Developer: Dual Corporation Publisher: NEC Release: 1990 Genre: Shooter
I don’t envy the developers of shooters back in the day. In the same way that platformers, first person shooters, and open world games have had their time in the spotlight shooters were once a staple of the industry. But on platforms like the Genesis and Turbo Grafx-16 you either needed to be exceptional in every category or bring something new to the table to garner any interest. Psychosis has an interesting premise that gives it a unique hook. But beyond that it is your bog standard shooter and one that cannot coast on its novelty.
Your mind is no longer your own. Somehow some evil force has invaded your thoughts for reasons unknown. This devil, named Ugar, plans to take over your entire body. But inside your mind anything is possible, and so you create a ship to battle the hordes of monsters Ugar has created to subdue you. Pretty cool, eh? In Japan it was called Paranoia and was themed around mental illness. Rather than a demon trying to possess your body you instead travel inward to prevent your descent in to madness. Stages are called Causes, as though you are destroying the root cause of your madness.
The game’s story makes for an interesting journey. Psychosis eschews the standard video game tropes for its levels and instead creates themed stages. Stage 1 is the most traditional as you fly along a seaside cape and deal with a wide range of enemies, from ants and spiders to flies. Stage 2 is a garden which seems simple but it has a recurring Noh mask as a mini-boss. The end level boss is even stranger, a nine-tailed fox! Stage four is the most interesting. This level is Hindu themed and the most visually appealing. A representation of the Hindu god Vishnu is a common enemy and the end boss is the multi-armed Goddess Shiva. What this has to do with the rest of the game I don’t know but I have never lost my mind. At least it looks cool.
For as interesting as the game’s story and levels are I wish the game were more creative with its weapons. Like R-Type any time you grab a power-up you are granted a satellite or option. In this case you get two that can be repositioned around your ship with a button. This is the game’s best feature as the options are very versatile. Depending on the position and the weapon they can cover your blind spots and are essential in certain situations. They are also a makeshift shield even though there is one in the game. The options and their function make up for the fact that the weapons themselves are typical shooter fare such as a laser, wave beam, and thunder.
Compared to most shooters your weapons are a bit underpowered. Combined with the level design it makes Psychosis more difficult than it probably should be. The game pulls out all the shooter staples, impenetrable walls, dead ends that lead to death, and complex mini bosses in tight arenas. This is not the type of game to pepper the screen with bullets. Instead it focuses on tight areas with little room to maneuver. Any deaths will send you back to a checkpoint with no weapons. Considering some of the later stages it is near impossible to mount a comeback. Oddly enough the journey to each boss is more complicated than the actual battles themselves. Most bosses have simple patterns to follow and are damage sponges. Considering their original designs for the genre it is disappointing.
Psychosis is a short game at only five stages. It will take a little bit of time to complete as the difficulty is high but it could still have used more content. To see the true ending you need to complete it twice a la Ghosts ‘n Goblins. But I doubt most will want to after the first time. It’s a damn shame the game is so short as its premise is so interesting. The developers have shown a great deal of creativity throughout the game and with a few more levels Psychosis could have been special and stood out more in the genre. It reeks of a missed opportunity.
In Closing
Psychosis is interesting. But interesting does not mean great. Its premise is sound but outside of that it is thoroughly unremarkable. I would still rather replay Blazing Lazers or Soldier Blade than this, take that as you will.
