In honor of the upcoming release of Grim Fandango Remastered, we're going to be taking a look at all the games Tim Schafer, nerd-hero-number-one, has directed. For day two, ready your psyches, because we're heading into the mind of the man himself.
Psychonauts
Publisher: Double Fine
Release: April 19, 2005
Platforms: Windows, Xbox, PS2 - later re-releases on Steam, PS3, Xbox 360, Mac and Linux
Playing Psychonauts for the first time in nearly a decade, I was struck by how much it wants to be something else: a television show. It is the rare game where the story outstrips the gameplay, and the gameplay is still quite good. Tim Schafer - who worked on several of the best adventure games of all time (Monkey Island, for instance) - is a storyteller in the highest regards. He is, in my mind, the game developer equivalent of Joss Whedon - beloved, cultish and misunderstood; and Psychonauts is his Firefly: underloved at the time, but has found a new audience in the years since.
The Best Moment:
It is hard to pick a best moment in Psychonauts. The level design is solid, but it's really a game that showcases Schafer's wit and brevity. Every other second is someone tossing off a one-liner. What makes it all work is Schafer's gift for character, worldbuilding and storytelling.
Running around the camp, you can't help but really want to see a 13-part animated show about Raz's stay at Whispering Rock. The world is so rich and detailed and the history of it comes out naturally that you can watch the entire game (in cutscene form) and feel fulfilled.
But, to actually pick: the encounter in Sasha's mind. A perfectly ordered world is torn to pieces by an overenthusiastic Raz. That's when you realize that this game can anywhere it wants, because there is nothing limiting the imagination.
The Worst Moment:
Pinning down a worst moment is equally as tough. The game does feel long in the tooth, and the climactic battle between you and what is the subconscious of your father is a little...underwhelming, given the weight of what's occurring. It's as if Schafer knew they had to move things along and wrap things up, so it feels a bit rushed and repetitive compared to the earlier stages.
The Best Easter Egg:
While the game doesn't feature a lot of callbacks to Schafer's previous titles (none that have been corroborated), there is one particular scene that stands out. When inside Milla's mind, you can discover some of her locked demons about her past. The results are... terrifying.
The Remaster:
Psychonauts' gameplay looks damn fine on the recent digital release. The cinematics haven't been updated, so they have this kitschy, mid-90s kind of appeal to them. It's not terrible, but you do notice the sudden changes between game and cinematic. And you will notice them a lot, too.
Where You Can Buy It:
Steam! Or you can pick it up on Xbox Live and PSN for Xbox 360 and PS3, respectively.
PREVIOUSLY:
NEXT UP: The most metal game of all time, Brutal Legend.
