

it's not a full 50 or 60 and it's a pretty good platformer, so just take the dive. It's got alot of redeeming elements that make up for any short comings.

[.Automatisch]

I kind of thought it was WAY over-hyped, but I guess its worth the money if you like platformers of this nature.

[GrantM]

Okay, so the game is generally considered to be good, that works for me....one problem though, there's one thing stopping me from getting it though, but I really do not want to say what it is.

[Tea]

Yes, you should get it. Immediately.

If you liked his past games, then nothing should stop you from getting it. It's as funny as Monkey Island, that along should be your deciding factor!

[Rasputin]

Truth be told, I haven't actually played the game, so I can't comment on its quality (though I've played Tim Schafer's previous games: Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle and Grim Fandango...which rock by the way). For me it's an ideological thing. Too much of the games industry is dominated by 'safe' games, things like multiple versions of Madden and games revolving around some mythical 'gangsta land'. It has to act this way because the costs nowadays are becoming too prohibitive to take risks, so larger publishers only fund sure-fire hits.

What this implies is that 'no one likes quirky games'...or, to be more charged, 'people are too stupid to buy good games'. It does the games industry no favours to develop this kind of attitude, and since it largely has it's down to us to vote with our wallets. What I'm awaiting is the much-delayed rise of the 'art-house game', a game made by a well-known auteur outside of the main developers.

However, what this approach demands of the gamer is tolerance of the mistake, since in setting new territory it is customary to make mistakes sometimes. Very few innovators get it perfect first time round, so we need to support their efforts adequately enough so that they can work through the kinks and deliver an even better experience next time round. If the first independent game they bring out isn't up-to-scratch, then they at the very least need time to absorb feedback and think about what to do next, how to do things differently, and develop their ideas. Without that time, and without gamer support, then they will die off after that first game and we'll never damn well see them again. The latter is what usually happens.

Now do we want Tim Schafer to disappear from gaming? Heck no! No matter the qualities of the game itself, his studio is simply too important not to support.

[MGFanJay]

It's definitely worth buying. I rented it when it came out and fell in love with how well everything was done. It's getting kind of hard to find now, though, so get it while you can. It should be about $20 or so now.