Psychonauts is a game I've been meaning to play for some time but never got around to it (plus, it's somewhat hard to find). Coming from the creators of Grim Fandango and other classic PC games like Day of Tentacle, I was pretty pumped for this game. The game, in a way met my expectations but has a lot of small quirks and problems that got in the way. Don't get me wrong, this is a great game but it isn't perfect.

The main thing that makes Psychonauts really good is its story. I'm a fan for good stories in games and this game has a well told and original storyline. It seems like the creators had to wrap things up quickly because of time constraints when you're nearing the end of the game but it's still done well. The voice acting and cast of characters is spot on. Another surprising aspect of the game is its musical score. I thought the music was aced and not only matched the game but sounded good.

Another good point about the game is the majority of the levels. The level designs are imaginative and something that you have to experience yourself. They're very well thought out for the most part and a marvel to explore. Basically, the levels consist of you going into people's minds. Eventually you'll uncover a bit more of the "real" world around the camp but it's the minds that are the main focus of the game. That being said, not all the levels are perfect and in fact is one of the most frustrating points of this game. Although most levels are well done, the theater level and the final meat circus level are frustrating, not funny, and just a pain in the ass. The theater level nearly killed me and I had to force myself through it. Watching the bland, annoying plays over and over while trying to figure out what to do didn't help either. The meat circus level is also frustrating. Although, the humor isn't as dry as the theater level; it is a huge pain to get through. The voices (the kid's and your evil dad) get repetitive and annoying quick, which is rare considering the good voice acting that is everywhere else.

Another odd weak point of this game was the boss battles. I found this really strange considering the game normally plays out well when you're not fighting bosses. The bosses themselves are cleverly done and are great characters. They have great imaginative designs to them but actually fighting them, isn't as good. Namely the fish boss is absolutely terrible. The camera angle in one section is just horrendous and other boss battles are frustrating. The weak levitation system in the game which is required during some of the bosses doesn't help either.

The game itself plays out well for the most part. The psychic powers are a nice touch but some of them are only used in specific situations and the levitation power doesn't work too well. The power of throwing things with your mind is weak and its auto-targeting doesn't work too hot. Also the system for locking onto enemies doesn't work too well. The problem is that you have to get way to close to the enemy before you can lock on. Because of this, I hardly use it. However, the area in the gameplay that gave me the most frustration is the double jump while jumping off a pole, ladder, etc. When you're on the ground, the double jump works without any problems. However, there's two points in the game (the god awful ladder jumping near the end of the game) where you have to double jump off of ladders and poles. This requires awkward timing that gets a while to get used to.

Taking aside these problems, the game still is fun for the most part. I was a big fan of the game's humor. The fish's mind where you're a giant (Goggler) was amazing. The Waterloo-o level was also a fun time. The actual gameplay and fighting system works out well for the most part if you ignore the minor issues (that can cause lots of frustration) and the camera follows the characters well for the most part. The producers have a really good style and the graphics are well done, especially for a game for the xbox/ps2. The music and voice acting compliments the graphics and are top notch. This is a solid game but with all the small problems like annoying boss fights and the occasional frustrating level, it holds it back from an outstanding, awesome game.