New Adventures Await in Psychonauts 2: A Whimsical Journey Through the Mind’s Playground

Psychonauts 2 has finally arrived — and it’s now available. Tell someone from the late 2000s that, and they might find it hard to believe. The original Psychonauts, which debuted in 2005 on the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and PC, underwent a tumultuous development journey. Directed by Tim Schafer, known for his work on Grim Fandango and Full Throttle, it was the inaugural project for his new studio, Double Fine. This led to various complications, including Microsoft retracting its exclusivity deal midway through development. Eventually, Double Fine established a new partnership, and Psychonauts launched to widespread praise, yet it struggled to attract a substantial audience, resulting in its publisher exiting the gaming market entirely. It’s no surprise then that Schafer encountered difficulties in bringing Psychonauts 2 to life — it faced its own array of challenges.

When Psychonauts 2 was unveiled in late 2015, Double Fine indicated it would seek crowdfunding to assist with development expenses, similar to their other projects. The initiative was successful, and a few years later, the company secured a publishing agreement with Starbreeze Studios, the parent of Payday 2. However, problems soon arose. First, Double Fine postponed the release of Psychonauts 2 by over a year, and then Starbreeze encountered financial hardships, leading to the omission of boss battles, which Schafer acknowledged. Interestingly, the entity that came to the rescue was Microsoft — the same company that had abandoned them for being “too expensive and delayed” during the original Psychonauts — which acquired the studio to enhance Xbox’s lineup of first-party titles. Time truly works wonders.

Psychonauts 2 — not an Xbox exclusive despite Microsoft’s support and set to release on Game Pass for free on launch day — focuses on the young, talented psychic Razputin (voiced by Richard Horvitz) who has the ability to delve into the minds of others. He makes a return from Psychonauts and the short VR game Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, which came out in 2017 and connects the narratives of the two main titles. Recognizing that the VR-only format limited its reach (and given the long absence of Raz), Double Fine opens Psychonauts 2 with a cutscene that reintroduces the main character and recaps the events of the Rhombus of Ruin. After those events, Raz and his friends arrive at the Psychonauts headquarters, the Motherlobe, where Raz embarks on a new quest that may involve a mole, necromancy, and, naturally, some bacon.

Continuing the explorations of its predecessor, Psychonauts 2 delves into the complexities of the human mind: our thought patterns, neural pathways, and the importance of embracing fresh concepts. This is reflected in the gameplay, where Raz connects various words — one of the game’s cleverest mechanics. It imparts valuable lessons to children (Psychonauts’ primary demographic) as players learn how different associations can lead to shifts in meaning and thought. Such explorations can create dilemmas. At one point, Raz is warned against manipulating someone’s mind to sway it to his preference — there is certainly a hint of Inception in the narrative — yet in contradiction, Psychonauts 2 repeatedly prompts players to engage in precisely that, as the core gameplay relies on it.

However, don’t misconstrue this as a somber, earnest affair. My presentation may seem straightforward, but that’s just because I’m not Tim Schafer. Psychonauts 2 retains the whimsical charm of its predecessor and consistently weaves in playful humor amidst serious subjects. The game makes this clear right from the start with a warning, stating that it includes “artistic portrayals of serious mental issues such as addiction, PTSD, panic attacks, anxiety, and delusions.” It also injects humor into various aspects — much of which can be overheard while interacting with non-player characters (NPCs) — and Raz’s situation seems to be part of this. As a cadet in Psychonauts, he is now an intern in Psychonauts 2. Despite his achievements, Raz seems to make little progress — is it because adults doubt children’s capabilities?

Regarding gameplay mechanics, Raz possesses several psychic abilities, the majority returning from Psychonauts. These include levitation, pyrokinesis, telekinesis, clairvoyance, PSI blast, and mental connection. PSI blasts function as energy projectiles that enable you to defend against adversaries and break objects. Through clairvoyance, Raz can perceive the world through another person’s eyes, which is both beneficial and amusing as everyone perceives you differently. For some, you could appear animated, while for others, you might seem like a trash can. Double Fine has indicated these perceptions will evolve as the story unfolds. In Psychonauts 2, players can now assign four powers to the shoulder and trigger buttons, an upgrade from three in Psychonauts. As before, you can switch between them seamlessly, and mastering a level involves knowing which PSI powers to deploy at the right moments.

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Psychonauts Deputy Head Hollis Forsythe in Psychonauts 2
Photo Credit: Double Fine/Xbox

Since Psychonauts 2 is aimed at children, its gameplay reflects this design decision. Players can select from one, two, or all three options in settings. This includes a no-damage feature when Raz falls from heights, making him exceptionally resilient in battles to prioritize storytelling, as well as the ultimate option: invincibility. This allows younger players, who may not have fully developed dexterity, to concentrate on fewer aspects of the game. Psychonauts 2 also provides guidance for those who may struggle with navigation, ensuring that players of all skill levels can enjoy the game. However, in situations like boss confrontations, it doesn’t offer too many eases. Nevertheless, I haven’t encountered anything comparable to the notoriously challenging final level in Psychonauts, which was known for its difficulty and was only later adjusted.

The platforming segments in Psychonauts 2 are enjoyable and easy to engage with, though I wouldn’t classify anything I’ve encountered as particularly groundbreaking. This year alone, we’ve seen titles like It Takes Two, a remarkable co-op adventure that skillfully blended a variety of platforming elements to create diverse worlds. Like its predecessor, the unique selling point of Psychonauts 2 lies in its diverse character roster, brimming with quirky new and familiar faces. Coupled with a visual style reminiscent of hand-drawn comic books, evoking a Tim Burton-esque feel as if it has emerged from a vibrant Technicolor dream.

Performance was consistently smooth for me with Psychonauts 2. It looked stunning and operated flawlessly on the Xbox One X, maintaining a steady 30fps at 4K resolution. While it doesn’t require cutting-edge graphics, it does benefit from next-gen hardware. Exclusively for Xbox Series S/X on newer consoles, Double Fine asserts that Psychonauts 2 will run at 60fps at 4K on the powerful Series X, and 60fps at 2880×1620 on the Series S. There’s also an option for 120fps, though at a reduced resolution. Lastly, the Series S/X version is the sole means to experience Psychonauts 2 in HDR. On the original Xbox One and the PS4, it is capped at 30fps at full HD. Owners of the PS4 Pro will see an upgrade to 1440p. You can run Psychonauts 2 on PlayStation 5 via backward compatibility, which also allows for 60fps.

I encountered only one bug in Psychonauts 2, where Raz got stuck in certain areas that he could jump into but not escape. Overall, it has been a polished experience, reaffirming the notion that games are better when they are delayed rather than rushed. Although Psychonauts 2 has had a long and arduous journey, its release signifies that some struggles are truly worth it.

Pros:

• Quirky, fun, and diverse
• Hand-drawn visual style
• Tackles significant themes
• Cleverly delivers concepts
• Respectful of its audience
• Special gameplay settings for younger players
• Engaging NPC dialogue
• Available with Xbox Game Pass

Cons:

• Narrative at odds with gameplay loop
• Platforming segments lack innovation
• Environmental glitches

Rating (out of 10): 7

Psychonauts 2 became accessible on August 25 for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation 4, and Windows PCs.

It is priced at Rs. 1,299 on Steam, Rs. 3,999 on Microsoft Store, and Rs. 4,995 on PlayStation Store. Game Pass Ultimate (including Xbox Cloud Gaming) is available at Rs. 699 per month.