Psychonauts 2 Reviews
As witty, eccentric and imaginative as the 2005 action-platformer, with a more developed understanding of mental health.
Psychonauts 2 was worth the 16-year wait, as it's easily Double Fine's best game so far and a strong contender for Game of the Year.
Improved platforming underpins a glorious return to one of gaming's most inventive and empathic universes.
Even with a few rough edges, Psychonauts 2 is just about everything I could have hoped for from this long-awaited sequel.
It’s rare that a long-awaited sequel does most things right, but this is one of those times and I’m confident in saying that Psychonauts 2 is Double Fine’s best game to date and an early contender for game of the year.
Psychonauts 2 captures the spirit of '90s cartoons and channels it into an imaginative, inventive adventure that never fails to find heart and humor in every one of its consciousness-expanding encounters.
A great sequel that is just as surreal and imaginative as the original and manages to be both a silly comedy platformer and a surprisingly affecting character study of regret and lost love.
Well worth the wait and better than the original, Psychonauts 2 hits its stride early and never loses steam
Psychonaut 2's levels are some of the most inventive in the platforming genre. There's an over-the-top cooking game show where you carry food stuff through a giant platforming gauntlet. There's also a humongous mailroom sorting office where you jump from flying envelope to flying envelope, all the while avoiding the vortex of letters below. You'll visit highly imaginative, gravity-bending dreamscape after dreamscape.
Psychonauts 2 does more than just fill the shoes of its beloved quirky predecessor, it sets itself apart as a classic in its own right.
Psychonauts 2 isn’t about gunning down the big boss at the end and cheering over their dead body. It’s about understanding that even the biggest asshole is still a person, and deep down they may just need some help. We all need some help sometimes. The key is asking for it. Today, in 2021, it’s easy to look around and see people who seem cruel and evil, and to assume they are lost souls, not worth saving. Psychonauts 2 says otherwise. It says that everyone can change. I’m not sure I fully believe that, but I’ll be damned if that’s not one hell of a hopeful message.
A huge impact was left on me by Psychonauts. While that’s not likely to be the same story for Psychonauts 2, I wasn’t disappointed. There was no single place that let me down so severely that it soured the overall experience. Nothing that struck me as starkly inferior. It’s maybe not quite as genius, but it’s still a mind worth exploring.
While its old-school nature can lead to frustration, I was far too enamored by its characters and their heart-warming empathy for one another to let it dampen my enjoyment of this long-awaited sequel.
Psychonauts 2 is a new lesson in empathy from Double Fine for both video games and yourself. If you're predisposed to it, the studio's work can set aside its classic 3D platformer look to connect with you without you realizing it on very personal levels. Or, at least, that's what's happened to me playing it. Psychonauts 2 has arrived as a breath of air right at a time in my life when I needed a breather.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A brilliant platformer, both in design and imagination. It has captivated us by the variety in development, the sense of humor and its way of transforming mental processes into elements - and enemies - of the game. The technical (not artistic) section is correct, although it falls short of other "next gen" games.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A decade and a half on from the original, Psychonauts 2 is a worthy successor to Double Fine's cult classic. The platforming and combat gameplay is tighter, the world design is as varied and inventive as ever, and while the story is full of twists, turns and comedic moment, there's also a wonderful sense of empathy and tenderness throughout. Simply put, Psychonauts 2 has been worth the wait.
It’s wild to think how many years of development are here in this game, but the end product is undeniably polished and top-to-bottom good gaming.
Psychonauts 2 is one of the most personal and special games I've played in a long time. The best work of a company with great works led by a Tim Schafer who invests everything learned in his ten years working at LucasArts and his twenty years at Double Fine to sign his best work as a writer and developer.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
This was a review I picked up on a whim, looking to try something new, and now I’m walking away with a strong new game of the year contender. Psychonauts 2 is fun, funny, heartfelt, and handles its themes with a deft and gentle hand. Thanks to its great recapping, anyone can play regardless of their history with the series, and I recommend you do!