It’s a psychology lesson and philosophy debate layered within third-person action platforming. Then has the courage to ask big questions surrounding mental health, self-reflection and human consciousness. The team obviously used that time to maximize the belly laughs, detailed world-building and genius general direction that makes it so good. The sequel to 2005’s cult classic Psychonauts is the culmination of many years, assisted by a crowd-funding campaign. Psychonauts 2 is clearly a labor of love from developer Double Fine Productions, made mostly prior to the studio becoming part of Xbox Game Studios. It’s that full course meal with no filler, unlike any other series in the industry and a worthy follow-up within a franchise that stands out for mostly the right reasons. It’s a unique, comical and even thought-provoking third-person adventure game that combines exquisite humor, witty references, well-written characters, productive exploration, trippy environments and satisfying mechanics. Psychonauts 2 is that near impossible outcome. Near impossible to find the right balance between that humor and hitting impactful subject matter plus layering an entertaining gameplay loop on top of everything. Even trickier to make media that’s consistently humorous, especially a video game spanning over multiple hours. Always walking a line between upbeat and morose, corny and original, hilarity and outright bombing. “Oh, you think the human mind is safe? That’s cute!”
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