Psychonauts (2005)

Psychonauts is a 2005 platform game by Double Fine Productions, published by Majesco Entertainment for Windows, Xbox, and PlayStation 2. Set in retro-futuristic 1980s, the story follows Razputin (Raz), a psychic boy who flees his family’s circus to join a summer camp for psychic training. Aspiring to become a “Psychonaut,” Raz uncovers a diabolical scheme threatening the camp. Players explore minds of characters, helping them confront past traumas while Raz gains psychic abilities for combat and puzzle-solving.

The game originated from an unused idea by Double Fine founder Tim Schafer during Full Throttle’s development. Initially backed by Microsoft, development faced setbacks, and after Microsoft dropped support, Majesco stepped in, allowing completion after 4 and a half years. Though critically acclaimed, Majesco’s financial losses limited its impact at launch.

In 2011, Double Fine regained the rights, re-releasing the game digitally with modern updates. Its popularity grew, selling 1.7 million copies by 2015. A sequel, Psychonauts 2, launched in August 2021. (Source)


Characters


Enemies

Concepts

Real and Mental Worlds

There are both real and mental worlds in Psychonauts. The real world is the world in which Raz pursues his dream of becoming a Psychonaut while exploring the mysteries of the camp and his immediate surroundings. These are the environments where he develops his physical and psychic talents. The mental world is the world as imagined inside the psyches of the various characters he encounters in the real world.

Mental Health

Maintaining adequate mental health is vital for any aspiring Psychonaut and it's also necessary for Raz to perform his psychic skills. Initially, Raz will have three brains' worth of health. When he takes damage, the brains start to lose their cranial fluid, 1/4 brain at a time. If Raz ever loses mental health completely, one layer of his astral projection into this mind will peel off, and he will be sent back to the last checkpoint he crossed in the area, as long as he has enough astral layers left. If Raz is out of mental health and astral layers, he will be kicked out of the mind he is in and sent back to the real world. If Raz loses all his health in the real world, he will return to a respawn point in the real world.

Story Overview

Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp

Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp is a secret government training facility for children with psychic abilities set atop a Psitanium-rich meteorite crater in Whispering Valley, near Lake Oblongata. Operating under the guise of a summer camp, it trains young psychics to become Psychonauts, exploring and enhancing their abilities in a safe environment. The area’s Psitanium boosts psychic powers, making it ideal for training, though most abilities fade after leaving unless reignited through training and muscle memory.

The valley’s history includes Native arrowhead crafting from Psitanium, a boomtown called “Shaky Claim,” and the Thorney Towers Home for the Disturbed for paranormal hysteria, leading to the camp’s founding five years before the game takes place.

Raz’s Journey to the Psychonauts

Razputin “Raz,” a 10-year-old with psychic abilities, escapes his family’s circus to join Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp. His father’s disapproval of his powers drives Raz to prove his worth as a Psychonaut. At the camp, he discovers a fiendish plan involving stolen camper brains and psychic tanks. Determined to stop it, Raz trains with Psychonaut agents Sasha Nein and Milla Vodello, unlocking psychic abilities and delving into the mysterious minds of others. His journey to becoming a hero begins as he faces the challenges of his powers and the dark secrets of the camp.

Uncovering Oleander’s Scheme

After excelling in his initial training, Raz gains access to advanced lessons with Sasha Nein using the Brain Tumbler. Through it, he foresees a dark tower, a deranged dentist, and stolen brains. Learning Dogen’s brain has been removed, Raz uncovers a scheme involving Coach Oleander and Dr. Loboto. With Lili kidnapped by a mutated lungfish, Raz faces his fear of water to rescue her. Assisted by Ford Cruller and the freed lungfish, Linda, Raz ventures to Thorny Towers asylum, unraveling a deeper plot and encountering surreal challenges in the minds of its patients.

Rescuing Lili and the Psychonauts

At Thorny Towers, Raz helps patients confront their traumas and gains a disguise to infiltrate Loboto’s lab. He rescues Lili and restores Sasha and Milla’s minds but discovers Oleander’s plan to dominate the world using brain-powered psychic tanks. Amid explosions and chaos, Raz and Lili share their first kiss. When Oleander returns brainless, a brain tank attacks, forcing Raz to merge his psyche with Oleander’s. Raz navigates the “Meat Circus,” confronting his fears and Oleander’s traumatic past. His real father helps Raz overcome personal demons, defeating the final monstrous fusion of their fears.

Triumph and New Adventures

Raz separates his psyche from Oleander, resolving both their inner conflicts. Promoted to a full Psychonaut by Ford Cruller, Raz is ready for new adventures. Raz and Lili solidify their bond despite Raz’s family life. Suddenly, the team learns of Truman Zanotto’s kidnapping. With his father’s blessing, Raz joins Sasha, Milla, Lili, and Oleander to embark on their next mission. In an extra scene, Linda, Sheegor, and Pokeylope reunite at the asylum, hinting at a mysterious connection from their past, as they embrace newfound peace.

Sources