In 2021 the long-awaited sequel to the original Psychonauts hit Xbox game pass, providing the service with an unforgettable platforming adventure that received rave reviews from gaming publications the internet over. Playing it myself, I completely agreed with many reviewers' sentiments. Though there are many who still haven't played this delightful brain romping adventure, those who have, including me, plead with all gamers everywhere to not forget about Psychonauts 2. The game deserves the respect, praise, and attention it rightfully deserves. To me, it's 2021's game of the year. I haven't enjoyed a game this much in a very long time.

There are games that are masterpieces, and though Psychonauts 2 isn't quite there, it gets as close to one as possible. The game surrounds Raz, the the 10-year-old protagonist who is part of the Psychonauts, an FBI-like organization that enters the mind worlds of its targets. As a result of this mind hopping, Raz goes on an amazing journey, jumping from one mind to the next. The player is presented with creative mental worlds that represent the characters beautifully, and deeply.  The imagination that was put into every level is truly breathtaking, and many indeed feel like entering into the mind of someone. For example, in the level Bob's Bottles, you start out on an ocean but then use a raft to go to various islands that house huge bottles that you can enter. Each is a memory "bottled up" by the character's mind. The levels are deep, varied, and incredible.

Gameplay



How Raz moves around with his psychic powers always brings a smile to my face. Whether it's using his levitation ability, which lets him essentially go into running mode and also gives him the power of gliding down objects or simply jumping from place to place with his acrobatics, controlling Raz is simply a treat. I had gotten stuck in the architecture once or twice, but it felt more like a cool, funny bug than an impediment. The rail grinding is as fun as ever, and I can't get enough of exploring the mental worlds that I come across with all these abilities. The addition of badges also adds a fun alteration for all of Raz's abilities, making them stronger, or outright expanding them to do more than they could before.

The Amazing Script

Psychonauts one had a great script with hilarious jokes, and the 2nd is better than the first. Finishing Psychonauts one also gave players a real cliffhanger, and boy oh boy was it worth it now. The story picks up mere days (or less) from the first game. We are given fun new and returning characters to interact with like Agent Forsyth, the psychic seven, and all the interns. Looking into the memory faults of many of them, the player gets to know them more deeply and understand why they are the way they are. Each character's dialogue is distinct and entertaining, making the script worth its merit.

Representation of Mental Illness or Disorders

At the startup of the game, there is a disclaimer that speaks of the representation of mental illnesses in the game, hoping not to offend anyone. And after playing the game, they certainly didn't offend, but rather communicated through a video game how some mental illnesses look on the inside of a person. For example, Panic Attacks in the game are 4th-dimensional enemies that move so fast that Raz needs the ability to slow them down before he can defeat them. Topics of anxiety, fear, loss, and the like are represented beautifully. 

Don't Sleep on this Game

If what was written before this hasn't won you over, you probably won't be. But at least give the game a try as it contains some of the most interesting gameplay, writing, and level design produced in all gaming. This isn't just an amazing game for 2021, but a game that should always be remembered fondly till the end of time, because it definitely deserves it.

I'm also open to work in the gaming editorial space. Send me a message at kurtless64@gmail.com if you are interested in hiring me.