weapon balance was kinda all over the place and it didn't really need a story but

the tracks go hard and it feels good in the hands

banger

The emotional heft of this game completely whiffed on me, which I'm gutted about

I think it's because I found the gameplay frustrating and shallow (even while discovering, and appreciating, some of those design decisions are purposeful) and I tend to bounce off Extremely Anime things

Still happy I stuck it out and very glad it exists. Vidyagames needs more things like this

A sequel in name only

Once again, wade through hours of toxic waste for that morsel of Game Working As Intended

Hugely botched launch

Waiting for Overwatch 3

it's gorgeous

it sounds incredible (despite the lack of cute fox noises)

it has loads of clever and rewarding secrets across a lovely map

it has a beautiful in-game manual that riffs on nostalgia but feels contemporary in it's implementation

it's far too hard, combat is deeply unsatisfying and main route signposting is occasionally unfair

this game is mean and it didn't need to be

doom still feels fukin great

excellent level design from creator Jim Purvis, all round brilliant person

bangin OST that i wish looped rather than ended

pish on Thatcher's grave

challenging modes + plenty of unique assets make it worth a few romps

lovingly crafted and well paced adventure

doesn't overstay it's welcome; when the fun stops the game stops and things wrap up nicely

sooking up The Gunk feels Good and Right

unlocks are a little underwhelming and a progressively more sooky sooker would have been suffice

a couple of tricky-ish puzzles nail the 'I'm smart' thing

gorgeous score, great voice acting, believable characters - well worth an afternoon/evening of your time

player verbs make little sense

repetitious in all the wrong ways; progression after each narrative loop is minimal and unintuitive to attain

story is distasteful, shock nonsense

charming art-house style without pretention, gorgeous lo-fi visuals, short and simple to play

subtly hilarious and believable writing

perfect afternoon into evening game

make sure you go check all the art in chapter select after finishing the game

lovely recap at the start (psychonauts 1 playthrough not required) and picks right up after the end of the first game

psychonauts 2 feels like a game from the mid 00's in many ways: bloated and gated collectables; charming but clunky menus; confusing levelling/progression; and combat/platforming that isn't winning any awards

but it's also in another league entirely in it's art design, thoughtful and heartfelt story, world building, pacing and voice acting

stick with the rough edges, this is a game made by very talented people with evidently big hearts

(the lighting is stunning, if you have the means to crank the visuals)

-beautiful- jazz / electronic soundtrack

gorgeous visuals that constantly impress in how they bring the player along, like pages turning in a pop up book

similarly, gameplay wise, this is less a gamey 'Videogame' and more plaything, with each scene often having it's own simple and bespoke mechanic

maybe a little long (a few gameplay ideas return to diminishing effect), but Genesis Noir makes up for it with numerous standout moments that will stay with me

a simple story at the core, told lavishly through galactic scale theories and analogies; it can be a little text heavy but it's not essential reading to have a good time

a must if you're a fan of XII and are looking to play again

if you're new: enjoy one of the last times AAA wasn't interested in making you trip over its every secret

excellent HD work here, with welcome (optional) audio edits as well

quality of life x2 / x4 game speed increases, and faster load times, are essential in bringing the game into the modern era

one of the most unique and compelling battle systems created, even outwith Final Fantasy

trial challenge mode is welcome and super fun

did i mention the battle system

audio visually timeless

somehow threads language though it's narrative and gameplay, seamlessly, without using a single word

the simplicity of communication, and the elegance of control, makes multiplayer feel emergent all over again

simply a GOAT game