It’s been a LONG time since Psychonauts was released, over 15 years ago actually but the wait is finally over. Double Fine’s classic humor, signature gameplay, and creative platforming are back in Psychonauts 2.

Psychonauts 2 takes place after the events of the original game, and you once again play as Razputin Aquato, or Raz, now an intern for the Psychonauts, a psychic spy organization, you must try to discover who hired Dr. Loboto to kidnap Truman. With the help of other Psychonaut agents; Sasha Nein, Milla Vodello, and Coach Oleander, you must enter Loboto’s mind. Though, you soon find out something much more menacing is at play.

Now, I’ll admit, because I never got around to playing the original Psychonauts, I was a little worried that Psychonauts 2 wouldn’t make a lot of sense to me. Thankfully, I’m happy to report that you’ve got nothing to worry about. The game does a great job of catching you up on any major details from the previous game that you’ll need to know going into this one.

Psychonauts 2 is a 3D platformer at its core and has Raz enter the minds of various characters where you’ll either need to solve their problems or in some cases, your own. Double Fine has done an outstanding job with the game’s level design, having some of the best platforming since the golden days of games like Banjo-Kazooie. And to top it all off is the art direction.

Every section in Psychonauts 2 looks very different from each other as you progress through the game, from levels designed out of gums and teeth to bright and colorful sections that look like they’ve been ripped right out of some psychedelic acid trip.

When you aren’t platforming your way around or collecting the number of side collectibles scattered around each section, you’ll be going into battle against a cast of enemies, both new and variations on old enemies. This is where your abilities will come into play. The good news is, not only does Psychonauts 2 bring back most of the power and abilities from the first game, but it also adds a few new ones too. These new powers include the ability to slow down time or let you make a copy of yourself in order to solve certain puzzles to progress.

Now, the art direction isn’t the only thing that really stood out to me. The game’s soundtrack and voice acting are also absolutely brilliant. Despite the gap between games, Double Fine has managed to get all the original voice actors to return for the respective roles, then, of course, you have new roles, one being filled by the one and only, Jack Black.

I absolutely loved and enjoyed every minute of my time with Psychonauts 2. Double Fine has outdone themselves with this sequel, building on everything they learned from the first game, then cranking it up to 11 this time around.

As a result, we have been blessed with such a fun, and enjoyable game that I can not recommend enough. It’s even on Xbox Game Pass, so what are you waiting for?

Written by: MKAU Gaming