I watched a Let's Play on YouTube instead of playing this and.... I do not regret that decision. BUT the sequel was massively discounted on PS store last week so I bought it, can't wait to give that a try!
The sequel is amazing, you should play it soon. I'm reviewing it next week, playing them back to back really helped with forming my opinion on how flawed this one actually is. The flaws are just so much more apparent when you start playing the game that the first one was really trying to be. I'll go into more detail about 2 next week but I only have a few issues with it, truly exceptional.
Interesting perspective on this game. I played this game when it was released and don't feel exactly as bad towards its downsides as you - I'll agree that now the collectathon parts and the last level are annoying (I could also add the level about the bullfighter as an annoyance), but maybe I'm not too bothered about those parts because that was what other games at the time were doing anyway. I still like this game though, I like the sequel better and they improved on a lot of it.
The design is truly unique and memorable, and reminds me of Tim Burton films circa 80's and early 90's. I watched some of the developers documentary for Psychonauts 2 and the artists said that the philosophy of the art style was to not really allow any symmetry anywhere, everything is asymmetrical and slightly askew.
And while some of the gameplay is clunky, I think it has so much imagination in its ideas. A level where you are the Kaiju in a Japanese-style TV show, a conspiracy filled level where all the G-Men are pretending to be friendly neighbours, and the party level for the happy councillor which hides one of her darkest secrets. All of this was improved in the sequel, but it all had to start here.
I definitely think I would have a different opinion on the game if I had experienced it back then, but that's the problem with old games, they often only hold up if you played them back then.
I also agree with your points about the game. There was some amazing imagination and creativity behind the game. I immediately played the sequel and the creativity is really perfected there, I'm reviewing that next week and it was truly a memorable experience.
It just feels like the first one had to crawl, fall, try to walk, trip, fall on its face, then jump up and do a hero pose like Raz does when he unlocks a new power in order for the sequel to become the masterpiece that it is today.
I watched a Let's Play on YouTube instead of playing this and.... I do not regret that decision. BUT the sequel was massively discounted on PS store last week so I bought it, can't wait to give that a try!
The sequel is amazing, you should play it soon. I'm reviewing it next week, playing them back to back really helped with forming my opinion on how flawed this one actually is. The flaws are just so much more apparent when you start playing the game that the first one was really trying to be. I'll go into more detail about 2 next week but I only have a few issues with it, truly exceptional.
Interesting perspective on this game. I played this game when it was released and don't feel exactly as bad towards its downsides as you - I'll agree that now the collectathon parts and the last level are annoying (I could also add the level about the bullfighter as an annoyance), but maybe I'm not too bothered about those parts because that was what other games at the time were doing anyway. I still like this game though, I like the sequel better and they improved on a lot of it.
The design is truly unique and memorable, and reminds me of Tim Burton films circa 80's and early 90's. I watched some of the developers documentary for Psychonauts 2 and the artists said that the philosophy of the art style was to not really allow any symmetry anywhere, everything is asymmetrical and slightly askew.
And while some of the gameplay is clunky, I think it has so much imagination in its ideas. A level where you are the Kaiju in a Japanese-style TV show, a conspiracy filled level where all the G-Men are pretending to be friendly neighbours, and the party level for the happy councillor which hides one of her darkest secrets. All of this was improved in the sequel, but it all had to start here.
It was a great read and well thought out.
I definitely think I would have a different opinion on the game if I had experienced it back then, but that's the problem with old games, they often only hold up if you played them back then.
I also agree with your points about the game. There was some amazing imagination and creativity behind the game. I immediately played the sequel and the creativity is really perfected there, I'm reviewing that next week and it was truly a memorable experience.
It just feels like the first one had to crawl, fall, try to walk, trip, fall on its face, then jump up and do a hero pose like Raz does when he unlocks a new power in order for the sequel to become the masterpiece that it is today.