Psychonauts

For the first time in my life -despite it launching and running fine [b]TWENTY[/b] years after it came out- I think a game not only could benefit from a remaster (or a remake), but it actually [i]needs[/i] it and [b]badly[/b] which means I can't really recommend it in its current state, despite how much I liked it. Yes, Psychonauts is a phenomenal game at times. Certain platforming segments are fun. Art style is great and still holds up. There is an impressive amount of visual and gameplay variety to each area you come across, so much so that there were many times when I thought the game was about to end or I thought I just came across some side mission/characters and not much else, just for the game to then introduce whole new areas, puzzles, characters with their own stories, bosses that sometimes even change the game entirely, etc. This here might be one of the handful of games that made me genuinely laugh out loud through its writing, despite its humor not actually being in line with my personal taste to the point that I think some of these characters and some of their lines and story beats that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Certain boss battles and combat focused segments let you use creative combinations of your powers that can make them feel so rewarding. So, there is so much good here and I can understand why it's considered a classic in many people's eyes. However for almost every good platforming segment, there are parts that feel equally frustrating. Some of the platforming even feels like they tested it once, thought it was too easy and the solution they came up with was to add like a milimeter more or less of a small bump to the geometry so you [i]just[/i] miss that one jump, hit the ceiling and lose your momentum or your character would refuse to climb it/walk on it. For every fun boss there is another that comes with an annoying mandatory gimmick that could've otherwise worked with enough polish or some balancing changes here and there. For every cleverly designed puzzle there is one that feels like you should be able to get through it with the myriad of powers you have but apparently they didn't account for the order of the player earning them earlier than it was meant to, so you sit there scratching your head and thinking if you're dealing with a bug or something. Navigating through the user interface becomes frustrating really early as well and honestly sometimes doesn't even make much sense. Then, there is the camera which deserves its own pharagraph. Because I have to say, [b]Psychonauts might have one of the worst camera controls in any game I've played, period[/b]. It's not about the game's age either, it's just pure pain and jank of the worst kind. Just running around, like simply going from point A to B becomes an unnecessary struggle because of it. Some of the more uniquely designed levels just fall victim to the camera, some of the bosses instantly become more painful to beat, platforming segments rage inducing since you just can't point the camera to where you need to go. Fan patches or mods can only account for so many of these issues since some of them are core design elements that would require the people who actually designed them to tweak or solve them in my opinion. In theory I can go and search for a fan made upscaler for the visuals to look sharper, or a camera fix or even a complete gameplay overhaul mod of some kind (which I don't even think exists) but why would I go through the hassle of finding that one upscaler that doesn't use AI, or that one mod/camera fix that doesn't have a potential to infect my PC with whatever virus when all this game needs a simple remaster from the team that made it, especially since they are now independent once again and can crowd fund such and endeavour like they used to do without corporate ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ preventing them from doing so. I'm fully aware that Double Fine are all about creativity, it's their identity, always going for new ideas rather than regurgitating already existing ones. Stuff like [i]Amnesia Fortnight[/i] making a comeback is more than welcomed for example but on very, very rare cases like Psychonauts, it could only benefit both Double Fine and their fans to take another go at it, even if just for the sake of game preservation. It's one of the most recognizable IPs they have in their hands, people are [b]starving[/b] for quality 3D platformers on PC and it goes without saying, Psychonauts is a great game at its core so it more than deserves some more love on the technical front so more people can experience it and appreciate it. A remaster or a remake would not only help to put Double Fine on the map again in a stylish fashion but also help with finances as well, now that they're independent again. I think it's a no-brainer, I'd contribute to that crowd-funding myself for example, day one. I hope with the freedom they once again have, Double Fine will show some love to this one in the future but as things stand now, like I mentioned from the very beginning I can't really recommend it. Although, if you are [i]desperately[/i] looking for a damn good 3D platformer to play, Psychonauts won't let you down in the slightest. And I can't imagine the sequel being any worse, so playing this means you'll have two good 3D platormers to play given that you'll like this one, so not a bad deal.