Virtual insanity

First released in 2005 for consoles and PC, Psychonauts charmed the pants off of many gamers with its eccentric brand of humor and fantastical settings—but its impact was barely felt at retail, and the lack of sales success likely killed the chances of a quick Mac port. Luckily, the action platformer became a cult favorite, and with the publishing rights back in the hands of creator Double Fine, it’s finally time for Mac gamers to experience this one-of-a-kind adventure via the Mac App Store or Steam.

Psychonauts follows the exploits of Razputin, a young psychic who infiltrates a secret training camp for kids with his skillset—but when discovered, his parents are called, giving him just a couple days to learn all the tricks to being a psychic agent before departing. Conveniently, his temporary bunkmates go missing and turn up without brains in their heads, leaving it up to Raz to use his newfound abilities to save the campers and prove his worth in the process.

Don’t fear the vibrant figments—they’re just collectibles!

As expected, it’s an oddball tale, and while the real-world campgrounds serve as a home base, much of the action takes place inside the twisted minds of advisors and other deranged folks. As such, you’ll face scenarios as diverse as battling through a military war zone, leading a rebel (fish) charge as a giant monster in an underwater metropolis, and stealthily sneaking through an idyllic suburban neighborhood while enemy agents pose as repairmen and spout hilarious quips.

The adventure blends platform-hopping navigation with the initial ability to toss psychic punches at foes, but quickly throws more focus onto Raz’s burgeoning array of special powers, including fiery attacks, using his mind to toss items at foes, and even the ability to briefly turn invisible. These psychic skills are regularly called upon during the lengthy missions, and are used for everything from attacking enemies to sneaking around and solving puzzles, giving the game a startlingly original and very unique feel long after its debut.

Raz’s psychic punch packs a wallop, even if the enemies are imaginary.

But Psychonauts is very much the same game that other platforms received back in 2005, and while that’s mostly for the best, some lingering frustrations rear their heads here quite regularly. Constantly swapping between the various psychic powers and items becomes a real chore about halfway through the dozen-hour campaign, plus the occasional lack of direction—paired with the abundance of different abilities—can lead to some really clueless moments.

A crummy camera and occasional bugs can also take their toll on the journey, plus the game lacks widescreen support, which is understandable but still a drag. Luckily, the visuals still impress at a high resolution, despite the angular look of its time, and the quirky art design and humor shine throughout. Just be sure to use a gamepad: it’s playable with keyboard and mouse, but not even close to ideal.

The bottom line. Hilarious and utterly charming in turns, this cult adventure is still well worth exploring—though some hang-ups muddle the experience a bit.