Submitted by devtesla in killallgames (edited )
P2 takes multiple ideas for a Psychonauts sequel and does them all at once, kind of like how Aliens did it. It's about psychic high school, Raz's family, original 'Nauts, and a little bit being a spy.
Part of this is that a sequel has to be bigger, and part of it is a sense that there's no guarantee of another sequel, so everything has to be wrapped up. This means it takes longer than it should to set things up, then there's a few hours where everything is in harmony.
But only the original 'Nauts story ends up getting the focus by about the halfway point. I'm bummed about this. The game creates enough of an impact with the other threads that when they're brought back it works, but there's a long stretch that should of had something to break it up.
It also means that half of the levels in the game are about sorting out an old persons long ago memories of their friends, which was great the first time but got stale fast. There's even a level that feels like it's starting out to be about something else, but then nope Lol
The game also structures most of the levels in the same way: a hub area and then three sub sections. Cool the first time, got old. This is in contrast to the first game, where after things get set up we get five levels that are all swerves on the original concept with wild experimental structures. There's a long stretch where would I have killed to enter at least one mind that wasn't a Psychonaut but nope not until the very end.
P2 is still a miracle game. There's clear reasons for why a double fine in 2021 can't make a game like they did in 2005. And even when it was bugging me I still loved it, it's better than most games by far
There we go thank you for reading.
devtesla OP wrote
rating the levels
S Tier:
Compton's Cookoff - fantastic concept, and so good at illustrating its themes that it makes about half of the other levels redundant, at least in part
The Motherlobe/Quarry/The Questionable Area - just dicking around in these areas are very fun, as it should be. lots of great optional dialog
A Tier:
Hollis' Classroom/ Hollis' Hot Streak - the structure of this part of the game, including the casino part, rules. depressing that they don't try for something this cool again until the very end, and it's not as good.
Strike City/ Cruller's Correspondence/ Ford's Follicles/ Tomb of the Sharkophogus - I've seen some people angry about the amount of Ford in the game but I thought this all tied together very well, and the levels all had cool gimmicks. Really felt bad each time I put a piece back together.
Cassie's Collection - very funny all the way through, and while it is yet another old Psychonaut (yaoP) it's actually about new things. still a little stale structurally, but that's an overall game problem and not its fault
B Tier:
Lucrecia's Lament/ Fatherland Follies - this section was probably supposed to be as cool as the Hollis part but they had to cut it down, still good stuff, overall satisfying ending.
Bob's Bottles - lot to love about this, but it would have been way better if it wasn't yaoP and if you didn't immediately cure his Alcoholism. if it was close to the same thing but a side character it's A or S teir: well written, looks good, plays interestingly
Loboto's Labyrinth - A fun opening, though I really thought Loboto would be more integral after all that
C Tier:
PSI King's Sensorium - I'm being meaner than I should be because it's just not an aesthetic that I like. I do feel like it should play weirder than it is, if it's gonna look that trippy, but it's pretty normal. Also angry that it hides that it's yaoP until it gets going.
Green Needle Gulch - It's fine, I miss running around the rest of the map tho
That's it, nothing worse than a C