Psychonauts 2
A 2021 platform game sequel to Psychonauts.
Psychonauts 2 is a platform game from 2021, created by Double Fine and put out by Xbox Game Studios. It picks up right after the VR game *Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin* (2017). The project was first revealed at The Game Awards in 2015, and it landed on PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on August 25, 2021, with Linux and macOS versions following on May 24, 2022.
You play as Raz, a young acrobat training to be a Psychonaut—part of a global team that uses psychic powers to stop people who misuse their own mental abilities. In this sequel, the Psychonauts are trying to figure out who actually captured their leader, which uncovers a deep secret about the organization’s origins and Raz’s own family history. To solve it, Raz jumps into the mindscapes of different characters, hunting for clues. Inside those twisted mental worlds, he uses a mix of old and new psychic powers to navigate and fight the creatures that live there.
The first *Psychonauts* (2005) got great reviews but didn’t sell well, staying a commercial flop for years. Double Fine and director Tim Schafer wanted to make a sequel, but the cost kept stopping them. In 2011, the studio got the rights back from Majesco, re-released the game on modern platforms, and saw strong sales and fan demand for a follow-up. To fund *Psychonauts 2*, Double Fine launched a Fig crowdfunding and investment campaign alongside the 2015 announcement, aiming for $3.3 million and raising nearly $4 million by early 2016. Originally, Starbreeze Studios was set to publish it, but they went bankrupt in 2018. Then in 2019, Microsoft bought Double Fine as part of Xbox Game Studios and took over the publishing rights from Starbreeze. That acquisition let Double Fine finish the game exactly as they’d planned, without cutting any content.
When it came out, *Psychonauts 2* got generally positive reviews, with many saying it matched the quality of the first game. Critics liked the platforming, level design, visuals, writing, and tone, but some pointed out issues with the gameplay and boss fights.
**Gameplay**
This is a single-player, third-person platformer. You control Razputin “Raz” Aquato, a thirteen-year-old runaway from a circus acrobat family who has strong psychic powers, letting him enter other people’s minds. He’s a new intern at the Psychonauts agency. Raz uses his acrobatic skills to run, jump, clim
- Developer
- Double Fine
- Publisher
- Xbox Game Studios
- Release Date
- August 25, 2021 (initial); May 24, 2022 (Linux, macOS)
- Platforms
- PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Linux, macOS
- Genre
- Platform game
- Director
- Tim Schafer
Lore & Background
Psychonauts 2 is a single-player platform game played in a third-person view. The player controls Razputin 'Raz' Aquato, a thirteen-year-old child runaway of a circus acrobat family who possesses powerful psychic abilities. Raz is a new intern of the Psychonauts, an agency of psychic spies. His acrobatic skills allow him to run, jump, scale walls and platforms, and slide along rails, but he cannot swim because he never learned. Raz hones his abilities into an array of psychic powers including pyrokinesis, levitation, telekinesis, and a new ability called Mental Connection, which he uses to tether between floating points. Up to four powers can be assigned at once and are swapped out via a pop-up interface.
The game's levels exist in each character's consciousness, often requiring exploration of surreal environments—such as Ford Cruller's quarry, a mindscape shaped by his past traumas and secrets.
Reader's Guide
Psychonauts 2 was developed by Double Fine and published by Xbox Game Studios. The original Psychonauts (2005) was critically praised but commercially unsuccessful. Double Fine regained the intellectual property from Majesco in 2011, allowing rereleases that saw strong sales and increased demand for a sequel. The game was announced at The Game Awards 2015, alongside a US$3.3 million crowd-funding and investment drive through Fig, which raised nearly $4 million by early 2016. Initially to be published by Starbreeze Studios, Starbreeze fell into bankruptcy in 2018. By 2019, Microsoft acquired Double Fine as part of Xbox Game Studios and secured publishing rights from Starbreeze, allowing Double Fine to complete the game as envisioned. Upon release, Psychonauts 2 received generally positive reviews, with praise for its platforming, level design, visuals, writing, and tone, while criticism fell on aspects of gameplay and boss battles. The game's significance lies in its successful crowdfunding campaign, its development through publisher changes, and its fulfillment of long-standing fan demand for a sequel to a cult classic.
Did You Know?
- Psychonauts 2 was announced at The Game Awards 2015 ceremony.
- The game raised nearly $4 million through a Fig crowdfunding campaign by the beginning of 2016.
- Double Fine was acquired by Microsoft in 2019, which allowed the game to be completed as envisioned.
- The game was released on Linux and macOS on May 24, 2022.
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