10 Great Video Games That Are Ugly On Purpose

Though Psychonauts 2 was largely well received by fans and critics alike, believe it or not there were those who complained that it didn't look ugly enough, that the original's disconcerting nightmare fuel aesthetic had been given an overly slick makeover.

Psychonauts' commercial failure upon original release has been often blamed on the game's willfully offputting visual style, especially its aggressively grotesque character designs, namely protagonist Raz, whose ill-proportioned facial features are enough to give anyone the heebie-jeebies.

Similarly, given that the game predominantly takes place in surreal mindscapes, the level design is fittingly unconventional, employing unsettling imagery to keep the player uncomfortable at almost all times.

This manifests most infamously in the game's climactic Meat Circus level, taking place in a literal carnival of dead animals as is sure to revolt not only vegetarians but, well, basically everybody.

But Psychonauts' ingenuity nevertheless made it a cult classic despite failing to strike a chord with the mainstream, as legendary director Tim Schafer - who, having previously directed Grim Fandango, knows a thing or two - committed wholeheartedly to the game's twisted, uncanny style.