“Psychonauts 2”
Developed by: Double Fine Productions
Published by: Xbox Game Studios
Available on: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
– – –
If you had been able to see me as I wended my way through “Psychonauts 2,” you would have heard me spout things along the lines of: “This is bonkers!,” “No way!,” and “What?!?” Accompanying these extremely articulate ravings was a thought I found repeatedly spinning around my head: There is something exhausting about true masterpieces.
“Psychonauts 2” is the sequel to one of the most critically lauded games to have graced both the original Xbox and the PlayStation 2. 2005’s “Psychonauts” introduced players to Razputin “Raz” Aquato, the scion of a troupe of circus performers who runs away from his family to join an international spy ring made up of psychics otherwise known as the Psychonauts. Raz has the ability to dive into the minds of people and explore the mental constructs that shape their worldview.
In “Psychonauts 2,” he is out to uncover a mole in the Psychonauts’ organization as well as stave off a threat from the group’s nemesis Maligula, a woman long believed to be deceased whose relationship to the organization constitutes one of the story’s key mysteries. Raz’s journey takes him into the minds of the original founders of the Psychonauts, most of whom bear psychic wounds from their encounters with Maligula.
I don’t remember precisely when it dawned on me that “Psychonauts 2” is one of the best comedic adventure games I’ve played. I know it began to get under my skin when, early on, I sent Raz teleporting between the thoughts of a woman (using his Mental Connection ability) to rewire concepts in her brain so as to change her cautious demeanor. Teleporting in most games is simply a means to an end, a convenient way to dash from point to point and nothing more. But, as with so much of “Psychonauts 2,” the mechanics serve to enrich the narrative backbone of the game.
The same holds true for the adversaries that Raz encounters. They personify different mental obstacles such as “bad thoughts” — critters who run around and try to explode in your face — and “judges” — bewigged men who wield threatening gavels. There is a thematic consistency to “Psychonauts 2” that makes it especially engaging. Though Raz has plenty of occasion to simply run around and bash enemies, the game abounds with idiosyncratic details, giving it an overall flavor that’s far from generic.
Raz’s repertoire of special abilities runs the gamut from the rather parochial Pyrokinesis and PSI Blast (which, respectively, allow him to set things on fire with his mind and shoot projectiles of mental energy) to more imaginative skills that the developers play up well. For example, clairvoyance permits Raz to enter the minds of others and see himself from their perspective. This leads to some droll sights as some people see him in a most unflattering light. (I fell out laughing when I saw that one of his acquaintances looked at him as a rat.) Projection is another interesting skill which is acquired toward the end of the game, giving Raz the power to conjure a two-dimensional version of himself that can be sent past gates and other obstacles to smooth the way forward.
The exploration of different minds leads to wildly different encounters. “Psychonauts 2” is a game that frequently changes up its gameplay so that one moment Raz is jogging a bowling ball down the streets of a city designed around bowling, another he is on a cooking show pulling sentient ingredients from the audience to cook them and later he is a doodle running in the pages of a notebook. So different are the environments that I found myself at the start of each new level eagerly anticipating what novelty might be around the corner.
From its story line to its level design to its combat encounters, “Psychonauts 2” exudes a remarkable level of craft. Its constant barrage of gameplay concepts kept me in a state of suspense, and while I loved every turn, by the end I needed to take a step back. As a close friend of mine texted me, it’s like a playable Tim Burton movie. Its imaginative reach leaves most other lighthearted adventure games far behind.
Be the first to comment