| Platform | OVERALL |
|---|---|
| PC | 8.60 |
| Overall | 8.60 |
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The first Psychonauts came out in the mid 2000s as a classic collectathon 3D platformer but with a twist, platformers were common back then so it did decent enough to develop a cult following. The reason being that Tim Schafer and Double Fine created a narrative driven platformer with strong characters and unique ideas where characters minds served as the levels. Fast forward to today, and Psychonauts 2 basically does the same things, it’s still a throwback to the platformers of old but now that genre is nearly all extinct so what was once common place is now a rare throwback that improves on the original and scratches an itch for the fans of this genre. Psychonauts 2 follows the first games template almost identically but with refined gameplay mechanics. Raz has more moves to get him around the world faster like a dodge and a new power that lasers Raz from point to point. Combat is improved with more responsive controls and a better balance of powers used in combat. All the powers from the first are back I believe including new ones like the ability to freeze time and summoning a small paper version of yourself. These powers are used in various ways to traverse the worlds and battle the brains defenses which serve as the games enemies. I found the general feel of the game to be a big improvement over the first, it’s still not Mario level or anything but it doesn’t have that sluggish feeling anymore. The strength of this series is the incredibly imaginative levels that take place in the minds of various characters, this sequel has loads of memorable locations. From a mental hospital turned casino, to a psychedelic rock concert, or a crazy food based game show; this game never stopped surprising me. It is paced very well with new skills or unique themed objectives that alter the gameplay for small moments at a time like 2D sections, ending up inside a pinball machine, or rolling a gigantic ball around super monkey ball style. A platformer’s main goal should be to provide fun and varied gameplay scenarios and this game excels at that. I was a bit frustrated at the start with the heavy emphasis on story which kept taking control away from me every few minutes. It took a good 3-5 hours before the game started to let go and let me just play around and explore which is the key thing to do in a platformer like this. Outside the mind levels there are multiple hub worlds that serve as the classic collectathon and where you will be able to engage in side quests. I loved exploring every nook and cranny of these levels, getting that new skill that finally let me reach that area I couldn’t before. I Interacted with so many well written fleshed out NPCs, many giving side quests that are mostly fetch quests but that’s kind of the point of an exploration based platformer. Combat remains mostly an afterthought even though it reaches respectable levels at times. Most of the game creates a hard division between platforming and combat, you will land in an area designed just for combat, enemies will swarm and once defeated you can resume the level. This happens throughout the game, enemies are rarely integrated into the platforming. Many times the battles are against junk mobs, to the games credit new enemies are introduced in nearly every level and they each have a strategy to defeat them. There are some rare challenging battles which tested my abilities and actually made me question why they didn’t put a little more effort into the combat, it could be great fun. Switching powers, dodging and moving while enemies that use very different tactics try to kill you, it could work but the game never tries to make it anything more than busywork. The biggest issue I have with Psychonauts 2 is just how easy it is. This is not a platformer concerned with challenge. Well for me personally skill based platforming is by far my favorite aspect of platforming. I still enjoy a good stroll around a fun level collecting stuff but I much rather have a challenging skill based gauntlet and that is basically missing. It’s a shame too because, like with the combat, all the elements for a great challenge based platformer are there but this game never attempts to be difficult. It doesn’t even have optional challenge levels or mini games. So from a gameplay perspective most of the levels, as creative as they are, are basic in their platforming. Normally you give me a game with lack of challenge and I scoff at it but the story and overall personality of this game does wonders. Tim Schafer is a talented writer, he knows how to develop quirky characters that are memorable and funny. This game deals with all kinds of mental illnesses from psychotic breakdowns, depression, obsession and much more. It tackles these heavy issues with proper respect while being a comedy, it’s a perfect balancing act that I usually see from companies like Pixar, not a video game. Tie in together the incredible creative levels with a great story and characters you care about in a well paced game and you have something special. This originally being a Kickstarter game and being made by Double Fine don’t expect some next gen showcase. The game makes as good use of its stylized art as it can, it runs at 60 and generally looks fine. The voice acting is great, music is memorable and it feels like a very polished game. It’s a great length at like 15 hours or more if you go for 100%, I felt very satisfied with the game. Psychonauts 2 does what a sequel is supposed to do, build on the original with a more creative polished game, the thing is it usually doesn’t take over 15 years to get a basic sequel. In that time the 3D platformer has become a rare commodity therefore this game fills a void and does so expertly. Fans of collectathon platformers of old should absolutely play this as well as anyone who wants enjoy a great story driven game. Even though I would love for more of a challenge, I was enthralled for most of the game, could not wait to see the next zany level and where the story would head, I am in for more Psychonauts. |
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Posted by Dvader Wed, 08 Sep 2021 20:47:08
Recently Spotted:
*crickets*
But damn, I'd love to have a beer with you as your reviews are so close to what I do, which were informed by a certain generation of review writers.
Clearly the charm of Schaefer's writing but the thumb on the scale.