8/23/2023 0 Comments Psychonauts 2 reviewLoboto, Raz is taken to the Psychonauts HQ, the Motherlobe. If you're entirely new to Psychonauts, the game starts with a video recapping all the events that led to Psychonauts 2 to get you caught up.Īfter helping the Psychonauts rescue their leader, Truman Zanotto, who was kidnapped by Dr. The story picks up literally moments after the first game, just a day after Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin. Source: Windows Central / Double Fine Productions (Image credit: Source: Windows Central / Double Fine Productions) Although, I'm glad that you can't smell some of the levels. For every sense, Psychonauts 2 is absolutely gorgeous. Double Fine leverages ray-tracing and HDR effortlessly to elevate the game's presentation, adding an extra dimension for players with new-gen hardware. It's no slouch on the Xbox Series S either, outputting the same frame rate albeit at a reduced resolution. The cherry on top of this visual psychic sundae is that Psychonauts 2 runs flawlessly at 60 FPS with HDR and 4K resolution support thanks to the power of the Xbox Series X. The game also features an eclectic soundtrack containing multiple genres of music to compliment the setting of the levels, complete with remixes of Psychonauts 1's soundtrack to tickle a fan's nostalgic funny bones. Psychonauts fans will be pleased to know that the entire voice cast of the original game has returned to reprise their roles and they sound just good as they did back in 2005. The audio presentation is also top notch, with superb performances of the voice cast bringing the characters' personalities to life. Source: Double Fine Productions (Image credit: Source: Double Fine Productions) With bright colors, meticulous attention to detail, and memorable landmarks that give the impression that you have entered a futuristic world where psychic powers are the norm. The segments where you are exploring the real world are just as impressive. Those are just the first two levels, and I dare not describe the rest of Psychonauts 2's levels because I don't want to spoil the surprises - they have to be seen to be believed. And the next level, I was spelunking through the mind of a gambling addict whose memories of a hospital have been warped into a paradoxical casino/hospital hybrid. On the first level, I was platforming through the twisted mind of a dentist where the walls of a normal office mutated into masses of teeth and gums. The devs go to town on showcasing the inner workings of a person's psyche using all sorts of surreal metaphorical imagery, music cues, and even gameplay mechanics, creating rich dreamscapes that defy the imagination. When the time comes, I'm sure I'll be well stocked up on the necessary trade-ins.At times I felt I was watching a big-budget Pixar or DreamWorks movie, given how expressive and detailed the character designs are.īut Double Fine Production's knack for visual creativity really shines when you telepathically tap into a person's mind. The large array of collectibles and currency for power-ups and rank upgrades and tags to reunite with emotional baggage (gotta love the puns in this series) can feel overwhelming at first but a lot of it feels optional, after a while - though I stress again that I'm only five or so hours deep right now, and the need for upgraded blasts and the like is yet to make itself known. It's possible, too, to draw enemies into (un)friendly fire, and use flaming projectiles meant for you to heat them up, to the detriment of their health bars. You can pop shots off at range and then basically hook the stunned opponent towards you for a pair of fists to the face. Most of the time, though, playing through Psychonauts 2 is a riot of rampant colour and uncommon cool - and when you do have certain powers memorised, stringing them together to take out waves of baddies is quite a thrill.
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