"I hate to be so blunt, but YOU have the insanity, of a MANATEE!!"
"I know, people are always saying that. What do you think is wrong with my brain doc?"
"How should I know? I'm a dentist!"
Psychonauts is, at the very least, a strong contender for my favourite game of all time. It combines a fabulous, off the wall story with a wide array of brash (and mostly slightly insane) characters, plus a good helping of excellent, enthusiastic voice acting, to produce a game which is damn near perfect. Dr. Loboto (the deranged dentist-cum-brain surgeon quoted above) has to be one of the best realised and finest voiced villains in the history of video gaming. The environments are wacky, fun and varied, and the solution to each person's mental problems is always inventive and hilarious. There is a dash of romance, a good bit of back story to dig around in, and lots of bonus powers to unlock.
To put it simply, this game is brilliant.
It is also however, different. There is no other game quite like it. Sadly, difference is something that most gamers appear not to appreciate, as Psychonauts sold poorly on release, which perhaps explains the lack of a sequel. This is a tragedy, because Psychonauts is a game that it is impossible not to enjoy, whatever games you usually play (or even if you usually don't play games). Buy it now!
"Young man, I hope you've learned a lesson here today."
"Yes I have. That shooting things is fun - and useful!"