Psychonauts 2 deals with heavy themes involving mental health, mental illness, addiction and more. Aside from that, I can’t say enough about how enjoyable Psychonauts 2 is to play. I would love to have seen a different control scheme implemented but sadly, it’s the one and the only thing about the game that really got me down. Once Raz has access to more than four, it becomes burdensome to open the quick-change menu and choose your powers. Abilities are mapped to the four shoulder buttons meaning you can have four equipped at one time. The one gripe I had from my preview remains. It’s very difficult to get bored in Psychonauts 2 which should be a requirement of all games. Similarly, just when you think you might be getting tired of exploration, or combat, or platforming or…whatever, it’s like the game knows and you’re given something new and/or different to try. Controlling Raz is (just about) flawless and his movement through the world makes you want to keep playing and exploring “just one more level.” There are some occasionally wonky moments when the camera and controls conspire to cause you to die and they’re a shame but not so frequent as to detract from the experience. It’s a huge part of the game and it is absolutely spot-on. What also helps sell Psychonauts 2 is the platforming. It feels like a game from my childhood has been brought into the present-day and taken advantage of everything developers have learned and changed in the past (gulp) 20 or so years. I’m not 100% sure, but whatever it is, it makes Psychonauts 2 a joy to play. It may be a combination of the “wonk” art style, the psychic abilities or that there are lots of different gameplay mechanics which keeps things feeling fresh as you play. However, Psychonauts 2 ‘feels’ different. You still spend the majority of your playtime exploring open(ish) worlds, collecting various doodads, learning new abilities and using them to unlock previously inaccessible areas. Psychonauts 2 is a platformer at its core but it’s evolved beyond that genre somewhat. I was reminded of the likes of Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64 when Rare was in its heyday. Playing Psychonauts 2 took me back to my earlier gaming days. Without the voice acting, they’d still be wonderfully written and relatable but having such wonderfully performed VO puts Psychonauts 2 in the top tier of characterisations. The superb voice acting is the cherry on top when it comes to the characters. It’s clear a lot of thought has gone into creating and fleshing out the characters who inhabit Psychonauts 2 and the experience is far richer for it. They’re not there just to deliver some exposition and fill a space. Even the smallest of background actors has a personality and their own motives. It’s helped by the fact that Raz, and the supporting cast, are likeable, interesting and well-rounded. Psychonauts 2’s story is what drives the player and Double Fine has ensured it’s always front and centre. There could have been moments where the story lost focus and shifted to the ancillary but these things don’t happen. It could have been easy for Psychonauts 2 to fall victim to a slower section here or there. These events drive the plot forward and keep the story moving at a decent pace. What’s more, Truman Zanotto, now rescued, seems to be rapidly detriorating, there’s a mole in the Psychonauts and Maligula, the Deluge of Grelovia may be returning from the dead. Instead of becoming a fully-fledged member of the team, he’s relegated to Intern status. Once at the Motherlobe, things don’t go as Raz has expected. Taking place directly after the events of the original Psychonauts and the VR sequel, Rhombus of Ruin, Psychonauts 2 sees Raz finally arrive at the headquarters of the titular heroes. It’s a real testament to the superb storytelling skills of Double Fine and the undeniable care that’s gone into making this sequel. For a game with as heavy and dark subject matter as Psychonauts 2, the experience remains remarkably light and enjoyable. Thankfully, without bashing players over the head with them.ĭouble Fine cleverly uses imagery, audio and even gameplay mechanics to get the message across in subtle yet effective ways. It’s balanced in such a way that players certainly are able to grasp the concepts Double Fine is dealing with. It’s a game heavy on subtext and allusion and light on explanation. Worst of all, concepts and ideas are broken down piece by piece and force-fed to players as if they’re not clever enough to work them out. Sometimes, they rely on heavy exposition to ‘help’ players understand the plot. Too often games, worried players might miss something, spell everything out far more than necessary. The quality of Psychonauts’ writing is a rare thing in video games.
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