Psychonauts 2

I finished this off last night. I said in my first post that if it stays as good as the first 2 - 3 hours, then it will likely be my GOTY. Well, it only got better from there. It delivered everything I could have wanted as a fan of the original, and then took it even further.

I was impressed with how much more maturity and sensitivity in how they deal with each brain you enter. Sounds like it was something they were pretty dedicated to doing.

I doubt I'll aim to 100%, but at the very least will get the last 2 or 3 mind vaults I hadn't got to.

I just finished this, and I think halfwaywrong is completelycorrect.

Fantastic execution on a game franchise that I never thought I'd see again. Gorgeous stylized levels to roam around. Delightful storytelling with just the right amount of dry wit. Mournfully "broken" individuals in many different ways, each of which needed - and received - mental healing in just the way that Raz could offer (this aspect of the game may be what I hang on to the most).

Spoiler:

Helmut's "getting the band back together" set of levels was so much fun to play through.

And Bob's reconciliation with his past on a deserted island was so heartwrenching.

I beat the game this evening, and as a fan of the first one LOVED nearly every moment.

I didn't discover until after I beat the game that you can upgrade your powers through the guidebook. I also loved how you can control the scroll speed of the credits with the left thumbstick.

Now to decide just how much more stuff I want to collect.

Wait. Waitwaitwait. You beat the game without upgrading your powers at all??

Eh, the only upgrades that are any good are the bouncy ball and dark thoughts. And those are only really good for collecting stuff.

merphle wrote:

Wait. Waitwaitwait. You beat the game without upgrading your powers at all?? :shock:

Well I did have pins, but yes.

The Psi-King level is just :chefkiss:

I loved the art style of that one, but felt it overstayed it’s welcome a bit and found myself wishing it was a tad shorter.

Beat it.

Game of the year so far.

This is available on GamePass and it's well worth it. Played through the whole thing in about 3 days. Gorgeous game. Levels are just, wow.... PsiKing song is my new favorite tune. I can smell the universe!

Yeah, I've been playing this lately and having a lot of fun. Loved the first one, and I think this is even better. I'll probably finish it over the weekend.

This was definitely one of my favorite games of last year. Feel it better executed on the things they were trying to do in the first one, but couldn't quite get to.

I think I must be broken. I'm enjoying the story, characters and dialog - but I find playing the game a bit dull. I don't really like just collecting stuff in games and the platforming is a bit light. I feel like I spend more time just running around and watching cutscenes. The cutscenes are good, but I just get a bit antsy when I'm not doing enough. Maybe this is something I should just play a little bit each day, instead of hours at a time. It’s really charming and I love the personality of it.

Question about whether I should continue...

Spoiler:

I got access outside the Motherlode about 30 minutes ago. Anything coming up that may get me a bit more interested?

Nah, sounds like it's not a game for you. You're right, the platforming is a bit light, and if obsessively collecting everything ain't your bag, and the narrative isn't enough to carry it, there isn't a lot there for you.

I will say that some of the best levels are yet to come, but it sounds like it'll be a dull slog for you.

OK, thanks. I just hate it when there is a game that is almost universally praised and I can’t get into it. It is really charming.