Several of these are brief exchanges, but some are full conversations and experiences of their own. Motherlobe workers gossip about each other, for example, while the Psychonauts struggle dealing with their mentees on a daily basis. Other scenes play out as ambiance for Raz to overhear. Psychonauts 2 includes a number of optional scenarios delving into side characters’ motivations and relationships or exist just to be wacky. It’s a rich world, even outside the main storyline. That’s what you’d expect from a sequel, but Double Fine doubled down on details in Psychonauts 2. The original is hardly light on narrative and character development, but the sequel expands on almost everything that gives the original its identity. If you didn’t, good luck maintaining that attitude for long. If you enjoyed Psychonauts’ story, the sequel is a real treat. There’s much more to it than that, of course. Raz’s story deftly balances several key strands, including the Aquato family history, Raz’s training as a fledgling Psychonaut, and the backgrounds of the organization’s troubled founders.Īll this revolves around Maligula, a rogue Psychic responsible for the drowning deaths of countless people, and her loyal Delugionists bent on reviving the watery fiend. Raz proved himself and rescued the Grand Head of the Psychonauts, and now it’s time to train at the Psychonaut headquarters, the Motherlobe - except none of his achievements count for anything, and he has to start as a lowly intern. It starts a day after The Rhombus of Ruin events, with a handy recap if you’re new to the series or forgot some of its major beats.
Psychonauts 2 Review: ESP-ecially Extraordinary It might suffer from a few of the genre’s usual low points, but Psychonauts 2 is an outstanding achievement in creativity. Double Fine’s long-awaited sequel takes everything good from the 2005 original, magnifies it, and throws in dozens of improvements and wonderful designs, all with a sprinkling of thoughtful commentary on mental health for good measure.