Episode 87 - The Linda Interstitial - Psychonauts

Overly…intricate…podcast! Welcome back to NOCLIP! Today we’re going to be talking about Double Fine’s platformer classic Psychonauts, which really set the standard for games coming from the company for years to come. Psychonauts is pretty unique as far as platformers go, with an emphasis on strong character writing and level designs that are based on those character’s personalities. Really, the writing in the game is what stands out the most, and they take the concept of a psychic summer camp and really run with it, squeezing as much as they can from the campers and their relationships with each other. The actual play experience, while containing some hallmarks of early 2000s game design has also aged surprisingly well and means while Psychonauts may not be all you remember it, it is still a game worth going back to. We talk about comedy and setting acting in service of one another, the ubiquity of the Levitation power and its place in making the core gameplay feel unique, and how the Meat Circus should have been abject horror but somehow wasn’t. Thank you for joining us again this month. Next time we’re going to be talking about Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding, a controversial title to be sure. So make sure you check us out then to hear the objectively correct take on the game.