{"id":3417,"date":"2021-08-23T16:10:18","date_gmt":"2021-08-23T14:10:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1323626"},"modified":"2021-08-23T16:36:10","modified_gmt":"2021-08-23T14:36:10","slug":"psychonauts-2-review-a-feast-for-the-senses-on-console-and-pc","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/psychonauts-2-review-a-feast-for-the-senses-on-console-and-pc\/","title":{"rendered":"Psychonauts 2 review: A feast for the senses on console and PC"},"content":{"rendered":"

16 years on from the first Psychonauts game, is the latest title from Tim Schafer and Double Fine Productions worth the wait? <\/p>

By Rob Leane\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 23 August 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

<\/p>

<\/div> 4.0 out of 5 star rating<\/span> <\/span> <\/div> <\/div>

Way back when in 2005, acclaimed indie-game director Tim Schafer \u2013 who, at the time, was perhaps best loved for his work on Grim Fandango at LucasArts \u2013 released a brilliant 3D platformer called Psychonauts.<\/p>\n

Taking control of a young acrobat called Raz, players explored the minds of several unique characters \u2013 literally, you would enter other people\u2019s minds and complete quirky platforming levels within them \u2013 as Raz got to grips with his newfound mind powers.<\/p>\n

The game earned a lot of strong reviews and put Schafer\u2019s then-brand-new company, Double Fine Productions, on the map. Jump forward 16+ years to today, and Double Fine has become a staple of the gaming scene \u2013 as of 2019, the company is owned by Microsoft as part of Xbox Game Studios.<\/p>\n

The first Double Fine game to launch since the Microsoft acquisition will be Psychonauts 2 \u2013 a sequel to the company\u2019s very first game, it picks up not long after the conclusion of that game from 2005 (there is a short VR game, 2017\u2019s Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, slotted in between the two stories).<\/p>\n

But is it worth jumping into Psychonauts 2, whether or not you\u2019ve played the original game or its VR follow-up? The answer to that question is a resounding yes, and you can read on to find out why in our full review.<\/p>\n

\""Raz\"<\/div>
Raz finally makes it to Psychonauts HQ<\/span><\/figcaption> Double Fine Productions<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

First things first, don\u2019t worry if you missed either of the previous entries in the Psychonauts franchise \u2013 although you will appreciate the returning characters and callbacks if you\u2019re a fully-fledged fan of the series, Psychonauts 2 does a great job of bringing everyone up to speed in its opening moments.<\/p>\n

Raz, still a young child, finally makes his way to Psychonauts HQ in the game\u2019s opening scenes, and it\u2019s not long before he\u2019s pulled into a mystery involving a returning villain and the founding members of this Men in Black-like psychic institution.<\/p>\n

What unfolds from that simple beginning is a terrifically imaginative experience, as Raz ventures into mind after mind in search of answers and understanding. Although this game has a few more \u2018real world\u2019 locations compared to the original, most of the meaningful gameplay segments still take place within the off-the-wall confines of people\u2019s brains.<\/p>\n

This, as returning fans will already know, is a recipe for some truly bonkers and infinitely memorable levels. For us describe these experiences in any real detail would probably spoil the fun of you discovering them for yourself. But suffice it to say \u2013 we weren\u2019t expecting there to be a cookery level, and there were surprises to be found around every corner.<\/p>\n

Where to buy Psychonauts 2:<\/strong><\/p>\n