Psychonauts 2, One Psy powered year later.
Self-worth, loss, depression, addiction, and self-identity are subjects not often found in games, let alone the main focal point. When you marry that with colorful worlds and characters you'd expect to find on a Saturday morning cartoon block, you have something that was able to turn a beloved cult classic into a critically beloved game of the year contender.
Fresh off of being acquired by Microsoft and the added funding to add elements that would've otherwise been cut altogether, Psychonauts 2 was finally released on August 25th, 2022. 3D platformers are easily my favorite genre in gaming, so finally seeing it revealed at The Game Awards 2015 was a pleasant surprise. Psychonauts 2 continues mere hours after the first one ends, while it's been well over a decade for fans around the world of Psychonauts. Putting you back in the shoes of Raz, as he finds himself as an intern at Psychonauts HQ, The Motherlobe.
Psychonauts 2 cleverly limits Raz's previous abilities he had at summer camp while expanding on new ones through his internship program. Some abilities have been lost, like Marksmenship, Shield, and Confusion from the first game, but with new introductions like Time Bubble and Mental Projection, nothing really seems lost. Time Bubble, in particular, has some clever puzzles dotted throughout the worlds that require you to slow moving platforms or hazards for safer passage. My personal favorite introduction to gameplay is the games' Pin system. Pins act as a cross between upgrades and a customizable system for Raz's powers. You are able to change, mix and match the color of your levitation ball, doubling the rate you find currency and changing how your qatral ptojection looks and acts, giving you countless ways to customize your playtime. Every single world in Psychonauts 2 is still a sight to behold. The team does a brilliant job combining numerous color palates and styles with nothing ever feeling like it's out of place or doesn't belong. Every world being inside someone's mind gives them the freedom to go wild with ideas. Hospital themed casinos, a music festival aimed towards the five senses, and a foody cannibalistic game show are just a few locations you'll get to explore. With a joyful soundtrack and a specific song, you'll undoubtedly get stuck in your head and listen to it on your daily commute like I did (looking at you, Welcome to my Mind). Having levels and locals in a big budget game like this nowadays is a far stretch from the grays and browns that plaster most games nowadays.
Combat is about the only area in my time that I didn't look forward to. Between having to hard stop what you're doing to switch abilities to deal with different enemy types and simple things like dodging not feeling quite right or acting how they're supposed to. This was amplified with a few challenge combat rooms that I held off on as long as I could to complete. I thought more time with the game would make the experience better, which didn't come as such.
Psychonauts 2 brought back a joy to me with video games that I haven't experienced in a long time. I have the unfortunate problem of trying to find games that capture that magic I felt years ago. It reminded me how special of an experience it is to get lost in these worlds and experience something you'd otherwise lose with other media forms.