Every character is unique, well-written, and a joy to get to know. And of course, all these locations are still dotted with collectibles to find, tricky side tasks to hunt down (including another item scavenger hunt), and amusing characters to talk to. That outdoor openness means Psychonauts 2 still offers a heaping helping of Whispering Rock’s folksy feel alongside the fancier interior of the Motherlobe, but it never relies on references or nostalgia alone to impress either. You may start off in a high-tech spy base, but it isn’t long before you’re allowed outside and given free reign to roam its lakeside exterior, hidden caves, and a nearby campground full of gorgeously stylized redwood trees. Of course, as with the first game (and without any spoilers), things quickly escalate from there into an excellent story that’s simultaneously high-stakes and deeply personal.ĭeveloper Double Fine has done a phenomenal job of expanding the Psychonauts universe while recapturing that signature “psychic James Bond goes to summer camp” vibe of the original. As such, he’s got some more training to do to truly earn his stripes, this time while running around the facilities of the Motherlobe and the wooded area surrounding it. Picking up just the day after Rhombus of Ruin (itself set only a day after Psychonauts), your newly deputized 10-year-old hero Razputin Aquato arrives at the Motherlobe, the headquarters of the psychic spy organization known as the Psychonauts, to learn he hasn't actually been made a full agent, just an intern. That said, this sequel is also littered with important callbacks, exciting character reunions, fun Easter eggs, and a whole lot of juicy backstory that made it all hit harder for me as a long-time fan. It does an entertaining job of providing the important info needed to make Psychonauts 2 work well enough as a standalone story, one that explores both Raz’s family and the history of the Psychonauts as a whole far more than the specific events of Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp. Those who understandably haven’t played a 16-year old platformer and its short VR-exclusive follow-up will have to get caught up through a charming animated recap at the start of this new adventure. Sure, it’s brought a little bit of that clunky mid-2000s platforming along with it too, but even with a few rough edges Psychonauts 2 is pretty much everything I could have hoped for from this long-awaited sequel. Psychonauts 2 picks up right where the 2005 original (and 2017 VR follow-up The Rhombus of Ruin) left off, and it does so in a way that feels fresh and modern while still maintaining everything that made its predecessor so special – from its strange but lovable characters to the fantastical mental worlds inside their heads. It may have been 16 years since the first Psychonauts came out for us, but for Raz and his friends it’s only been a couple days.
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