PS2 Review: Psychonauts

(picture curtesy of Gamespot.com)

I first found out about “Psychonauts” from one of the X-Play TV show episodes highlighting the PS2 games that have been overlooked in 2005. I have actually seen this title at my “friendly neighborhood” game shop where I would usually buy PS2 game titles but never really considered it. This is mostly because I personally have the reaction time of a drugged tree sloth and the depth perception of a blind goldfish so playing platformer games have always been a frustrating affair. The other platformer game that I have remotely enjoyed before were all from the popular “Ratchet & Clank” PS2 game franchise. After seeing the favorably review the game, I decided to give the game a try and see if I would like it as much as I did the “Ratchet & Clank” games.

“Psychonauts” follows the story of Razputin, Raz for short, who sneaks into a secret summer camp training children with psychic abilities to become the titular psychic secret agents. After being discovered by the camp counselors, who were all Psychonauts in their own right, Raz was only allowed to stay in the camp for one day while waiting for his father to take him home. Raz soon discovers that something insidious happening in the camp when he starts to find his new found friends abducted only to be returned as mindless TV-addicted versions of their original selves. Raz starts to develop his own considerable psychic abilities as his investigations of what was happening takes him on an adventure on both camp grounds in the real world as well as the psychic mindscape of the people he encounters during the investigations. It would eventually take all of Raz’s psychic skills to finally uncover the conspiracies surrounding what was happening in the training camp and save all his new friends.

The look of the world of “Psychonauts” would surely be the first thing that gamers would notice and agree to be a far departure from the other platform games out there in the market. Both character and level design sensibilities in this game is highly imaginative and original making the game a refreshing addition to the increasingly stale genre. While the storyline running through this games does seem to follow strictly to the normal platform game mold, the dark humor and dry wit with which the plot is moved along would surely not fail to entertain if not causing a good number of chuckles from the gamer. This is helped by the colorful supporting cast in “Psychonauts” which are not only very well written and realized but also exceptionally very well acted by the voice cast. Unlike a lot of the games out there, gamers would not find repeated dialogues with repeat interaction with these support characters. These supporting characters may look bizarre but they will always have something hilarious to say every time you see them.

The gameplay of “Psychonauts” starts off a fairly open ended as Raz begins to explore the training camp grounds looking for clues about what was happening to his friends. In addition to finding the clues from one location to another in the real world, Raz also has to collect items to trade for other items and to boost his burgeoning psychic powers. While there is definitely a lot of items for gamers to collect in this games, most of the time it doesn’t feel like a chore as most of the items requires the gamers to make use of the skills of Raz both as a psychic and an agile trapeze performer in imaginative ways to solve the puzzles before getting the items. The game controls are fairly easy to master and camera angles are rarely an issue in this portion of the game. While there were some instances that gamers need to really time their leaps and levitation skills, the game rarely degenerate to a frustrating affair as there is normally more than one solution to the puzzles that gamers need to solve to get to the collectable item.

The game really shines when Raz acquires the ability to psychically jump into another character’s mind as his investigation progress. Each character’s mindscape is a level that Raz has to complete to progress forward in his investigation. While some of the earlier mindscape that Raz has to go through function mainly as a training ground for newly acquired psychic skills, they are no less enjoyable to complete as the other mindscapes levels. Each mindscape that Raz goes through in “Psychonauts” is unique, both aesthetically and in terms of gameplay, making for a more varied experience when playing the game. Most of the mindscape levels involved Raz making his way from one point to the other within the level in a fairly linear fashion but how he makes it there is refreshingly different for each level. As in his real world, there are a lot of items that Raz can collect while within the mindscape to upgrade his powers which the makers of this game have successfully made it feel less than a boring chore.

The learning curve for the game is fairly shallow making it easy even for people with little platform game skill (like myself) to get into the game quickly. Every time Raz learns a new psychic skill in the game, the gamer get to test out the new skill for a bit before having to use it in the levels proper. The puzzles that the gamers run into in this game is usually fairly easy for the average gamer to solve once they have the hang of the combination of powers and moves that Raz can execute. If there is one criticism that could be made for the gameplay in “Psychonauts” is that the game can be a little too forgiving at times compared to other games of the genre. While Raz does have a lifebar that the gamer needs to watch out for, dying in the game doesn’t really the end of the game for Raz since he is only kicked out to the real world when that happens in this game with little consequences to the character. While the impact of the character’s lifebar running out does change a bit in the final act of the game, players would have accumulated enough replay lives by this point that dying here will just respawn Raz in his current location.

“Psychonauts” was more enjoyable and engaging than what I expected from a platform game. The hilarious situations and dialogue that I have to go through while playing this game is still the most original I’ve seen in any game I’ve played before. Overall, “Psychonauts” is a game for jaded platform gamers looking for something original and whimsical at the same time for their PS2 console. Engaging storyline and exciting gameplay round out the reasons why PS2 owners should pickup this game to add to their game library. It is truly a game worth spending the time to experience and I hope is just the first installment of a new platform franchise on the PS2. It would be a shame is we never would be able to revisit the “Psychonauts” world again in the future.

PS2 Review: Digital Devil Saga

(image curtesy of Gamespot.com)

I last wrote about this game way back in December 2005 and here I am still playing it as the end of February rolls along. To be fair, I am actually at the tail end portion of the second part of this two-part saga and have spent probably about 80 hours of game time in total for the whole game. Having experienced it myself, I have to say that this game has to be the most imaginative and exciting RPG game to be released on the PS2 in 2005.

The first part of the “Digital Devil Saga” was released back in April 2005 and featured a fairly original storyline that have not been seen before in RPG games for the PS2. A departure from the usual fantasy-themed fare seen in the wildly successful Final Fantasy series, “Digital Devil Saga” is set in the post-apocalyptic and aptly named urban landscape of the Junkyard. In the desolate and perpetually raining land, the occupants of this environment form tribes for mutual protection against each other in a constant battle for supremacy of the land.

The game begins during one such battle when a strange object suddenly appears in the middle of a battleground involving the Embryon tribe which the game storyline is centered on. During the gunfight that ensued as both combatants tried to be the first to claim the mysterious item, the object started to open revealing an unconscious girl within it as well as releasing tendrils of energy that spread throughout the Junkyard granting everyone the ability to transform into humanoid demon-like being. Overcome by the hunger for flesh, the transformed being began slaughtering each other to satiate their newly awaken hunger.

Horrified at what was happening to them, the Embryon tribe was summoned along with the other tribes to the Karma Tower that stood in the center of the Junkyard. It was there that all of the tribe were given the task to find the mysterious girl and bring her to the Karma Towers after defeating all of the other tribes. The winning tribe was promised access to Nirvana where they would not need to fight for their survival any more. Unknown to the other tribes, Embryon tribe has the girl in question but was wavy of the new directive passed down from their unseen overlords.

Players get to play several characters from the Embryon tribe as they work through the other tribes on the way to the Karma Towers to claim their reward. Along the way, they discovered that not everything was the way it looked. The characters started to learn about memories and emotions that they never had before after being exposed to the unknown energy. More questions than answers about the nature of their existence started to crop up as they work their way closer to the Karma Towers. By the time the game reaches the final dungeon, it was clear that everything that the characters knew in their past lives were a lie that was about to be shattered forever now that they were the only remaining living combatants in the Junkyard.

After defeating the final boss battle at the end of “Digital Devil Saga – Part 1”, players will find themselves in another urban environment that looks no difference that the one our characters thought that they had left behind. Early in the “Digital Devil Saga – Part 2”, our main characters learns that they were actually artificially generated digital being brought to life by the hidden powers of the Cyber Shaman who they have been protecting during their journey through the Junkyard in the last game. Their fate in this new world was no better than in the one they left behind for the promise of Nirvana.

Released 6 months after the release of the first installment of this game, “Digital Devil Saga – Part 2” was set in another urban environment where most people lived in either depilated underground cities or in domed population centers controlled by the demonic Karma Association. Those living in the underground cities find themselves culled as food for the people living in the domed cities who have been exposed to a virus that would transform them into humanoid demons not unlike the ones that we saw in the Junkyard. They were exposed to the virus in an attempt to find away to survive living outside of their domes that protected them from the harsh environment outside that was turning the rest of the unprotected population into stone.

Through the course of this game, the surviving residents of the Junkyard learns that their world that was destroyed when they left it behind was actually an artificial construct created to test the virus and to run non-stop battle simulations to gauge the success of the virus. The Cyber Shaman called Sera was somehow able to bring them over to the real world in an attempt to repair the damage that have been done to her world. Their appearance would also throw a wrench into the wheels of a ongoing power struggle that surrounded the Karma Association that controlled this world. As gamers battle through this world through their characters, we get to see the story revealed in measured paces to what I hope (since I have not finished the final boss battle in the game yet) was a satisfying conclusion.

I was particularly drawn to the engaging storylines of the game. The use of elements from Hinduism as well as the fictional demons and deity powers was a welcomed departure from the tried and true hack-slash fantasy elements found in other PS2 RPG games. Looking back, the last time I played a game with similar echoes with religion and deities would be the equally wonderful “Xenogears” game for the PS and the “Xenosaga” series for the PS2. While the storyline in part 1 of this game raised more questions than answers, it flowed beautifully into the proceeding part. It was a testimonial to good game storytelling when players get to get this involved with the characters that they were playing as.

Both the character and the visual design of this game were a wonder to look at. Each character stood out in their individuality and their demonic alter egos looked sufficiently interesting to watch in action. The plethora of monsters and demons that they had to fight were no less imaginative in their designs which ranged from the cutesy to the outright horrifying examples that you would not want to meet in a darken alley. The cut-scenes that peppered the game was both interesting to watch in terms of plot development as well as for the esthetic quality of the rendered art.

While some of the voice acting in the English version of these two game was a bit on the dry side, the musical score for the game was sufficiently distinct to differentiate it from the other RPG games available for the PS2. The combination of guitar riffs, electronica and ethereal Japanese influenced sound underscore the game play and the cut-scenes fairly well. While some of the better pieces of the score had less exposure that I would have liked it, the rest of the score would be very familiar to the player after having to listen to them in the 40 odd-hours involved in completing each game apiece.

Each of the playable characters in the game can do battle in either their demonized alter ego or their weaker human mode. Each characters have the usual strength, vitality, magic, agility and luck stats that would increase as the character goes up to the next level based on the experience points that they gain after every battle. Unlike the other RPG games out there, gamers can only manually allocated the stats point to only one of the characters in “Digital Devil Saga” while the rest of their characters have their stat points distributed automatically when they reach their next level. Although the stat point distribution system felt balanced for the remaining characters, some players would preferred to have the ability to customized the characters themselves.

In addition to the stats that each characters have, they also have the ability to learn special skills called Mantras that are not different from the magical spells available on the “Final Fantasy” series. These Mantras were grouped together in elemental grouping (earth, fire, ice, electric and force) as well as defensive and offensive skills sets. Each character in the game are able to learn any mantra by pay the cost of the mantra from the money the character collects at the end of each encounter. Strategic selection of which mantra to get for which character is the key here as each character has a strong and weak elemental affiliation. Using Mantras with the same elemental properties that the character was strong in would give bonus damage points that would help in the encounters and vice versa.

The battle system in both installments of “Digital Devil Saga” is turn based with a party of 3 characters battling monsters that they encounter. Combatants could be swapped in and out of the team by consuming a turn but this is not really recommended as the number of remaining turns are fairly valuable to waste in that way. The element of strategy comes into play as, like the characters, their opponents also have their strong and weak affiliations to avoid or exploit. Successfully exploiting the opponent’s weakness gives the gamer an additional turn against their opponent while a missed or voided attack will cost an extra turn that the player has. The AI controlled opponents would also try to exploit the same weakness in the players battle group which could result in a fairly short and disastrous encounter for the player if the group was not prepared strategically.

The encounter rate for the monsters in both games at times seemed very high given the smallish feel of the some of the areas that gamers need to explore. Fortunately for the gamers the combinations of the opponents that they have to face in each area rarely vary too much within the same area so having a good party combination in the beginning of the area would help out in the rest of the places left to discover before meeting the boss for that area. Boss battles were fairly balanced an exciting although some seemed to require that the characters reach a certain experience level before gamers can attempt them. In these cases, the higher encounter rate would help the characters to gain levels quickly.

Both installments of the games could be replayed with a higher difficulty level once gamers complete the game. Replaying the game with a higher difficulty would allow gamers to access several hidden boss battles that were not available to them in the previous levels. There were also several items and bonuses that carried over from the first installment when gamers start a new game in the second part of “Digital Devil Saga” if they have the clear data save game stored on their PS2 memory card. Given the wealth of items to be collected and the mantras that could be learned, “Digital Devil Saga” does have a fairly high replay value if the gamer was willing to invest the additional game time on it.

With a fascinating cast or characters and very engaging storyline as well an atmosphere, it was easy to recommend “Digital Devil Saga” to those who like RPG games of the PS2. It was sufficiently different from the other RPGs in the vein of Final Fantasy series on the PS2 that set it apart as an interesting alternative and a great way to waste away 80 hours of your life.

PS2 Game Review - God Of War

One of the things that I picked up during my blog hiatus was my PS2 gaming habit which partly explains why I couldn’t find enough time for my blog. I got it for my 31st birthday last year which may sound sad but in hindsight I have to say that it helped me keep my sanity especially when work got too intense in the office. I seriously believe that nothing is as therapeutic as coming home to immerse oneself into a console game and start hacking at on-screen monsters for an hour or two after a tough day managing projects, scant resources and unrealistic expectations.

Since then, I’ve gone through several titles although I must say that I usually just play them at the easiest levels so I can get through them and move to the next title. I may resort to reading a walkthrough from GameSpot.com if I get stuck but for most of the time, I usually can muddle through it. Most of the games that I currently have are either categorized as long drawn out CRPG or short gory actions games. I don’t really get into the other genres of games out there partly because I have the reaction time of a tree sloth so I’m abysmal at fighting games, driving games and 1st person shooters.

The reason for the previous two rambling paragraphs is to lead to my intentions to put down my thoughts/short review of the games that I’ve recently completed in my blog. I’ve wrote reviews of computer games (the last was back in Oct 2003) on the PC before on my blog so this is just an extension of that effort. Of course, not being a professional game reviewer, I can only give my own opinions about the games that I’ve completed. So to start things off, I present to you my thought about one of the best games I’ve seen in a while.


(Image courtesy of Gamespot.com)

Title : God Of War
Publisher : SCEA
Genre : Action
Platform : PS2

I read a lot of good things about “God of War” published by SCEA (Sony Computing Entertainment America) even before it was released from the various gaming trade sites on the Net. It was one of the very few games that I immediately bought to try out when it first appeared in the local market. I rarely do that as usually I would wait for more gamer reviews before trying a new game. I would quickly find out that I wouldn’t be disappointed.

From the start, GoW sucks the player into an immersive gaming experience. The story opens with a cut scene of playable character standing at the edge of a cliff before plunging down to the rocks below apparently to his death. With an opening hook like that, players are immediately vested into the game wanting to learn what events had led the character to this point of the story.

The controls and gameplay for GoW are easy to learn and most users could easily master the multiple combo attacks that would be the mainstay of the character. Each combos are uniquely detailed that chaining different combos are not only effective in dispatching the baddie on screen but is also beautiful to look at when executed. In addition to combo attacks, there are also other context sensitive button combination available when dispatching certain monsters and end of level bosses. Successfully completing the sequence may allow the player to refresh their health or magic power in addition to the game experience bonuses. For most of the bosses, successfully completing the sequence is the only way to defeat them and move to the next level.

The fighting in the game is perfectly balanced out with the puzzle solving aspects of this genre. Most of the puzzles in the game are easy to figure out and helps to slow down the pace of the game which could be quite frenzied at times. In accordance to the theme of the game, most of the puzzles involve pushing levers, moving blocks and the like. There are also the usual pitfalls, spinning columns and balancing beams that need to be completed in order to complete the current objective. Some of the puzzles consist of several mini puzzles that need to be solved before the bigger solution is available which further increased the sense of accomplishment when the player has successfully completed the puzzles.

There is a sufficiently large collections of enemies and monsters to go though to keep the game visually interesting. Even at the easiest levels, the games throws an interesting mix of baddies for the player to hack at . There are a lot of check points through out the story that the player can start from if their character dies instead of going back all the way from the last save point. Most of the enemies are triggered when the player first enters the area and will not respawn after they have been defeated even after the player backtracks into the area again. This makes this game more forgiving than most but it does not lessen the enjoyment.

I have to admit that the thing that I enjoyed the most about this game is the storyline and the graphics. Players are not told the whole story of what was happening at the beginning of the game. Without a full backstory, players are compelled to continue the game to find out more about the main character as his stories unfold in beautifully rendered cutscenes. The storyline it self is quite dark at moments but it is not without it’s own sense of humor. A word of caution, there are some excessive scenes of blood and gore in some of the cutscenes that might disturb some players. Being that it is integral to the plot, impressionable players should either be supervised when playing or give this game a miss until they can handle the subject matter.

Overall, I thought that GoW is the most well planned, beautifully rendered and immersive gaming experience I’ve had this year. I would highly recommend it to anyone who love a good game in the action genre on the PS2.

Next game : Mad’s Spy vs. Spy by Global Star Software and Vicious Cycle.