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Psychonauts 2 |OT| The Spy Who Lobed Me
- Thread starter GrrImAFridge
- Start date
- OT
Tons of figments, memory vaults, upgrade collectibles, key-chest pairs (need to collect keys and find chests), cards, psi challenge markers, emotional baggage + tags, etc. Lots to collect.
Yes motion blur is an automatic off in any game since the 360/PS3 era for me. Didn't know it had a defense force 🙄
Couldn't be happier for Double Fine. This really is a phenomenal title and Microsoft did good by them by investing more time and money on this project.
Lip animation is most definitely out of sync, it's not a huge issue but could've been better. I doubt there's a difference regardless of platform.
I'm a few hours in and there's certainly a lot to collect, so that's a yes to your question.
The good thing is, none of it is pointless.
I not sure anymore, dang. I for sure haven't notice anything weird :/
Oh, I'm sorry, forget I said anything and you should be good 😉
I'm around 9 hours into the game, and I'm curious to hear your thoughts on something (that's related when you gain access to the outside of the Mother Lobe):
What you guys think of Raz's family, overall?
I like them, but I do think they are kinda underutilized in the main story beyond one member of course.
Early in the game, got to the part where you can
Connect the teacher's thoughts resulting in dialogue for all the connections. Really just fun to get all those… why did they have to annoy you acting as if you can't solve it? I'm trying to have fun with this mechanic you made and listen to all the lines you recorded!
Oh hey, same complaint lol
Oh my god, I died at the last stage of the
level boss fight and I have to do the entire fucking thing again? Ugh. The checkpoints suck sometimes.
I'm not sure I understand the theme of this level.
The level itself is a real low point for me, everything about it is super repetitive.
Has anyone reached
in the Questionable Area? Kind of seems like I need a new power to jump farther.
Boole
I'm not sure I understand the theme of this level.
I get that he feels judged by the other Psychonauts, so that makes sense, but the cooking theme seems completely random. Maybe I missed something?
Has anyone reached
Fan's little brother when he moves to a platform near the funtronic
I think they are poorly introduced and it feels like like they shoe horned it in just to not go full McGuffin. I mean (i haven't played the first game), but is Fords knowledge about raz's family established in any way? Or is it meant to be this massive twist...In that case it fell a bit flat.
Game definitely has the annoying saves your health at checkpoint forcing you to die if low thing
Stage rankings will be interesting because I thought that was one of the better ones.
The way they show Booles increasing confidence through a cooking show is kind of brilliant. As someone who loves animals (and is traumatized by what he accidentally did to them in the past), seeing the other founding members as sock puppet animals seems to be a coping device he eventually stops using.
I'm curious what you liked about it. You're given a very simple set of tasks and then you just go through the motions of doing them. The platforming is easy, I don't see how you could screw it up. There's nothing to figure out when going through the steps.
I guess you might have to put some thought into beating the timer, but even that's really simple. Pro tip: do the things with timers first!
It could have been cool if the level changed between rounds to have new obstacles. But as it is it wasn't exactly thrilling taking something over to the
chopper or blender or whatever
A Psychonaut stage is as much about its personality and theming as it is platforming (which this level still has some great opportunities for taking shortcuts/speed running). Also thought the boss was one of the better ones.
I'll agree the boss is fun (although a little long, especially since you have to repeat the entire thing if you die).
And I agree that the theme of a level is important, but if it's not fun to actually play that's pretty much the end of the story for me personally. You can see the entire level in what, a couple minutes, and then are made to repeat the same simple tasks multiple times.
And again, I feel like I'm missing something with the theme.
For example, why do the Psychonauts talk like actual reality TV show judges, calling the food stuff like "pedestrian," and being impressed by Raz and Boole's pretentious descriptions? I can kind of get why they're judges, Boole literally feels judged by them. But does he also think they're pretentious? Or are the cooking show jokes just there to be funny and you're not really supposed to think about it too hard? Why are the gluttons? I don't get why Boole sees them that way?
I don't know, that level just didn't click for me at all. I'm glad it's short at least.
The Booles always had a different kind of relationship with animals and people.
Its not too complex, but making everything anthropomorphic and judgemental is likely a reference to why he first landed in jail after unintentionally blowing up all the animals that wanted to thank him after he freed them (see the mind vault) before being recruited by Ford. Anxiety and fear of being judged is his character (believe me, you don't need a perfectly linear reason for anxiety and ptsd to latch on to other parts of you, minds are not that simple), but that's how he feels about Ford and the others. Fear of being judged being a game show works perfectly, and the guilt from what happened with the animals personifies the Psychonauts here.
I think the vaults basically spell most of them out for you. That whole thing was about coming out of his literal and figurative box.
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Sure, I agree with all this, but this doesn't address any of the things I brought up in my post. Again, it feels to me like the level makes sense at a very high level, but all of the details are present just because
the writers like cooking shows and wanted to squeeze in a parody of them.
Put another way, if we look at past levels (mostly from the first game since I'm not very far in 2 yet)
Sasha's level is a cube because he's analytical and has a (mostly) tidy mind. Oleander's mind is a battlefield because he views everything as a conflict. Forsythe's mind has different areas but is largely hospital-themed because that was her passion.
But why exactly is Boole's mind a cooking show? Again, it really feels like it's solely to facilitate cooking show jokes, which feels disappointingly shallow compared to the other levels' more meaningful settings.
But why exactly is Boole's mind a cooking show? Again, it really feels like it's solely to facilitate cooking show jokes, which feels disappointingly shallow compared to the other levels' more meaningful settings.
I literally explained why.
Game shows are putting humans in a spotlight and that's how he's interpreted being under intense scrutiny, whether it was relative or not. Its like asking why the Milkman Conspiracy level is a rural 1950's neighborhood when Boyd is an asylum guard. Because it allows for a focused setting to convey what's troubling them. If you're asking for total logical consistency and believability with regards to mental illness, especially a game which cannot possibly go that much in depth with it you're going to be disappointed.
Sasha and Oleanders mindscape being the way they are is about as straight forward. The notion that something has to completely make logical sense instead of abstraction and having tangential associations of how we actually function really bothers me as someone who has gone through much of this in reality.
"that's not logical though" in regards to a troubled human mind is really fucking with me, as it just reminds me of how many times i've been judged on the basis of someone's own lived experience and not one completely different from their own (whether that's mental illness or being on the spectrum) which has made my life a living hell.
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For those who've spent a few hours in the game already - are the figments worth it in terms of progression?
I mean, most of them aren't too hard to get, but somehow I feel like they break the flow of the game in some instances.
I mean, most of them aren't too hard to get, but somehow I feel like they break the flow of the game in some instances.
The hub are just opened up for me and I gotta say I truly love the game so far. No asterisks nothing, this is my jam and I never want it to end. I wasn't expecting it to be as influenced by old Lucas Arts adventure games as it is. Talking about the locations and dialogue and not the frustrating parts. The dialogue especially is peak Schafer and Lucas Arts. it's sweet and often laugh-out-loud funny. I could go on and on about the great new characters and the visual style; I'm getting inspired myself just playing the game. I'm getting this warm and fuzzy feeling I haven't had since playing those old adventure games. Also, Peter McConnel is on fire with the music!
I got so excited about the casino mission and how it was basically a love letter to Rubacava. The penthouse zoom in in the beginning, the high roller's lounge, gambling Hollis = gambling Glottis :D I think they even used the same voice actor in the casino:
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The milkman conspiracy level is a neighborhood because Boyd is the milkman. Milkmen deliver milk in neighborhoods.
Like Oleanders mind is a battlefield because he's a military guy.
And Sasha's is a cube because of his personality.
Again, I'm not seeing the same connection between
Boole
reality cooking shows. I understand the idea of judges. But why not a courtroom? Why not a classroom where the Psychonauts are teachers? Why not a sporting event where the others are overbearing coaches? Why was a reality cooking show the best choice?
Would it have made sense if Oleanders level in the first game was based on the Olympics, and the idea was that athletes competing with each other is kind of like enemies competing in war, so it works with Coach's military theme? Not really, it makes WAY more sense to just have the level be a battlefield. Would it have made sense for Boyd's level to be a spooky Halloween level because that would capture the fear caused by his paranoia? Not really, the neighborhood setting fits the character far better.
Part of the problem is that they don't establish
Boole's
One other way to think about this and I'll agree to disagree: with all of the other levels (of the ones I've experienced), it would be pretty easy to match the level to the character even if you didn't see Raz first enter their mind. If you spent a few minutes watching cutscenes featuring characters like Sasha, Milla, Oleander, Boyd, basically anyone from the first game really, and then were let loose to explore the levels you would almost instantly be able to match the setting to the character whose mind you're in. You'd think "Oh, a battlefield, obviously the military guy. Oh, I'm in a velvet painting, obviosuly
But this just doesn't work for
Boole. If you're really attentive you might catch on that the Psychonauts being judges could mean it's him, although without seeing the backstory in his memory vault that seems unlikely. Otherwise you'd probably just be like "Uh, I guess there's some kind of chef character I haven't been introduced to?"
And I can appreciate them being less bound by settings that are so obviously tied to the character, but this level just felt so impersonal. It felt like it could have belonged to literally anyone who has an issue with feeling judged, with zero personal connection to the character.
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The Judge enemy type is introduced in that level. Tim likely did not see a courtroom as a setting that would work as well with the animal theme vs a cook off where you're literally making a pig chop its family member into bacon .... "He feels judged therefore courtroom" is the most expected and unoriginal shit they could have gone with.
I think we're on very different wavelengths here, and its not worth discussing. Just a completely fundamental misunderstanding on your part of how these things manifest, and I can't blame you, I blame the systems in place that we have.
The point is not that he's being literally judged at every moment by the founders. That's how its manifested itself.
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Have gotten a distance into the game, and will echo the impressions about it seeming like an natural extension of the first game, which is very high praise! The platformer still seems to be a good marriage with adventure game elements, and I am losing so much time trying everything on every character. If it continues like this it will likely be my GOTY. As for criticisms, I think the collectables system should have been rehauled, and the game does have an overreliance on invisible walls.
The first level was such a love letter to the fans and the previous game! Seeing the familiar characters jumping into action one by one and with such faithfullness, was an immediate delight and alleviated all doubts about it being too long since the first game for recapturing the same spirit. The constant callbacks to the first game are a joy, such as the way Lili caught Raz and the view of the asylum, and shows that Schafer's style of humor lends itself really well to sequels. As a glorofied tutorial, it is a bit too basic of a (literal) corridor level without the adventure game elements, so I wish they would have incorporated something of the sort into it.
When getting into a pachinko machine, get all the figments in there since you currently can't re-enter afterwards.
And when there's a level with bonuses for a time limit, you have to get the bonuses on the first try. If you can't make it, just lose all your health and the challenge should reset.
The first level was such a love letter to the fans and the previous game! Seeing the familiar characters jumping into action one by one and with such faithfullness, was an immediate delight and alleviated all doubts about it being too long since the first game for recapturing the same spirit. The constant callbacks to the first game are a joy, such as the way Lili caught Raz and the view of the asylum, and shows that Schafer's style of humor lends itself really well to sequels. As a glorofied tutorial, it is a bit too basic of a (literal) corridor level without the adventure game elements, so I wish they would have incorporated something of the sort into it.
Not too far into the game, but it doesn't seem like rank is as important as the first game, i.e. necessary for game completion. It mostly gives you more badges and upgrade points for your skills, so I wouldn't stress about figments and you can come back later. But if you are going for 100% eventually, keep in mind there are two places which are purported to be able to soft-lock you from it:
When getting into a pachinko machine, get all the figments in there since you currently can't re-enter afterwards.
And when there's a level with bonuses for a time limit, you have to get the bonuses on the first try. If you can't make it, just lose all your health and the challenge should reset.
Can someone please explain how you get onto that side platform in Blastcap Becky's cave in the Quarry. When you get to the top of the room and are riding the rails back towards the entrance, there's another little cave off to the right and I can't get over there for the life of me.
I cannot find the last figment in the first level. I've been running through this area for hours.
Edit: Found it. God, every time I complain about not finding something in a game on Era I find it immediately and it's so annoying. I swear it's some kind of curse.
Edit: Found it. God, every time I complain about not finding something in a game on Era I find it immediately and it's so annoying. I swear it's some kind of curse.
Just got a response from the support team of Double Fine regarding the PC GamePass stuttering issue!
"Hello!
We're sorry that you're having this issue with our game. We are aware of the problem and are investigating a fix for it. The fix should be available sometime early next week after it passes certification."
Let's hope for the best <3
"Hello!
We're sorry that you're having this issue with our game. We are aware of the problem and are investigating a fix for it. The fix should be available sometime early next week after it passes certification."
Let's hope for the best <3
Okay, I have two questions for people who've beaten the game under the spoiler:
Is completing the third part of Ford's mind a "point-of-no-return" or is there still more to do? And, when the hell do I get the power to go through these doors with the tiny slots?! That shit is driving me crazy.
Well, I have to admit that... I didn't like the introductory level. So I was a little afraid that it would be again another game well received that wouldn't click for me.
But then the first "real" level came in. And wow. I loved it. And it's even better after that. Gameplay variety, amazing art style, humor, fun and very well written story, ... I don't even remember when I played a game like that.
On top of my GOTY list for now, let's hope it will stick there after I finish the game.
But then the first "real" level came in. And wow. I loved it. And it's even better after that. Gameplay variety, amazing art style, humor, fun and very well written story, ... I don't even remember when I played a game like that.
On top of my GOTY list for now, let's hope it will stick there after I finish the game.
Is there no way to easily spawn certain enemies once you've beaten the game? The last achievement I need requires the judge enemy and I can't seem to find any place to fight them anymore.
It is the point of no return but you have another 4 hours or so left in the game (so like a third of the game is after the point of no return). And you'll get your power then.
But there's a post game epilogue where you can do all the things you missed. Though you'll miss out on dialog you haven't had.
Nice, can I go back to the hub world after I beat the game or am I going to be stuck in the collective unconscious again like the first game?
Really liking this. I enjoyed the first one, loved the story and characters and humour but always thought it looked a bit ugly (like, not the intentional ugliness). I did come to it pretty late but played on PC (which iirc had some weird issues with the controller). This one looks amazing though, like I'm shocked how visually good it looks, not just the design and style, but technically.
My only real issue so far is I'm missing one scalpel/toothpick figment from the first level and I don't know where it is, I have everything else on that level. Only just finished the third level though so not a huge deal.
My only real issue so far is I'm missing one scalpel/toothpick figment from the first level and I don't know where it is, I have everything else on that level. Only just finished the third level though so not a huge deal.
