Few cult classics have gone to hell and back to get a sequel off the ground like Psychonauts has. Since the original game wasn’t a big financial hit, developer Double Fine had to initially finance the game through crowdfunding and fans ended up raising nearly four million dollars, proving the genuine love for the original. Then suddenly, the game went from being a crowd-funded indie sequel to a first-party Xbox title after Double Fine was acquired by Microsoft in 2019 – which was a huge deal.
By that point the game didn’t have a big publisher like Microsoft behind it and even had to cut out content because the budget wasn’t there. Once they had Microsoft’s backing though, they were able to re-add all that cut content and create a more robust sequel. The only drawback from Microsoft backing Psychonauts 2 was the new pressure it had being a first-party Xbox title and the elongated waiting game fans had to endure. Sixteen years after the original debuted, the moment has finally arrived for fans to play Psychonauts 2 and the big question is: does it live up to the hype? The answer, hell yes.
Although a lot of years have passed, Psychonauts 2 takes place mere days after Raz (voiced by Richard Steven Horowitz) and the Psychonauts, a government agency of psychics that protect the free-thinking world, rescued Truman Zonato (voiced by Darin De Paul), the head of the Psychonauts. However, his rescue causes ripples in the organization as there’s a hidden truth behind his kidnapping and a mole within the Psychonauts. Even worse is that rumors of a horrifying old enemy of the Psychonauts returning begin swirling, causing major fractures and mistrust. Still aspiring to become a certified Psychonaut, Raz must step up again to uncover the truth of this conspiracy and reunite the Psychic Six, the founders of the Psychonauts, to defeat this looming threat.
To say that prolific game designer Tim Schafer and Double Fine have poured their blood, sweat, and tears into bringing Psychonauts into the modern era of gaming would be a drastic understatement. For anyone that’s gone back to play the original recently, you know that it’s a game that feels of its era and not always for the best reasons. The graphics look blurry, the controls are clunky, and the overworld map is far from helpful. It’s a PS2/Xbox era game that hasn’t aged well. Psychonauts 2 feels like a love letter to that era of classic platformers that comes with some modern updates.
In terms of gameplay, there isn’t a whole lot that’s changed within Psychonauts’ platforming formula. The jumping and acrobatic elements of Raz’s movement aren’t too far off from what most remember, but it is fine-tuned in a way that feels smoother. A good portion of the PSI Powers return, so players can still use telekinesis to pick up objects, levitation to jump and move farther, pyrokinesis to light enemies ablaze, and a few other nifty mind tricks. These powers come with improved visuals and play a great role in opening up hidden paths within levels and dispatching different enemies with ease.
There are also some new power ups that players will pick up along the way that are immensely satisfying in the ways they open up previously locked paths. Throughout the game, players will come across locked doors and spinning fans that will rack your brain in wanting what’s just out of reach. Thus, when you get the correct power for the obstacle, there’s this rewarding sense of accomplishment that comes with it. Even using PSI powers on enemies works well in expanding the combat and even simply punching enemies with these big fist visuals comes with its own sense of satisfying power.
The only issue is that switching between PSI powers can be a pain and the “Pin” upgrading system isn’t all that useful. Players are only allotted four active PSI powers at a time and are forced to switch power ups when they want to use one that isn’t equipped. This system just feels archaic and makes it easy to get confused as to which powers are equipped and what button they are because you’re constantly switching. The original leveling system also makes a return and players can rank up Raz by completing activities and finding collectibles to earn upgrade points. This leveling system offers plenty of impactful upgrades that the Pin system unfortunately doesn’t.
Players can purchase pins with psitanium they earn along the way to improve their abilities, but the effects of these pins aren’t all that impactful. The more passive effects they can have like changing the color of Raz’s levitation ball, altering a paper companion Raz gets later in the game, and giving players discounts at the store are cool, but the pins that are meant to alter physical damage and effects never feel that impactful. Also, only being able to equip three pins at a time is a real bummer and too limiting. There are definitely parts of Psychonauts 2’s gameplay that still carry that clunky feel and structure, but it never gets in the way of it being incredibly fun to play and carries some pleasant nostalgia to that era of platformers.
Another aspect that carries that nostalgia is the design of the overworld as it’s genuinely ripped from the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube era of platformers. When walking through the Quarry just outside of the Motherlobe, the legendary headquarters of the Psychonauts, or trekking through the mysterious Questionable Area, there’s just this vibe that comes through that’s super nostalgic. Maybe it’s because most adventure games from the original game’s era usually had a forest/woods level, but there’s just something special about the design of Psychonauts 2’s overworld that makes it endless fun to explore. It’s a little disappointing though that the overworld map hasn’t changed as navigating it can be a pain at times. The map is just a static overview of the area with no “you are here” marker or easy to understand pathing between different sections so it can be easy to get lost. Still though, there’s something charming about how Psychonauts 2 retains some of the clunky, old game design of the original so it’s not a total drag.
There’s a lot to Psychonauts 2 that can feel like a blast from the past, but it’s not stuck there – especially when it comes to its graphics. The look of Psychonauts 2 isn’t even comparable to the first game because of the added detail and cleaner designs. The character designs look immensely clearer and show off their unique, almost Claymation designs far better than the original. Their distinct personalities come through better with most of the original voice cast reprising their roles and it’s always a joy to hear Horowitz makes Raz’s lame puns and geeky moments so charming. The overworld looks nice in all, but it doesn’t even compare to the insanely creative and visually immaculate level designs within other characters’ minds.
Psychonauts wouldn’t be what it is without some levels that have Raz jump into the minds of other characters to sort some stuff out and Psychonauts 2 has some of the most imaginative and visually stunning settings. Psychonauts’ level design has always shown some Tim Burton animation and Beetlejuice inspiration, but here it’s more mind-blowing and twisted than ever. From navigating the mind of a villainous dentist filled with some teeth-based body horror to getting stuck in the middle of a darkly hilarious cooking show, each mind you enter offers something new – both visually and with the gameplay. Each mind has its own gameplay hooks to keep things refreshing and its own distinct theme fitting for the character. The psychedelic trip that one mind offers is just hypnotizing and is elevated by Jack Black singing a great ode to psychedelic rock as the mysterious and deep-minded PSI-King.
Each level also contains strong enemy variety that grows with each new mind you explore as well as some familiar and new collectibles. Collectibles are another strong staple to Psychonauts 2 as they’re not only fun to collect but also expand on the story unfolding within each mind. Figments, Memory Vaults, and Emotional Baggage make a return while new collectibles like Half a Minds, which upgrade your health with every two you collect, and Nuggets of Wisdom, which help you rank up, make their debut.
Psychonauts 2’s story might be its strongest aspect as the themes and moments it presents expand the lore and characters in a way that’s insightful and impactful. The initial mystery of this mole and looming past threat are easy story beats to get hooked on – especially with Raz in the lead role. Raz is such a charismatic, caring soul that watching him do anything puts a smile on your face. Schafer’s writing just beams with hilarious wit and charm as there are plenty funny lines and visuals that keep the adventure upbeat. The way he expands on the lore of the Psychonauts by having Raz interact with its intern program full of mischievous interns and the true history of the Psychic Six is really engaging and kind of thrilling at times.
Raz’s interactions with the stories of each Psychic Six member adds a lot of surprising depth to their characters and their connection to this returning threat. There’s a lot more to Raz’s bacon-loving mentor Ford Cruller (voiced by Daniel Kaye) that’s uncovered and even more to Raz’s story. His interactions with his slightly more supportive family are hilarious and heartfelt and there’s a great twist that comes halfway through the game that places Raz closer to the villain than he ever expected to be. Honestly, the twists and turns that come from discovering the mole and the deeper connection between the Psychic Six and this returning threat are strong because of how engaging and creative the reveals are.
Psychonauts 2’s themes and depictions of mental health issues are easily what make its story leave a lasting and insightful impression. With each mind that Raz enters, the game delves into a different aspect of mental health that generally deals with self-love and moving forward from grave mistakes. As said at the start of the game’s title-card warning on mental health, Psychonauts 2 is a game about empathy, not just for others but also yourself. It’s about moving forward from your mistakes and not continually punishing yourself for past transgressions. Through its creative and engaging storytelling methods, Psychonauts 2 delivers an effective and emotional story about mental health the gaming world needs as conversations around mental health continue to grow. It’s thematic storytelling at its finest and maybe even shows that the original was ahead of its time.
Psychonauts 2 is more than just a long-awaited sequel being the hopes and dreams of fans. It’s an excellently crafted follow-up, both in terms of gameplay and story, that brings the beloved elements of the original in the modern era while also defining its importance through its pivotal story moments about mental health. It’s an excellent start to Microsoft reestablishing its first party line-up and an early game of the year candidate. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait sixteen more years to find out what Raz is up to next.
