Although I never wanted anything from it besides more of the original, Psychonauts 2 very much succeeds even where it diverges from its predecessor (and there's still plenty of the original here, don't worry). It does some things better, and some things worse, averaging out to about the same quality. I gave this one a lower rating, but my reasons are so subjective I completely understand if you go the other way here.
The level design is, as always, inspired, and even exceeds Psychonauts 1 in places. It's impossible to describe in detail without giving away the twists, but even basic intro levels in 2 are as surreal and visually interesting as the later levels of 1. The overworld is a strict improvement in size and variety, populated with an ensemble cast of charming weirdos, but it never felt as warm or homey as Whispering Rock. It has a more elaborate plot and darker, more emotional tone than the first, which was engaging and intriguing throughout, but I still found myself missing the kids'-show vibes at points. Cutscenes and character interactions are uniformly well-written but the rendering and animations are extremely uneven, and certain shots and conversational beats linger uncomfortably long.
The collectathon is largely unchanged, even with the addition of some new items to hunt down. Combat has been generally retooled and seperated from normal gameplay. There are more enemy types with specific gimmicks you have to keep track of, but fights almost always happen in big circular arenas where you space out waves of enemies and juggle abilities. It works fine, but it always feels like an interruption from the actual game. The platforming actually feels noticeably worse; Your main movement options have been nerfed heavily, and Raz has much less freedom of movement. In a way, this is understandable, since you could skip half the original by abusing Levitate, but being forced to reckon with the levels on their own terms means you have to confront the pervasive geometry issues. All of that is minor; Nothing came close to sinking the experience for me.
Probably the biggest departure is that Double Fine clearly had some actual psychologists on call for this one, and the whole idea of exploring mental issues is handled more tactfully and 'appropriately'--but then again, that's not really what I want from a series whose central gimmick is a circus runaway raising hell in people's brains. I get why they made these changes, but the writing starts to feel like a Very Special Episode about Real Mental Health Issues at times, and I miss the more cartoony vibes. There's still more than enough of the original charm here though, and I can recommend the game strongly.
The level design is, as always, inspired, and even exceeds Psychonauts 1 in places. It's impossible to describe in detail without giving away the twists, but even basic intro levels in 2 are as surreal and visually interesting as the later levels of 1. The overworld is a strict improvement in size and variety, populated with an ensemble cast of charming weirdos, but it never felt as warm or homey as Whispering Rock. It has a more elaborate plot and darker, more emotional tone than the first, which was engaging and intriguing throughout, but I still found myself missing the kids'-show vibes at points. Cutscenes and character interactions are uniformly well-written but the rendering and animations are extremely uneven, and certain shots and conversational beats linger uncomfortably long.
The collectathon is largely unchanged, even with the addition of some new items to hunt down. Combat has been generally retooled and seperated from normal gameplay. There are more enemy types with specific gimmicks you have to keep track of, but fights almost always happen in big circular arenas where you space out waves of enemies and juggle abilities. It works fine, but it always feels like an interruption from the actual game. The platforming actually feels noticeably worse; Your main movement options have been nerfed heavily, and Raz has much less freedom of movement. In a way, this is understandable, since you could skip half the original by abusing Levitate, but being forced to reckon with the levels on their own terms means you have to confront the pervasive geometry issues. All of that is minor; Nothing came close to sinking the experience for me.
Probably the biggest departure is that Double Fine clearly had some actual psychologists on call for this one, and the whole idea of exploring mental issues is handled more tactfully and 'appropriately'--but then again, that's not really what I want from a series whose central gimmick is a circus runaway raising hell in people's brains. I get why they made these changes, but the writing starts to feel like a Very Special Episode about Real Mental Health Issues at times, and I miss the more cartoony vibes. There's still more than enough of the original charm here though, and I can recommend the game strongly.