Mind games

Sometimes sequels can take some time. In the case of Psychonauts it took three console generations before Raz and his band of mental soldiers finally got the sequel it deserved. Psychonauts 2 is an adventure 16 years in the making. That is a long time to be absent. Players who have never experienced the original game (you really should, it is available everywhere, including Game Pass) are likely hesitant to jump in. Rest assured there is a nice recap of the first game and the story here feels inclusive enough to stand on its own. Psychonauts 2 had a lot to live up to, and it nails nearly every aspect of it.

The story picks up directly after the events of the first game. Raz and the team are tasked with rescuing Truman Zanotto, the Grand Head of the Psychonauts. The second game starts off with a bang as the team dives into the mind of Dr. Caligosto Loboto to rescue Truman. From there they venture off to the Motherlobe, the main base of the Psychonauts to discover what happened. The events that unfold are deep and interesting. There are plenty of threads, heartwarming moments, and of course plenty of humor to progress the story.

MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $59.99

This game is a lot more narrative-driven than I expected. There are so many characters and storylines that it feels like a full-fledged animated story. It helps that the writing and voice performances are top-notch. Every character gets fully fleshed out and I never lost interest in unraveling the threads it presents. I won’t spoil any specific details, but the ride is absolutely incredible.

The game play mimics a lot of the original title with melee combat being the standard with a healthy mix of Psi powers Raz accumulates along the way. I loved the powers themselves but switching between them could be a chore at times. I had to hold up on the d-pad to bring up the selection wheel, then map it to one of the four shoulder buttons. This becomes increasingly frustrating when areas focus on more than four powers at a time. I also enjoy having specific powers that are more useful such as the balloon glide and Psi-blast, but I was always switching up until the very end of the game.

The enemy variety is fantastic. Each one is based on a part of the mind such as censors, enablers, and panic attacks. Every enemy comes with a unique way to dispose of them which keeps the combat fresh. I really loved the way everything in Psychonauts 2 plays on the aspect of the mind. From the level design to the boss encounters it all feels clever and interesting. Speaking of the level design…

Some of the imagery in this game is downright spectacular. There are several areas that I will never forget as long as I play video games. There is a cooking show and a Disney-inspired ride that quickly come to mind that I adored. Each area in the game is tailored to a specific theme and it works wonderfully. Not all of them are equally impressive though. There are some levels that drag on far too long, while others feel like a blip of genius that I wish lasted longer. It is a minor pacing problem, but not one that broke my flow of the game.

The end game also felt too long. There are two instances where the game warned me that I needed to finish things up before moving on. It reminded me of the ending to the Lord of the Rings movie where it simply just kept ending. Once I did reach the climax though it was all worth it. The game wraps up nicely and of course gives players a chance to revisit the entire game post-credits. So don’t worry about missing a few collectibles before finishing up, though I do recommend upgrading everything before the true, true final encounter.

Speaking of collectibles there are plenty to discover. The game is littered with memory fragments, emotional baggage, and much more to collect. There is a ranking system which earns skill points to put into your Psi powers and even badges that can modify the powers. Things like drawing items in from further, or simply damaging enemies while rolling on the ball are all modifiers that can be purchased in the shop. The game is massive in scale and can take double-digit hours to complete 100%. It is all interesting too. There is very little filler found in the game.

Graphically I absolutely love the designs in this game. Some of these levels are top tier when it comes to their look and feel. I played on Series X and the option for 60 or 120fps is an option. I ended up sticking with 60 as this is not a shooter and the downgrade in fidelity was just enough to be noticeable. Either way it looks good though and I never had an issue with frame rates even during intense sequences. The game just oozes style in the design department. As I mentioned the voice acting is also stellar and the writing just seals the deal. The music is brilliant as it takes familiar themes you would recognize and spins them. I hear you Price is Right theme, even if it isn’t exact.

Psychonauts 2 is a masterclass in design. Some of the levels in the game will stick with me for another 16 years easily. I hate that it took this long for Tim Schafer and his team to get the chance to make this sequel, but it was truly worth the wait. Fans of the original are in for a treat. Anyone with Game Pass should not hesitate to download this game. This is now on my short list of best of the year, and I cannot wait to see what Double Fine does now with an even larger budget.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.