Psychonauts 2 is set to be in development and will be released on August 25 2021. But before we get into Psychonauts 2, let’s take a trip back to where it all started — Psychonauts (2005). Psychonauts was an incredibly intuitive platforming game that basically revived the dying interest in the genre back in the early 2000s. The game was initially released in 2005 by Double Fine and honestly a little ahead of its time.
So why haven’t a lot of people heard of it? Well, even though it was a critically acclaimed work, it was also a commercial failure that didn’t really get the chance it deserved.
Those who did play it before would most likely have remembered the craze-filled adventures with bizarre and interesting characters that reignited their passion for platformers. And now, more than a decade later, Double Fine has just announced Psychonauts 2.
Will Psychonauts 2 Live up to its Expectations?
While this news is indeed exciting, there is always a certain catch to it. More often than not, long-awaited sequels are extremely hard to produce and live up to their predecessors. However, according to multiple sources on Kotaku, The Washington Post, and Polygon, we can rest assured that the game will not be a disappointment. In fact, the game promises to be very similar to peculiar charms that were present in the first Psychonauts with the latest graphics and designs from this decade.
What Can I Play Psychonauts 2 On?
Currently, the game is being developed for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Playstation 4/5. For those who have access to the Xbox Game Pass, it will be available as part of the Xbox Day one. If you haven’t already, it is highly recommended to get an Xbox Game Pass that will allow you to play over 100+ game titles along with multiple other benefits for just $11.99/Month.
Before You Play Psychonauts 2
Summary of the First Game
For those who have never played the first game, do not worry. In efforts to bridge new players in, we’ll go over a brief summary of the events that happened in the first Psychonaut games.
Psychonaut 2 begins only a few days from where the first game had ended off on. Few days in the game equals to over 15 years in real life, remember — time moves differently.
Raz and the other camp team had recently rescued Truman Zanotto from the mad dentist Dr.Loboto. However, things don’t go as planned and Truman is in a catatonic state while Dr.Loboto refuses to talk.
So what does any group of crazy psychics do? They take a deep dive into Zanotto’ss brain and journey to the Psychonaut HQ — The Motherlobe (Again, this game was ahead of its time).
Interestingly enough, the next scene to this Brain mission takes place in Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruins which was released in 2018. To be honest, this looks like a very interesting game and something that definitely adds value to the first game and possibly the second game. However, due to the fact that a lot of people haven’t heard of it speaks volumes to the marketing tactics. If you want to know what happens next, you can purchase it on steam for $19.99.
Afterward, it leads right into the tutorial level in Dr.Loboto’s brain. A psychic construct of an office environment was created to trick the doctor into revealing who was the mastermind behind Zanotto’s kidnapping. However, the construct failed to trick Dr.Loboto and the mundane office shifting into a nightmare office — and not the 9 to 5 kind. Great, you’re all caught up now!
Battle by Brains — Puzzles
There are few types of enemies in the game, which each one having its own corresponding weakness to a certain type of psychic power. Battles between these enemies feel more like a puzzle rather than a traditional fight. These puzzles require that you evade enemy attacks while striking with the appropriate type of psychic energy to counter. It will definitely take a bit of getting used but practice should help.
So now that we have a basic understanding of the game, here’s a quick preliminary Pro’s and Con’s list about the game so far:
Pros:
- Very similar to the first game (if you enjoyed the first one, you will love this one)
- Great Visual graphics
- An immersive storyline that builds on the previous game
- Great platforming movement and controls
- Gameplay is fun
Con’s
- Combat systems with puzzles are hard to adapt to
- Can be confusing at times
So that’s all for now, we’ll keep you updated with the latest news regarding Psychonauts 2. If you’re in the market for a new game, then be on the lookout for our upcoming game reviews.
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