Psychonauts 2

Psychonauts 2 shows us that it doesn't matter how long a game has been cooking, as long as it has great cooks behind it, and boy does it have just that. Tim Schafer and his team really outdid themselves, making a sequel to a sixteen-year-old game that not only matches the quality of it, but outshines it.

Psychonauts 2 somehow manages to meet and exceed the expectations I ever hoped for a sequel. This is a "hall-of-fame"-worthy platformer with so much story and character it will make Super Mario look like a russian novel in comparison. The writing in dialogues stands out as being exceptionally good. I don't typically make it a point to talk to NPCs, but Psychonauts 2 had me talking to everyone I could find, just to hear what they would say. This is a behavior that only Tim Schafer games seem to get out of me.

The game plays much like it did in the original, but with tightened controls and enhanced combat Psychonauts 2 improves on almost everything that made the original fun and engaging. That includes some of the most creative level design I have ever seen.

Recommended.

This was one of the best games of this decade, and it's unfortunate it didn't win anything, let alone GOTY, which was given to It Takes Two which was a 10/10 for me too. But it really sucks and makes no sense that Best Game Direction AND Best Art Direction was given to Deathloop? Are you kidding me? Have they even played Psychonauts 2?

Anyway, rant aside, this game is really really good, for even someone who hasn't played the first.

First of all, I didn't expect it to be this long, albeit I 100%ed the game and spend a lot of time going back to old areas to collect Figments, Vaults and Baggages and all that to 100% every area, so it probably would've taken me less to finish the story, but I finished it in 35 hours and even without exploring and collecting everything, above 20 or 25 hours is still longer than I expected it to be, and I ain't complaining either, the so many mind levels in this game are just absolutely amazing and beautifully designed.

The art style easily beats every other game that came out in 2021. The direction and narrative is amazing. The level design is phenomenal. The voice acting is really good and it has two unexpected voice actors in there and they do a great job too.

The game also might look like a game made for kids, but the story and the themes and topics they tackle are really adult and this game is for every age, not just kids.

The combat is good and it has its own nuances and combos and different mechanics, but still feels really easy, especially some boss fights, and especially the last boss fight. It might look a little hard at the beginning but when you upgrade a lot and find Half a Minds and get Psi pouches, you're basically invincible.

All in all, it's an amazing game - or should I say experience - and one of few games of 2021 - next to It Takes Two - that actually worth the full price and you will enjoy every minute of playing it. (Well, not every minute because most of the times I got infuriated cuz Raz didn't grab a ledge).

This is what gaming is all about, and this is a game that reminds us of how fun, cool, great, and complete were the good games back in the day and worth the time and money you've spent on!

This is by FAR the most unique game I have played, maybe ever.. It is phenomenal. The fantasy behind it is limitless. No two levels are alike. It is Persona 5 (castles) on steroids. The mind levels are beyond description. Characters are cartoonish and lovable and the story bizarre AF.

P. S.:If you don't like platformers you will have a hard time.

A weird game in the best ways, from art design to game mechanics as well as the story. They basically did everything right. And that's where the real "weird" for me kicks in. I feel like I liked this game way less than I should have. It's very unusual to me to grow tired of a game I like, but it happened quite often with this one. Which it shouldn't have because it's simply an amazing game... A yeah... Weird...