MY VIEW
Games: 'Psychonauts'

By Jeffrey Davis
Special to The Advertiser

The Verdict: 5 THE RATINGS 5 — Outstanding: Add it to your collection now. A must-have. 4 — Great: Buy it or rent it — definitely play it. 3 — Good: Worth playing despite some flaws. 2 — Fair: Unless you're a fan of the license or series, don't bother. 1 — Poor: You'd have more fun playing Pong.

Console: Xbox and PC; to be released June 21 for PlayStation 2

Developer/publisher: Majesco/Double Fine

Genre: Action platformer

Number of players: 1

ESRB: Teen, for violence

The premise: You assume the role of Razputin (Raz), a wannabe Psychonaut. You sneak into a camp that is rumored to be a training facility for psychic secret agents. Can you complete your training and figure out the mysteries of the camp?

Game play: The game is played like any other platform game — you collect items such as arrowheads (the monetary unit of the game) and complete tasks — but "Psychonauts' " added dimension involves diving into other people's psyches. The psyche levels range from fighting on a rotating cube against mental censors trying to stamp you out literally, to stomping around in a Godzilla-like level, complete with buildings to climb and smash. After a while the citizens call the navy and your character is assaulted with vehicles and boats.

The game has a leveling-up system: Every time you do certain tasks or collect enough items, you level up automatically. Every time you gain 10 levels, you gain a new power, such as pyrokinesis, which is the ability to set things (and people) on fire.

The good/bad: The voice-acting is a plus, offering puns that are sprinkled throughout the game. The ability to save at any time helps greatly for the long levels and is convenient for when you need a break.

The levels tend to drag on for a bit, especially if you get stuck. The forced camera angles need some work; maybe an arrow to tell you where to go would be helpful.

Tips: Save up your arrowheads and buy the dousing rod as early as you can — it allows you to extract more money. Buy a bunch of psy-cores to prepare for when you collect enough psi-cards: You'll level up faster and gain new abilities earlier.

My take: Not since PS2's "Ratchet and Clank" series have I enjoyed a next-generation platform game as much as this. The unique levels and humor kept me interested. The ability to save at any time is a feature that is sorely lacking in many video games.

This game is rated Teen because of the mature subject matter; there is also talk of suicide, and the humor will be lost on younger gamers. The difficulty level can get a little irritating at times, but the game offers a help desk that is, oddly enough, activated by a piece of bacon. The game also helps you out with an underground tunnel system that acts as a warp to expedite all the exploration you have to do.

This is a game I plan to purchase and put in my "Do not sell" pile.

Jeffrey Davis of Honolulu is a video game enthusiast.

Do you have a game or CD you want to review? Reach Island Life deputy editor Dave Dondoneau at ddondoneau@honoluluadvertiser.com.