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I'd say it's a bit too much to call Psychonauts perfectly refined, though, considering how it ends. Rayman 3 had the same problem - a great game throwing out all of the best mechanics when you wanted them most.
Incidentally, OANST, if you want a game that feels a bit like Psychonauts to play: Rayman 3. Crooked art style, funky music, 3rd-person platforming and brawling, weird powerups, and the occasional setpiece level to break things up.
I personally consider it to be the best-paced game ever made - a smooth difficulty curve, lots of variety, and every strenuous level carefully paired with a silly, fun one afterwards.
The writing (what little there is) isn't as funny as Psychonauts, but no-one writes games in the style Double Fine does anyway. |
I had no problems with the end of the game, and really, if you actually use all of the skills that you acquired throughout the game, The Meat Circus is a lot easier. You just don't absolutely have to use those powers to get through it. Also, I really enjoyed the thorny tower section that leads up to The Meat Circus.
I'll try to give Rayman 3 a try at some point, but I hardly ever play games anymore, and I doubt I own anything that I could actually play that game on.