Psychonauts is a platform game established by Double Fine Productions that was first launched in 2005. The game was originally published by Majesco Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, Xbox and also PlayStation 2. In 2011, Dual Fine obtained the civil liberties for the title, allowing the company to republish the title with updates for modern-day pc gaming systems and also ports for Mac OS X as well as Linux.
Psychonauts follows the player-character Razputin (Raz) (articulated by Richard Horvitz), a young kid gifted with psychic capabilities that escapes from the circus to try to slip right into a summer season camp for those with similar powers to become a Psychonaut, a spy with psychic abilities. He locates that there is a threatening story happening at the camp that just he can quit. The game is fixated checking out the unusual and also imaginative minds of numerous personalities that Raz encounters as a Psychonaut-in-training/Psycadet to aid them overcome their anxieties or memories of their past, so as to gain their assistance as well as development in the game. Raz acquires usage of numerous psychic abilities throughout the game that are made use of for both striking enemies as well as resolving puzzles.
Psychonauts was based on a deserted idea that Tim Schafer had throughout the development of Top speed, which he increased out into a complete game with his then new firm Double Fine. The game was at first backed by Microsoft’s Ed Fries as a best title for the original Xbox console, yet numerous interior as well as outside concerns caused difficulties for Dual Fine in meeting different milestones as well as replying to screening comments. Complying with French fries’ departure in 2004, Microsoft dropped the posting legal rights, making the game’s future uncertain. Dual Penalty was able to secure Majesco as an author a few months later on permitting them to finish the game after 4 as well as a fifty percent years of growth.
Regardless of being well gotten, Psychonauts did not sell well with just regarding 100,000 retail units cost the moment of launch, leading to severe financial loss for Majesco and also their separation from the computer game market; the title was taken into consideration a business failure. Psychonauts since has actually made a variety of sector awards, gained a cult complying with and has actually been taken into consideration among the best video games ever made. Adhering to the procurement of the game, Dual Fine’s republishing abilities as well as support for modern-day systems has enabled them to supply the game with electronic distribution, and also the firm has reported that their own sales of the game have actually much exceeded what was originally sold on its original launch, with advancing sales of almost 1.7 million since December 2015. A sequel, Psychonauts 2, was introduced at The Game Honors in December 2015 and was launched on August 25th, 2021.

After the commercial flop of the first part you now want to make everything better with psychonauts 2. We tested it.

Over 16 years ago, Double Fine Productions has published psychonauts for the Xbox, the PlayStation 2 and the PC. While the game was celebrated by the trade press, unfortunately, only a few players have been interested in the wound jump-and-run adventure, and so it took more than 15 years until finally a successor has appeared. Why it took so long and what circumstances were responsible for this, you can read detailed in our fact check. We focus on this text as to whether the game is at all a bit.

How did everything began?

Suitable for the attunement to the second part, we have made our original again a few weeks ago and await positively surprised how little the title is playfully aged. Apart from a slightly sterile graphic, the game is still making something like that today and above all a lot of fun. While it is not imperative that you know the predecessor to enjoy psychonauts 2, but it makes a lot easier, because the story can sometimes be very kinky. If you do not feel like it, look at the summary that is also included. But what is it all?

Secret agent or not?

Psychonauts 2 builds on the plot of the first part and the VR-Intermezzo psychonaut in The Rhombus of Ruin. Raz, actually offspring of a circus family, finally made it to psychonauts. Well, not completely. He is trainee now, but that does not stop him uncovering a conspiracy within the secret organization after whose boss was kidnapped. In addition, RAZ has to knock around with his unpleasant comrades, which are initially not friendly to him at all.

When serious topics meet entertainment …

Designer Tim Scherer has given great importance in the development of psychonauts 2 that mental problems are treated in a playful manner. However, if you expect a depressing game like light blood, is wrapped scared. In Psychonauts 2, these problems are presented with a wink, but without neglecting the core of the matter. That will be clear in the first few minutes of the game if Raz meets for the first time on his also young colleagues. Everyone probably knows the feeling when they are new to a group and does not know how they react to a self. RAZ is harassed directly and except for one, two exceptions of each in the group, exploited and defamrated. The colorful design of the game may convey something else at first glance, but that’s not like that.

… and it should still be fun

For that reason, you will also receive an indication of the first game starting that this game topics such as anxiety, panic attacks and more addresses. Thanks to the abstract and comic presentation, this is less problematic than in other titles, except you have a phobia against dentists. Then you should really watch a few videos before checking if you can handle it or not.

Anyone who joins themselves from you and not only plays the game from start to finish, comes into pondering and under certain circumstances also his own behavior. But no matter if you are deliberately putting on it or not, you will definitely show you what behaviors should be considered and how to deal with different fears to overcome them. This happens, depending on the situation, somewhat sudly and sometimes with the crowbar.

fun gameplay with psi forces

At the end of the day is still an action game. As in its predecessor, RAZ has to fight with the help of his PSI skills through the absorbest levels to immerse themselves in the thought worlds of other characters and uncover the conspiracy. Due to the previous games, he already has some skills at the beginning of the adventure.

In the course of the adventure, however, he learns more, so that he can finally be able to use eight different PSI skills according to own well-fault. Four of them are always active, but the exchange takes place in wind parts, so you have full control in every situation. In addition, you can also contain the opponents with RAZ itself by giving the Fieslingen very classically one on the cap. The only difficulty is that you need to notice which key you have laid your ability. Then the use of fireball, mental Enterhaken and Co is nothing in the way.

Thoughts, bosses and more

In addition to defeating opponents and various platform deposits, the reprogramming of foreign pains is part of the task area. Here, although the game suggests a certain freedom of choice, but in the end, everything runs out only on a solution, so you can do it more with smaller puzzles that triggers you with the PSI skills, instead of really planting new thoughts instead of the characters. But it does not change the fact that these sections make a lot of fun. The same applies to the numerous bosses in the game. These are once again pretty varied and require different strategies, just as they are used by the original.

Nothing goes without an overview

Real problems, however, immerse anywhere else. Although the camera has been significantly improved compared to its predecessor, but in some passages we still had to read from hand, not to jump into an abyss for x times. That’s annoying and disturbs the game flow, but with a bit of exercise also goes. It is more annoying, however, the fact that sometimes is not quite clear what to do next. Although there is a journal by naming the task, but that does not help keep it on. In addition, the map is anything but optimally designed and so we stood a few times before the question: And what are we doing now? Where are you? The idea of ​​mixing linear levels in between with a small pinch of Open World is good, but must be better implemented. In addition, the running pace of RAZ could be a little higher for our taste.

Outdoor Pfui, indoor Hui?

Technically, the game is a double-edged sword. While the artistic style before creativity only so puft, some environments affect surprisingly detailed arm and sterile. In addition, partly very monotone textures come. Apart from that psychonauts 2 on the Xbox Series X do not with send effects. At the latest, if you arrive at the casino, that will be clear. Everywhere it flashes and the neon reclamation ensures a successful illumination in this section. Other levels, for example, the entry with dentist theme, convince with many ideas and varied environments. The sound is similar. The music does not have a significant earweam character, but the setting of the figures is first-class. Each character has its own personality and the speakers have given themselves a lot of trouble to meet. Unfortunately, there is no German language edition.

Conclusion

Psychonauts 2 is a sequel as it is in the book. Known mechanics have been consistently developed, the scope increases and the presentation adapted to the current standards. However, the wheel was not reinvented. But for this purpose, the creators of Double Fine Productions, Mental Problems and Challenges to transfer first-class to transfer to a colorful world, without acting too superiorary. Only the question arises as to whether there is also enough note. Either way, psychonauts 2 may not be missing in any well-stocked gaming library, not even if you like the genre.

microsoft / xbox has provided us with the code to psychonauts 2 for review purposes.

Psychonauts 2

Per

Great character

Visually very variable

Successful implementation of mental problems

Fun use of PSI skills

Contra

Technically unbalanced

Camera not optimal

Task not always clear

4/5 stars

Buy Psychonauts 2 now!