![]() ![]() Like its celebrated predecessor, which arrived in 2005, Psychonauts 2 is a third-person platformer developed by Double Fine, the Microsoft-owned but independently operated studio started by Tim Schafer, the legendary LucasArts auteur. ![]() Psychonauts 2 doubles as an interactive art exhibit, but in some respects it’s also a semiconventional video game, so here’s a more mundane description. Yet even though every level looks different, they all unquestionably belong inside Psychonauts, a singular series that follows few rules except to stay resolutely and exquisitely true to itself. The environments of Psychonauts 2 are as full of folds, wrinkles, and contradictions as the addled in-game brains that contain them. Not because of how lifelike it looks, but because of how much less lively real life looks by comparison. But I compulsively snapped stills of Psychonauts 2 like a tourist on his first trip away from his hometown. I’m not normally a screenshot person when I play games, because fumbling for a capture button or being ambushed by a pop-up breaks the spell of the scenery. After spending time in a world where every character and corner is at least slightly askew, obedient buildings are boring. Nor would one want them to conform to familiar designs or stick to symmetrical layouts. No structures seem up to code, except for the computer code that created them. Every plant needs a trim, and every human a haircut. In the figuratively and literally twisted settings of the sequel to Psychonauts, every hallway is warped. In fact, t he characters and their voiceovers are one of the game’s selling points, and coming from me that means something.Nature abhors a straight line. ![]() The voice acting is also superb, nothing feels forced, out of place or grating in any way. The music is beautiful too, mysterious, wonderful and very apt, perfectly fitting the themes and style of the game and the whole package is perfectly balanced. Psychonauts is by no means the best looking game I have ever seen but it more than makes up for it in style and charm. I love how the character models look like puppets and everyone you meet is so zany and weird. Don’t get me wrong, there is no PS5 version so I am only playing a PS4 game through backwards compatibility, but I love the Saturday morning cartoon feel to the environments and characters. Full Of Style And Charmįrom a presentation standpoint, I think Psychonauts 2 is beautiful. As you level up you can upgrade your powers and purchase equipment, consumables and badges to tweak these powers in small, nuanced ways. Overall, Psychonauts 2 has a much better progression system. Psychonauts tackles Addiction, PTSD, panic attacks, anxiety and an all manner of mental health issues and does it with class, humour and with a subtlety and care that the developers should be proud of. When you start the game up you get a splash screen detailing these issues and a link to where you can get help. Another aspect I think Psychonauts does really well is how it tackles mental health and some of the issues the world faces today. In between the platforming and collectable madness, as Raz, you have the power to enter people’s minds and, hopefully, fix what ails them. Pair that with a gorgeous art style and the traditional Double Fine banter and you have a massively pleasant package. Psychonauts has enjoyable exploration, great platforming and lists of collectables that are actually fun to track down and discover. ![]() As I said above, especially in recent years, these games are too few and far between for my liking. Psychonauts is a 3D platformer heavy-laden with jokes, weird characters, and collectables aplenty. For Psychonauts newbies, you are in for a treat. ![]()
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