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Psychonauts 2 Review

The Psychonauts series is honestly one of the strangest gaming experiences I’ve had in a long time but I mean that in the best way possible. It's the kind of weird I’ve been craving. Even after playing both games back-to-back, I was amazed by how well the developers managed to preserve the spirit of the original, even after nearly 20 years. It may not be as chaotic as the first game, but it still feels like Psychonauts and that's something I truly respect.

STORY & PRESENTATION

Each level (or "mind") in this game feels like it was crafted with care and deep thought. The presentation is some of the most creative and thoughtful I’ve ever seen in terms of how it explores mental health. Honestly, this might be the best representation of psychological disorders I’ve come across in any media. (There’s even a fantastic 8.3-hour analysis on YouTube by Gaming University that dives into the psychology of both games!)
As for the story itself don’t let the art style fool you. I definitely didn’t expect a story this dark from a game that looks so cartoonish. Especially in Psychonauts 2, the narrative is surprisingly mature, emotional, and incredibly well told. All I ask is: please, avoid spoilers! There are some major plot twists that i love.
Score for Story & Presentation:
9/10

GAMEPLAY

Now... my biggest complaint with Psychonauts 2’s gameplay is the skill selection system. The combat is built around combos and psychic powers, but you can only equip four abilities at a time. That might sound like enough, but trust me it’s not. You’ll often find yourself needing to switch powers mid-combat, which seriously reduces the fluency of the combat.
That said, the combat is still really fun, especially when compared to other 3D platformers it feels satisfying. As for the platforming, Psychonauts 2 doesn’t introduce a lot of new mechanics compared to the original, but it does polish everything about it. Don’t expect deep platforming mechanics like Mario 64 and... that’s okay. It didn’t disappoint me, but a bit more depth wouldn’t hurt.
My Score for Gameplay:
7/10

SOUNDTRACK

I CAN’T GET THE GRULOVIA SONG OUT OF MY HEAD AAAAAAAAAA
The soundtrack is fantastic and absolutely fits the bizarre and weird tone of the game. I love it.
Score for Music:
8/10
VISUALS & ART STYLE
I’m in love with this game’s art direction. It’s amazing how they managed to keep that iconic "ugly and asymmetrical" style alive after all these years. The graphics and animations are AMAZING. I still have no idea how they managed to render the animation during the Psi King’s concert it’s absolutely mind blowing.
Score for Visuals & Art Style: 9/10

OVERALL

Psychonauts 2 really stuck with me. I went in expecting a quirky platformer like original —and yeah, it is that— but it also hits you with some surprisingly dark humor—still like the original—. Not like deep, emotional darkness or anything, just unexpected stuff that catches you off guard and actually makes you laugh. and honestly I wasn’t expecting it to be that good at being funny and a little messed up—speaking this for the both of the games—
It’s bizzare, it’s stylish, it’s funny, and it just kinda does its own thing without trying to be something it’s not. But even with all the chaos, you can tell there’s thought behind it. A month later and I’m still thinking about certain levels and lines.. it just leaves a mark without making a big deal out of it.
Final Score:

8.5/10