The Dark Side of Psychonauts - Moles/Monsters/Psychics/Spies

Curious Arcade

Investigating mysteries in the dark spy world of Psychonauts. Mind control experiments, secret detention camps, high-ranking spies, and suspected moles. These are just some of the covert cases to have inspired the dark spy world of Psychonauts. The GPC, or Geodesic Psychoisolation Chambers, have always seemed shady. There's a good reason for that. These sensory deprivation cells have roots in the murky mental trials of the CIA. In fact, the existence of Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp can be traced back to one of their top-secret sub-projects. Underground locations are notoriously good at hiding secrets. Ford's Sanctuary shines a light on the wider role of the Psychonauts agency. Those floating holographic screens offer a rare glimpse into the outside world, while also hinting at the clandestine activities of the organisation. Agents like Milla and Sasha are rooted in a fantastical world of spies. Cold war types like James Bond, dull and inconspicuous, best reflect the character of Sasha. While traces of Milla show in a seventies Bond girl. Although Milla does somewhat defy the stereotype. Moles first came into the public consciousness through John le Carré's seminal spy thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The characters in his book were inspired by real-life communist spies. Exploring these cases offers an insight into the mindset of a traitor, and may even help unveil the Motherlobe mole. In Psychonauts, a monster may not be quite as evil as she appears on the surface. It was the case with Linda, and likely so with Maligula. Walt Disney villains, an Inuit myth, and a Roman emperor are all somehow interlinked. At the heart of this tangled web lie the Galochios. Raz's origins, left a mystery in the first game, could be traced back to that fortune-telling family. There are bread-crumb trails in the first game, easy to miss, but obvious once you sight them. Beneath it all is a hidden nest of theories. See if you can spot them all. Double agents, triple agents, split-personality agents. In the words of Sherlock Holmes: "Once you have eliminated the possible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." In the world of Psychonauts, that makes everyone a suspect... 0:00 Spies - GPC/MKUltra/KUBARK/Zubek 2:49 Sanctuary/U.N.C.L.E./Bond 4:37 Moles - Tinker/Hollis/Five/Circus 6:32 Reasons/Files/Brains/Secrets 9:25 Intermission 9:54 Psychics - Espionage/Theories/Divination 10:37 Galochios/Tunnel/Cloaked Figure 11:54 Monsters - Maligula/Caligula/Ursula/Sedna 13:46 Brainiac Boss 14:18 End of Message MUSIC CREDITS Walking Along by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4603-walking-along License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Spy Glass by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4410-spy-glass License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Dances and Dames by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3585-dances-and-dames License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Covert Affair by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3558-covert-affair License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Deadly Roulette by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3625-deadly-roulette License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Comfortable Mystery by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3531-comfortable-mystery License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license