General Gaming Psychonauts 2 (25 August 2021) - Information Thread, update: reviews from OpenCritic posted

[BloodyHell]

This is the first video game that has made me excited to play in quite some time. I know im kinda beating the dead horse with how much I enjoy it, but this is the most interesting and original game I've played in a long time.

[crispy4000]

2 hours ago, Xbob42 said:

He literally created a "better" version of this in a Lego game that he shows in the video. Renders both scenes in full detail with you swapping between them so smoothly. 

 

I wouldn't try to call BS on this guy without bringing a lot of evidence, his entire channel is about the crazy shit he's been able to pull off with clever programming.

What he's describing is quite literally what Insomanic (and pretty much the rest of the industry) was already doing to handle large scene transitions in linear sequences.

 

Yes, things can be cleverly coordinated to intelligently handle streamed assets under system limitations.  But doing it for AAA games today is intensive work.  As the presenter mentions: "Took us a month to do, if we did everything like this we'd still be making the game."

As for asymetric gameplay with streamed assets across both view windows, it depends more on the scenes vs system limitations.  You could design a N64 game to do what he described at the end of the video.  But there would be certain trade-offs the developer had to make.  As he said, it wasn't so easy to do it.

There's also indie games like Anti-chamber that pulled off the same tricks as Ratchet, dumping you in completely different parts of the game world almost instantaneously.  You could warp places just by turning around or looking up/down.  If you go minimal enough with the visuals, it can be done on anything.

That brings me to my last point here.  The PS3/360 LEGO games were designed with the limitations of the Wii in mind, not as "full detail" or cutting edge 360/PS3 games.  Guess where else he got it to work...
 

 

[Xbob42]

Well that's what I mean. They were selling this as some new amazing groundbreaking feature... but it's not really a big deal to the consumer. Easier on the development side, I guess, but with how far developers go to make ridiculously over-the-top and wildly expensive set pieces and shit already that's hardly something I really care about as I'd much prefer most games to scale back and stick to the core concepts they're good at rather than going for some short-term technical marvels.

[crispy4000]

28 minutes ago, Xbob42 said:

Well that's what I mean. They were selling this as some new amazing groundbreaking feature... but it's not really a big deal to the consumer. Easier on the development side, I guess, but with how far developers go to make ridiculously over-the-top and wildly expensive set pieces and shit already that's hardly something I really care about as I'd much prefer most games to scale back and stick to the core concepts they're good at rather than going for some short-term technical marvels.

It's easy get a little jaded, I'll admit.  On the other hand, I don't think Rift Apart would have come out when it did if it had to support mechanical HDDs.

I'm not convinced that a cutting edge PS3 game could pull off anything to the degree and scale of Rift Apart's transitions, even for the time.  There's games that gen that resorted to FMVs to render in-game-ish visuals when system limitations got in the way.
 

 

[crispy4000]

50 minutes ago, BloodyHell said:

This is the first video game that has made me excited to play in quite some time. I know im kinda beating the dead horse with how much I enjoy it, but this is the most interesting and original game I've played in a long time.

 

How would you say it compares to the first in that?  I thought some of its later worlds were wild, and the milkman conspiracy is classic.

[BloodyHell]

24 minutes ago, crispy4000 said:

 

How would you say it compares to the first in that?  I thought some of its later worlds were wild, and the milkman conspiracy is classic.

I mean, im only a few hours in so far, but up to now, there is no area where this doesn't top the first game, from originality to level design and platforming. I'm so happy when I play this game. 

I think the EA review said it really well when they said they didn't know how people came up with this stuff.

[Xbob42]

1 hour ago, crispy4000 said:

 

How would you say it compares to the first in that?  I thought some of its later worlds were wild, and the milkman conspiracy is classic.

The mind-bending stuff is leagues above the original game, although so far I've yet to see a stage that's quite the instant classic that the Milkman stage was, or the war game table, which I personally really enjoyed. But I'm still super early as I'm just soaking in all the incredible art. It's all so clean and smooth and beautiful. Amazing transitions and playing with perspective, scale, etc. I can spend hours just exploring a stage.

[BloodyHell]

1 hour ago, Xbob42 said:

The mind-bending stuff is leagues above the original game, although so far I've yet to see a stage that's quite the instant classic that the Milkman stage was, or the war game table, which I personally really enjoyed. But I'm still super early as I'm just soaking in all the incredible art. It's all so clean and smooth and beautiful. Amazing transitions and playing with perspective, scale, etc. I can spend hours just exploring a stage.

I spent at least an hour exploring Motherlode as soon as I got in there, before going to my first quest. 

 

[JPDunks4]

Okay I may just have to jump in tonight and put Ascent on the backburner.

[BloodyHell]

There are definitely instantly classic levels.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

One final update of the OpenCritic reviews post

 

[BloodyHell]

@Xbob42 how far are you?

I don't want to even mention anything in spoiler tags if I don't know you've already seen it. 

im about half way through, I think. Just finished 

Spoiler

PSI king!

Game is everything I wanted, and so much more so far.

[Xbob42]

I'm still quite early I think, just collected a bee and entered the world that opens, which has been super fun.

[BloodyHell]

14 minutes ago, Xbob42 said:

I'm still quite early I think, just collected a bee and entered the world that opens, which has been super fun.

Im doing the same stuff. 

[Xbob42]

Honestly I'm very glad one of my favorite minor features from the first game is still present here: a different little 2D representation of how each character views Raz when using Clairvoyance. I always love checking characters when the story progresses, or after a conversation where someone apologizes or something and seeing if it changed, and it has a couple of times so far. Also fun to see how enemies and bosses see Raz, how animals see him, etc.

[heydude93]

for anyone with the ps4 version:

 

Is this a glitch in the psi-king level?

 

Spoiler

When you're in the the ear dude and touch dude stage after finding them at the campgrounds, I landed on a platform to fight some censors, then fought a panic attack. After the battle you emmerge back in the mouth/nose level again for some reason and there doesn't seem to be a way back out.

 

[BloodyHell]

4 minutes ago, heydude93 said:

for anyone with the ps4 version:

 

Is this a glitch in the psi-king level?

 

  Hide contents

When you're in the the ear dude and touch dude stage after finding them at the campgrounds, I landed on a platform to fight some censors, then fought a panic attack. After the battle you emmerge back in the mouth/nose level again for some reason and there doesn't seem to be a way back out.

 

You can always backtrack and get out from the beginning. You can also exit brain if you completed the objectives.

 

Spoiler

Did you get their instruments? I thought it ended there for me.

 

[heydude93]

9 minutes ago, BloodyHell said:

You can always backtrack and get out from the beginning. You can also exit brain if you completed the objectives.

 

  Hide contents

Did you get their instruments? I thought it ended there for me.

 

Spoiler

yea, i finished their level already. I started the hearing/touch level and fought some dudes on a platform, then fought a panic attack. After the panic attack battle I emerged all the way back in the taste/smell level again for some reason. When I got to the end of that level where the instruments are, no button prompt over the instruments appears. Is there another way out, to get back to the touch/hear level? already tried exit brain/smelling salts and it just keeps putting me back in the taste/smell level again.

 

[BloodyHell]

6 minutes ago, heydude93 said:

  Hide contents

yea, i finished their level already. I started the hearing/touch level and fought some dudes on a platform, then fought a panic attack. After the panic attack battle I emerged all the way back in the taste/smell level again for some reason. When I got to the end of that level where the instruments are, no button prompt over the instruments appears. Is there another way out, to get back to the touch/hear level? already tried exit brain/smelling salts and it just keeps putting me back in the taste/smell level again.

 

Spoiler

Strange. I had no such problem. After the battle, we went to the instruments, and then I thought we switched back to the stage. 

Honestly, the whole Psi King levels are like a beautiful psychedelic soup right now.

Wonderful level for marijauna (or shrooms if you're lucky and have some on hand.

 

[heydude93]

I checked the walkthroughs and it's definitely a glitch. Might be game breaking, so just a heads up for anyone with the Playstation version

 

EDIT: DF support confirmed they're looking into a fix. w00t ^_^

[BloodyHell]

16 hours ago, heydude93 said:

I checked the walkthroughs and it's definitely a glitch. Might be game breaking, so just a heads up for anyone with the Playstation version

 

EDIT: DF support confirmed they're looking into a fix. w00t ^_^

Double Fine are such a great company. 

Im so happy they are getting all of this love for this game.

[DPCyric]

On 8/26/2021 at 8:02 AM, BloodyHell said:

The problem is that ol' Tim has never been good about putting games out in a timely fashion, so its hard to make him a mascot when it might be a decade before we see the next game.

But wow. I'm so f'in impressed.

 

One every generation seems doable I think 

[Moa]

I'm only 3ish hours in but I feel like there's a lot of dialogue and hub wandering breaking up the gameplay in irritating ways, and even more situations that could have been gameplay just being cutscenes (like running from the bee witch thing). The story and world are interesting but at a certain point I just want to play the game.

[BloodyHell]

1 hour ago, Moa said:

I'm only 3ish hours in but I feel like there's a lot of dialogue and hub wandering breaking up the gameplay in irritating ways, and even more situations that could have been gameplay just being cutscenes (like running from the bee witch thing). The story and world are interesting but at a certain point I just want to play the game.

The bee thing is actually pretty unique. But there is definitely plenty of gameplay. I mean, this isn't mario, it has a deep story. Thats part of what makes it great.

Theres a hub, but the hub is wonderful. Just keep going, it'll all come together.

[BloodyHell]

After beating this, it's definitely my GotY so far, and I can't imagine what would beat it, unless Kena is way better than im expecting.

Don't want to spoil anything, but what an incredibly fun game.

Took me 20 hours to beat, which is a bit high because I explored a lot.

[best3444]

11 hours ago, BloodyHell said:

After beating this, it's definitely my GotY so far, and I can't imagine what would beat it, unless Kena is way better than im expecting.

Don't want to spoil anything, but what an incredibly fun game.

Took me 20 hours to beat, which is a bit high because I explored a lot.

 

Must be amazing. I think I'm going to play this after I'm finished with everything in Ghost of Tsushima. Two very different games, too.

[BloodyHell]

2 minutes ago, best3444 said:

 

Must be amazing. I think I'm going to play this after I'm finished with everything in Ghost of Tsushima. Two very different games, too.

If you have gamepass, there's no reason not to try it.

[Xbob42]

I didn't get too far in Ratchet and Clank when it came out. I started playing it again today. It, uh... at least to me, compares very unfavorably next to Psychonauts 2. Almost feels like a generic action game when played one after the other. Giving me real Horizon Zero Dawn vs Breath of the Wild vibes, except I personally think Psychonauts 2 also looks better in many ways.

[best3444]

39 minutes ago, BloodyHell said:

If you have gamepass, there's no reason not to try it.

 

I have gamepass 

[Keyser_Soze]

3 hours ago, Xbob42 said:

I didn't get too far in Ratchet and Clank when it came out. I started playing it again today. It, uh... at least to me, compares very unfavorably next to Psychonauts 2. Almost feels like a generic action game when played one after the other. Giving me real Horizon Zero Dawn vs Breath of the Wild vibes, except I personally think Psychonauts 2 also looks better in many ways.

 

But don't you know Ratchet & Clank changed video games with no load times and warping and haptics?

[ShreddieMercury]

This game is phenomenal so far, and I feel like it's everything one could want from a follow up to the original game.  It's denser, even more creative, and extremely polished.  It feels much, much better to play, and the platforming and combat are both responsive and extremely fun.  It's also probably the best looking and most colorful game I've played on the Series X.

 

16 hours ago, Xbob42 said:

I didn't get too far in Ratchet and Clank when it came out. I started playing it again today. It, uh... at least to me, compares very unfavorably next to Psychonauts 2. Almost feels like a generic action game when played one after the other. Giving me real Horizon Zero Dawn vs Breath of the Wild vibes, except I personally think Psychonauts 2 also looks better in many ways.

 

I also tried to play Horizon Zero Dawn after playing BotW and it was a disaster.

 

[crispy4000]

I've only played the Ratchet remake, calling it a platformer is a bit of a stretch.  I get why people are comparing these franchises, but they probably have less in common than even BoTW and Horizon did.

 

The Pysconauts games are legitimate 3D platformers though.  I love that about the first game, it gives you plenty of variety but still doesn't shy away from collect-a-thon elements.

[BloodyHell]

On 9/1/2021 at 1:19 PM, crispy4000 said:

I've only played the Ratchet remake, calling it a platformer is a bit of a stretch.  I get why people are comparing these franchises, but they probably have less in common than even BoTW and Horizon did.

 

The Pysconauts games are legitimate 3D platformers though.  I love that about the first game, it gives you plenty of variety but still doesn't shy away from collect-a-thon elements.

The other Ratchets are actual 3d platformers. That's why the remake garnered so much hate, it was a shooter.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Psychonauts 2 is a masterclass in level design | PC Gamer

WWW.PCGAMER.COM

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The worlds of Double Fine's sequel are far more than just zany visual spaces.

Quote

 

After having mixed feelings about the original Psychonauts, I spent my weekend playing the sequel and I am hopelessly in love. Double Fine's follow-up fixes virtually all the problems I had with the first game, the pacing, the awkward puzzling, the random, punishing difficulty spikes, while also heightening everything that was great about the original. The wonderful writing. The charming characters. The empathetic representations of mental wellbeing.

 

Yet where Psychonauts 2 most astounds is in its level design. Its levels aren't simply brilliant, they're brilliant in several different ways, dazzling showcases of how to build unique and captivating 3D spaces. Each level demonstrates a huge amount of imagination and ingenuity, and I want to break down exactly what makes Double Fine's amazing spaces tick.

 

 

 

Psychonauts 2 is hiding the strangest mpreg easter egg

WWW.ROCKPAPERSHOTGUN.COM

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In a game full of weird sights, a hidden video depicting pregnant Raz is the strangest video game moment of the year.

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]