‘Psychonauts 2’ for Xbox, PS4, and PC
? Spoilers for the first game ahead. Fair warning. [—Ed.]
I was 19 when the first Psychonauts game released on Xbox, and I still have fond memories of following Razputin's adventures at the psychic “summer camp” (read: secret government training facility) where he uncovers the mystery of his fellow campers' brains being harvested for nefarious purposes. For many years after, I kept wishing for a sequel because I found this game's world so intriguing and fun to explore.
Sixteen years later, that wish has finally come true! Psychonauts 2 has been released for PC, Mac, Xbox, and PS4, picking up where the first game left off story-wise.
Raz, who believes himself a fully inducted Psychonaut — the international team of pyschically gifted spies who use their abilities to stop evil-doers — finds out when he gets to Psychonauts HQ that he's to be a mail room intern, not a proper agent.
What's more, it's been determined that a mole has infiltrated the organization with the aim of resurrecting a powerfully evil psychic named Maligula, and it somehow falls on Raz to once again piece together the clues and stop this plot before it's too late.
From the game description:
Combining quirky missions and mysterious conspiracies, Psychonauts 2 is a platform-adventure game with cinematic style and tons of customizable psychic powers. Psychonauts 2 serves up danger, excitement and laughs in equal measure as players guide Raz on a journey through the minds of friends and foes on a quest to defeat a murderous psychic villain.
- Experience an imaginative, cinematic story that mixes humor and intrigue, brought to you by legendary game designer Tim Schafer (Grim Fandango, Brütal Legend, Broken Age).
- Explore unique environments using Raz’s ability to dive into people’s brains to battle their inner demons, unlock hidden memories, and resolve their emotional baggage.
- Leap acrobatically through the air, traversing tightropes and trapezes in a varied, challenging, and joyful platforming experience.
- Wield a powerful array of psychic powers to blast, burn and levitate things, or even slow down time itself to solve environmental puzzles and battle strange enemies.
You can purchase Psychonauts 2 for $60 at the following places, depending on the platform you intend to play on:
- Xbox One: Amazon, the Microsoft Store, or download it from the Xbox Game Pass library if you're a subscriber
- PS4 (or PS5 in backwards compatibility mode)
- Steam on PC
Here's to hoping the game will be released on macOS and iPhone/iPad at some point!