Psychonauts' story:
- It is unintrusive: for me gameplay is king, and this game made me enjoy exquisite one and a compelling story without overshadowing the former.
- It is completely intertwined with the gameplay: the dialogues, the situations... all of it has an impact on gameplay. It is just fucking insane.
- It has frantic pace: this game takes you places. Oh boy. The central premise of the game allows it: the variety of locations you visit are justified by the plot in a sublime way. The pace makes you feel engaged, wanting to know what is going to happen next and wanting to play it.
- It is full of memorable characters: everyone of them is bursting with personality, and you can tell by their appearance, attitude, lines of dialogue... simply outstanding. There is not a single character who lacks charm or entity.
- It is told by the environment: environmental story-telling: the game. Once again, the central premise of the game allows this, but taking a look at the stages you can tell the motivations, traumas, emotions of the individual involved. The idea of the vaults is also brilliant. I love the little stories they told with simple images.
- It has surprises: Oliander... Ford Cruller...
- It is deep: what it may seem a juvenile game on the surface is a game who tells story of problematic familiar relationships, not overcame traumas and so on. It does so in the format of a tale, being subtle, smart and blatant when it has to be.
- It has a satisfactory ending: the final arc of redemption between Raz and his father, as well as Oliander and his, the union of "good and evil" is just brilliant. Also call me stupid, but the naming of Raz as Psychonaut, and his kiss with Lili gave me the chills.
Psychonauts has to be one of the most underrated games ever conceived...
... and Psychonauts 2 is one of my most anticipated games of next year.
- It is unintrusive: for me gameplay is king, and this game made me enjoy exquisite one and a compelling story without overshadowing the former.
- It is completely intertwined with the gameplay: the dialogues, the situations... all of it has an impact on gameplay. It is just fucking insane.
- It has frantic pace: this game takes you places. Oh boy. The central premise of the game allows it: the variety of locations you visit are justified by the plot in a sublime way. The pace makes you feel engaged, wanting to know what is going to happen next and wanting to play it.
- It is full of memorable characters: everyone of them is bursting with personality, and you can tell by their appearance, attitude, lines of dialogue... simply outstanding. There is not a single character who lacks charm or entity.
- It is told by the environment: environmental story-telling: the game. Once again, the central premise of the game allows this, but taking a look at the stages you can tell the motivations, traumas, emotions of the individual involved. The idea of the vaults is also brilliant. I love the little stories they told with simple images.
- It has surprises: Oliander... Ford Cruller...
- It is deep: what it may seem a juvenile game on the surface is a game who tells story of problematic familiar relationships, not overcame traumas and so on. It does so in the format of a tale, being subtle, smart and blatant when it has to be.
- It has a satisfactory ending: the final arc of redemption between Raz and his father, as well as Oliander and his, the union of "good and evil" is just brilliant. Also call me stupid, but the naming of Raz as Psychonaut, and his kiss with Lili gave me the chills.
Psychonauts has to be one of the most underrated games ever conceived...
... and Psychonauts 2 is one of my most anticipated games of next year.