And much like the people who house them, those brains and the reflections of their owners' psyche that they represent are wonderfully creative and consistently surprising across the board. While you aren’t diving into every brain you see (that would be rude), the real meat of the platforming and combat takes place inside the psychic worlds of many of the more troubled characters you meet. The real world is only half what you get to explore, however, and Psychonauts 2 manages to deliver both physically and mentally. Meeting all these characters and completing small activities like setting up the family circus tent with them is a treat, and the same can be said for just about everyone else Raz meets. That could be his loving mother Donatella, who is just glad he’s safe, his older brother Dion, still bitter that Raz left them (which is fair, given it’s only been a few days), or his older sister Frazie, herself struggling with a secret spurred by his departure. The fact that Raz abandoned them to join the Psychonauts isn’t really addressed much in the original, but here you get to learn how each of his relatives feel about what happened. The Aquato family, in particular, is a true highlight of this sequel, giving Raz far more depth and shining a different light on the events of the first game.
The facial animations can occasionally look awkward and stiff outside of the more tailored cutscenes, but it’s hard to overstate how fun it is to simply explore these platforming playgrounds and talk to people. Every single character in Psychonauts 2 is delightfully unique, incredibly well-written and voiced, and just an absolute joy to get to know. The original’s cast of quirky campers is replaced by three slightly smaller groups here: the adult agents of the Psychonauts, the charismatic teenage members of the intern program that eventually become Raz’s friends, and the entire Aquato family camping out in the nearby woods. 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.
PSYCHONAUTS 2 THE KOTAKU REVIEW FULL
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.
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