Psychonauts 2marks the long-awaited return for thegenre-defining platforming series, over 15 years after the first game was released. And the wait was worth it.Psychonauts 2is one of the highest-rated titles of the year, winning over both fans and critics alike. It’s made some dramatic improvements over its predecessor, tweaking the platforming and combat while offering a larger, richer world to explore.
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However, that doesn’t meanPsychonauts 2is devoid of all flaws. DespiteDouble Fine’s attempts to fully modernize their original classic, some elements of the game do still feel out-of-date. There are still some big fixesPsychonauts 2needs in order to truly become a masterpiece.
7A Dedicated Levitation Button
Having the Levitation ability handy is a necessity forany player jumping intoPsychonauts 2for the first time. With no dedicated sprint mechanic, the Levitation ball is the only way for Raz to move around with world with any kind of speed. And if players want single-button access to it, they’ll need to give up one of their four abilities slots to do so.
Giving Levitation its own button would remove this problem entirely, allowing for the ball to be deployed with ease in whatever situation the player might find themselves. SincePsychonauts 2features customizable controls already, the input for it could be assigned to the most convenient button for each individual player.
6Equipping More Than Four Abilities
Psychonauts 2has eight total abilities for Raz to use in his quest to save the world, and each offers different benefits depending on the situation. Unfortunately, the game only allows players to have four abilities equipped for easy access at any given moment.
Having access to every ability is crucial throughout the game,especially in some of the more difficult combat encounters. A second deck of abilities,not unlike those found in recentAssassin’s Creedgames, would give players the option to have every ability available without the need to open a menu in the middle of a fight.
5Easier Fast Travel Between Brains
Traveling between brains inPsychonauts 2isn’t as fluid as it could be, requiring a pit stop that noticeably slows the process down. The Collective Unconscious serves as a hub between every brain Raz visits, and players will have to stop here before moving on to their ultimate destination.
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With every region chronicled in Raz’s notebook, it would a nice addition to the game to allow players to simply select the brain they’d like to visit and initiate travel there from the pause menu. This would make seeking outPsychonauts 2’s exhaustive list of collectibles a much more enjoyable, less tedious endeavor.
4Easier Collectible Tracking
Psychonauts 2is stuffed with different collectibles, from the Figments that populate each brain to the Challenge cards out in the real world. There are hundreds of individual items to find, and locating them all isone of the loftiest challenges players can aspire to.
However,Psychonauts 2doesn’t make it easy to find the last few collectibles players might be looking for in a particular place, turning a fun scavenger hunt into a laborious chore. Including some method of notifying players when they’re near an undiscovered collectible would go a long way to improving this late-game experience.
3A More Progressive Economy
Raz can use Psitanium he finds throughout his travels to purchase a wide variety of useful items at Otto Mentallis’s shop, the Otto-Matic. There are pins that modify and enhance Raz’s various psychic powers, as well as candy that restores health and energy, and can even give Raz an extra life should he fall in battle.
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The only problem is that Psitanium is incredibly difficult to find in large quantities until much later in the game. While there arestrategies for building up Raz’s Psitanium stores as early as possible, the game would benefit from a reworking of its economy to create a more balanced progression throughout the campaign.
2Pins Having Less Restrictive Rank Gates
Pins inPsychonauts 2alter Raz’s powers in ways that can dramatically changehow each ability performs in combat. One pin turns the Mental Connection ability into a vampiric weapon that drains enemies of their health. Another transforms Raz’s Levitation Ball into a deadly smash attack.
But most of the pins can only be worn if Raz has attained a certain Intern Rank, rendering them useless if the player hasn’t reached that rank yet. Some of the pins are so restrictive that many players won’t get to use them until they’re close to (or beyond) the final boss. Lowering the levels on many of these pins would give players the chance to benefit from their effects while still making their way throughPsychonaut 2’s story.
1Better In-Game Maps
Finding every collectible inPsychonauts 2is no easy task, and the game doesn’t make it any easier with its in-game maps. At best, the maps offer a general idea of an area’s layout and the collectibles that be found there. At worst, there’s no map at all, just a stylized puzzle that represents how much of the level players have completed.
A game’s map is a vital resource, especially for a completionist, andPsychonauts 2does little to make its tasks easier via maps. Adding something as simple as an indicator of the player’s location in a level would makeseeking outthe game’s hidden locationsand secrets just a bit easier.
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