There’s something really unfortunate about being sick on a weekend. It kinda feels like your body is cheating you out of a day off, instead of during the work week when it’s more like an unexpected reprieve from the drudgery of the office. Fortunately for me, Sunday wasn’t ruined, really, since I did basically what I’d been hoping to do- I sat on the sofa, bundled up, and played video games. Specifically Psychonauts.

Now, if you haven’t heard of this game, it’s a pity. While it came out a few years ago, it’s wasn’t wildly popular like, say, Madden. Which is too bad, because this game is super sharp. The writing alone makes this game worth playing. It’s hysterical, even the throw away dialog that you hear when you walk past other characters on your journeys around the camp. Just wander around and stand near people, honestly it’s worth it. The game basically is this: You play Raz, a young boy who’s run away from home (at the circus) to go to summer camp. Not just any summer camp, of course, it’s a summer camp for kids endowed with extra mental powers. It quickly becomes clear that Something Is Not Right as Raz witnesses a strange and creepy man stealing the brain of one of the other campers!

Now I haven’t gotten too far in the game yet (I kept having to take time off for naps and tea and suchlike. Curse this being ill.) but so far Raz has learned several new tricks including pyrokenisis and what can best be described as mind bullets. I’m not sure how they will top the amazing level where I got to play a godzilla style monster in downtown lungfishopolis, though. There is something deeply satisfying about crushing buildings with a single footstep and throwing tanks at each other, then finally fighting an endboss styled after Ultraman.

Now I do have to admit that Psychonauts has an appropriately bizarre art style, and some of the levels are definitely strange, which can be somewhat offputting, but I think that the genius of the writers and the geme’s designers trumps that. So, if you’re looking for something new and maybe a bit quirky, this game is definitely for you. G’wan, help Raz through the special troubles of a summer camp for really special kids. It’s a fabulous way to spend a sick day.

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This entry was posted on Monday, March 17th, 2008 at 12:03 pm and is filed under games, Neomera. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Both comments and pings are currently closed.