i watched the original psychonauts, so i can't compare the two properly. the aesthetic of psychonauts is absolutely insane in the best way, with unique looking characters and quirky interactions. i had loads of fun playing this, and i love the accessiblity included for players who might have a harder time. because of those options, this is a game i recommend to anyone who wants to play it.
figo mi è piaciuto molto giosu
Le jeu en soit n'est pas zinz -meme si tres décent, mais les sujets abordés sont trop rares dans des jeux de ce genre pour etre souligné.
Aqui podemos ver uma experiência sensacional e incrível de psychonauts, pegando todos os aspectos ótimos do primeiro e com uma gameplay melhor ainda, um estilo de arte único e muito bom
Pretty good! I think it commits the Brutal Legend sin of paying-off its narrative setup rapidly, and a lot of its cast winds-up a lot of glorified extras (almost none of the people you get to know in the first act are central to its narrative or even very present, which is a bizarre storytelling decision) but it's as creative as the original; that gameplay is a ton of fun. Sweet, lovable game, even as it handles serious mental health issues.
Absolutely loved this game from start to finish. The art style is beautiful, the characters are funny and charming as all hell, and the gameplay is simply perfection. There was a huge smile on my face playing this game through
If you're looking for more Psychonauts, good news, because this game is Psychonauts too!
It still maintains a lot of the imagination fo the original game, leading to lots of visual spectacles and some solid comedy bits. My favorite dungeons had to be the Casino and the Feast of the Senses, while I wasn't as big a fan of the Gardening Island's boat mechanics.
The music and voicework are also top notch. Richard Horvitz is always great to hear, even if I only heard Daggett in most of what he was saying he's still got it. I do wish that some of the minds weren't as interconnected to the deeper plot, like how Psychonauts 1 had, to explore some stories of people who's minds got warped by their own stories rather than all of them having a fallout after the same single incident. After all, that was where some of 1's most memorable moments came from, as it helped them stand out. Not to say 2's story is bad in any way, the unraveling of the grand mystery and the humor along the way was a great time. Likewise the dungeon structure of "Do 3 X to get to the end" repeated a few too many times, but the dungeons themselves are still as mentioned before excellently crafted and fun to explore. Any critique I have in relation to the first game is immediately refuted in my mind with "but what's on display here is still great though", it's a give and take that just goes to show how equal these games are.
Like the first game, if you like 3D platformers, you'll love it no doubt!
It still maintains a lot of the imagination fo the original game, leading to lots of visual spectacles and some solid comedy bits. My favorite dungeons had to be the Casino and the Feast of the Senses, while I wasn't as big a fan of the Gardening Island's boat mechanics.
The music and voicework are also top notch. Richard Horvitz is always great to hear, even if I only heard Daggett in most of what he was saying he's still got it. I do wish that some of the minds weren't as interconnected to the deeper plot, like how Psychonauts 1 had, to explore some stories of people who's minds got warped by their own stories rather than all of them having a fallout after the same single incident. After all, that was where some of 1's most memorable moments came from, as it helped them stand out. Not to say 2's story is bad in any way, the unraveling of the grand mystery and the humor along the way was a great time. Likewise the dungeon structure of "Do 3 X to get to the end" repeated a few too many times, but the dungeons themselves are still as mentioned before excellently crafted and fun to explore. Any critique I have in relation to the first game is immediately refuted in my mind with "but what's on display here is still great though", it's a give and take that just goes to show how equal these games are.
Like the first game, if you like 3D platformers, you'll love it no doubt!
1st have milkman, this one have cool af master chef level.
Как и первая часть, хороший мультик в ярком необычном мире. Но, в отличие от 1 части, куда больше слабых моментов в геймплее. Придуманная боевая система с кучей способностей теоретически крутая, но в итоге скатывается в унылый кликер. Разнообразие уровней лишь визуальное. В итоге смотреть игру интересно, играть - не очень.
Probably this best 3D platformers ever made, and one of the best examples of gameplay and story integration.
And I say this as someone who doesn't even like the first game.
And I say this as someone who doesn't even like the first game.
very very good game i dont really have a lot to say about it its just very very good
I liked the first better
better than the original
Absolutely incredible in so many unique and varied ways I feel like I need Raz to enter my mind to sort out my thoughts into something more coherent than "IT'S REALLY GOOD! PLAY IT!" but, as long as he isn't around... it's really good! Play it!
Miracle game. This game not only improves its level design but it does better in dealing and talking about mental health than the first game. They remove the many useless abilities from the first and give better ones. Also the characters actually look good, though most of them look like muppets
This is was a ride!
Really satisfying platforming and collectibles. Somehow transitioned its 2000s humor seamlessly into the modern age without sacrificing its identity.
I know people cream their jeans about the first Psychonauts game but that wasn’t really my experience with it. Big uppies to the visual style and really unique level-design, but the controls and platforming were uhhhh… POOP?? It was still a really fun game, but I just didn’t find it to be the game that everyone held up so high at the time. There were things I found odd with it like how some powers were only useful for short sections of the game and then never again, and generally just how annoying it was to platform and move around. The story though? That shit rules, dog. Psychonauts uses everything in its crayola box bussy to personify ideas and mental concepts into living designs, be it through the enemies or the overall builds of the levels as they shapeshift around you. The levels were just as much characters as the characters were, and the exploration was rewarded with interesting character writing that was shown instead of told without force feeding you a novel of it at the same time. It’s a game that I wish I liked more and I think I’m only babbling about it because I reviewed it when I was new to this site and didn’t really understand how to barf up how I felt in words yet.
Anyways, this is a review for Psychonauts 2 and the short of it is that it was by and large a tremendous upgrade from its predecessor. My main gripes revolving around the game’s controls and camera angles flew right out the window pretty much immediately. Movement and platforming was so buttery smooth and that dodge roll they gave Raz might as well have renamed him Rizz instead. I was so happy that they gave most of the essential powers in the first few minutes, allowing you to play around with them from the get go. With the added addition of the new enemies, now just about every power has a place on the table, allowing you to dish out pain in any way that you see fit in the moment. While there are particular enemies that require certain powers to be exterminated, the Pyrokinesis and PSI Blast abilities still carried most of the weight. The Time Bubble power is pretty much a must have moving forward, and the upgrades to all of the abilities makes them so much more useful than some of the abilities from the first game. My only minor gripe with the combat was having to assign powers mid-battle through the power wheel. For whatever reason I just would not budge from removing Levitation from LT and anytime I had to remove it during a wave of Panic Attacks and Enablers, I did audibly groan but that only happened a few times in the late-game. I definitely appreciate the challenge even if it meant swapping hotkeys like I was playing a speedrunner’s version of ball in a cup. However, hitting the objects that dropped health would send them into the fucking stratosphere sometimes, which made them pointless in my time of dire need. I would say that my least favorite boss fight was the plant one just because it was probably the most restrictive, but that’s one boss out of several who generally made for some really fun segments.
Aside from this game basically Kingdom Heartsing me by being a direct sequel of a 2nd game that I don’t own the console to, it was still a groovy time from start to finish. While none of the levels hold their own version of “Milla’s Secret” nearly at the same intensity, it was still a rather warming story about a group of friends working through their regrets with the help of Raz. It’s a story that still “went there”, just in different aspects. I don’t personally need the most fucked up thing to happen that lands this game into another 4,000 Top 10 Darkest Moments in video games lists until the end of time for it to be compelling. People are still DYING, Kim. I found the deep dive into the other Psychonauts to be rather interesting as it helped build the world that exists outside of the levels to a higher detail, closer to the ones that represent the actual brains where all the showmanship is. Of course the actual brain levels are still the best part of the game too and a whole heaping of them really delivered. I found both the cooking and concert levels to be the stand outs, as they represented the chaotic unraveling, or re-raveling, of their mindscapes so well. Like honestly, is the character losing his damn mind through sensory overload or am I, because that was quite the adventure into horrible ASMR that I didn’t expect to fall into.
And that’s where this series really shines because who else is crafting level design in a way that really puts you in the shoes of it’s characters in the same way that Psychonauts does? Where it really asks you to maybe reflect on your own trauma by dousing you in colors and sometimes difficult climbing; where mental healing and overcoming your obstacles is truly the ultimate goal at the end of the day. As someone who has mental illness in my family, it’s such a tender way of showcasing forgiveness for not just someone else but also yourself. It’s exquisite art design that is packed in just about every crevice and corner with some sort of metaphorical punch to each character’s inner turmoil, whether they have an addiction, horrible regrets, or unimaginable shame. There was care in connecting the platforming mechanics to the overall visual storytelling that combines into this whirlwind of gameplay that tells its story, with narrative twists that really make ya go “ZOINKS”. Interactivity is so fucking cool, bro!!!!
With that too, the game still has its comedic beats of course. The comedy is still written in a way that isn’t competing with the more downer sides of the plot because it’s written in a way that understands when each tone has its place to shine and both lift the cutscenes up without overshadowing each other. That is an aspect of both games that still rings very true. Unrelated to this though, Raz is voiced by Richard Steven Horvitz who also voices Billy from The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, which made his blood curdling screams that he makes upon falling off a ledge really funny to me for some reason. Dying really wasn’t an issue because I genuinely laughed every time he screamed, as horrible as that sounds.
Related to Raz’s voice though, my real complaint of this game, that is still rather minor, is that Raz honestly talks way too much. I know that I’m 3 years late to this game, but I’ve been noticing a trend lately with any game involving a puzzle that if you don’t solve it in 2 seconds, the characters feel the need to just blurt out the answer for you as if you can’t figure it out for yourself. I am all for accessibility features for kids and everyone else but I really wish you could turn off tips without having to mute the voice audio in the menu. Sometimes I just want to examine what I’m working with before jumping into it and I don’t need Raz backseating the shit out of me- “I need to focus more with my Clairvoyance to-” at every chance- “I hear some emotional baggage around”- he could get- “I think I need to connect blank with blank in order to progress the level” Raz, please, I beg of you.
But all in all, this was a really good time and I felt like it would be. I really wanted to like Psychonauts 1 a lot more than I actually did and when I heard this sequel turned out great, I was more than excited to play it. Overall, I found the levels to be a lot more memorable here as well. I’m sorry Milkman fans, but I have made a solemn oath to never lie in a Backloggd review unless it was about how good I am at the games I’m criticizing. While this game does have things that irk me, they’re really not something that dings it in any grimy way. I guess they’re just more of a personal preference. But, having played this and Portal immediately after beating Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, it was a huge breath of fresh air. Give me more games like this pretty please, please, please please.
Also, stop posting this fucking meme every November, you goddamn selective assholes. Whoever made this image and then dropped it into the piss ocean that is Xitter needs to answer for their crimes.
Anyways, this is a review for Psychonauts 2 and the short of it is that it was by and large a tremendous upgrade from its predecessor. My main gripes revolving around the game’s controls and camera angles flew right out the window pretty much immediately. Movement and platforming was so buttery smooth and that dodge roll they gave Raz might as well have renamed him Rizz instead. I was so happy that they gave most of the essential powers in the first few minutes, allowing you to play around with them from the get go. With the added addition of the new enemies, now just about every power has a place on the table, allowing you to dish out pain in any way that you see fit in the moment. While there are particular enemies that require certain powers to be exterminated, the Pyrokinesis and PSI Blast abilities still carried most of the weight. The Time Bubble power is pretty much a must have moving forward, and the upgrades to all of the abilities makes them so much more useful than some of the abilities from the first game. My only minor gripe with the combat was having to assign powers mid-battle through the power wheel. For whatever reason I just would not budge from removing Levitation from LT and anytime I had to remove it during a wave of Panic Attacks and Enablers, I did audibly groan but that only happened a few times in the late-game. I definitely appreciate the challenge even if it meant swapping hotkeys like I was playing a speedrunner’s version of ball in a cup. However, hitting the objects that dropped health would send them into the fucking stratosphere sometimes, which made them pointless in my time of dire need. I would say that my least favorite boss fight was the plant one just because it was probably the most restrictive, but that’s one boss out of several who generally made for some really fun segments.
Aside from this game basically Kingdom Heartsing me by being a direct sequel of a 2nd game that I don’t own the console to, it was still a groovy time from start to finish. While none of the levels hold their own version of “Milla’s Secret” nearly at the same intensity, it was still a rather warming story about a group of friends working through their regrets with the help of Raz. It’s a story that still “went there”, just in different aspects. I don’t personally need the most fucked up thing to happen that lands this game into another 4,000 Top 10 Darkest Moments in video games lists until the end of time for it to be compelling. People are still DYING, Kim. I found the deep dive into the other Psychonauts to be rather interesting as it helped build the world that exists outside of the levels to a higher detail, closer to the ones that represent the actual brains where all the showmanship is. Of course the actual brain levels are still the best part of the game too and a whole heaping of them really delivered. I found both the cooking and concert levels to be the stand outs, as they represented the chaotic unraveling, or re-raveling, of their mindscapes so well. Like honestly, is the character losing his damn mind through sensory overload or am I, because that was quite the adventure into horrible ASMR that I didn’t expect to fall into.
And that’s where this series really shines because who else is crafting level design in a way that really puts you in the shoes of it’s characters in the same way that Psychonauts does? Where it really asks you to maybe reflect on your own trauma by dousing you in colors and sometimes difficult climbing; where mental healing and overcoming your obstacles is truly the ultimate goal at the end of the day. As someone who has mental illness in my family, it’s such a tender way of showcasing forgiveness for not just someone else but also yourself. It’s exquisite art design that is packed in just about every crevice and corner with some sort of metaphorical punch to each character’s inner turmoil, whether they have an addiction, horrible regrets, or unimaginable shame. There was care in connecting the platforming mechanics to the overall visual storytelling that combines into this whirlwind of gameplay that tells its story, with narrative twists that really make ya go “ZOINKS”. Interactivity is so fucking cool, bro!!!!
With that too, the game still has its comedic beats of course. The comedy is still written in a way that isn’t competing with the more downer sides of the plot because it’s written in a way that understands when each tone has its place to shine and both lift the cutscenes up without overshadowing each other. That is an aspect of both games that still rings very true. Unrelated to this though, Raz is voiced by Richard Steven Horvitz who also voices Billy from The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, which made his blood curdling screams that he makes upon falling off a ledge really funny to me for some reason. Dying really wasn’t an issue because I genuinely laughed every time he screamed, as horrible as that sounds.
Related to Raz’s voice though, my real complaint of this game, that is still rather minor, is that Raz honestly talks way too much. I know that I’m 3 years late to this game, but I’ve been noticing a trend lately with any game involving a puzzle that if you don’t solve it in 2 seconds, the characters feel the need to just blurt out the answer for you as if you can’t figure it out for yourself. I am all for accessibility features for kids and everyone else but I really wish you could turn off tips without having to mute the voice audio in the menu. Sometimes I just want to examine what I’m working with before jumping into it and I don’t need Raz backseating the shit out of me- “I need to focus more with my Clairvoyance to-” at every chance- “I hear some emotional baggage around”- he could get- “I think I need to connect blank with blank in order to progress the level” Raz, please, I beg of you.
But all in all, this was a really good time and I felt like it would be. I really wanted to like Psychonauts 1 a lot more than I actually did and when I heard this sequel turned out great, I was more than excited to play it. Overall, I found the levels to be a lot more memorable here as well. I’m sorry Milkman fans, but I have made a solemn oath to never lie in a Backloggd review unless it was about how good I am at the games I’m criticizing. While this game does have things that irk me, they’re really not something that dings it in any grimy way. I guess they’re just more of a personal preference. But, having played this and Portal immediately after beating Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, it was a huge breath of fresh air. Give me more games like this pretty please, please, please please.
Also, stop posting this fucking meme every November, you goddamn selective assholes. Whoever made this image and then dropped it into the piss ocean that is Xitter needs to answer for their crimes.
When I think of games that have enormous potential for deep thematic messages and social commentary for children, Psychonauts comes to mind. Psychonauts at times exceeds the original and presents more of what I loved about the first game. The unending quirkiness of the character designs, brilliant writing, and hilarious pun-like items and enemies create such a fun and cohesive art direction that I feel is some of the best in the game industry. This is elevated in Psychonauts 2 with beautiful graphics and serene landscapes. Every character model is very appealing to look at, at times reminding me of painted models. Much of this game has you going from mind to mind completing platforming or combat based goals, with a few puzzle solving elements. What I really loved about this game is how consistent it felt compared to the first game, where gameplay really feels like it comes together. The combat is still very basic, but any annoyance is alleviated by the dodge mechanic and the abilities you acquire. Grabbing something random and throwing it at an enemy felt satisfying and using psy blast and the "slow down" ability made enemies a breeze.
What I think falters a little bit is some of the minds. There's a lot of good here though, I really enjoyed Forsythe's mind, Lobotto's mind, Cassie's and Boole's, and Psi King's was great, but there seemed like what I could really only describe as "fluff" with Ford's fractured segments. The main minds they really knocked out of the park, but the in-between moments felt like I was just trying to advance and learn about the story. Which eventually paid off! But I think some of the minds don't live up to the most memorable and creative moments in the first game, which handles its social commentary a lot less obtusely.
I really dug the story. At points I was curious where they were going but it really plays out like a mystery. By the end, I was really satisfied with how they built up Raz and Lilli and their families. The lore and worldbuilding actually felt substantial to the conflict.
Psychonauts 2 succeeds in bringing more of the same while delivering a more grand story for those that have stayed on.
What I think falters a little bit is some of the minds. There's a lot of good here though, I really enjoyed Forsythe's mind, Lobotto's mind, Cassie's and Boole's, and Psi King's was great, but there seemed like what I could really only describe as "fluff" with Ford's fractured segments. The main minds they really knocked out of the park, but the in-between moments felt like I was just trying to advance and learn about the story. Which eventually paid off! But I think some of the minds don't live up to the most memorable and creative moments in the first game, which handles its social commentary a lot less obtusely.
I really dug the story. At points I was curious where they were going but it really plays out like a mystery. By the end, I was really satisfied with how they built up Raz and Lilli and their families. The lore and worldbuilding actually felt substantial to the conflict.
Psychonauts 2 succeeds in bringing more of the same while delivering a more grand story for those that have stayed on.
L’angoscia 2
By far the most surprised i've ever been by a game. I heard solid things but I had never even heard of the series 1 week before playing. Anyways this game absolutely slaps. The characters are very charming and funny. The standouts are Raz and ford, they both get tons of development in the story. The other characters don't get tons of screen time like the other interns and the other leader guys but the leaders apparently got more in psychonauts 1. Also this game has a major story plot twist and its actually really good.
Now onto the gameplay. The puzzles and combat were both very fun, the different powers were all pretty unique but some were much better then others. The platforming is also solid. But the best part of this game is the level design. So many creative and unique levels and so many memorable ones. I love the jack black level and the bottle one but there are so many bangers. I know this review is super long but I never really talk about this game and I absolutely love it easy 9/10 please play.
Reviewing every game i've fully completed #24
Now onto the gameplay. The puzzles and combat were both very fun, the different powers were all pretty unique but some were much better then others. The platforming is also solid. But the best part of this game is the level design. So many creative and unique levels and so many memorable ones. I love the jack black level and the bottle one but there are so many bangers. I know this review is super long but I never really talk about this game and I absolutely love it easy 9/10 please play.
Reviewing every game i've fully completed #24
What if loss and chronic alcoholism were a little silly platforming level
i need more silly fun platformers with cool concepts and sweet messages PLAY THIS GAME. the level design is actually insane
A significant improvement over the original and a much larger storytelling approach to a fun and wacky world.
This game is just a documentary of what happens when you get a lobotomy on mushrooms. Again.
im SOOOOOO sad i cant replay this and 100% it currently...... i fucking love this game and the visuals are SOOOOO GOOD even though i miss how gross 1 looked
Really tight and enjoyable experience just wish I had time to go back and 100%
Es tan jodidamente bueno incluso siendo tan distinto del primero
A natural continuation of the first one. I am amazed at how they managed to stay consistent despite the 16 years gap.
That being said I like the first one more. This one tried to go with a more mature story and I feel it didn't manage to live up to the stakes. Still very beautiful and Peter McConnell's music is great.
For the French - https://lacritiquedumoment.wordpress.com/2024/03/21/psychonauts-12/
That being said I like the first one more. This one tried to go with a more mature story and I feel it didn't manage to live up to the stakes. Still very beautiful and Peter McConnell's music is great.
For the French - https://lacritiquedumoment.wordpress.com/2024/03/21/psychonauts-12/
Un diseño de niveles espectacular y una historia cautivadora