This game has some of the most creative, and interesting levels, art direction, characters, environments, and just overall game I've ever seen. This just goes to show that when you give a team of passionate creatives the funds to work on a project they want, how they want it, it can come out with some of the most creative art of all time.
If you wanna see my psychonauts 1 thoughts I'll link them here.
https://www.backloggd.com/u/VallyGal/review/1325259/
This game pretty much improves every single aspect of from the first. firstly lets start with the gameplay. This game has a much better and more fun and in depth combat system than the first. and that's not just to say its better than a PS2 game. They really improved the combat to be up to modern standards and still made it fun and catroony like it was. The amount of versatility and mechanics you need to use during the combat makes the game very fun in combat sections, especially since it keeps introducing new enemy types almost to the end of the game. but it never feels like too much either which is good and keeps the game from feeling bloated.
The game's platforming also got a major upgrade. Although I'd argue they took away a little of the freedom of platforming you had in the first game, its very much worth it as it adds a whole new layer of fluidity to your platforming sections. the camera movement and animations really make you feel like a skilled acrobat and its fun as hell to traverse around all these areas in the minds and in the real world. the platforming is just really engaging and I loved every section I got to climb, slide, grind, or jump through.
Another thing this game improved on (at least in my eyes) is the art direction and design of the game. Now its not knock the first game levels and art direction (I thought they were absolutely incredible to.) But that's what makes it so amazing that they managed to knock it out of the park with this games art and levels even better. Allthough you could argue that its a bad thing that the game kinda lost a bit of its gloomy "Burton-esque" astetic from the first game, Im a huge fan of popping and vibrant colors and so I think it was a great move to expand the universes pallete and design to fit this many colorful and fun locations and brains. From the casino to the forest to the food gameshow brain to the dreary brains to the absolutely vibrant and colorful brains, This game just oozes style and creative mastery of what they were going for and I LOVE IT!
I LOVED this game's writing. This game made me laugh my ass off just as many times as it made me emotionally invested, which is a great feat indeed. This game writing is just so godamn funny, I've never really played a game that has made me laugh as much as this one. The stupid scenarios you can find yourself in within people's brains are hilarious. I took my time to talk to as many NPCs as I could because the writing was so charming and funny that every interaction felt like it was worth something. the responses Raz would have to these funny moments were just amazing. I would be making sure I chose every dialogue option he could have to respond just to hear what plays out.
Lastly, the game's story overall. this is one of the most fun and engaging game stories I've ever played and it goes even deeper into its themes and messaging than the first game did. One thing I appreciate a lot in media is lesson being taught through story. That's why My Little Pony: FIM is my favorite show. Because although you could call it childish to be teaching lessons in a piece of media, what a lot of other adults don't realize is that there are things that not everyone knows, things that come second nature to you don't to others. And having fun and engaging media like that teches lesson about how brains work while also being fun, how to understand people and their circumstance, how to live with your past, without actually having to spoonfed it to people is very valuable (especially to neurodivergent people like myself) and so because of that and its morals and themes, this game might have one of my favorite stories of ALL TIME.
Overall AMAZING GAME, that you should 100% play (but play Psychonauts 1 first) engage yourself in this fun story, these fun characters, and this fun world, and you will not regret it.
(10/10)