When the first installment ofPsychonautswas released over 16 years ago, people loved the game for its story and quirky characters. Fast forward to August 2021, and the second installment aims to reach even higher. With the generational leap in technology,Psychonauts 2hopes to make the most with better visuals, a more intriguing storyline, and improvements to the core gameplay elements.The game may have small flaws, but it has garnered positive receptionfrom fans of the original, as well as from critics.
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For those players who haven’t been introduced to the original, and want to try the sequel, the gameplay can take a while to get habituated to. With the protagonist Raz capable of using psychic abilities, and the platformer being more complex than the usual fare,Psychonauts 2asks for a bit more from the player than just button mashing. Here are a few mistakes to avoid when playing the game.
10Not Using Pyrokinesis For Psitanium
Psitanium is an essential currency inPsychonauts 2and can be used at the Otto-Mattic forbuying items. Psitanium can be found in the game world by destroying objects in every locale. However, the only way to procure Psitanium from these objects is to burn them using Pyrokinesis.
If the player lacks cash at any point in the game, using Pyrokinesis on these objects will grant them a substantial amount of Psitanium. Players can then use the Psitanium to buy items such as PSI cores and pins that can be used in the game to further the player’s progression.
9Using Psitanium For Healing Items
Psychonauts 2does have a lot of variety in terms of combat. However, the combat isn’t all that difficult – players will rarely come across a situation where the usage of healing items will be mandated. In fact, at the very start of the game, the protagonist Raz has enough Psitanium to buy PSI pops. These PSI pops restore a certain portion of Raz’s health. Moreover, this should be enough to see players through the first few stages of the game.
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It is only when certain upgrades are done for Raz that players can and should buy healing items. Keeping a few of them in stock might be useful in the latter half of the game.
8Not Upgrading The Wallet First
The wallet that Raz is given at the beginning ofPsychonauts 2has a capacity of holding 100 Psitanium. While this is enough at the very beginning, players would do well to upgrade the wallet capacity at the first possible chance. Buying a wallet upgrade from Otto-Mattic will cost around 75 Psitanium, but it will be worth it in the long run; especially asRaz’s rank increases.
The players can then spend the remaining Psitanium on various other upgrades. Players can also go for the Astral Wallet at 750 Psitanium. This will help the players later on as they can keep their extra stocks at a Supply Chest.
7Not Utilizing The Combat Abilities
Psychonauts 2offers a range of combat abilities with Raz, the protagonist. There are also multiple enemy types that players will have to face. Each enemy type can be damaged with at least one particular combat ability. In fact, Raz’scombat mechanicsare also supplemented with psychic powers.
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This makes it fun for the players to experiment with different combat abilities and see which works best for a particular scenario. Although the entire gameplay mechanic ofPsychonauts 2isn’t as daunting as some players would imagine, its relatively simplistic action-platforming still has a lot to offer.
6Not Exploring Areas Between Missions
Between missions, players can free-roam in the various areas present inPsychonauts 2. They can manage their upgrades through the Otto-Mattic machine or complete side missions to increase their intern ranking. Moreover, there are alot of collectibles to be foundinPsychonauts 2.
A lot of these locations house certain collectibles - collecting all of which would result in a few more side missions for the player. This, in turn, could also increase Raz’s intern rank and provide Psitanium for more upgrades. Make sure to explore areas such as the Motherlobe for a handful of extras.
5Not Replaying Missions
There are some players who play a game only for the story that it tells. There are others who want to understand and explore every nook in a game and find all the collectibles. If players truly want to enjoy whatPsychonauts 2has to offer, they must replay missions using the Collective Unconscious. Collectibles are a big part of the game experience provided byPsychonauts 2, and counts as a core gameplay mechanic.
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Replaying missions and roaming around the different areas, hunting for extra items, even after the main story is over rewards players handsomely. It also enriches their playing experience withPsychonauts 2.
4Not Using Levitation For Combat
Most players will find it easy to use the Levitation Psi-Power while platforming and gliding. It allows Raz to summon a ballon that controls his descent onto the ground, while he’s gliding. It can also be used on the ground, as Raz uses the balloon to move faster and navigate tricky areas. Navigation on foot inPsychonauts 2isn’t very quick, and Levitation power helps to negate this to an extent.
In the latter stages of the game, players will be able to upgrade to a Super Jump ability that can be combined with Levitation to evade tougher enemies. There are a few more upgrades worth experimenting with, in coalition with the Levitation ability.
3Not Saving The Game Enough
SincePsychonauts 2follows the classic archetype of platformers, there’s a lot of collectibles to be found in the game world. Moreover,it takes a while to complete. This makes it imperative for players to save their game progress as frequently as possible, as some of the collectibles can be difficult to find and acquire.
Psychonauts 2doesn’t have a manual save option though - only an autosave feature like most recent games. The autosave function is activated at major points in the game. Players can quit the game, leading to the game letting the players know when the last save was done. If needed, players can venture forth a bit further to trigger another autosave.
2Upgrading the Clairvoyance Power Early
The Clairvoyance power present in the game doesn’t do much for players. It justallows Raz to see through the eyes of an NPC. In the early stages of the game, this isn’t a very useful power and will not help much in exploration either. Players should upgrade other powers such as Telekinesis and Pyrokinesis.
These upgrades are useful at the early stages of the game. There will come a time in the latter stages when the Clairvoyance power can be utilized better. Until then, players should focus on other Psi-Powers as they will be more useful through their journey.
1Trying To 100% A World Straight Away
There are several worlds/levels inPsychonauts 2that can be completed. However, almost none of them can be completed entirely the very first time that Raz visits them. Revisiting worlds and levels is the only way to slowly complete the entirety of the game and its levels. In fact, some collectibles in certain worlds require specific upgrades to be accessed.
In this situation, it’s better if players don’t waste their time trying to collect the item at a stage where they don’t have the required abilities. They can revisit the worlds at a later time, instead of stressing about the completionist achievements.
Psychonauts 2was released in 2021 and is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
