So I just played Psychonauts for the first time [Archive]

Dr.Epic

2012-11-11, 12:16 AM

Started my first game a few hours ago. Yeah, I know: it's several years old, but I don't care. I was in Game Stop a few days ago, just browsing their PS2 selection and I figured I'd buy it. Psychonauts was a game I knew about when it came out, and I always kind of wanted to play it, but never got around to buying it. I guess I was too busy downsizing the Greek pantheon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_of_War_%28series%29), killing "zombies" in Europe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_Evil_4), and beating the tar out of midgets, clowns, and demons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_hand).

Anyway, I'm having fun with it, which is kind of surprising if you think about it. If you couldn't guess by the games list above, I'm usually more a fan of beat-'em-ups and hack-and-slash; games that by the end you're accumulated a body count equal to that of a very large battle or quite possibly a small war. But the game is a ton of fun. It's one of the best platformers I've ever played. The mental levels are original, fun, and creative to explore and walk through. I also love the dialogue and characters.:smallbiggrin:

Overall, I'm having fun. I just learned levitation. So feel free to be nostalgic and discuss a game that's like 7-8 years old. And please, remember spoilers where appropriate.

factotum

2012-11-11, 03:22 AM

Craft (Cheese)

2012-11-11, 05:00 AM

<--- Beat the Meat Circus first try.

Had more problems with the catwalks in Gloria's theater to be honest :/

Also, am I the only one who finds the Milkman Conspiracy to be seriously overrated?

Archonic Energy

2012-11-11, 06:16 AM

are you in on it?
who's paying you?
...
WHO'S PAYING YOU?
*slap*
we can do this the easy way or the hard way, but either way you will tell me what you know.

Thiyr

2012-11-11, 06:33 AM

Deadly....TRIANGLE BEAM!

Sorry, random references to the game aside, hooray for psychonauts. Just watch out for the psychic bears of doom.

And the meat circus. If you haven't gathered, you will cry tears (of bacon grease). Platforming hell given flesh (and circus).

edit: I'm just sayin' the meat circus is cruel and unusual, not that it fits the description of platform hell (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PlatformHell). It's just terribly painful to experience.

Cespenar

2012-11-11, 08:50 AM

Also, am I the only one who finds the Milkman Conspiracy to be seriously overrated?

Nah, I don't think it to be the best level either. My candidates would be Lungfishopolis and the neon lights & bullfight-themed level of which I've forgotten the name.

Especially, their boss fights.

shadow_archmagi

2012-11-11, 09:24 AM

I felt like the Milkman Conspiracy was a lot of fun as a concept, but the level itself was definitely not the most enjoyable in terms of gameplay.

Thiyr

2012-11-11, 05:27 PM

Nah, I don't think it to be the best level either. My candidates would be Lungfishopolis and the neon lights & bullfight-themed level of which I've forgotten the name.

Especially, their boss fights.

Black Velvetopia, iirc.

Dr.Epic

2012-11-11, 05:33 PM

Goggalor! Tee-hee!:smallbiggrin: I love it!

smuchmuch

2012-11-11, 06:15 PM

Put spoilers in white text.

The milkman conspiracy was a very fun level for me. The fun mostly comes from just screwing around like you do in the camp, trying wrong objects and getting caught on purpose just to hear all the questions the agents can ask (there are tons of those it's funny) you and so on.
I'll admit it's not for everyone tho, it's one of those level who show how much while being platformer, Psychonaut is a tim shaeffer creation and thus heavily influenced by advnture game.

As for the meat circus, I alway felt ambivalent about it. I think it's an awesomme level and I never understood all the hate for the rising water section, sure it's a step up in diffciulty but it's not that hard and it's it'd be be a challenge. The section with little Olie, however is just annoying and painfull. Boss fights we're disapointing.

it's an excellent game altogether. it's only default IMO is that it is a bit short and really doesn't have that many non tutorial actual levels.

Dr.Epic

2012-11-11, 08:01 PM

Nah, I don't think it to be the best level either. My candidates would be Lungfishopolis and the neon lights & bullfight-themed level of which I've forgotten the name.

Lungfishopolis was a ton of fun. It was a hilarious inversion. It'd be my favorite level so far (I just beat the level and haven't played again yet to give context) if it weren't for the controls. You move a lot slower and clunkier, which I guess physically makes sense since you are 100 feet tall.

it's an excellent game altogether. it's only default IMO is that it is a bit short

Seems like a decent length to me. Granted I'm not done with it, but I've already spent 5 hours playing it and my Psi level is only 45, so there at least seems like there's a few more hours.

and really doesn't have that many non tutorial actual levels.

Yeah, that was an annoyance to me too. Yeah, I get it! (https://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=/watch%3Fv%3D8FpigqfcvlM):smallannoyed:
Warning: strong language

One thing that surprised me was Steve Blum's character in the game. I heard he did voice work for Psychonauts, but I wasn't sure which character. I would have never guessed in a million years Spike from Cowboy Bebop shared the same voice as this character. Which probably adds to the hilarity!

Psychonaut

2012-11-12, 12:42 AM

As one might gather, I am a fan.

I agree with the sentiment that the Milkman Conspiracy is lacking as far as gameplay goes, but I absolutely love the concept and execution. In fact, it's kind of a microcosm for the game as a whole in that way. (IMO, the game as a whole is rather mediocre with regard to the platformer elements that make up the bulk of the gameplay, but the concept and humor makes it entertaining nonetheless.)

Dr.Epic

2012-11-12, 12:52 AM

As one might gather, I am a fan.

What!? You username Psychonaut is a fan of the video game Psychonauts! Surely you jest!:smallwink::smalltongue:

I agree with the sentiment that the Milkman Conspiracy is lacking as far as gameplay goes, but I absolutely love the concept and execution.

Again with the Milkman Conspiracy. Why so much hate? I'm gonna have to play this part and see for myself. Am I close? I just got past Lungfishopolis and arrived on the island or wherever it is.

In fact, it's kind of a microcosm for the game as a whole in that way. (IMO, the game as a whole is rather mediocre with regard to the platformer elements that make up the bulk of the gameplay, but the concept and humor makes it entertaining nonetheless.)

Well, I'll have to take everybody's word for this. I'm still playing it. I'm having a lot of fun though. And yeah, the humor and concept is probably the best part.

Craft (Cheese)

2012-11-12, 01:28 AM

Again with the Milkman Conspiracy. Why so much hate? I'm gonna have to play this part and see for myself. Am I close? I just got past Lungfishopolis and arrived on the island or wherever it is.

You're just about to do it: It's the level immediately after Lungfishopolis.

My problem with the Milkman Conspiracy is it basically consists of running around a neighborhood searching every last one of the identical houses on identical streets for the items you need to proceed. It's very easy to get lost and oftentimes you'll pass over the area you're supposed to go because you'll assume you've already been there. I had to resort to a video walkthrough, which just sucks all the fun out of it.

It's not even really that funny until you get to the end which, I have to admit, was pretty brilliant. It has one joke, and it just repeats tiny variations of this joke over and over.

factotum

2012-11-12, 02:40 AM

I had to resort to a video walkthrough, which just sucks all the fun out of it.

The only level I recall having to do that on is the bull level--how the heck you're supposed to figure out the route through that one without dying 50 squillion times is beyond me, and dying 50 squillion times is not fun!

Psychonaut

2012-11-12, 02:57 AM

Am I close? I just got past Lungfishopolis and arrived on the island or wherever it is.

If you just got past Lungfishopolis, you're practically there already.

Again with the Milkman Conspiracy. Why so much hate?

It's not hate so much as a feeling that it's overrated. Whenever anyone describes this game to anyone else, the Milkman Conspiracy is inevitably cited as an example of the game's brilliance (and frequently the only example, to the detriment of its other brilliant levels).

I don't really agree with Craft's critique of it, though. TMC is highly linear, so I'm not sure how one could get lost so easily, and the reason it uses the same theme/joke over and over is that it's basically an exploration of what happens when you take the "mindscape" concept of Psychonauts and apply it to the mind of a paranoid schizophrenic (combined with multiple personalities, as so many works are wont to do). So naturally, a lot of the level's artistic design is based around the idea of seeing everyone and everything as working against you, seeing conspiracies in every shadow, etc.

Dr.Epic

2012-11-12, 04:10 PM

So I just finished the Milkman Conspiracy. And yeah, you guys were right. It is overrated. The only really enjoyable thing was all the Steve Blum guys.

Knight13

2012-11-12, 04:21 PM

Lungfishopolis is the best level ever, especially with the ridiculous lungfish freedom fighters, complete with headbands and tiny definitely-not-AK-47s.

"Freedom!"
"Freedom!"
"Free-DUUMM!"

Not to mention that even the so-called instructors in the game all seem to admit that having kickass psychic powers isn't about using them responsibly so much as just doing awesome stuff for the hell of it.

Sasha Nein: "You will learn to control these emotions, focus them, concentrate then, and release them."
Razputin: "As therapy?"
Sasha Nein: "No, as firepower."

Ford Cruller: "Now you have to promise only to use your power of Pyrokinesis when it's really, really important or really, really entertaining."
Ford Cruller: "And if you're doing it to impress girls, make sure none of them are wearing a lot of hairspray."

smuchmuch

2012-11-12, 04:32 PM

Pshaah, milkman conspiracy is an excellent level and you people have no taste. "Beware the cows, not all milk is enriched !" will never stop to make me giggle.
I thinkt the best joke is that if you get arrested you can get the question: "what is the purpose of the google ," and then bost battle happens. "I'll pluck out your eyes ! " "You can't ! That is the purpose of the googles".

(Lungfishopolis is fun but in my opinion, the lack of telekinesis make it feels just so ,damn slow when you took the habit of bouncing and flaoting around.and the boss battle is just so gimmicky)

In my opinion, the worst (by which I mean less good because there isn't any really bad level in this game) level in the game is Waterloo world. It has a few okay jokes and design but the figment are such a pain to get and the musical score gets annoying after a while.

Domochevsky

2012-11-12, 07:02 PM

...
In my opinion, the worst (by which I mean less good because there isn't any really bad level in this game) level in the game is Waterloo world. It has a few okay jokes and design but the figment are such a pain to get and the musical score gets annoying after a while.

Man, how i hated that one jump onto the roof from the flagpole... never could pull it off. No idea why. :smallsigh:

But yes. As a platformer Psychonauts is mediocre. But the whole package is just so well made, with the narrative being the best part of it.

Dr.Epic

2012-11-14, 02:17 PM

I just beat the Napoleon level and the Theater level (I forget there official names). I liked the Napoleon level, but the Theater level I thought was lacking. I'm about to do the artist guy level, then I'll have all three items to fool that one guy.

Sipex

2012-11-16, 09:10 AM

Wow, you're tearing through this game. I recently got the PC version and am in the middle of the Milkman Conspiracy. I really don't see why you guys think it's overrated, I've been enjoying it so far.

Now I just have to figure out how to get past that girl guide (don't tell me, I'm having more fun figuring this out myself).

DiscipleofBob

2012-11-16, 09:24 AM

You'd have been better off getting the PC version off Steam or something--they patched one of the later levels (Meat Circus) to make it less ridonkulously difficult and frustrating. Other than that one glitch, though, the game is one of the best platformers ever made (IMHO)...

That just seems like sacrilege. Part of what makes the Meat Circus so awesome is that it's ridiculously difficult and takes multiple tries. It feels like that much more of an achievement when you finally do beat it.

Also, the final boss could quite possibly be my favorite boss in video games, if for no other reason than the psychological aspect.

Dr.Epic

2012-11-16, 02:50 PM

Tebryn

2012-11-16, 02:57 PM

You're at the end, or close to it yes.

DiscipleofBob

2012-11-16, 03:21 PM

So, I think I'm almost finished with the game...
I beat Coach Oleander's brain in the tank, and then I threw my own brain into the tank, and then I saw Oleander as a child with a rabbit, then I turned off the game and went to bed for the night.

Yup. I wish I would've mentioned something earlier, but it's worth noting that while you can visit all the mental worlds at this point, you can't go back to the overworld and get missed collectibles like the cards, Psi-cores, or brains.

Dr.Epic

2012-11-16, 03:56 PM

Yup. I wish I would've mentioned something earlier, but it's worth noting that while you can visit all the mental worlds at this point, you can't go back to the overworld and get missed collectibles like the cards, Psi-cores, or brains.

Yeah, I kind of figured that out...
...with the asylum exploding.

factotum

2012-11-17, 02:08 AM

That just seems like sacrilege. Part of what makes the Meat Circus so awesome is that it's ridiculously difficult and takes multiple tries. It feels like that much more of an achievement when you finally do beat it.

Not really. I just felt relief when I finally finished it because some bits were so cheap--in particular:

Having to climb all the way up the big top while protecting Lil' Oleander at each level was ruddy ridiculous. All that platforming would have been hard enough on its own without having to do it all to a really strict time limit!

Tebryn

2012-11-17, 03:57 AM

Not really. I just felt relief when I finally finished it because some bits were so cheap--in particular:

Having to climb all the way up the big top while protecting Lil' Oleander at each level was ruddy ridiculous. All that platforming would have been hard enough on its own without having to do it all to a really strict time limit!

Yes. That part was brutal but I was so happy with myself at the end. I felt like...I'd climbed a mountain but with my fingers while on fire.

Craft (Cheese)

2012-11-17, 05:54 AM

The problem is, the difference between "Wow, that was great! I'm so proud of myself for accomplishing that!" and "Wow, that was absolutely horrible! I never want to do anything like that again!" is very often quite subtle. The trick is you have to make the player blame failure on themselves, rather than on the game itself, but where the finger gets pointed can be really, really arbitrary.

Corlindale

2012-11-17, 07:56 AM

I can deal with hard, but there were parts of the Meat Circus that just felt unfair. I'm not even talking about the initial, timed sections - but at a point when fighting your dad you have to make a jump from one net-like thing to another, and it just doesn't seem to work right with the collosion detection.
I tried that part a billion times, but though I always felt as if I made the jump, Raz would just never grab hold of the net unless I could hit some random magic spot. That's not proper difficulty, that's just the game not working properly.

Of course, this is all from memory, so I might recall some things wrongly. But I know that I gave up on the game at this point.

Dr.Epic

2012-11-17, 10:48 AM

And that's the story of how Raz saved the world! Or in other words, I finished the game. Overall, I liked it. There were some flaws, but I had a good time. I'm a little sad I didn't 100% finish the game. There were a bunch of figments and PSI cards I didn't get as well as scavenger hunt items. I'll probably play through it again and be a lot more thorough.

Not really. I just felt relief when I finally finished it because some bits were so cheap--in particular:

Having to climb all the way up the big top while protecting Lil' Oleander at each level was ruddy ridiculous. All that platforming would have been hard enough on its own without having to do it all to a really strict time limit!

Yes! This!
Protecting Oleander was one of the most annoying things in the game. It took me like 12 tries to get through it. And the whole time him shouting in that annoying kid voice.:smallfurious:

The rest of the Meat Circus was alright. Favorite level would have to be Lungfishopolis despite the fact you couldn't use levitate which was my favorite power.

I also liked how the game ended on a cliffhanger. I can't wait to play the sequel. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DevelopmentHell)

Thrawn183

2012-11-17, 11:31 AM

Well, this probably won't be a popular opinion, but I really didn't like Psychonauts. I'm glad I picked it up on that steam sale where it was only two dollars.

Dr.Epic

2012-11-17, 11:28 PM

Well, this probably won't be a popular opinion, but I really didn't like Psychonauts. I'm glad I picked it up on that steam sale where it was only two dollars.

WHAT!? Why you no like?

Eakin

2012-11-18, 01:29 PM

WHAT!? Why you no like?

Well, I personally love the game but it does have plenty of flaws. The games strength is in the setting and the writing which makes up for a lot, but it's got some awkward interface issues, all the side quests are collectathons without a lot of depth or reward (collecting figments especially), and there are some places where the controls are just frustrating. Rising water in the meat circus where you have to climb nets wrapped in a cylinder, and jumping between them is hard for all the wrong reasons stands out in my mind.

Still love it to death though, warts and all. So much that I bought it twice after I gave my PS2 copy away to a friend Didn't hurt that it was part of an awesome Humble Bundle the second time.

Dr.Epic

2012-11-18, 03:10 PM

Rising water in the meat circus where you have to climb nets wrapped in a cylinder, and jumping between them is hard for all the wrong reasons stands out in my mind.

I liked that part of the Meat Circus.

Thrawn183

2012-11-18, 03:59 PM

I really didn't like the controls. After about two hours I just gave up.

Dr.Epic

2012-11-18, 05:27 PM

I really didn't like the controls. After about two hours I just gave up.

Only two hours!?!? Did you even make it to Sasha Nein's shooting gallery? Heck, you couldn't have even made it to Lungfishopolis. I refuse to acknowledge the opinion of someone who's never even seen Lungfishopolis. It'd be like saying I don't like Star Wars when they've never seen a New Hope or the Empire Strikes Back.

Tebryn

2012-11-18, 05:46 PM

Only two hours!?!? Did you even make it to Sasha Nein's shooting gallery? Heck, you couldn't have even made it to Lungfishopolis. I refuse to acknowledge the opinion of someone who's never even seen Lungfishopolis. It'd be like saying I don't like Star Wars when they've never seen a New Hope or the Empire Strikes Back.

Better yet it's like someone making a judgement on a game two hours in when there is around 38 more hours to go. Which is exactly what it's like. Complaining about a ports controls is also not a solid argument. They controls were fine on a PS2 controller.

Dr.Epic

2012-11-18, 06:32 PM

Better yet it's like someone making a judgement on a game two hours in when there is around 38 more hours to go. Which is exactly what it's like. Complaining about a ports controls is also not a solid argument. They controls were fine on a PS2 controller.

38 more hours? I beat the game in under 20. While I didn't get 100%, I did do a lot of searching for figments, cobwebs, emotional baggage, scavenger hunt items, PSI cards, etc, and I collected most of them.

Tebryn

2012-11-18, 06:46 PM

I have 40 hours logged on the game on the PS2, 100% completion.

Domochevsky

2012-11-18, 07:32 PM

Tebryn

2012-11-18, 07:54 PM

To be fair, i never bought into the "you gotta get X hours into the game before you get it!" argument. Why can't it be good right off the bat?

(Also, how does the controls being fine on a PS2 controller translate to them being fine on a mouse/keyboard setup?)

You really shouldn't be so dismissive. :|

They don't, I was saying the controls on a PC are not as good. It can be forgiven for a port however. That was my point. I'd argue as well that the game is good 2 hours in. But that doesn't matter. Making a judgement call about something you're not knowledgeable about isn't being well informed is it?

Dr.Epic

2012-11-18, 08:01 PM

To be fair, i never bought into the "you gotta get X hours into the game before you get it!" argument. Why can't it be good right off the bat?

I'm saying it is good off the bat, and the best part isn't until later. Also, I hardly think 2 hours counts as "right off the bat."

smuchmuch

2012-11-18, 08:22 PM

To be fair, i never bought into the "you gotta get X hours into the game before you get it!" argument. Why can't it be good right off the bat?

I fully understand that if you dont like a game you don't want to play it further, but I will argue some gameplays or storries can need a certain time to get into full momentum.

But if you ever have time for it, i'd say the game deserve another retry one day. control aren't great but i do'nt remember being that awfull either and storry and humour make it more than worth it.

38 more hours? I beat the game in under 20. While I didn't get 100%, I did do a lot of searching for figments, cobwebs, emotional baggage, scavenger hunt items, PSI cards, etc, and I collected most of them.

(Ah yes but have you tried talking, using objects or clairvoyance on everyone, and so on ? It can padd a bit of time. And one or two fun jokes and video.

That said, I agree 38 hours seems waaaayyy longer than the game has to offer. that said for a full 100% run may be longer seeing as some fragment are just painfull to get.r(Waterloo world, Mila's race. ugh. and pointless as there's nothing really interesting after rank 90)

In my memory this game is sadly quite short and jsut a smudge too easy, it really could have done with another challenging mindscape level between the Asylium and the Meat circus.
(I understand they couldn't make a level for every camper but when all the brain where in jars, i felt they missed an opportunity to make some kind of 'scrambled' world of all the kids or a visit in fculler's fractured psyche or something of that effect.)

Domochevsky

2012-11-18, 08:32 PM

They don't, I was saying the controls on a PC are not as good. It can be forgiven for a port however.
...

Can it? If you say so.

...
That was my point. I'd argue as well that the game is good 2 hours in.
...

So would i.

...
But that doesn't matter. Making a judgement call about something you're not knowledgeable about isn't being well informed is it?

But at what point can you considered to be knowledgable? Do you have to slug through something you're not having fun with all the way to the end before you're allowed to say that you didn't like it?
(And that's what he did. He said that he didn't like it because of the controls. I liked the game (despite the controls), but he didn't. I'm not holding it against him.)

I might be playing Devil's Advocate here. And i still hate that one jump in Waterloo. More difficult than the effin' meat circus.

Eakin

2012-11-19, 12:33 AM

I liked that part of the Meat Circus.

I liked the sequence on the whole, but with a keyboard/mouse control setup there was one jump that threw me off in random directions to my death. Frustrating

Better yet it's like someone making a judgement on a game two hours in when there is around 38 more hours to go. Which is exactly what it's like. Complaining about a ports controls is also not a solid argument. They controls were fine on a PS2 controller.

To be fair, i never bought into the "you gotta get X hours into the game before you get it!" argument. Why can't it be good right off the bat?

(Also, how does the controls being fine on a PS2 controller translate to them being fine on a mouse/keyboard setup?)

You really shouldn't be so dismissive. :|

I fully understand that if you dont like a game you don't want to play it further, but I will argue some gameplays or storries can need a certain time to get into full momentum.

But if you ever have time for it, i'd say the game deserve another retry one day. control aren't great but i do'nt remember being that awfull either and storry and humour make it more than worth it.

(Ah yes but have you tried talking, using objects or clairvoyance on everyone, and so on ? It can padd a bit of time. And one or two fun jokes and video.

That said, I agree 38 hours seems waaaayyy longer than the game has to offer. that said for a full 100% run may be longer seeing as some fragment are just painfull to get.r(Waterloo world, Mila's race. ugh. and pointless as there's nothing really interesting after rank 90)

In my memory this game is sadly quite short and jsut a smudge too easy, it really could have done with another challenging mindscape level between the Asylium and the Meat circus.
(I understand they couldn't make a level for every camper but when all the brain where in jars, i felt they missed an opportunity to make some kind of 'scrambled' world of all the kids or a visit in fculler's fractured psyche or something of that effect.)

You absolutely should be able to judge a game 2 hours into it. Hell, if a game hasn't found some way to grab you in the first 30 minutes it's doing something wrong. I'm not saying it has to crescendo there but that's more than enough time to engage a player. At its worst this kind of thing kills games (looking at you, FF13)

Psychonaut

2012-11-19, 02:15 AM

To be fair, i never bought into the "you gotta get X hours into the game before you get it!" argument. Why can't it be good right off the bat?

You absolutely should be able to judge a game 2 hours into it. Hell, if a game hasn't found some way to grab you in the first 30 minutes it's doing something wrong. I'm not saying it has to crescendo there but that's more than enough time to engage a player. At its worst this kind of thing kills games (looking at you, FF13)

I agree with both of you to an extent, but I wouldn't apply the principle so broadly. I've played many a complex strategy game, for example, that didn't truly shine until you move from the learning phase (when everything can feel confusing and arcane) to the mastering phase. And adventure games with truly killer puzzles that are frustrating as hell straight from the get-go, but oh-so-satisfying once you figure them out. In both cases, the very nature of the game mechanics involves rewarding the player for his/her initial patience.

(I've also had the experience of introducing many people who are used to modern games to classics where the dated graphics turned them off at first, but at my urging they kept playing and frequently went on to place them among their favorites. Graphics can have a major effect on one's initial impression of a game, but today's top-of-the-line graphics are tomorrow's blocky, pixelated messes, while good design/writing is eternal.)

factotum

2012-11-19, 02:46 AM

Graphics can have a major effect on one's initial impression of a game, but today's top-of-the-line graphics are tomorrow's blocky, pixelated messes, while good design/writing is eternal.)

Well, Psychonauts did the right thing with the graphics, too--cartoony graphics somehow never look as bad as top-end pseudo-realistic ones when you go back and look at them a few years later. I'd go so far as to say Psychonauts is still a darned fine looking game, despite its age.

Lunix Vandal

2012-11-19, 03:02 AM

Rising water in the meat circus where you have to climb nets wrapped in a cylinder, and jumping between them is hard for all the wrong reasons stands out in my mind.Yep. Years ago, I had played through when it was free on Gametap for a week. When I bought the game on Steam last year and proceeded on my full-completion run, this was the one bit that I was least looking forward to.And then, entirely by accident, I found out you can walk on the heavy orange frame along the top of those nets. There was much rejoicing.

Knight13

2012-11-19, 09:33 AM

Dr. Epic, one thing I would check out on your next playthrough, if you didn't notice the first time, is that you can show many of the items you pick up to people around the camp and they'll say something about it. A lot of the reactions are pretty funny. Of particular note is Mr. Pokeylope. If you just follow the story, you'll have him in your inventory for all of about 30 seconds. But if you actually take him around and show him to people, everybody has a unique reaction to him.

Mewtarthio

2012-11-19, 11:46 AM

Yep. Years ago, I had played through when it was free on Gametap for a week. When I bought the game on Steam last year and proceeded on my full-completion run, this was the one bit that I was least looking forward to.And then, entirely by accident, I found out you can walk on the heavy orange frame along the top of those nets. There was much rejoicing.

That's how I cleared that challenge, as well. Heck, I actually never even considered jumping from net to net, because that would have just been ridiculous. :smalltongue:

Xondoure

2012-11-19, 01:29 PM

I've yet to summon the strength to deal with the Meat Circus (I. Hate. The. Knife. Throwers.) But that jump in Waterloo World... I cheated and used levitate to jump from tree top to tree top.

Thrawn183

2012-11-19, 02:38 PM

Better yet it's like someone making a judgement on a game two hours in when there is around 38 more hours to go. Which is exactly what it's like. Complaining about a ports controls is also not a solid argument. They controls were fine on a PS2 controller.

That I might enjoy a game later on, is not a particularly convincing argument to keep playing when I'm not enjoying it now.

I was playing on PC and did not like the controls. How good the controls were for PS 2 is immaterial. If you want to argue that people should pick it up for their console that's one thing, but in no way do the PS 2 controls invalidate my comment.

No game is for everybody. I was willing to pick Psychonauts up cheap and give it a shot. It just didn't pan out for me. Heck, I still ended up supporting the developers more than people who just pirated it.

Dr.Epic

2012-11-20, 05:01 PM

That I might enjoy a game later on, is not a particularly convincing argument to keep playing when I'm not enjoying it now.

Well, it kind of is. No source of media is completely good. There's always slow parts or bad episodes. Even my favorite movies/games have parts I hate. Given your only two hours of game play, I still say you need to play more of it. (Lungfishpolis FTW!) I mean, with cut scenes, how much in two hours did you really play? And you never since have come back? You bought it and were never like "Maybe I should give it a second chance," some random day when you're bored and had nothing else to do?

I was playing on PC and did not like the controls. How good the controls were for PS 2 is immaterial. If you want to argue that people should pick it up for their console that's one thing, but in no way do the PS 2 controls invalidate my comment.

First time I played Shadow of the Colossus I hated the controls. But I eventually got used to them and had fun with the game.

No game is for everybody. I was willing to pick Psychonauts up cheap and give it a shot. It just didn't pan out for me.

You played 2 hours of a game that could have kept you entertained for at least 20 hours. Or heck, someone said they put 40 hours into it. I hear your argument that not everything is for everybody, but you've barely played it. It'd be like reading the first few pages of a novel and giving up after that. Was it really such a colossal failure that it didn't warrant a few more hours of game play.

Tono

2012-11-20, 08:29 PM

It is a very valid thing to give up on a game in 2 hours, especially if you paid very little for it. Hell, my psychonauts game has 13 hours on it. Thats not collecting every little thing, but it was most of the brains and beating it. If 2 hours into the game I felt that I didn't like it I would have probably been better off finding something else to do for the ~10 hours I would spend playing something I didn't like. Hell, I've given up books after one chapter if I couldn't get into it. Should I feel bad for never having finished Jane Eyre? The notion that his opinion about a game's controls are invalid because he didn't finish a game(Especially when the concerns are things that even people who like the game can attest to. Some games are just better with a game pad as compared to a keyboard) is absurd. 2 hours in Psychonaut is 10-15% of the gameplay, and the gameplay is not deep enough for it to not be a good feel of the game.

Dr.Epic

2012-11-20, 10:23 PM

Iskandar

2012-11-21, 03:42 AM

My 2 cents. My experience with playing platformers with mouse/keyboard is similar to my experience trying to play a FPS with a controller. Just a bad, bad, terribad, horrible, backwards choice. Platformers, or anything with a third person perspective and a free camera absolutely need a gamepad, otherwise you are going to have a bad time.

For those who got frustrated with the controls with the Steam version, do yourself a big, big favor. Go get a decent controller. If you have a PS3 or an XBox, those controllers will work on your PC (with a bit of tinkering in the PS3's case). It is, almost literally, night and day. (although I will note, having owned the PS2 version, that the gamepad controls on not QUITE as crisp as they were on the DualShock, close enough, though)

I owned the the PS2 version, beat it, lost the game in my recent move. When it showed up on Steam I bought it again. If it ever shows up in the PS3 online store, I will buy it a third time. I love a good platforming/adventure game, and this definitely qualifies.

Thiyr

2012-11-21, 04:19 AM

Well, Psychonauts did the right thing with the graphics, too--cartoony graphics somehow never look as bad as top-end pseudo-realistic ones when you go back and look at them a few years later. I'd go so far as to say Psychonauts is still a darned fine looking game, despite its age.

Sorry, just read this again, and my brain was gonna keep itching till I shared this (http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/graphics-vs.-aesthetics). Separating the terms is important when it comes to discussing this sort of thing >_>;