Psychonauts 2 | Review, the return of Tim Schafer

Psychonauts 2 | Review

There are titles that once announced take years to see the light, for many different reasons. There can be budget limits, as well as sudden problems and not always easy to deal with in the right way: in some cases, however, these games simply need time. This is the case of Psychonauts 2, the sequel to that little masterpiece that in 2005 marked the debut of Tim Schafer with his Double Fine Productions: a game that perhaps would have deserved much more attention, but at which time it is finally enriched by a new and much awaited chapter.

Announced shortly after the release of its predecessor, the title has faced a troubled development but in the end it has made it. How did it go? Let's find out together: here is the review of Psychonauts 2, an article that the writer has been waiting to write down for sixteen years.

Psychonauts 2: Raz is back!

Psychonauts 2 yes opens with a summary of where we left off: our Razputin, once he learned how to manage his powerful psychic powers, managed to carry out his mission by joining the Psychonauts and conquering (at least in his opinion) the heart of the beloved Lili. The kidnapping of the girl's father, the leader of the Psychonauts Truman Zanotto, however, leads the whole team to embark on a new rescue mission: Psychonauts 2 starts right here, from where she left us.

Raz, now a member of the Psychonauts with the role of intern, will immediately find himself on the front line to solve this great mystery: who is the kidnapper and what are the reasons behind his gesture? We will therefore be immediately catapulted into the center of the action, investigating the mind of the mad Doctor Loboto to understand who could be the culprit of everything. Right from the start we will be able to (re) experience all the game mechanics that made the first Psychonauts such a unique work of its kind: we are not facing a simple platformer, but a brilliant and totally crazy sequence of events ahead. to which it will often be necessary to sharpen the wits. After all, it is still a Tim Schafer game and therefore asking for a little normality would be something absolutely out of place, right?

The various powers of our Raz, from telekinesis to levitation through many others, they will be upgradeable as we continue in our adventure: we will be able to unlock many new power-ups with which to face each level, transforming Raz into an increasingly skilled Psychonaut and able to control his powers. The gameplay, despite the many peculiarities, is still accessible to anyone accustomed to the genre but with some limitations too much that we will go into more detail later.

Nothing transcendental, but perhaps with a pinch of attention in the more you could achieve better results. An interesting novelty and full of small surprises to discover is undoubtedly the Headquarters of the Psychonauts: a structure to be explored where we will be assigned the various game missions and which, in essence, replaces the campus that we have learned to know and to appreciate in the first Psychonauts. Here we will meet some of the strangest and funniest characters that Schafer's mind could conceive, also meeting some already known faces such as Sasha, Milla and many others during our adventure.

Psychonauts 2: one love letter to the past?

As already mentioned, it took sixteen years to get to Psychonauts 2. A time that Double Fine Productions certainly used also and above all to understand what worked and what needed to be improved in the first chapter: the final result is a more refined product than its predecessor, but still not without imperfections. At times we will find ourselves faced with mechanics that, to be honest, would need updating: elements that make the gaming experience in some moments a bit too woody.

The management of the camera, for example, is characterized by a fluctuating quality: if in some sections it is almost perfect - with quick changes from three to two dimensions that do not in any way dampen the experience - in others we will find ourselves having to manage some tedious situations on our own from this point of view. view. Another point that can be improved is undoubtedly that linked to the enemy AI which, while offering a good level of challenge, will sometimes even be frustrating due to a treatment that is not always detailed.

From certain points of view we can in short define Psychonauts 2 as a game heavily influenced by titles of the past, with particular attention to those of the first half of the 2000s. Is this necessarily a defect? In our opinion no, in the most absolute way. Next to the problems we have talked about - which, mind you, are nevertheless present in a very marginal way - we find in fact what is a real love letter to many masterpieces of that period.

A sort of return in the past capable, at the same time, of bringing small but interesting news to the world of video games. Those looking for a revolutionary product from a gameplay point of view will probably be disappointed, but if you are interested in an over the top narrative experience well ... Psychonauts 2 is exactly what you are looking for. After all, Tim Schafer's pen never disappoints and with this last work we can affirm that, after more than twenty years of activity, Double Fine has reached the most complete maturity from the artistic point of view.

A 'last side note that will certainly snatch a smile even from the nostalgic of LucasArts titles: even in this juncture, as is now almost customary, we find in fact a sound sector embellished by the great work of Peter McConnell. That's right, the composer behind immortal masterpieces like Monkey Island 2, Day of the Tentacle and Grim Fandango. The partnership with Schafer shows no signs of stopping, further demonstrating how this Psychonauts 2 is really a declaration of love for the whole world of video games.