"Constant feeling of delight": what the press writes about Psychonauts 2, the release of which has been waiting for 16 years
The official release of Psychonauts 2 took place today. Judging by the first reviews of critics, the return of the cult platformer from Double Fine was successful. The average score of the game was 89/100 with the complete absence of negative reviews. It is praised for its inventive gameplay, elaborate story and lack of cliches.
Briefly about the game
Psychonauts 2 is a sequel to the 2005 platfomer about the adventures of “psychonauts”, special agents to fight psi terrorists.
As in the first part, the main character is Raz, who goes on a new adventure through a crazy, psychedelic and grotesque world.
Psychonauts received positive reviews from critics on release and cult status among fans, but became a commercial failure. Because of this, Tim Schafer could not find funding for a sequel for a long time. As a result, Double Fine launched a crowdfunding campaign on Fig and by the beginning of 2016 had raised almost $4 million.
In 2019, Microsoft acquired the studio, also buying the rights to publish Psychonauts 2 from Starbreeze. This allowed Double Fine to finish work on the project and release the long-awaited sequel.
Opinions of criticsVG247 named Psychonauts 2 one of the main contenders for the game of the year, rating the game 5/5.
Of the shortcomings, the portal noted only minor technical errors and problems with the synchronization of the gamepad on the PC.
Psychonauts 2 is a fun, funny and heartfelt game that reverently and deftly handles the topics covered in it. Even a person who is not familiar with the series can play it, and I advise you to do it. — VG247
After 16 long years, Double Fine has released an ultimatum sequel. This is a high-quality modern 3 D platformer with an incredible art direction, ready to amaze you with a stream of imagination and empathy. For a couple of weeks, I once again felt like that 10-year-old kid who took a funny-looking box with a game and went on a wonderful adventure.— NME
Psychonauts 2 received 9 points from Game Informer.
The publication called the sequel “incredible”, remaining delighted with almost every minute spent in the game.
Double Fine has created an inventive adventure that strikes in the most unexpected way at almost every step. She managed to create something that is not often found in games — a constant feeling of delight in each of the game worlds.— Game Informer
PC Gamer gave the game 89 points, noting the absence of genre cliches as one of the advantages.
The publication also praised the gameplay of Psychonauts 2 and Tim Shafer’s creative approach to the world, the plot and the topics covered.
Double Fine has always been a team that liked to take creative risks, and that’s why I praise them. It’s not just about crazy comical situations, but also that this is a mainstream video game that talks very movingly about various unsightly and confusing aspects of human nature. — PC Gamer
IGN rated the project 8 points out of 10.
The advantages of Psychonauts 2 included a well-written story, multifaceted characters and creative platforming.
Double Fine has done a great job of expanding this universe, bringing more serious and intimate themes to it, but at the same time not losing the adventurous and childish spirit of the original. The game has some clumsiness of mid-noughties platformers, but it still has everything I could expect from a sequel to one of my favorite games.— IGN
Russian publications also positively welcomed Psychonauts 2. DTF praised the game for its high-quality staging, high pace, ingenuity and improved gameplay mechanics.
The increased stakes, new dynamics and a more detailed study of other people’s minds largely compensate for the departed intimacy, so Psychonauts 2 can be called one of the brightest games of this year.— DTF
Psychonauts 2 was rated “worthy” (4/5) by Igromania.
The publication praised the game for its colorful levels, but called it a copy of the original from a gameplay and conceptual point of view.
Psychonauts 2 will not become a new word in video games, but against the background of many modern releases, it looks bright and distinctive. Although it cannot be called as successful a comedy as the original, the sequel still turned out to be worthy.— “Gambling addiction”
GameMAG portal rated Psychonauts 2 by 9 points, calling it one of the best games of 2021.
This is the right sequel that develops the ideas and achievements of the original, while remaining recognizable to fans. It can definitely be recommended to all fans of original and fun games.— GameMAG
