Info about Psychonauts 2:

Official game description:
Simplified Chinese
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This game only supports Simplified Chinese interface and subtitles for users on Windows operating system.
Photosensitivity Notice
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Certain visual content, including flashing lights or patterns, may affect photosensitive players and viewers. Please visit the Xbox support site for additional information.
About the Game
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Razputin “Raz” Aquato, trained acrobat and powerful young psychic, has realized his lifelong dream of joining the international psychic espionage organization known as the Psychonauts! But these psychic super spies are in trouble. Their leader hasn't been the same since he was rescued from a kidnapping, and what's worse, there's a mole hiding in headquarters.
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.

Release date: Aug 24, 2021

Categories: 3D Platformer, Action-Adventure, Character Progression, Exploration, Puzzle Solving, Story-driven Gameplay, Collectathon

Feature scans:
- Wiki: score 10; verdict: Mixed Reviews with Notable Navigation Issues; summary: The analysis of user feedback for Psychonauts 2 reveals significant issues with navigation and in-game guidance, leading to a heavy reliance on external guides. Additionally, there are concerns about the story and character engagement, which users found lacking. However, some users had a positive gameplay experience, finding it engaging and attainable without extensive use of walkthroughs.
- Steam Deck: score 30; verdict: Playable with Minor Tinkering; summary: The game is generally well-optimized for the Steam Deck and performs well on Linux with some tinkering required. Graphical performance varies, and there are some reported control issues.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Outstanding level design (weight 0.79): The game features uniquely designed levels that are not only visually stunning but also intricately thematic and enjoyable to play. Each level is crafted with creativity and serves the story well.
- Improved gameplay mechanics (weight 0.37): The gameplay has seen significant improvements over the original, with more polished and refined mechanics. It feels better to play and is more enjoyable than its predecessor.
- Balanced combat and platforming (weight 0.33): The game excels in blending combat and platforming elements. It offers a good mix of both, making the gameplay exciting and varied.
- Excellent voice acting (weight 0.33): The voice acting in the game is praised for being excellent and awesome. It enhances the overall narrative and character performances.
- Compelling storyline (weight 0.32): The game features a rich and interesting storyline that is gripping and well-written. It keeps players engaged and invested in the narrative.
- Charming platformer (weight 0.28): The game is described as a charming and creative platformer with fluid and responsive gameplay. It stands out as one of the better platformers on the market.
- Creative and imaginative exploration (weight 0.25): The game offers creative and imaginative exploration of unique and surreal mental worlds. Each mind is full of personality and creative gimmicks.
- Deep and heartfelt storytelling (weight 0.25): The game delivers a heartfelt story with deep themes, tackling heavy topics such as grief, loss, and identity. It is captivating and meaningful.
- Solid and enjoyable game (weight 0.24): The game is described as extremely solid and fantastic, offering an excellent gameplay experience that is well worth playing.
- Unique and excellent art style (weight 0.24): The game features a unique and excellent art style that is colorful and well-developed. It adds to the visual appeal and overall aesthetic of the game.
- Best 3D platformer (weight 0.22): The game is considered one of the best 3D platformers available. It is praised for its mix of 3D platforming and adventure story-driven gameplay.
- Thoughtful mental health themes (weight 0.21): The game tactfully addresses mental health themes and encourages self-reflection and helping others. It is praised for its mature and thoughtful representation of mental health issues.
- Exploration of human emotions (weight 0.2): The game explores the complexities of human emotions and the mind. It offers a unique experience that allows players to analyze and explore the characters' thoughts and feelings.
- Enjoyable collectathon experience (weight 0.2): The game offers plenty to explore and collect, making it enjoyable for collectathon enthusiasts. It features satisfying exploration and collection mechanics.

Common complaints:
- Combat system criticisms (weight 0.44): The combat system received mixed reviews, with some players finding it too simple or not engaging, while others felt it was overly complex or difficult. Some players found the combat to be repetitive and arena-style.
- Underwhelming gameplay and abilities (weight 0.35): Many players found the gameplay lackluster and underwhelming, with poor abilities and a lack of replayability. The gameplay was described as messy and unpolished.
- Excessive and meaningless cutscenes (weight 0.35): Players felt there were too many cutscenes that interrupted gameplay and made the game feel more like a film. Some cutscenes were described as long and excessive.
- Disappointing story and ending (weight 0.32): The plot and finale were criticized for being boring, abrupt, and underwhelming. Players felt the story lacked the punch of the original game.
- Camera and control issues (weight 0.22): Players reported issues with camera positioning and controls, making the gameplay experience less enjoyable.
- Humor falls short (weight 0.2): The humor in the game was not as well-received as in the original, with players finding it less funny and the writing not as tight or full of soul.
- Game difficulty and bugs (weight 0.17): The game was described as rather easy overall, with some players encountering bugs and crashes that affected their experience.
- Underdeveloped secondary characters (weight 0.16): Secondary characters were criticized for lacking development and interaction, making the game feel repetitive and tedious.
- Frustrating collectibles (weight 0.15): Collectibles were criticized for being hard to see, frustrating, and sometimes ridiculous in number.
- Limited language support (weight 0.13): The game lacks audio support for languages other than English, with translations that are not always accurate.
- Price and game length concerns (weight 0.09): Some players expressed concerns about the price of the game relative to its length.

Gameplay feedback:
- 3D platformer with combat (weight 0.64): As a 3D platformer, the game features a mix of platforming and combat mechanics. Players enjoy the in-depth combat system that complements the platforming elements well.
- Engaging story-driven gameplay (weight 0.41): The game is noted for its strong narrative elements, with interactive dialogue and cutscenes that enhance the storytelling. Players enjoy the linear story and narrative-driven gameplay.
- Unique and imaginative level design (weight 0.39): The game features highly praised level design that is quirky, intricately thematic, and includes unique elements like bowling and Psi King's level. Players appreciate the psychedelic and dream-like visuals, as well as the story-driven aspects of the levels.
- Improvements over the first game (weight 0.25): The sequel improves on the original game's gameplay mechanics and levels. Players note that while it remains mostly the same, the refinements and additions are appreciated.
- Customizable abilities and badges (weight 0.19): Players can upgrade and manage abilities, as well as customize badges. This adds a layer of strategy and personalization to the gameplay.
- Retro and classic platforming (weight 0.15): The game captures the essence of retro and classic platforming games, appealing to fans of old-school platformers. The gameplay mechanics and level design evoke a sense of nostalgia.
- Open world and sandbox elements (weight 0.13): The game features an open sandbox map that allows for open-world exploration. This design choice is well-received by players who enjoy the freedom it provides.
- Unique and challenging boss battles (weight 0.1): The game includes unique boss battles that are challenging and require different strategies to overcome. This variety adds to the game's depth and excitement.

Performance notes:
- Well-optimized gameplay (weight 0.3): The game is noted for its optimization, running smoothly and efficiently on various systems, including lower-spec machines.
- High FPS on max settings (weight 0.18): Many players reported achieving high frame rates, such as 45+ FPS and even 240 FPS, on maxed-out graphics settings, showcasing the game's strong performance on high-end systems.
- Optimized for Steam Deck (weight 0.14): The game runs well on Steam Deck, indicating good optimization for this platform. However, some users noted fast battery drain.
- Visual and design excellence (weight 0.14): Players praised the game's visual quality and character designs, highlighting its technological advancements and polished performance.
- Bugs and glitches (weight 0.13): Some players encountered bugs in certain levels, softlocks, and light glitches that required restarting the game. These issues can disrupt the gameplay experience.
- Control and camera issues (weight 0.13): There are reports of controls not working properly and poor view locking, which negatively affects the combat experience. The camera is compared unfavorably to Ocarina of Time.
- Mac port optimization (weight 0.09): The game is noted for its optimization on Mac systems, allowing it to run smoothly on both PC and Mac computers.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended game (weight 0.61): The game is highly recommended by many players for its engaging content and enjoyable experience.
- Enjoyable story and narrative (weight 0.44): The game features a great story that can be enjoyed alone but also builds on the first game, making it a hit for fans of narrative-driven games.
- Play the first game first (weight 0.43): Players suggest playing the first game in the series before this one to better understand the context and story.
- Great for platformer fans (weight 0.41): The game is recommended for fans of platformers and those who enjoy classic adventure games with good writing and humor.
- Support for future sequels (weight 0.13): Players express a strong desire for future sequels and are willing to support the game to ensure more content is developed.
- Worth the full price (weight 0.06): Many players feel the game is worth its full price due to its high quality and enjoyable experience.
- Positive surprise (weight 0.05): Some players were pleasantly surprised by the game, finding it to be a unique and enjoyable experience.
- Character relationship map (weight 0.04): A suggestion to add a character relationship map to help players better understand the connections between characters.
- Play until all abilities unlocked (weight 0.04): Recommends playing through the game until at least all abilities are unlocked for the full experience.

Other player notes:
- Verified on Steam Deck (weight 0.06): The game has been verified to work well on the Steam Deck, which is a positive point for players using this platform.
- Platinum trophy achievable (weight 0.06): The game offers a platinum trophy that can be obtained in approximately 30 hours, which players found to be a great feature.
- Desire for high-quality dubbing (weight 0.06): Players expressed a desire for the game to have a high-quality dubbing, similar to those found in popular animated movies like Ice Age or Shrek.
- Unofficial Ukrainian localization (weight 0.05): Players appreciated the quality of the unofficial Ukrainian localization provided for the game.
- Bridge to psychology theme (weight 0.05): The game includes elements that bridge to the field of psychology, which is a notable aspect mentioned by players.

Emotions:
- Joy (weight 0.2): Players experience joy from the engaging gameplay, combat mechanics, and the heartfelt, cinematic story. The humor, unique character designs, and vibrant visuals also contribute significantly to this positive emotion.
- Disappointment (weight 0.12): Disappointment stems from the game not meeting the high standards set by the original, particularly in humor, character writing, and storyline. Combat mechanics and changes in tone also contribute to this sentiment.
- Frustration (weight 0.11): Frustration is caused by various gameplay issues such as bugs, softlocks, and poorly designed combat mechanics. Frequent cutscenes, repetitive elements, and camera issues also add to the frustration.
- Excitement (weight 0.07): Excitement is generated by the game's engaging narrative, unique level design, and refined combat mechanics. Players also appreciate the fluid movement and overall quality improvements over the first game.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.06): Nostalgia is evoked by comparisons to the original game, bringing back memories of playing the first Psychonauts. The return of the original cast and the familiar, charming environments contribute to this feeling.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.06): Enjoyment comes from the charming story, detailed world design, and engaging gameplay. The combination of humor, creativity, and adventure elements makes the game highly enjoyable.
- Admiration (weight 0.06): Admiration is felt for the game's artistic direction, level design, and creativity. The respectful handling of mental health topics and the overall refinement of the game also earn high praise.
- Happy (weight 0.04): Happiness is derived from the game's memorable characters, entertaining gameplay, and the satisfaction of being a backer. The game's humor and great abilities also contribute to this positive emotion.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.03): Satisfaction arises from the polished gameplay, exceptional level design, and overall improvements in the game. Players appreciate the pacing, visual effects, and controls.
- Love (weight 0.02): Love for the game is expressed due to its unique experience and the effort put into its creation. Players feel a deep connection to the game and its characters.
- Fascination (weight 0.02): Fascination is sparked by the game's intricate designs, attention to detail, and the captivating ideas and concepts presented. The unique and imaginative level design also contributes to this emotion.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger is caused by frustrating game mechanics, poor level design, and annoying character interactions. These elements detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Surprise comes from unexpected plot twists and the high quality of the sequel exceeding player expectations. The game's narrative and design elements contribute to this feeling.
- Excited (weight 0.02): Excitement is generated by the game's overall quality, story, and gameplay improvements. Players are eager to explore the game's unique levels and engaging narrative.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): Immersão is achieved through dynamic scenarios and a captivating soundtrack that pulls players into the game world. The visual and auditory elements create a deeply engaging experience.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Hope is inspired by the game's message about mental health struggles and the potential for future entries in the series. Players are optimistic about the impact and continuation of the game's narrative.
- Frustrated (weight 0.01): Frustration is caused by difficult jumping puzzles, management of Raz's powers, and repetitive combat sequences. These elements can hinder the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Faith restored (weight 0.01): Faith is restored by the game's cohesive experience, which brings back the magic of the original. The refined gameplay and engaging narrative contribute to this sentiment.}