I think the best thing I can say about Psychonauts 2 is that it is a worthy followup to the original game, no easy feat after a decade and a half. Combat is the only real negative here, most fights just feel like (thankfully easy) pit stops before you can get back to the good stuff. And the good stuff is really good, platforming through the crazy creative levels feels great, and each one meshes design with theme perfectly. Equal parts amusing and heartfelt, the story and characters are as sharp as you'd expect from Double Fine. The plot is gripping and smartly builds on the first game, making the pair really feel like one complete whole rather than separate entries.

You get the sense that Double Fine knew it had to swing for the fences here. There was a lot of pressure both from fans and from their new bosses at Microsoft, and I'm so glad that they stepped up and knocked this out of the park.