![]() The Psytanium you collect, the in-game currency, lets you buy items like Psy-Pops and Badges that let you alter your Psychonaut powers in different ways. Speaking of which, you can collect figments of imagination to rank up Raz, meaning more Intern points and access to better powers. Your powers can be improved by spending Intern points onto it you can make the Time Bubble bigger or have Mental Connections tap onto dark connections that lead you to better loot. in Invader Zim, so you’ll be summoning it a lot just to hear its cute high-pitch voice acting all cute and berating you. It’s also voiced by the same guy who played G.I.R. Projection lets you summon a paper-thin version of yourself to slip through cracks and tiny spaces, as well as act as a decoy for enemies to wail on. Time Bubble summons a bubble that slows down anything in its radius from fast-moving platforms to enemies. It can also drag enemies to him from a large distance. Mental Connection lets Raz connect thoughts to open up puzzle areas and also traverse hard-to-reach places by grabbing onto white “thought” dots. New powerups include Mental Connections, Time Bubble, and Projection. Apart from his telepathic melee fists, he can also grab objects using Telekinesis, shoot Psi Blasts, summon fire with Pyrokinesis, float and roll on a Levitation ball, and see through the eyes of others with Clairvoyance (and find hidden objects). It’s a pity that some mainstays like Sasha and Mila only get a few scenes of screentime, though to be fair they were fleshed out in the past game. From the many Psychonaut agents like Agent Hollis to even Raz’s acrobat circus family making an appearance, they’re all interesting and colourful enough to talk to and help out. Don’t do that: take your time exploring the HQ and its many hub worlds and surroundings, each with its own tourist map (for checklisting your collectibles this IS a 3D platformer after all) and cast of characters residing in it. Of course, you will miss some development if you beeline through the main story, which should last you about 12 hours or so. The jazz-laden soundtrack from Double Fine composer friend Peter McConnell also helps amplify the comedic & pun-laden vibe the game is going for. The returning cast like Lili and your old mentor Ford still entertain, with new characters like Otis the gadget-maker -whose vending machines you see crop up- to the other interns who pick on you and eventually befriend have their moments of charm and levity. There are quite a few adult themes here and there that are written and handled with class, despite its cartoonish art style which I personally adore wholeheartedly. They’re all handled well amidst the bizarre-yet-lush landscapes you visit in many of each broken(?) character’s mind palaces, from a cooking show to a trippy 70s Yellow Submarine fever dream. The themes touched upon in the game’s story include trust, forgiveness, and cleaning up past messes. To say more than that would be spoilers, but I’m glad to say that Tim Schafer and Double Fine did a fantastic job with the game’s writing, story, and character development. There’s a lot to unpack here, especially if you’re interested in finding out how the actual HQ and Psychonauts group came to be. After a much-needed recap and a mission that thrusts you straight into the heart of things, you find out that someone in HQ is trying to resurrect an old adversary called Maligula who pulled the strings in the first Psychonauts game. Part 2 of main character Raz’s story arc revolves around him getting the hang of being an intern in Psychonauts Headquarters called the Motherlobe. And with not that many 3D platformers in the market, at least this title stands out a bit. Personally, I’m all for it and really appreciate the updates and changes established in this long-time-coming sequel. Psychonauts 2 is essentially more of what made Psychonauts memorable to many fans, for better or worst. But at the time 3D platformers were plentiful and had better mechanics, collectathon gameplay, and overall hooks. It had great humour, an interesting premise about powerful psychics-to-be and the summer camp they’re stuck in, and the same kind of feel-good storytelling, likeable characters, and fun gameplay you expect from the folks who made classics like Full Throttle and Grim Fandango memorable. It’s been many years since the first Psychonauts back in 2005, a 3D platformer from prolific video game director and writer Tim Schafer and his Double Fine production crew. ![]() Genre: 3D platformer with psychic & mind themes, plus Tim Schafer Double Fine writing & wordplay Platforms: Xbox Series (version played), Xbox One, PS4, PC ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |