It’s hard not to stop everywhere and admire what the designers crammed into these locales. This really is a highlight as little details go a long way to add up to something immeasurable. And gathering up the best kinds of collectibles.Īs is evident with the description of the plot and character names, Double Fine is among the best in the industry at references, puns and double entendre use. Figuring out the mysteries of someone’s thoughts. Character interactions make the Motherlobe and surrounding areas feel alive, enticing all sorts of exploration that’s immensely rewarding. Way cool, I know! Dialogue options are smart and quirky even if they have no effect on the core narrative. Which means chatting with people and using a Psychic (PSI) Portal of course, where Raz’s astral projection jumps into select minds to gather information and learn about their motivations. The main campaign revolves around figuring out who is snitching within the organization. It makes for a feeling of familiarity and togetherness, like the player is part of something bigger where everyone still has plenty of quirks. It’s fun getting to know the Aquatos in particular and how certain folks from the original are related to new characters. Many of them are quite literally the levels or “dungeons” as these places exist only inside their minds and are cleverly intertwined. Raz meets the other interns, a scenario reminiscent of his fellow campers in the prior game.Ĭonsidering it takes place in both the physical and mental planes, Psychonauts 2 is all about its cast of characters with the interns, agents, foes and even Raz’s family playing huge parts. There’s a mail room, barber shop and even a bowling alley. A mural of “The Psychic Six” founders looms over the common area. It’s an awesome hub, more expansive than Whispering Rock summer camp. The Motherlobe acts as a home base where Raz learns he’s actually an intern. It means there’s a mole! The sequence acts as both story setup and an introduction to action mechanics, namely platforming in 3D realms and light melee combat with ranged capabilities. Allegedly deceased long ago, her “Deluginist” followers are attempting to bring her back with necromancy, an area the Psychonauts have suspiciously been funding recently. By diving into his brain, a common tactic used by the squad, agents Sasha Nein and Milla Vodello along with the player controlling Raz learn that someone internally is feeding information to an outside evil mastermind. Loboto is being interrogated because of his involvement in Zanotto’s kidnapping. The recap shows how 10-year old physic Razputin “Raz” Aquato fled from the family circus, was found by a spy agency called the Psychonauts, fought off a rogue summer camp counselor with the help of fellow campers, learned about his psychic powers in the original then rescued Psychonauts leader Truman Zanotto in the VR spin-off.īack at Psychonauts “Motherlobe” headquarters, self-proclaimed dentist and amateur brain surgeon Dr. This allows a quick refresher for fans then an entry point for everyone else. Studio founder Tim Schafer and team start Psychonauts 2 with a great cutscene intro, summarizing both the first release and virtual reality game Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin. 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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